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

1: Google Protest of Anti-Piracy Upends Lobbying

First off today, with the SOPA/PIPA “blackout” protests behind them, anti-SOPA advocates are tallying the results. So far, that includes 9 co-sponsors of the bills, including 5 in the Senate and four in the House, that have withdrawn their support for the bills. The two bills, which were being rewritten prior to the protests, would both have allowed copyright holders and the Attorney General to obtain court orders requiring ISPs to block access to “rogue” websites existing primarily for the purpose of copyright infringement. Copyright holders also could have ordered payment processors and advertisers to stop giving money to such sites. The bills are both being redrafted following a rebuke from the White House on the site blocking provisions.

2: Grooveshark Forced Offline in Germany by Copyright Organisation

Next up today, music streaming service Grooveshark has been forced to disable access to German listeners due to a protracted legal fight against the local music rights group GEMA. According to Grooveshark, “disproportionately high operating costs” in the country are forcing the move and the site, in its notice of closure, is asking its users to send a “polite” letter to GEMA over the matter. Grooveshark will continue to serve other countries, including the U.S., where it is being sued by all four of the major record labels over its service. Grooveshark, however, claims to be protected by DMCA safe harbors as the music it streams is uploaded by users.

3: Oracle Offers to Drop Patent Charges Against Google, to Speed Trial

Finally today, Oracle, in a filing made Tuesday in its ongoing case against Google, has offered to put on hold its patent claims if the court will hear its copyright ones more quickly. According to Oracle, Google misappropriated elements of the JAVA language in building their Android operating system, including both patent and copyright violations and is seeking both damages and an injunction against Google. However, disputes and challenges over damage estimates in the patent portion of the case has slowed the case to a halt, thus prompting the move. Google strongly denies the allegations.

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.

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

1: New Lawsuit Means All Major Labels Are Suing Grooveshark

First off today, EMI, the fourth and smallest of the “big four” record labels, has filed suit against music streaming service Grooveshark for breach of contract. Grooveshark, which was already being sued by the other three labels (Universal, Warner and Sony) had struck a deal to license EMI’s music through their service. However, according to EMI, Grooveshark has not paid any royalties nor have they issued any accounting statements. Grooveshark has said that this is a “contract dispute” that they hope to have resolved soon.

2: For Americans, Digital Piracy is a Family Thing

Next up today, a study by the American Assembly, which is affiliated with Columbia University, found that three quarters of Americans surveyed believed that sharing music with family members was acceptable and that more than half felt the same about sharing with friends. However, only 16 percent thought it was acceptable to share in a widespread manner for commercial gain. Respondents were split almost evenly on punishments for file downloading with a little under half saying there should be none. Those who did favor punishments favored lighter ones such as warnings and small fines.

3: Is Copyright Against Your Religion?

Finally today, in Sweden the government has officially recognized Kopimism as an official religion. Kopimism, which was founded by 19-year-old philosophy student Isaac Gerson, believes that “the sharing of information is the most beautiful thing in the world”, including file sharing. However, the move is unlikely to have any practical impact as it does nothing to make file sharing legal. However, the movement has drawn a lot of attention to the Church of Kopimism’s site, which is currently accepting new follower registrations via a form.

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.

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

1: SOPA Supporters, Opponents Make Last-Ditch Efforts Ahead of Hearing

First off today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith has scheduled the controversial Stop Only Piracy Act for a vote in his committee today. As a result, forces both for and against the act are making last-minute pushes to appeal to representatives on the panel. Those against SOPA have ramped up their efforts to flood representatives with letters and phone calls while those in favor have been doing the same but also taking out ads, including a full-page ad taken out by the AFL-CIO in the Washington Post. The bill, which would enable copyright holders to seek orders forcing ISPs, payment processors and ad networks to block or stop doing business with foreign sites primarily aimed at copyright infringement. If the bill passes the committee, it will go to a vote in the full House.

