Wal-Mart Drops DRM Servers, Customers Lose Music

Wal-Mart Drops DRM Servers, Customers Lose Music
by Scott Nichols
PC World, publication date: 29 September 2008
"Wal-Mart is just following the recent trend of screwing over customers by dropping DRM, as led by Microsoft and Yahoo. Sure, customers can burn their DRM songs to a CD to preserve their songs after the DRM servers are shut down, but why should customers be punished with extra work for buying their songs legally? Can someone remind me how is this supposed to prevent piracy?"

First Sale Victory in Vernor

First Sale Victory in Vernor
by WILLIAM PATRY
Patry Copyright Blog, publication date: 22 May 2008

"...Judge Jones found that the transactions were legal. To do so, he had to wade through a thicket of court of appeals' opinions, ultimately siding with a 1977 opinion, United States v. Wise, 550 F.2d 1180, over more recent opinions such as MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer Inc., 991 F.2d 511 (9th Cir. 1993), which had touched on the issue briefly in a different context, the Section 117 archival and back-up copy privilege. I think Judge Roberts correct on all counts, and admire greatly his willingness to engage in a close reading of cases while keeping the commonsense nature of the issue foremost."

Microsoft news: confirms a broadcast flag, announces ODF support, drops book program

A very interesting week for Microsoft news: confirms a broadcast flag, announces ODF support, drops book program
Microsoft confirms Windows adheres to broadcast flag
by Greg Sandoval
CNet News, publication date:18 May 2008

Open-Source File Format Is to Be a Part of Microsoft Office
by Kevin O'Brien
The New York Times, publication date:22 May 2008 (and additional coverage at Groklaw & Internet News, plus the release from Microsoft)

Microsoft's Live Search scraps book digitization project
by Caroline McCarthy
CNet News, publication date:23 May 2008
Post announcing the discontinuation at the blog of the Live Search team at Microsoft

Microsoft May Build a Copyright Cop Into Every Zune

Microsoft May Build a Copyright Cop Into Every Zune
by SAUL HANSELL
Bits blog, The New York Times, publication date: 7 May 2008
"Late Tuesday afternoon I reached J. B. Perrette, the president of digital distribution for NBC Universal, to ask why NBC found Microsoft’s video store more appealing than Apple’s.

He explained that NBC, like most studios, would like the broadest distribution possible for its programming. But it has two disputes with Apple.

First, Apple insists that all TV shows have an identical wholesale price so that it can sell all of them at $1.99. NBC wants to sell its programs for whatever price it chooses.

Second, Apple refused to cooperate with NBC on building filters into its iPod player to remove pirated movies and videos.

Microsoft, by contrast, will accept NBC’s pricing scheme and will work with it to try to develop a copyright “cop” to be installed on its devices."

Patry: Fair Use, the Three-Step Test, and the Counter-Reformation

Patry: Fair Use, the Three-Step Test, and the Counter-Reformation
by WILLIAM PATRY
The Patry Copyright Blog, publication date: 2 April 2008
"The counter-reformation movement is presently at the stage of a whispering campaign, in which ministries in countries are told that fair use (and by extension possible liberal fair dealing provisions) violate the "three-step" test."

Viacom loses punitive damages bid against Google

Viacom loses punitive damages bid against Google
REUTERS
, publication date: 11 March 2008
"Viacom sued Google a year ago for copyright infringement on its popular YouTube online video sharing service."

On being busy

A note from your editor: I am hoping to pick up the volume of postings here on Current Copyright Readings within the next month or so, but have also started a copyright blog with colleagues over at NUL Copyright. This blog has really been a clip blog since it started, but we're trying to be a little more chatty there.

Please stay tuned...

Dec 13 Hearing on H.R. 4279, the “Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007”

Dec 13 Hearing on H.R. 4279, the “Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007”
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Courts, Internet and Intellectual Property.
Link to the bill summary and status on Thomas.gov

Seeking copyright parity

Seeking copyright parity
by PAUL SWEETING
Video Business, publication date:7 December 2007
"“[I]t seems clear that it is nothing more than a vehicle to enable the five major media companies to further harass and persecute Americans,” LiveDigital’s Jeremy Toeman wrote in a widely linked open letter to House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Perhaps most significant, however, was who wasn’t more critical.

The Digital Freedom Campaign, for instance, which includes the Consumer Electronics Assn., the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other frequent critics of the DMCA and other recent efforts at copyright “enhancement,” was relatively muted in its response."

Congress' copyright reform: seize computers, boost penalties, spend money

Congress' copyright reform: seize computers, boost penalties, spend money
by NATE ANDERSON
Ars Technica, publication date: 6 December 2007
"In addition to strengthening both civil and criminal penalties for copyright and trademark infringement, the big development here is the proposed creation of the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER)."