3 Count: RIAA Fail

This is daily column on Plagiarism Today where the site brings you three of the days biggest, most important copyright and plagiarism news links. If you want to offer your feedback on the column, use the contact form or just follow me on Twitter at @plagiarismtoday.

1: Six months later, no ISPs joining RIAA piracy fight

First off today, according to industry insiders, the RIAA’s plans to work with ISPs rather than using mass lawsuits may be dead in the water. Six months after the plan was announced, no ISPs have come forward to admit to working with the RIAA and the organization has not been able to nail down a single agreement.

The controversial plan, which would have had ISPs using a “graduated response” system, including possible service termination has not taken off. Though AT&T has conducted some tests, there has not been a major push on this front and many are seeing this as a smokescreen to let the RIAA back away from the lawsuit strategy.

Others theorize that the RIAA might use its clout, especially with the DOJ, to start legislating the matter, though this article on CNet feels that wouldn’t work as the ISPs have much more support in Washington than the record labels.

It is unclear what, if anything, is next for the RIAA.

2: Ex-Conference Board Author Speaks Out; Confirms “Push Back” From Copyright Lobby Funders

Next up, according to Michael Geist, one of the authors of the now-controversial Conference Board of Canada copyright report has spoken out about how, according to him, industry pressures caused the report to be modified against what his own evidence suggested.

The author, Curtis Cook, says he quit the Conference Board in July of 2008 and did not see the changes until September of 2008, well after Cook had stopped working on the report, that he received reports of “pushback” against the findings. He said he and the researchers he worked with had nothing to do with the controversial findings and wording found in the report and has requested to have his name removed form it.

It is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how the report was produced and where it seems to have gone astray.

3: China, Japan to launch talks on copyright piracy

Finally today, China and Japan, two countries usually thought of on exact opposites of the copyright spectrum, have agreed to hold annual talks about cracking down on copyright and trademark infringement in their countries.

The talks are part of a broader dialogue between the two countries but it is easy to see how any progress in China on dealing with copyright issues could benefit copyright holders all over the world.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today, we’ll be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

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