3 Count: Struck Out

Jonathan BaileyJuly 9, 2013

2 minutes read

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

1: French Copyright and Telecommunications Watchdogs Lose Their Teeth

First off today, Peter Sayer at PCWorld reports that, in France, the High Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet (HADOPI) has lost its ability to disconnect suspected copyright infringers from the Web.

France launched its “Three Strikes” system 2010 and, under it, suspected infringers would receive two warning letters and, on the third notice, would face fines up to €1,500 ($2,000) and could be disconnected from the Internet. However, after millions of letters, only 14 people were actually brought to the final step and, of those, only one was disconnected and even then only temporarily.

The change in the law, however, does make it easier for the organization to issue fines and also places new reporting requirements on ISPs, who will have to provide data on customers in machine-readable format to keep costs of enforcement low.

2: Journalist’s Fees Under Threat from Copyright Changes

Next up today, Steve Raeburn at The Drum reports that, in Australia, journalists are expressing concern that proposed copyright changes could hurt their bottom line.

According to the current law, journalists are entitled to collect fees for reuse of their work through an organization known as The Copyright Agency. However, a consultation to change the law is underway and replace that system with a set of exemptions to allow free use and direct licensing agreements for other cases.

Last year The Copyright Agency distributed some $141.6 million AUD ($130 USD) in copyright payments, much of those payments could go away under the new law.

3: Pirate Bay Founder Appeals Jail Sentence in Hacking Case

Finally today, Ernesto at Torrentfreak writes that, in a highly-anticipated move, Pirate Bay founder Gottfrid Svartholm will appeal his two-year jail sentence for his alleged hacking of a mainframe working with tax authorities.

Svartholm was recently convicted based in large part on evidence obtained from a laptop he owned. However, he claimed that someone had hacked into his equipment and left no trace of their activities.

Svartholm also stands accused of similar attacks in Denmark, where the courts have ruled he can be extradited to.

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.