3 Count: Drafted Proposals

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1: File-Sharing Appeals Get Tougher Under Piracy Crackdown

First off today, David Meyer at ZDNet reports that OfCom, the agency created to oversee the implementation of the Digital Economy Act in the UK, has published its draft proposals for creating a graduated response system aimed at stopping online piracy within the country. The system, as proposed, would start sending letters in early 2014 and would for the first year be just warning letters with the possibility of stronger responses in the future, including disconnecting suspected repeated infringers. The proposal reduces the grounds that a subscriber can appeal on, limiting it to just procedural issues (misidentification, file not infringing, etc.). The proposal also puts most of the burden for payment on rightsholders, who will have to pay all of the ISPs fixed costs, OfCom’s costs and 75% of the ISPs variable costs.

2: RIAA to CNET: Follow Google, Nix Video-to-MP3 Conversions

Next up today, Greg Sandoval at CNet reports that the RIAA has sent a letter asking CNet asking the site to drop an application named YouTube Downloader, which allows users to convert YouTube videos to MP3 and other formats, from their download.com service. The move comes after the RIAA successfully got Google to block access to several Web-based YouTube converters, including YouTube-MP3.org. CNet, which is in turn owned by CBS, has declined to take similar action in the past, including leaving Limewire available on Download.com until it was ruled illegal in court.

3: Black Keys Sue Pizza Hut, Home Depot Over Copyright Infringement In Ads

Finally today, Billboard Magazine reports that The Black Keys have filed suit against both Pizza Hut and Home Depot alleging that the two major retailers used their music without permission in commercials. The band claims that Home Depot used portions of “Lonely Boy” in one of their commercials and Pizza Hut misused portions of “Gold on the Ceiling”, both of which come from the band’s “El Camino” album. Though neither commercial contains vocals, the band claims that they used music or close approximations of their music in the commercials. Both retailers directed questions about the lawsuit to their advertising agencies.

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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