Copyright Law

Trump’s re-election starts with bullying, fakery and a ban on blocking in social media

July 18th 2019

From ‘fake’ social media endorsements, bullying and a court ban on blocking Twitter followers – the campaign is already hot with digital issues. Its election season, so I guess I’m commenting on the digital life of politics again, occasionally.

Did Trump Jr. Take Skittles from a Refugee?

October 25th 2016

If the US economy were based on non-intentional irony, this election cycle would have already enriched us immeasurably. Until that pays off, consider the cosmic comeuppance of the former refugee who is suing the Trump campaign for stealing his photo of Skittles…which they used to warn that refugees are dangerous, or in this case litigious.

Aereo: The Cable Killer…Contorted By Law

May 28th 2013

Aereo is a start-up with may have engineered a slick and legal way to get all kinds of television streamed to your devices for a small fraction of what you’d pay for cable. Yes, its cool, but is it too good to be true? And either way, would you like to try it for free?

Hope’s beautiful daughters: anger and courage

May 5th 2013

Temujin Doran has turned from delicious digital minute-long videos that meditate on life, to a video interpretation of Chris Hedges Death of the Liberal Class. Both are artistic works that remind me of the artistic values available through video and the imperative to raise our expectations of digital experiences. Come watch a film, you’ll be glad you did.

Is Pinterest a Copyright Bomb? Real Politic Meets Disingenuous Terms of Use

March 21st 2012

MIT Tech Review hails Pinterest’s terms of use as a genius-level copyright dodge. And while that may be so, its position is disingenuous to the point of irony.

Twilight T-shirt Contest Requires Your Entry To Have Nothing to Do With Twilight

June 29th 2010

We’ve learned that vampires are apparently obsessed with copyright.  Now consider the official Twilight t-shirt contest.  Fans are invited to make a shirt to promote the new film.  Of course, entries must comply with a few rules. (In case you haven’t noticed, vampires are also rather controlling.) Here are some select rules to keep mortals […]

Vampires Have Always Been a Bit Copyright Obsessed

June 24th 2010

What do the undead think about inside their coffins (or at Starbucks) during daylight hours?  Intellectual property,  apparently, as evidenced by an unlikely copyright lawsuit. The bloodsuckers at  Summit Entertainment, makers of the Twilight vampire movies, have filed a lawsuit against the makers of a jacket worn by a character in their film. The clothing […]

Nestle’s Bogus Copyright and Trademark Complaints Fuel a Streisand Effect for Greenpeace

March 20th 2010

This week, Greenpeace posted a gruesome anti-Nestlé commercial on YouTube complaining that Nestlé SA buys palm oil from companies that destroy the Indonesian rainforest to plant oil palms. The 60-second video depicts a bored office worker enjoying a Kit Kat, which, rather than being the popular chocolate-hazelnut ladyfinger-style confection, appears to be a chocolate-covered ape […]

Disney Copyright Video: Another Fair Use Provocateur Par Excellence

March 10th 2010

Remember my 2010 prediction that brand holders should beware of clowns? I called it the Coulrophobia Epidemic of 2010.   Logorama did it with trademarks, and won an Oscar. Girl Talk did it with music, gaining top rankings from Rolling Stone, Blender and Time magazine. And now Eric Faden uses the most copyrighted video anywhere, Disney® […]

Hitler Schools Constantin Films on Copyright and Viral Marketing

November 2nd 2009

Brad Templeton, chairman of the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has produced his own “Downfall” parody video, making fun of the fact that Constantin Films has issued DMCA notices to remove all of the “Downfall” parody videos from YouTube. This little-known film has become an Internet sensation and, as I note below, Constantin Film’s […]