2: Sony and Warner Are Said to Sue Web Music Service

Next up today, even as Universal’s newest lawsuit against Grooveshark begins to ramp up, both Sony and Warner are considering joining in by filing suit against the company as well. Universal, which recently sued the music streaming service claiming that it’s employees had uploaded tracks to the service for others to stream, an allegation Grooveshark denies, is seeking damages for alleged infringement of songs they own. Sony and Warner, two other major labels, are believed to be ready to join in with filings today and will likely make many of the same allegations. Grooveshark claims its service is protected by the DMCA, which holds hosts non-liable for uploads by users if they remove them after receiving a notice. However, if the files were uploaded by Grooveshark employees, then that protection would be lost.

3: Serious Sam 3 Features Giant Pink Scorpion on Illegal Copies of Game

Finally today, thinking about pirating the recently-released Serious Sam 3? It literally could kill you (in game at least). The first person shooting game, which focuses on over-the-top action, has a protection system inside it that detects when a person is playing an illegal copy of the game and, instead of booting them out, generates an immortal scorpion that chases and kills the player early in the game. However, the plan may backfire as some legitimate players are now saying they want to pirate the game just to get the scorpion experience.

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.

With the holiday in the U.S. there wasn’t a whole lot of local copyright news to talk about but, fortunately for this podcast, other countries rushed in to fill the void and bring us yet another packed episode of copyright news, views and abuse.

This includes a major ruling in the EU on the issue of ISP filtering, a plan from Australian ISPs to tackle piracy and concerns that Spotify may be heading for a day of reckoning as labels start to back out. All of this and much, much more!

This week’s stories include:

• Grooveshark Emails Released, Show Company Aware of Infringement
• EU Says ISPs Can’t Be Forced to Filter Infringing Material
• EU Advocate General Says You Can’t Copyright a Programming Language
• Australian ISPs Propose Anti-Piracy Plan, Copyright Holders Unhappy
• New Anti-IP Infringement PSA Campaign Launches in U.S.
• 200 Labels Leave Spotify
• Bittorrent Defense Attorney Switches Sides

You can download the MP3 file here (direct download). Those interested in subscribing to the show can do so via this feed.

Show Notes

About the Hosts

Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Bailey (@plagiarismtoday) is the Webmaster and author of Plagiarism Today (Hint: You’re there now) and works as a copyright and plagiarism consultant. Though not an attorney, he has resolved over 700 cases of plagiarism involving his own work and has helped countless others protect their work and develop strategies for making their content work as hard as possible toward their goals.

Patrick O’Keefe

Patrick O’Keefe (@iFroggy) is the owner of the iFroggy Network, a network of websites covering various interests. He’s the author of the book “Managing Online Forums,” a practical guide to managing online communities and social spaces. He maintains a blog about online community management at ManagingCommunities.com and a personal blog at patrickokeefe.com.

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

1: Grooveshark Emails Outed in Copyright Case

First off today, in Universal’s newest lawsuit against music streaming service Grooveshark, several emails from the company’s higher-up have been outed, indicating that the company adopted a policy of asking forgiveness rather than permission. Universal is suing Grooveshark claiming that the company makes available countless tracks by Universal music for streaming. Grooveshark, however, claims that its music is uploaded by users and it is protected by DMCA safe harbors. However, the most recent Universal lawsuit claims that Grooveshark employees, including its CEO and VPs, have uploaded thousands of tracks to the service. However, the emails from Grooveshark paint a picture of a company that knew it is hosting infringing content but was trying to become a “force” so that the record labels would be forced to settle with them rather than sue. Grooveshark has called the suit a “gross mischaracterisation of information”.

2: Justice Department Launches Public Education Campaign to Fight Copyright Theft

Next up today, the Justice Department has unveiled a new advertising campaign aimed at consumers with the goal of stopping intellectual property misuse. The campaign largely targets the purchase of counterfeit goods, such as fake clothes, bootleg DVDs, etc. but also has spots dealing with illegal downloads, buying fake drugs and also fake electronics. The campaign aims to show that intellectual property theft is not a victimless crime and includes TV, radio and print spots that will be running during the holiday season.

3: BitTorrent Defense Lawyer Joins Copyright Trolls

Finally today, DC-area attorney Mike Meier made a name for himself during some of the initial Bittorrent lawsuits by defending clients and being an outspoken critic of the mass-litigation strategy. However, according to a recent change of his site, he has switched sides and now represents rightsholders filing suit against Bittorrent users. Meier, who once referred to such lawsuits as “extortion” and was listed by the EFF as an attorney to help users fight such lawsuits, has changed his home page to list the various lawsuits (and hundreds of Bittorrent users) his firm has filed suit against. While it’s not uncommon for attorneys to work both sides in such matters, Meier’s history of being an outspoken opponent of the tactic makes this an unusual move.

