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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: copyright law

copyright law stories: 26 news summaries

1 - 20 of 26 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 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

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

OPINION

Flickr Cowardly for Taking Down Obama Joker

Website caved too easily: image isn't a copyright violation

Aug 22, 09 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Flickr is catching fire for its decision to take down the now-infamous image of Barack Obama photoshopped to look like the joker. Flickr says it received a takedown notice under the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act for the Time cover mockup, but that excuse doesn’t fly for Michael... More »

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Barack Obama • copyright law • free speech • Flickr • Heath Ledger • copyright infringement • the Joker

(Newser) - Sweden’s Pirate Party scored a major victory last night, capturing one of the country’s 18 seats in the European parliament, AFP reports. The party—which advocates for the legalization of peer-to-peer file sharing, stronger digital privacy protections, and reforms in copyright law—was formed in 2006 and saw... More »

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copyright law • file sharing • The Pirate Bay • election • peer-to-peer • European Parliament • Internet privacy • Pirate Party

(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

File Sharing Lawyer's Stunts Shock Peers

'Insane' Nesson posts absolutely everything in copyright case online

Apr 8, 09 1:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Charles Nesson has thrown out the standard playbook in his defense of a Boston University student being sued by the RIAA for file sharing. The storied Harvard Law professor is posting everything related to the case online, including a secretly taped conversation with the judge and opposing counsel, and even... More »

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Recording Industry Association of America • copyright law • Harvard Law School • Harvard • Charles Nesson • Boston University

Obama Tries
to Rein In Use
of His Image

White House lawyers look for ways to cut down on marketing

Jan 31, 09 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Marketers have been using Barack Obama to sell everything from futons (Ikea's Embrace Change line) to ice cream (Yes Pecan from Ben & Jerry), but now the White House is trying to rain on their parade, Bloomberg reports. Lawyers are working to “protect the presidential image,” a... More »

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Barack Obama • copyright law • advertising • marketing • likeness infringement

Chinese Court Sentences Microsoft Pirates

11 jailed for counterfeit software ring with 'unprecedented' scope

Dec 31, 08 9:59 AM CST
(Newser) - A Chinese court has convicted 11 people of violating copyright laws and sentenced them to as much as 6 1/2  years of prison for working with a counterfeiting ring that sold fake Microsoft products around the world. Microsoft hailed the crackdown on the pirates, whose organization may have made $2... More »

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China • Microsoft • copyright law • intellectual property • piracy • software • counterfeiters • precedent

Google Settles Lawsuit Over Book Scanning for $125M

Settlement will make it easier to access out-of-print books

Oct 28, 08 2:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Google has settled a lawsuit concerning intellectual property rights in its book-scanning initiative, Wired reports. Google will pay $125 million to authors who claimed their work was put online without their consent. The settlement also establishes a system where many out-of-print, but still copyrighted, books will be available to buy... More »

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Google • copyright law • copyright • book • book scanning • authors • Authors Guild • Association of American Publishers

 Rowling Wins Copyright Case 

Judge rules publishing Potter encyclopedia would cause creator 'irreparable harm'

Sep 8, 08 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - A fan-written "Harry Potter lexicon" will not be published, a federal judge in New York ruled today, finding for author JK Rowling that the reference guide was an infringement of copyright. The ruling held that the book would cause Rowling irreparable harm as a writer, the BBC reports. The... More »

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Harry Potter • copyright law • intellectual property • JK Rowling • copyright • court • Britain • copyright infringement

 Blogger Arrested in GN'R Leak

27-year-old reportedly admitted to posting 9 songs

Aug 28, 08 10:16 AM CDT
(AP) - FBI agents arrested a blogger suspected of posting songs from the unreleased Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy on his website; the 27-year-old appeared in court yesterday, where bail was set at $10,000. Kevin Cogill, who reportedly admitted to streaming nine songs on his website in June, was charged... More »

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copyright law • blogging • arrest • Guns N' Roses • Internet crime • Axl Rose • Chinese Democracy

 1920s Mickey
 May Be Public
 Domain 

Ex-researcher, law student raise questions that anger Disney lawyers

Aug 23, 08 7:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - A trio of unlikely challengers has angered Walt Disney Co. by arguing that an early version of Mickey Mouse is no longer copyright-protected, the Los Angeles Times reports. Disney has won a $500,000 lawsuit against ex-employee Gregory Brown, who uncovered old film credits that he says invalidate Disney's claim... More »

