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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: copyright

copyright stories: 76 news summaries

1 - 20 of 76 Stories | 1 2 3 4 Next >>

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Lawyers In Space

Hollywood Contracts Cover Entire Universe

Locking up intergalactic rights is 'standard' procedure

Oct 29, 09 11:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - If someone on Mars wants to broadcast America’s Got Talent, they’ll have to go through NBC first. Contestants on the show sign away the rights to their performances “in all media, throughout the universe,” and similar intergalactic language peppers most entertainment industry contracts. “I think... More »

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contracts • copyright • digital rights • entertainment industry • America's Got Talent

 Nokia Sues Apple 
 Over iPhone 
 Technology 

Finnish cell phone maker alleges copyright infringement

Oct 23, 09 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nokia, the world's biggest cell phone maker, is suing Apple in US federal court for alleged copyright infringement, saying it has 10 claims on the technology used in the iPhone. The Finnish company said Apple used "fundamental" patented technologies concerning wireless data, speech recognition, security, and encryption. It has... More »

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cell phones • iPhone • Apple • Nokia • copyright • smartphones • cell phone industry • copyright infringement

 Fairey Admits Lying 
 Over 'Hope' Photo 

Artist tried to conceal mistake with false evidence

Oct 17, 09 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - An unexpected twist in the Shepard Fairey copyright fight: The artist admits that he lied about which AP photo he used for his Obama Hope poster and submitted fake evidence to support his claim. His lawyers have now dropped him as the legal fight continues. "I am very sorry... More »

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copyright law • copyright • campaign • Associated Press • copyright infringement • Shepard Fairey • photos

OPINION

To Save the Music Industry, Ban Music—and Whistling

The copyright arguments aren't going to stop until the day music dies

Sep 18, 09 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - The music industry wants royalties for the 30-second previews on iTunes—which is "bullshit," writes Nicholas DeLeon for TechGear. It's yet another foolish move in the battle to save the music industry, complains DeLeon. Luckily, he has a "foolproof" way to do just that: Ban music, "... More »

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music industry • Recording Industry Association of America • iTunes • copyright • file sharing • royalties • RIAA • lawsuit • illegal downloading

OPINION

 MLB Honchos 
 Drop Ball on 
 Vid Sensation 

Refusing to share video of little girl's ball toss makes league look petty

Sep 17, 09 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - It was a great baseball moment when a stunned Phillies fan watched his 3-year-old daughter toss back a foul ball he had just caught. But Major League Baseball isn't playing ball with the video, Jennifer Van Grove writes at Mashable. MLB has made a copyright claim on the video, making... More »

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YouTube • MLB • Philadelphia Phillies • copyright • viral video • baseball • Citizens Bank Park

 Skype Sale in Doubt  
 as Founders Sue eBay 

Techies alleges copyright violation costing them $75M a day

Sep 17, 09 6:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - The founders of Skype are suing eBay and the investor consortium buying the Internet phone company, accusing them of copyright violation, reports the Wall Street Journal. The suit is only the latest bump in eBay's disastrous ownership of Skype and may complicate the planned $2 billion sale. Janus Friis and... More »

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eBay • intellectual property • mergers and acquisitions • copyright • Skype • copyright infringement • peer-to-peer • Marc Andreessen

 Leibovitz's $24M 
 Deadline Looms Tuesday 

Photographer may be forced to file for bankruptcy

Sep 6, 09 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Annie Leibovitz's $24 million question looms Tuesday, the AP reports: Will the photographer of the stars be able to repay a $24 million loan or lose the rights to her catalog of iconic photographs. With such a staggering amount due in only a few days, Leibovitz’s best option... More »

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intellectual property • bankruptcy • loans • copyright • Annie Leibovitz

Baseball Won't Give You Permission to Talk About It

Fan calls league's bluff on legal disclaimer

Sep 5, 09 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - If you’ve ever watched baseball, you’ve probably heard the stern warning that “Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or account of this game, without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, is prohibited.” Well, Phil Villarreal of the Consumerist wanted to tell his buddy about a recent Diamondbacks-Astros... More »

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copyright law • MLB • copyright • baseball

(Newser) - Customers who had their paid-for copies of 1984 and Animal Farm yanked from their Kindles over a copyright issue are taking Amazon to court, InformationWeek reports. The company has apologized for its action and vowed not to repeat it, but the plaintiffs, who include a high school student whose homework... More »

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copyright • lawsuit • George Orwell • Kindle • Amazon.com • ebooks • e-readers

Amazon Goes Orwellian
on Kindle

Company deletes customers' downloads of 1984, Animal Farm

Jul 18, 09 6:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Amazon turned into Big Brother this week after mistakenly selling pirated copies of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm to Kindle users, Ars Technica reports. The company, without warning, remotely deleted the books from customers' devices after discovering the publisher didn't have the rights to sell them. Customers who lost... More »

