3 Count: Time Warp

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1: Time Zone Database Protection Won

First off today, the case between astrology software provider Astrolabe and the curators of a widely-used time zone database is now over. Astrolabe has dropped the lawsuit and signed a covenant not to sue against Arthur David Olson and Paul Eggert, two researchers who had curated the database for some time. The database was used by almost all non-Windows computers to synchronize time zones for things such as email and meeting schedules, however, the database was shut down after the lawsuit prompting the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to step in and offer to represent them. The EFF served Astrolabe with a threat to file sanctions if the suit was not dropped, which prompted the recent move. Astrolabe has apologized for the lawsuit, saying that it was filed under a faulty understanding of the laws and now agrees that facts, such as when sunrise is, can not be copyrighted.

2: Grooveshark Blocked in Denmark by Copyright Warriors

Next up today, a court order in Denmark requires the moobile service provider 3 (that’s the name of the company, 3) to block access to Grooveshark. The move came about following a lawsuit from local copyright group Rettighedsalliance, which convinced a judge that Grooveshark is both an illegal service and one worth blocking at a DNS level. An appeal is widely expected in the case though, in the meantime, 3 has been ordered to put the block into effect immediately.

3: Sony Copyright Blowin’ in the Wind: Jobs Video On, Off, On, Off

Finally today, a video from Steve Jobs’ 30th birthday, filmed in 1985, has found itself at the center of a copyright controversy after Sony Music has ordered YouTube to take it down and apparently restored it for some. The reason for the takedown is because the video has Bob Dylan’s “My Back Pages” playing in the background but what makes the case unusual is that, at times, the video appears to be up with Sony using the video to monetize the song and, other times, it appears offline. In the meantime, others have been pointing to other versions of the video without sound to ensure the video is working.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will 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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