©opyBites: Copyright Law Blog

Copyright News Update 8/30/05

• News.com discusses at length the copy protection features of Microsoft's upcoming Vista version of the Windows OS. Thes features include, for example, the "Protected Video Path" that encrypts the video stream from the hardware media player "all the way until it reaches a monitor or other device where it is being displayed." A similar process will also exist for protected digital audio content.

• The Register offers a selection of interesting responses from their readers that question the merits of the Creative Commons license.

• Finally, Pacman and Sony BMG artist Lil' Flip are friends again. All Headline News reports that Namco America and Sony have come to an agreement over Lil'Flip's use of PacMan Sounds in his audio track called Game Over.
  

Copyright Blog Round-Up 8/30/05

• Over yonder on Godwin's Law, Mike Godwin examines a transcript from a recent RIAA case. Godwin admires the judge, "who refused to be a mere conduit steering [the plaintiff] to the RIAA's 'conference center.'" Copyfight, referring to Godwin's article, advocates that RIAA is actually using litigation against alleged infringers as a public "education" campaign against unauthorized downloading.

• Bag and Baggage announces a new blog, No Sharing Allowed. No Sharing Allowed is by law student Nick Salazar and focuses on the influence of MGM v. Grokster.

• William Patry writes positively of reforms by Register of Copyright Mary Beth Peters. One such reform is the "institution of a formal internal appellate procedure for refusals to register claims[.]" Patry then discusses the history of the appeals process prior to Peters's reforms.

Copyright News Update 8/29/05

• TechWeb reports on further opposition by various publishing industry groups to Google's creation of a searchable online book database.

• Xinhua News Agency announces the formation of the China Film Copyright Protection Association (CFCA) in Beijing today. The CFCA represents 62 film-related companies in China and "aims to provide copyright consultation and assistance for members on commission[.]"

• BharatTextile.com announces a lawsuit by Blue Holdings, Inc., against rival competitors Turn On Products, Inc., and Alloy, Inc. Blue Holdings argues that the two companies have encroached on its "highly identifiable, stylized pocket design."

• The Register notes that the 9th Circuit has set October 2nd as the starting trial date for the RIAA's case against Napster. The Register also analyses the significance of the trial going forward on that date.

• Finally, Business Wire presents a press release issued by W. Axl Rose's attorney, Howard Weitzman, claiming that Slash and Duff's lawsuit against Rose is "frivolous." Howard Weitzman claims that discrepancies in royalty payments were the result of a clerical error by ASCAP and that Rose was never aware of the error.

Copyright Blog Round-Up 8/29/05

• Silicon Valley Media Law Blog analyzes in depth the recent Federal Circuit case Storage Technology Corp. v. Custom Hardware Engineering & Consulting. For another description of Storage Technology, see my recent summarization of the case on Patently-O.

• William Paltry explains the nature of supplementary registration. Paltry then thoroughly criticizes an attorney's press release that Paltry feels "seriously misrepresents the registration and the law."

• Copyfight briefly discusses downloadable and legal live recordings as the new "bootleg."
  

Copyright Blog Round-Up 8/28/05

• Michael Geist discusses the copyright and intellectual property policy positions of Canadian Industry Minister David Emerson. In addition, he provides some musings on music copy control technology and notes industry objections to Bill C-60, Canada’s copyright reform bill.

• Copyfight provides commentary on the New York Times article, Hi, Gorgeous. Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere? The article discusses copyright and architecture. Copyfight expresses criticism on the effectiveness of protecting architectural works via Copyright.

Copyright News Update 8/28/05

• The Houston Chronicle reports on some of the curious things found by summer interns who are searching through the Library of Congress's pre-1978 copyright registration archive.

Copyright News Update 8/27/05

• ZDNet reports on controversy over a new online tool at the Copyright Office. This online tool, which is a copyright preregistration system, has been verified to work only with "Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher and Netscape Navigator 7.0.2[.]" While most people on the Internet use IE, some industry groups remain critical of a move they say selects "winners" and discourages open standards.

• Forbes comments on stalled negotiations over royalty fees for online music rentals.

• The Earth Times Online discusses the plight of Norm Zada, pornographic magazine publisher, who is suing Google, Inc. Norm Zada is seeking to prevent Google from exhibiting links and thumbnails of Zada’s copyrighted pornographic images. Silicon Beat provides additional information about the matter.

• Finally, while the exact contours of Batman and Robin’s relationship may never be known, Washington Blade reports that DC Comics has attempted to silence the debate for at least one NYC art dealer. DC Comics has apparently sent cease-and-desist letters to Kathleen Cullen Fine Art and Artnet.com for displaying homoerotic watercolors of the caped crusaders by Mark Chamberlain.

Welcome

Welcome to ©opyBites.com. ©opyBites is new law blog dedicated to providing short summaries of the latest articles and cases on copyright issues.

©opyBites is not an advocacy blog. While there are many strong arguments about what copyright should be, ©opyBites does not seek to establish one position over another. Instead, ©opyBites will post timely and brief descriptions of cases and articles on copyright, regardless of what they may advocate, so that you as the reader can select what interests you.

Finally, if you would like to inform the editor of ©opyBites about a case, article, or blog entry on the subject of copyright, then please use the following email links:

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