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copyright • George Orwell • Kindle • Amazon.com • ebooks • e-readers

Music Industry Hunts for Cash in Pirate Bay Sale

Trade group wants its chunk of $7.8M acquisition

Jul 16, 09 5:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - The music industry wants its money back from those copyright vigilantes at Pirate Bay, and now it sees a decent chance to get it, reports CNET. An industry trade group plans to go after the $3.6 million in damages awarded by a Swedish court now that a software company... More »

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music industry • copyright • acquisition • Sweden • BitTorrent • The Pirate Bay • punitive damages

 Jacko Leaves Pile of Debt 

Could have recouped losses with comeback

Jun 26, 09 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Michael Jackson died deep in debt, Reuters reports: Wall Street Journal sources put the figure at $500 million earlier this month. The entertainer and his managers had hoped a planned concert series this summer would refill his coffers. Still, Jackson’s copyrights to his songs and his stake in the... More »

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entertainment • debt • copyright • death • Michael Jackson • assets

Judge Shelves
Catcher In the
Rye Knock-Off

Restraining order may be prelude to trial for Salinger, 'sequel' writer

Jun 17, 09 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - A federal judge today blocked the publication of a modern novel featuring the characters of The Catcher in the Rye while she weighs whether there’s a valid copyright case. Author JD Salinger, 90, sued the Swedish publisher of 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye for not seeking his... More »

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copyright • court • lawsuit • The Catcher in the Rye • JD Salinger • 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye • Fredrik Colting • JD California • Deborah Batts

(Newser) - France’s constitutional council today shot down the country’s newly minted “three strikes” law against Internet piracy, Ars Technica reports. The council said the law, which set up an administrative body to punish pirates, violated basic principles of French law, assigning essentially judicial duties to a non-judicial body,... More »

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France • piracy • DVD piracy • copyright • file sharing • copyright infringement • French Constitutional Council

Feds Step Up Antitrust Probe of Google Books Deal

Antitrust investigation focuses on Google's settlement with publishers

Jun 10, 09 2:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Justice Department investigators have intensified their probe into a deal Google made with publishers last year to put millions of books online, the Wall Street Journal reports. Publishers have been formally asked to provide information relating to the deal, which critics charge violates antitrust laws by giving Google an effective... More »

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Google • antitrust • copyright • Google Book Search • Authors Guild • Federal Trade Commission

Yahoo Sues for  Free Fantasy Football Stats

Company argues NFL union has no copyright on players'  info

Jun 4, 09 8:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Yahoo has taken the NFL Players Association to court in a bid to use players' information for its online fantasy football game without paying royalties, CNET reports. Yahoo argues that since the players' names, biographies, and statistics are already in the public domain, it no longer needs to gain permission... More »

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Yahoo • NFL • copyright • fantasy sports • lawsuit • NFL Players Association

McDonald's Doesn't Own 'Mc' Prefix: Malaysian Judge

Court reverses decision against McCurry's restaurant

Apr 29, 09 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Malaysian court ruled that McDonald’s does not control the rights to every word with the “Mc” prefix, the AP reports. The appellate court overturned a 2006 decision that forced a Malaysian restaurant named “McCurry’s” to pay damages to McDonald’s for using the name to... More »

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McDonald's • fast food • restaurant • copyright • judge • Malaysia • appellate court • curry • McCurry's

(Newser) - One of the men convicted in the Pirate Bay file-sharing case is demanding a retrial, claiming that the judge is in cahoots with copyright-protection organizations, the Local of Sweden reports. Judge Tomas Norstrom acknowledges being a member of such groups but denies any conflict of interest. Last week, he found... More »

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entertainment • copyright law • copyright • file sharing • judge • Sweden • The Pirate Bay • copyright infringement • conflict of interest • Tomas Norstrom

(Newser) - Last week’s guilty verdict against the Swedes behind the Pirate Bay filesharing site not only hasn’t shuttered the operation—it’s boosted support for the cause of free information, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The affiliated Pirate Party, which advocates for copyright reform, has doubled its membership just... More »

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Internet • political party • piracy • copyright • Sweden • BitTorrent • The Pirate Bay • ruling • Internet privacy

 Academics Fear Google's 'Orphan Books' Plan

Search king accused of rewriting copyright law to get access to out-of-print works

Apr 4, 09 5:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Google's plan to take millions of "orphan" books under its wing has critics crying foul, the New York Times reports. Google aims to make these out-of-print works—whose rights holders are unknown or cannot be found—part of its mammoth online bookstore and library, a plan some academics say... More »

MORE ABOUT:
copyright • monopoly • book • Google Book Search • online book • library

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