February 24th 2010
Do you remember conservative radio talk-show host Michael Savage? He sued a Muslim advocacy group for copyright infringement because it dared to quote what he said on the radio as part of an advertiser boycott. A U.S. District judge tossed the suit, and supported the doctrine of Fair Use, saying that anyone who listens to […]
April 29th 2009
We’ve previously blogged about crime on Craigslist. This post is about something different: retribution. Allow me to confirm what you may already know: When newspapers consider what’s happened to their business model and who is responsible, the first name that comes to mind is often Craigslist. Craigslist Decimated Print Budgets by Giving Away Classifieds Newspapers used […]
March 30th 2009
While commenting on New Zealand copyright law, Google makes some interesting facts known about the DMCA. According to an article in New Zealand PCWorld: Google notes that more than half (57%) of the takedown notices it has received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998, were sent by business targeting competitors and over one […]
February 6th 2009
In what can be compared to finding the Holy Grail, the results are in for Monty Python’s efforts to encourage their legion of fans to refrain from supporting illegal uploading of their work onto the internet and buy Python DVDs. In a previous article, we described how Python was building their own YouTube channel, which will […]
January 27th 2009
It seems that Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson has really put a bee in the RIAA’s bonnet. As part of the Sony BMG vs. Tenenbaum case, Nesson filed a motion to compel a deposition of Matthew Oppenheim, a legal heavy-hitter for the RIAA. As a result, the RIAA countered with the threat of certain sanctions under […]
January 12th 2009
Some time back, Usefularts reported on the failure of the RIAA’s “Making Available” Argument – which stated that simply having files that could be downloaded is the same as if they had been, ignoring any concept of intent. Well, the other shoe has fallen. The RIAA has filed for a voluntary dismissal for the first […]
November 24th 2008
Among the most downloaded of all YouTube videos are anything to do with Monty Python. Thank God. You can see clips from their TV show and movies, all for free. Free, you free-loading cheap bastards. Short on shekels, are we? Too skint to cough up the occasional fiver for quality senseless comedy? You make me sick, […]
November 20th 2008
Toyota wants fan-submitted desktop wallpapers that show Toyota, Scion, or Lexus cars removed from DesktopNexus.com, a popular wallpaper sharing website. In an article on TorrentFreak: The site’s owner, Harry Maugans, contacted Toyota to clarify. He was told that all images featuring Toyota vehicles should be removed, even images with copyright belonging to others. Maugans said: […]
September 16th 2008
I’ve previously blogged here about the economics of scalping, and my belief that anti-scalping laws prevent beneficial markets. So, I’m glad to see Stub Hub win a case which sets a precident for it to receive protection as an online service. In January a class action law suit was brought against Stub Hub and its owner […]
August 17th 2008
FCC Commissioner McDowell Proposed Crackpot Threat to Bloggers While addressing the conservative Heritage Foundation, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell made a lame attempt to suggest this election is about preventing Democrats from using the FCC to regulate content on Internet blogs. Of course, there’s no legal basis for the FCC to regulate content on personal servers, and […]
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