Friday, September 24, 2004

Brazil promises U.S. stronger anti-piracy effort

Brazil promises U.S. stronger anti-piracy effort
Reuters
USATODAY, publication date: 22 September 2004
"The pledge comes after the United States also made Brazil's future access to U.S. markets conditional on stronger anti-piracy law enforcement efforts, threatening delays in trade talks."

A question of copyright

A question of copyright
by GUY KEWNEY
IT Week [UK], publication date: 23 September 2004
"But looking back, when CDs came in, sales of vinyl went down and nobody thought it was right to create laws to protect this. Nobody should try to inhibit the mp3 trend just because it's harder to copy-protect them than it was to prevent CD duplication."

Apple row goes to core of online music

Apple row goes to core of online music
by BILL THOMPSON
BBC News, publication date: 24 September 2004

Monday, September 20, 2004

SFWA Statement on Kahle v. Ashcroft

Older, but still of interest given recent press on this court action
SFWA Statement on Kahle v. Ashcroft
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc, publication date: 01 June 2004

Valve vs. Vivendi Universal dogfight heats up in US District Court

Valve vs. Vivendi Universal dogfight heats up in US District Court
by CURT FELDMAN
GameSpot, publication date: 20 September 2004
"On August 14, 2002, Valve served its then-publisher Sierra On-Line (now Sierra Entertainment, a Vivendi Universal Games brand) with a lawsuit in US District Court, Western Division, Seattle alleging copyright infringement--the result of Sierra placing Valve games in Internet cafes in the US and abroad."

US businesses criticise China's inaction on piracy

US businesses criticise China's inaction on piracy
by LAURA ROHDE
ComputerWeekly, publication date: 20 September 2004
"More than three-quarters of AmCham members surveyed for the group's sixth annual White Paper on American business in China said they were negatively affected by the infringement of intellectual property rights, with over 90% of respondents saying they see "virtually no enforcement" of intellectual property rights."

United States - China Outsourcing

United States - China Outsourcing
by SHARON BARNER and HAROLD WEGNER, Foley & Lardner
Mondaq, publication date: 20 September 2004
"A local company profile in China of vigilance and a willingness to immediately sue is absolutely essential if infringement is to be stamped out. If it is possible to sue and then gain a settlement that can be widely publicized in the local press, then by all means this should be done. Public relations should be an integral part of the litigation strategy."

New internet copycat puts radio at battle stations

New internet copycat puts radio at battle stations
by MIKE BARTON
Sydney Morning Herald, publication date: 21 September 2004
"The US stations are unhappy that Microsoft, which jealously guards its copyright, is using public databases of playlists to produce clones - complete with their call letters and slogans."

Saving the Artistic Orphans

Saving the Artistic Orphans
by KATIE DEAN
Wired News, publication date: 20 September 2004
"Valuable resources are being lost to students, researchers and historians because of sweeping changes in copyright law, according to digital archivists who are suing the government."

Friday, September 17, 2004

The DMCA and the broadcast flag

The DMCA and the broadcast flag
by SUSAN CRAWFORD
Susan Crawford blog, publication date: 17 September 2004
"What's useful about the bill-formerly-known-as-induce to the content industry is that it provides cover if the flag fails. "

Broad Coalition of Organizations Calls for More INDUCE Act (IICA) Hearings

Broad Coalition of Organizations Calls for More INDUCE Act (IICA) Hearings
by ERNEST MILLER
Copyfight, publication date: 17 September 2004
"A broad collection of technology companies, civil liberties groups and other organizations have just released a letter calling for further hearings on the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004 before the bill enters markup."

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Purdue to offer free music downloads

Purdue to offer free music downloads
Associated Press
Indianapolis Star, publication date: 16 September 2004
"The monthly service fees will be paid by the residence halls, but students will still pay 89 cents per song for copyright privileges if they burn the music onto a CD or transfer it from their computer to another site."

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Don't Mess With Librarians

Slightly OT but irresistible
Don't Mess With Librarians
by ADAM PENENBERG
Wired News, publication date: 15 September 2004

Illegal DVDs funding global terror

Illegal DVDs funding global terror
by MARTIN WALLACE
The Sunday Mail [Queensland, Australia], publication date: 16 September 2004
"And Interpol is warning that counterfeit discs have overtaken drugs as the biggest source of income for organised crime gangs based in South-East Asia."

DRM and the Lessons of History

DRM and the Lessons of History
by ED FOSTER
Ed Foster's Gripelog, publication date: 14 September 2004
"When companies put a copy protection scheme in their software, they prepare the way for the ones who will overthrow them. I'd pay to know exactly how much such protection costs and how much more money it really gets. In the long term, I believe they always lose.'"

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Lawsuit threatens to close facebook

Lawsuit threatens to close facebook
by TIMOTHY J. MCGINN
The Harvard Crimson, publication date: 13 September 2004

Big Anti-Induce Campaign Planned

Big Anti-Induce Campaign Planned
by KATIE DEAN
Wired News, publication date: 14 September 2004
"Critics believe the Induce Act conflicts with the landmark 1984 Betamax Supreme Court decision, which ruled that home videotape recorders were legal because they have 'substantial non-infringing uses,' even though some people might use the machines to infringe copyrights."

a21 Subsidiary SuperStock Signs Agreement with PicScout to Protect Artists from Copyright Infringement

a21 Subsidiary SuperStock Signs Agreement with PicScout to Protect Artists from Copyright Infringement
Press Release
BusinessWire, release date: 14 September 2004
"The PicScout servers will then search the web and detect SuperStock images from the database, even if the images have been cropped, resized, or colorized. PicScout will provide detailed reports and enable SuperStock to pursue any copyright infringement."

Nokia embraces SD memory cards

Nokia embraces SD memory cards
by JOHN BLAU
InfoWorld, 14 September 2004
"Unlike MMC memory cards, SD cards feature copy protection. A copy protection mechanism is embedded in all SD cards and can be used to protect copyright content such as commercially distributed music and movie files."

Monday, September 13, 2004

Northeast State faculty drop textbooks

Northeast State faculty drop textbooks
Associated Press
The Review Appeal [Tennessee], publication date: 13 September 2004

P2P vendor fights back, Altnet sues recording industry

P2P vendor fights back, Altnet sues recording industry
Computer Business Review online, publication date: 13 September 2004

EUROPE: Free to read, reading for free?

EUROPE: Free to read, reading for free?
Inter Press service news agency, publication date: 13 September 2004
"The European Union (EU) is requesting all member states to introduce a ticket system for book lending in public libraries to pay for the 'use' of the intellectual property of authors and publishers."

Kerry and the IP extremists

Kerry and the IP extremists
by LAWRENCE LESSIG
Lessig blog, publication date: 13 September 2004

Calling the DRM Bluff

Calling the DRM Bluff
by DONNA WENTWORTH
Copyfight, publication date: 11 September 2004

DVR Makers Bow to Hollywood

DVR Makers Bow to Hollywood
by DAN GILLMOR
Dan Gillmor's ejournal, publication date: 09 September 2004

Friday, September 10, 2004

Copyright bill moves forward

Copyright bill moves forward
EFF: EFF on Copyright Bill Moving in Congress, publication date: 08 September 2004
MSNBC: House panel OKs copyright, spyware bills, by REUTERS, publication date: 08 September 2004

Thursday, September 02, 2004