11/05/2008
Rust never sleeps, and neither do lobbyists (in copyright)
The MPAA is already lobbying Obama. Read More
11/04/2008
Fight Fiercely, Harvard! Fight! Fight! Fight! (in copyright)
Techdirt comments on a new RIAA extortion case moving through the courts, where the big guns at Harvard Law have arrayed themselves against the record industry because RIAA prosecutions are unconstitutional. I'll never say anything bad about ... Read More
Awesome artwork I swiped from Wired (in copyright)
From a Threat Level article about the Jammie Thomas case. Read More
10/21/2008
Copyright and politics don't mix (in copyright)
Lawrence Lessig's op-ed piece in today's NY Times: "Last year, Fox News ordered John McCain to stop using a clip of himself at a Fox News-moderated debate. Last month, Warner Music Group demanded YouTube remove an amateur video attacking Bara ... Read More
10/16/2008
First chapter from Lawrence Lessig's new book (in copyright)
The book is named - depending on what you read - either Remix or In Defense Of Piracy. Avast, mateys. Thanks to Philo. Read More
09/25/2008
Later for the economy; Jammie Thomas won a retrial (in copyright)
Jammie Thomas, the first person to ever take on the RIAA's goons in a federal court, is carrying the torch for all of us. From the AP/Washington Post: MINNEAPOLIS -- A federal judge granted a new trial to a Minnesota woman convicted of pir ... Read More
08/11/2008
What the ancient greeks knew about sampling (in copyright)
In an op-ed piece about music composition in today's NY Times, Jeffrey Lewis discusses the nature of creative "rip-offs", as regarded by someone who doesn't even use sampling to make his music: All aspects of creativity are basically reconsti ... Read More
07/18/2008
An ethical conundrum (now with comments, sort-of) (in copyright)
Obviously, I'm familiar with many of the fair use rationales available regarding sampling in the sake of art, cultural commentary, editorial commentary, etc. This is usually a situation where an artist has appropriated cultural information or sy ... Read More
07/03/2008
In Google vs. Viacom, the big loser is... (in copyright)
...anyone who's ever watched a video on YouTube. Tuesday's Federal court ruling orders Google to turn over complete viewer records in response to Viacom's legal fishing expedition. From ZDNet: The latest battle in Google's ongoing cour ... Read More
06/19/2008
"promotional use only, not for sale" ruled bogus (in copyright)
I'm belatedly posting Shawn's tip about Universal Music getting their legal ass handed to them on a plate. Thanks to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a federal judge handed down a ruling that invalidated Universal's prosecution of anyone ... Read More