http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/copyright/ en-us Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:23 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2411847/posts Vatican City, Dec 19, 2009 / 12:23 pm (CNA).- The Vatican made a declaration on the protection of the figure of the Pope on Saturday morning.  The statement seeks to establish and safeguard the name, image and any symbols of the Pope as being expressly for official use of the Holy See unless otherwise authorized.The statement cited a "great increase of affection and esteem for the person of the Holy Father" in recent years as contributing to a desire to use the Pontiff's name for all manner of educational and cultural institutions, civic groups and foundations. Due to this demand,... cna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2411847/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404762/posts Chet Baker was a leading jazz musician in the 1950s, playing trumpet and providing vocals. Baker died in 1988, yet he is about to add a new claim to fame as the lead plaintiff in possibly the largest copyright infringement case in Canadian history. His estate, which still owns the copyright in more than 50 of his works, is part of a massive class-action lawsuit that has been underway for the past year. The infringer has effectively already admitted owing at least $50 million and the full claim could exceed $6 billion. If the dollars don't shock, the target of... The Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404762/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:53:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399849/posts EU ACTA Analysis Leaks: Confirms Plans For Global DMCA, Encourage 3 Strikes Model Monday November 30, 2009 The European Commission analysis of ACTA's Internet chapter has leaked, indicating that the U.S. is seeking to push laws that extend beyond the WIPO Internet treaties and beyond current European Union law (the EC posted the existence of the document last week but refused to make it publicly available). The document contains detailed comments on the U.S. proposal, confirming the U.S. desire to promote a three-strikes and you're out policy, a Global DMCA, harmonized contributory copyright infringement rules, and the establishment of an... http://www.michaelgeist.ca/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399849/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 01:57:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398996/posts Some of the biggest names on the web have written to Peter Mandelson to express "grave concerns" about elements of the Digital Economy Bill. Facebook, Google, Yahoo and eBay object to a clause that they say could give government "unprecedented and sweeping powers" to amend copyright laws. "We urge you to remove Clause 17 from the bill," the letter read.... The consortium believe that if Clause 17, as it is known, is approved it will give "any future Secretary of State" the ability to amend copyright laws as they see fit. "This power could be used, for example, to introduce... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398996/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 03:22:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391004/posts People who unlawfully download copyrighted material could be disconnected from their internet accounts as part of the Digital Economy Bill, a major overhaul to the UK's technology legislation. The bill, unveiled on Friday, will oblige ISPs to send notifications to customers who are suspected of infringing copyright. ISPs will also be forced to record the number of notifications a user has received and send this data to rights holders, such as record companies, so they can apply for a court order for the user's name and address. The rights holder can then launch civil proceedings against the infringer. The minister... ZDnet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391004/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378435/posts The internet chapter of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret copyright treaty whose text Obama's administration refused to disclose due to "national security" concerns, has leaked. It's bad. It says: * That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability. * That ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. This means that... boingboing http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378435/posts#comment Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:35:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377337/posts 31 years ago, in 1978, the television program 60 Minutes put on an episode about the awful threat of "video piracy" to the movie industry. Featuring the MPAA's Jack Valenti, the episode focused on how the VCR was going to destroy the movie business because anyone could copy and watch a movie in the privacy of their own home. Of course, in retrospect, that episode is hilariously wrong. You would think that, given how wrong they got it thirty years ago on this particular subject, 60 Minutes would be a bit more careful taking on the same subject again. No... TechDirt http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377337/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:00:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377288/posts Michael Palin and Terry Jones have complained that Chris Christie, the Republican candidate for the New Jersey governorship, used clips from a Monty Python sketch in a campaign advertisement. Mr Christie, who hopes to unseat his Democratic rival Jon Corzine as governor in an election on Tuesday, removed the video from his website and YouTube page hours after complaints from Michael Palin and Terry Jones. The offending advertisement featured Palin in a vintage Monty Python's Flying Circus piece as a television presenter asking viewers if they had ever suffered from déjà vu and then repeating the question several times. Mr... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377288/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:06:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372018/posts Pirate Party hopes for free future By Ian Youngs Music reporter, BBC News The Pirate Party, a political movement born out of music file-sharing, has gained support in Sweden and Germany, and is planning to field candidates in the next UK general election. It wants to encourage all file-sharing and slash copyright - to the horror of many artists and entertainment executives. So are they a significant force or a fleeting bunch of freeloaders? If Rick Falkvinge did not already know what the music industry thought of him, the Pirate Party founder found out at the In The City music... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372018/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:52:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2365794/posts Turn the Other Cheek Deborah Lambert, October 19, 2009 Until last year, Missouri teenager Jimmy Winkelmann wasn’t planning on being an entrepreneur. But after becoming “frustrated with his classmates’ sheep-like following” of the popular North Face sports clothing, he finally decided to generate his own response. The result was a line of parody sports apparel called “South Butt.” The idea caught on—but thanks to the popularity of his website offerings, Winkelmann might face a lawsuit for trademark infringement, according to ABC TV News. It all started when a lawyer for North Face contacted Winkelmann, saying that the similarity of the... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2365794/posts#comment Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:23:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364852/posts NEW YORK — Shepard Fairey's claim that he had the right to use a news photo to create his famous Barack Obama "HOPE" poster became a widely watched court case about fair use that now appears to have nearly collapsed. By Friday night, his attorneys – led by Anthony Falzone, executive director of the Fair Use Project at Stanford University – said they intend to withdraw from the case and said the artist had misled them by fabricating information and destroying other material. Fairey himself admitted that he didn't use The Associated Press photo of Obama seated next to... San Diego Union-Tribune (AP) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364852/posts#comment Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:04:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364529/posts "Shepard Fairey has now been forced to admit that he sued the AP under false pretenses by lying about which AP photograph he used to make the Hope and Progress posters," Kasi said. "Mr. Fairey has also now admitted to the AP that he fabricated and attempted to destroy other evidence in an effort to bolster his fair use case and cover up his previous lies and omissions." Kasi said the AP would continue to "vigorously pursue its countersuit alleging that Fairey willfully infringed the AP's copyright in the close-up photo of then-Sen. Obama." New York Times (you may need to register at NYT to access full article) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364529/posts#comment Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:57:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364391/posts A statement emerged tonight from AP concerning its long battle with artist Shepard Fairey over his use of an AP photo as the basic image for his famous Obama campaign poster. AP claims that Fairey's attorneys admit he tried to destroy some evidence, faking others and that his attorneys have sought to get off the case. Statement from Srinandan R. Kasi, VP and General Counsel, The Associated Press, follows. * Striking at the heart of his fair use case against the AP, Shepard Fairey has now been forced to admit that he sued the AP under false pretenses by lying... Editor & Publisher http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364391/posts#comment Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:20:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2360996/posts What exactly is going on? Jennifer Bendall, executive director of musicFIRST, sums it up rather quickly: "It's unfair, unjustified and un-American that artists and musicians are paid absolutely nothing when their recordings are played on AM and FM radio. Music is their work, their livelihood. They deserve fair pay for air play." Pandora Radio is pushing for passage - they pay royalties yet radio stations do not for the same product. The Patriot Room http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2360996/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:53:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2352063/posts A judge Tuesday heard arguments in a dispute over software sales that could potentially have repercussions on the secondhand sale of virtually any copyright material. The suit was filed by Timothy Vernor, a seller on eBay, after Autodesk, citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, asked eBay to remove some of its software products that Vernor had listed for sale there, and later to ban him from the site. Vernor had not illegally copied the software but was selling legitimate CDs of the products secondhand. For that reason, he argued, he was not infringing Autodesk's copyright. Autodesk countered that because it... Computerworld UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2352063/posts#comment Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:29:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345919/posts A South Bay lawyer wasn't acting as a Peeping Tom or a member of the paparazzi when he hired an investigator to stake out a Morgan Hill official in an unsuccessful search for evidence of a suspected romantic affair, a state appeals court says. Instead, attorney Bruce Tichinin was exercising a citizen's right to look into possible government wrongdoing, and can sue the city of Morgan Hill for allegedly retaliating against him by denouncing his actions, the appellate panel in San Jose said Monday. Tichinin's lawyer said the ruling by the Sixth District Court of Appeal should be good news... