3 Count: 1.3 Million Strikes

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1: ISPs Sent 1.3M Copyright Infringement Notices to US Customers Last Year

First off today, David Kravets at Ars Technica reports that the Center for Copyright Information (CCI), the group that oversees the Copyright Alert System (CAS) in the United States, reports that it sent out some 1.3 million copyright infringement notices last year, to over 700,000 users.

The CAS, commonly referred to as the “six strikes” system, sends out warnings to Internet users in the U.S. who are suspected of illegally downloading and sharing content via file sharing networks. The CCI recently unveiled a report on the notices it sent last year and said that, while it sent notices to some 722,820 users, only 214,654 received a second and only 37,456 made it all the way to the sixth warning.

The CCI also said that there were some 265 challenges to notices, most of which were based on an “unauthorized use of account” defense. However only 47 of the challenges were successful. The CCI also said that it plans on doubling the number of notices sent this year.

2: Fight Over Megaupload’s Frozen Assets Heats Up

Next up today, Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter Esquire reports that the movie studios have responded to Kim Dotcom’s request to stay their civil lawsuit against him, saying that they are fine with waiting, so long as his assets remain frozen.

Dotcom, along with many of his employees was arrested in January 2012 as part of a multi-nation raid that also closed down his cyberlocker site, Megaupload. Dotcom is currently facing criminal charges and possible extradition to the United States from his home in New Zealand but, in the meantime, both the movie studios and record labels have filed civil lawsuits against him.

Those lawsuits will likely have to wait until after the criminal investigation has run its course, but the movie studios want to ensure that Dotcom’s considerable assets, estimated to be over $175 million, remain frozen. Those assets, both in New Zealand and Hong Kong, were frozen in the criminal investigation but objections by Dotcom’s attorneys scored a victory in thawing them, even though they remain frozen while the matter is on appeal.

3: Nintendo Plans to Give YouTube Users Cut of Ad Revenue from Videos Featuring Its Games

Finally today, Todd Spangler at Variety reports that game maker Nintendo has announced it is launching a new affiliate program which will allow YouTube users to make videos based on Nintendo’s games and receive a share of the ad revenue.

The company earned the ire of many YouTubers when it began to clamp down on what it saw as copyright violations by YouTube uploaders, many of whom were posting videos of them playing Nintendo games. Under the new deal, users would be allowed to post such videos but the revenue would be split between Nintendo and YouTube, with some, more “proactive” users, being able to join the affiliate program.

Nintendo declined to announce any further details. Other developers have been split on how to deal with YouTube and videos of gameplay footage with some simply allowing users to profit from videos while others have clamped down, often using YouTube’s ContentID to automatically filter out videos of their games.

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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