Fair Use – It’s the Law (for what it’s worth)–Lenz v. Universal

DMCA notice & takedown provisions upheld in Lenz v. Universal By Ethan Ackerman A recent ruling in Lenz v. Universal shows just how far being right about something can get you – barely past a motion to dismiss. It just…

July 2008 Quick Links, Part I (IP Edition)

By Eric Goldman Copyright * Granger v. Gill Abstract Corp., 2008 WL 2791264 (S.D.N.Y. July 18, 2008). A title company admitted infringing the defendant’s copyrighted “rate calculator” by posting it to the title company’s website. The plaintiff demanded actual damages…

“DVR as a Service” Isn’t Copyright Infringement–Cartoon Network v. CSC Holdings

By Eric Goldman The Cartoon Network LP v. CSC Holdings, Inc., No. 07-1480-cv(L) & 07-1511-cv(CON) (2d Cir. Aug. 4, 2008) The Second Circuit has issued an interesting and potentially important ruling that Cablevision’s DVR as a service does not infringe…

Still Not Copyright: Para-Copyright Revisited–Blueport v. US

Another friendly reminder that not everything related to copyright is copyright. By Ethan Ackerman The Copyright Act is a curious critter. Litigants seem to keep finding ways to get unexpectedly drawn into it when they don’t want to and ways…

When breaking news breaks copyright

Community blog Drudge Retort receives DMCA notices from the Associated Press for links, quotes. by Ethan Ackerman Rogers Cadenhead is a blogger. A prolific one in fact, with a personal blog and the role of editorial director at the commenter-driven…

Rights in Copies vs. Copyright

Prince’s entanglement with Radiohead, YouTube, and a video bootlegger leads to much debate over just what’s in copyright law and a YouTube nightmare scenario. By Ethan Ackerman Copyright bloggers were privileged to a few laughs recently when Prince’s music label,…

May 2008 Quick Links, Part 2

By Eric Goldman Copyright * Google says it isn’t settling the Viacom lawsuit (I don’t believe it). * Interesting juxtaposition: (1) Chronicle of Higher Education: How It Does It: The RIAA Explains How It Catches Alleged Music Pirates and (2)…

Content Generation and the Law

By Eric Goldman Last week I participated on a panel at the ION Game Conference in Seattle to discuss UGC in virtual worlds and online games. You can see a reasonably faithful transcript of the discussion here. Here’s a recap…

Third Party Liability Presentation

By Eric Goldman Last week I spoke at the “Center for Creativity and Commerce Symposium: New Media, New Markets, New Rights” at Georgia State University in Atlanta. This event was sponsored by four different departments within GSU (law, business, communications,…

April 2008 Quick Links

By Eric Goldman Anti-Gaming * Even though Ticketmaster won its lawsuit, Minnesota overreacted to the Hannah Montana ticket crush by banning software to circumvent an online ticket allocation process. See Sec. 609.806. Check out the hyperbole in this press release!…