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345919/posts#comment Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:58:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345691/posts There was a time, not so long ago, when the term "Internet Freedom" actually meant what it implied: a cyberspace free from over-zealous legislators and bureaucrats.... Those days are now gone; the presumption of online liberty is giving way to a presumption of regulation. A massive assault on real Internet freedom has been gathering steam for years and has finally come to a head. Ironically, victory for those who carry the banner of "Internet Freedom" would mean nothing less than the death of that freedom.... Here is the reality: Because of the steps being taken in Washington right now, real... Forbes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345691/posts#comment Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:59:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2341183/posts Country’s National Assembly passes draft law that kills illegal downloaders’ internet accessThe French National Assembly has passed one of the toughest laws against internet piracy that the world has ever seen.Under the new legislation, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, illegal downloaders of games, music and movies will be sent two warnings - first by email and then by recorded delivery. Following these cautions, the offender's details will be passed to a judge – who now has the power to cut off Internet access and issue heavy fines or even prison sentences.The law was narrowly passed by 285 votes to 225.... MCV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2341183/posts#comment Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:10:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2337581/posts Some of the world's largest recording companies are suing "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," claiming producers violated their copyrights by playing more than 1,000 songs without permission. Many of the songs were played during the "dance over" segment of the show, when DeGeneres dances from the stage to the interview area, often through the audience. According to the suit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, when representatives of the recording companies asked defendants why they hadn't obtained licenses to use the songs, defendants said they didn't "roll that way." "As sophisticated consumers of music, Defendants knew full well that,... AP via yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2337581/posts#comment Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:23:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2336979/posts Foreign porn companies refile suit against Korean netizens By Kim Eun-jung SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- A group of U.S. and Japanese porn companies will refile a lawsuit from next week against South Korean uploaders, their legal representative here said Friday, accusing the country of holding a double standard in investigating copyright violations of local and foreign material. Some 50 foreign firms sued 10,000 Korean Internet users in July for uploading their adult materials onto local Web sites, but prosecutors limited their investigation to those confirmed to have uploaded content more than three times. Only 10 were punished. The porn... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2336979/posts#comment Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:57:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2333386/posts CHICAGO (STNG) -- A Chicago musician claims that a song he wrote in 1968 was later performed by the Jefferson Airplane rock group, included on a concert recording and subsequently made part of the group's repertoire, without giving him him any credit or compensation. Songwriter Syl Johnson is now suing the California-based band to get that recognition and maybe some financial compensation. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Chicago, Johnson claims "Dresses Too Short," a song he co-wrote in 1968 with Carl Smith, was performed by Jefferson Airplane at a 1969 concert. The song, with the name... STNG http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2333386/posts#comment Sun, 6 Sep 2009 16:02:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318546/posts The Pirate Party, a political group which hopes to legalise internet filesharing, has attracted a huge number of new members since announcing its plans to contest seats at the next election. Andrew Peter Robinson, the leader of the Pirate Party, said they had been flooded by enquiries from people who wanted to join the group. At its peak, he said, around 100 people an hour were signing up to become party members. "It has exceeded all expectations," he said. "Put it this way – donations have been coming in so fast that PayPal were concerned we were a fraudulent site."... UK Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318546/posts#comment Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:14:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2314961/posts Foreign porn producers sue SKorean Internet users Posted on - Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:35AM EDT SEOUL (AFP) - Foreign pornography producers are suing South Korean Internet users for breach of copyright by uploading their content onto local websites, police said Thursday. In an unusual case, a local law firm representing 50 US and Japanese porn producers has filed suit against about 10,000 heavy uploaders. The lawsuit was filed simultaneously through 10 police stations in Seoul and the adjoining Gyeonggi province, a National Police Agency spokesman said, refusing to give details. One officer at the agency said the foreign porn... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2314961/posts#comment Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:19:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2314051/posts A federal judge in San Francisco has sided with Hollywood studios and ruled against RealNetworks’ DVD-copying software saying RealDVD allows users to engage in copyright infringement. U.S. District Court Marilyn Patel, in an order issued late Aug. 11, wrote that RealDVD “circumvents a technological measure that effectively controls access to or copying of the studios’ copyrighted content on DVDs.” Patel’s order effectively bars RealNetworks from selling RealDVD in any form, including its Facet DVD player that can create and store DVD copies. Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, said he was “very pleased” by... homemediamagazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2314051/posts#comment Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:56:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2312803/posts Link only, per FR posting rules. Link to article is here Deleware Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2312803/posts#comment Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:57:10 GMT