copyrights and patents
Judge Slams MPAA ‘Cartel’ Allegations
A federal judge is slamming the door on RealNetworks’ argument the Hollywood studios are a “price-fixing cartel” that illegally prevent the distribution of DVD-duplicating wares. The Seattle-based electronics concern made the anti-trust argument in a failed bid to convince U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in San Francisco to lift a distribution ban (.pdf) of its RealDVD software.
Continue reading »Decision Looms on iPhone Hack
The geek masses are anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the next wonder gadget at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week. What’s more, Apple is expected to drop the tablet bomb in San Francisco this month. But overlooked and lurking behind this gadget envy is an important regulatory decision -– one expected in weeks on whether to authorize an iPhone jailbreak .
Continue reading »Copyright Czar Vote Heads to Full Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Victoria Espinel’s nomination Thursday, paving the way for a full Senate vote to confirm the nation’s first copyright czar. No Senate vote date was set immediately for a nominee who was applauded by both the “copyleft” and the “copyright.” Espinel is expected to have a key role for the United States as it and several other countries secretly negotiate an intellectual property treaty, known as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. That treaty could fundamentally alter copyright law to require ISPs to adopt “graduated response” policies to terminate internet service of repeat, copyright offenders.
Continue reading »Copyright Treaty Is Policy Laundering at Its Finest
The blogosphere is abuzz over an apparently leaked document showing the United States trying to push its controversial DMCA-style notice-and-takedown process on the world. But since Threat Level already lives in the land of the DMCA, we’re more bothered by the fact that the U.S. proposal goes far beyond that 1998 law, and would require Congress to alter the DMCA in a manner even more hostile to consumers.
Continue reading »Despite Fraud, ‘Hope’ Remains for Obama Artist Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey admits he lied and did not use this image to create the Obama Hope poster Street artist Shepard Fairey committed an egregious legal and ethical blunder by lying to a federal judge in his copyright battle with the Associated Press. But legal experts say his fundamental “fair use” case remains sound. The nearly year old legal dispute centers on Fairey’s iconic Obama Hope poster, which he based on of the photos of Obama taken in April 2006 by AP photographer Mannie Garcia at the National Press Club.
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