3 Count: Architectural Plagiarism

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

(Note: Due to the extended break, I’ve decided to just resume doing day-to-day updates rather than attempting to do a full recap. If you want the full details on what happened over the past two weeks, check out the latest Copyright 2.0 Show, which is available in video format now and will be available in MP3 format tomorrow.)

1: Report links Google, Yahoo to Internet piracy sites

First off today, Dawn Chmielewski at the Los Angeles Times reports that a study from the University of Southern California Annenberg Innovation Lab found that Google and Yahoo were among the biggest advertisers on pirate Websites.

The study used a bot to crawl sites that were listed in the Google Transparency Report as having received the most takedown requests. The crawler then identified the advertisers the sites used and found that Openx was the largest platform though Google, including Double Click, was second and Yahoo, including Right Media, was 6th.

The lab has said it will publish monthly updates to the report and the lab’s director, Jonathan Taplin, said that he hopes the study will goad advertisers into dropping such sites and, eventually, choke off a key source of revenue for such sites.

2: Judge to Rule on Batmobile Copyright Suit This Month

Next up today, Jonathan Welsh at the Wall Street Journal reports that Gotham Garage, a company that specializes in making and selling replicas of Batmobiles, may finally see a verdict in the case that pits it against DC Comics.

DC sued the company alleging copyright and trademark infringement in the creation of the cars. However, the garage says that automobiles can not be copyrighted, though DC claims that the cars have non-functional elements that can be protected. The judge previously refused to toss the lawsuit but both sides have filed for a summary judgment, which the judge is expected to rule on January 30th.

The case is unfolding as the original 1966 Batmobile from the TV series is scheduled to go up for auction in Arizona this month.

3: Plagiarism: If You Build It, They Will Come (and Copy It)

Finally today, Gillian Orr at The Independent reports that architect Dame Zaha Hadid may have had a recent creation of hers plagiarized and, even worse, the copy may finish before the original.

Hadid designed a Wangling Soho complex that consists of three “pebble-like constructions” that are designed to house an office and retail complex. However, a similar structure has begun in Chongqing and the copied version is being built at a much faster rate, meaning it may be completed first.

The law in China is unclear as there is no special provision for copyright protection of architectural works. However, if the matter did to go to court, most likely the only retribution would be a payment to Hadid’s firm rather than the building being demolished. However, Hadid seems uninterested in the copy, saying that if the new building contains some innovation it could be “quite exciting”.

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.

Want the Full Story?

Tune in every Wednesday evening at 5 PM ET for the live recording of the Copyright 2.0 Show or wait and get the edited version Friday right here on Plagiarism Today.

The 3 Count Logo was created by Justin Goff and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Want to Reuse or Republish this Content?

If you want to feature this article in your site, classroom or elsewhere, just let us know! We usually grant permission within 24 hours.

Click Here to Get Permission for Free