3 Count: Achievement Unlocked

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1: Judge Won’t Bar CNET From Pointing to P2P Software

First of today, Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter writes that a judge has denied an injunction that would have barred CBS, through its affiliate company CNET, to offer Bittorrent software for download or cover the technology through news and editorial.

The injunction had been requested by Alki David, the head of the TV streaming site FilmOn, and a dozen musicians. The artists alleged that CBS had, through CNET, been encouraging and enabling massive amounts of piracy by hosting Bittorrent software on their site, in particular download.com, and writing editorials and guides on the topic.

The judge, however, didn’t say whether or not there had not been some inducement in the past. Instead, the ruling simply denies the injunction because there is no evidence CBS purposely induces infringement “now or in the foreseeable future”.

2: Bundestag Holds ‘Unusual’ Hearing on German Copyright Act

Next up today, Out-law.com writes that the German Bundenstag, the country’s Parliament, has taken the unusual step of holding a second special commission hearing on the draft “Google tax” bill that will require sites like Google to obtain a license for displaying snippets of and linking to news articles.

Most legislation in Germany goes through only one special commission hearing. This particular bill passed through the committee on legal affairs but is now going to also go through the committee on new media on Monday. Many feel that this indicates some push back against the legislation.

Though there have been no massive protests against the legislation, Google has been campaigning against it since November and other companies have also been lobbying against it as well. If the bill passes through the committee on new media, it is expected to be put to a full vote.

3: White House Must Respond Publicly to Ban on Mobile-Phone Unlocking

Finally today, David Kravets at Wired reports that a White House petition to make phone unlocking legal again has reached 100,000 signatures and will receive a response from the Obama administration.

Unlocking phones became illegal about four months ago with the U.S. Copyright Office ended the exemption for phone unlocking under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Though jailbreaking a phone remained legal, unlocking it to port it to a new carrier did not.

The petition asks the White House to either sponsor a bill to make such unlocking legal permanently or ask the Copyright Office to reverse its decision. The White House’s response is expected within a month.

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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