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copyright law • film • Mickey Mouse • Disney • cartoon • public domain

Rock on!
EU May
Extend Song
Copyrights

Ditties from Beatles, Who, Stones at play

Feb 15, 08 8:31 AM CST
(Newser) - Early hits from the Beatles and the Stones are only a few years away from falling out of copyright and into the public domain, but the European Commission wants to change that and keep royalties flowing to rock stars in their golden years, reports the Times of London. Plans to... More »

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elderly • copyright law • Rolling Stones • rock stars • European Union • copyright • Beatles • European Commission • rock music • The Who

NFL Nixes
Super Bowl Church Parties

Says airing game on large screen, even for free, violates copyright

Feb 1, 08 10:09 AM CST
(Newser) - The NFL is pulling the plug on big Super Bowl parties—complete with halftime prayers—that have become a popular tradition at many churches, saying the churches violate copyright law by showing the game to the flock on large-screen TVs. Current law bans public exhibitions of the game on screens... More »

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NFL • copyright law • Super Bowl • church • lawsuit • large-screen TVs

RIAA Boss Clarifies Lawsuit

Says industry has never prosecuted anyone for ripping CDs for personal use

Jan 5, 08 9:06 AM CST
(Newser) - RIAA chief Cary Sherman says the recording industry has never prosecuted anyone for  ripping or copying CDs for personal use, Engadget reports. Sherman appeared on NPR and characterized media reports about a recent high-profile suit as inaccurate. The legal action, he said, is against a man who ripped CDs not... More »

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music industry • Cary Sherman • copyright law • copyright • file sharing • RIAA • MP3s

US Scores With Only $21M in WTO Sanctions

Antigua sought $3.4B for online betting ban; US talks revising treaty

Dec 21, 07 4:13 PM CST
(Newser) - The WTO ruled today Antigua could impose $21 million in trade sanctions on the US because of an online betting ban, a significant loss for the Caribbean island that had sought $3.4 billion. The trade organization recognized the American authority to police public morals but said Washington could not... More »

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copyright law • WTO • Antigua • US Trade Representative • online betting

Yahoo China Loses Piracy Case

Beijing court cracks down on users downloading music

Dec 21, 07 3:21 PM CST
(Newser) - Yahoo China—40% owned by the US Internet giant—can no longer allow users to download unlicensed music on its Web site. A Chinese court yesterday upheld a decision that the company violated copyright laws in effect since last year. The US has long complained about rampant music and movie... More »

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China • Yahoo • music industry • music downloads • copyright law • Yahoo China

Studios Win Suit Against TorrentSpy

Site allows users abroad to find, download films

Dec 19, 07 11:41 AM CST
(Newser) - A federal judge has put an early end to a copyright infringement trial, finding online file-sharing service TorrentSpy.com liable for movie piracy. In a victory for Paramount Pictures and other film studios, the Los Angeles court ruled that the operators of TorrentSpy destroyed evidence and made false statements under... More »

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copyright law • Los Angeles • Amsterdam • Paramount Pictures • TorrentSpy • torrents

Chili Peppers Sue Over 'Californication'

Band knocks Showtime for 'stealing' album's title for TV show

Nov 20, 07 9:35 AM CST
(Newser) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing Showtime for stealing the title of their 1999 hit album. The cable network's "Californication" series, which stars David Duchovny, also features a character called Dani California—the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song. The suit, for unfair competition, dilution of the... More »

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music industry • copyright law • Showtime • David Duchovny • Tom Kapinos • Anthony Keidis • Red Hot Chili Peppers

House: No More College File Sharing!

Schools that don't do enough to enforce copyright would get federal aid yanked

Nov 10, 07 11:02 AM CST
(Newser) - House Dems have introduced a bill that would force universities to do more to crack down on illegal file sharing, on pain of yanking their federal aid. Schools would have to provide alternatives to illegally downloading music and movies, such as pay file-sharing sites. A letter signed by several top... More »

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copyright law • House of Representatives • file sharing

1 - 20 of 26 Stories | 1 2 Next >>


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