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.

It was frustrating as that podcast had some of the best conversation about SOPA I’ve heard to date.

However, the good news is that Patrick and I get a second chance at the topic and revisit it this podcast, re-raising many, if not most, of the points that were in the original podcast. So while Episode 218 might be no more, much of it lives on in this one.

But this week isn’t all about SOPA, we have a major revelation in the music industry’s ongoing war against Grooveshark, a surprising turn in the case revolving around Hollywood scripts being posted online and yet another blow to Righthaven.

Think of this as a two-for-one deal as this is one podcast you don’t want to miss!

This week’s stories include:

• Senator Threatens to Philibuster SOPA and PROTECT-IP
• Register of Copyrights Throws Support Behind SOPA
• EU Parliament Files Resolution Against SOPA, PROTECT-IP and Domain Seizures
• Universal Sues Grooveshark Again, Claims CEO Uploaded Music
• Righthaven Drops Case, Concedes Fair Use
• Lawsuit of Hollywood Scripts Dropped, No Explanation on Why

You can download the MP3 file here (direct download). Those interested in subscribing to the show can do so via this feed.

Show Notes

About the Hosts

Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Bailey (@plagiarismtoday) is the Webmaster and author of Plagiarism Today (Hint: You’re there now) and works as a copyright and plagiarism consultant. Though not an attorney, he has resolved over 700 cases of plagiarism involving his own work and has helped countless others protect their work and develop strategies for making their content work as hard as possible toward their goals.

Patrick O’Keefe

Patrick O’Keefe (@iFroggy) is the owner of the iFroggy Network, a network of websites covering various interests. He’s the author of the book “Managing Online Forums,” a practical guide to managing online communities and social spaces. He maintains a blog about online community management at ManagingCommunities.com and a personal blog at patrickokeefe.com.

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

1: Lawsuit Claims Grooveshark Workers Posted 100,000 Pirated Songs

First off today, Universal Music has filed a second lawsuit against Grooveshark, the music streaming service that has users upload tracks for others to listen to. According to the lawsuit, during their discovery in their first, still ongoing, lawsuit, they claim to have found evidence that points to Universal tracks being uploaded by employees of Escape Media Group, Grooveshark’s parent company. This includes Grooveshark’s CEO, Samuel Tarantino as well as Benjamin Westermann-Clark and Paul Geller, both VPs, who are accused of uploading 1,000s of tracks each. Grooveshark, in the first lawsuit, claimed that it is not liable for infringement due to DMCA safe harbor protections, however, if the tracks were uploaded by their employees, those protections would disappear and open Grooveshark up to massive damages. Universal is seeking an injunction against Grooveshark which, if granted, would likely shut the service down.

2: Publisher Drops Copyright Claim, Favors Fair Use

Next up today, Righthaven, the company that has been suing site owners for allegedly reposting content from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Denver Post, has conceded its case against Democratic Underground. The site, which had posted a small excerpt of a news article from the Review-Journal, was sued by Righthaven and initially won on the grounds that Righthaven didn’t hold rights to the content it was suing for. However, Democratic Underground countersued Righthaven claiming that the use was a fair one to start with and now Righthaven has conceded that point, likely paving the way for similar outcomes in other Righthaven lawsuits.

3: Game Developers Sue China’s Baidu Over Copyright

Finally today, in China, the Content Provider Union (CPU) has filed suit against Baidu, the country’s most popular search engine, claiming that it provides unauthorized downloads for some 350 games for mobile devices. The lawsuit is seeking some 30 million yuan ($4.7 million) in damages. Baidu says that they did not upload the games and they comply with the law in China.

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.

It is Friday again and that means that it is time for another episode of the Copyright 2.0 Show.

It has been a whirlwind week for copyright news and we have tales from all over the globe. In the UK we have PayPal working with authorities to shutter pirate sites, our first copyright-related story of this Presidential election cycle and a somewhat-surprising victory for David LaChapelle in his lawsuit against Rihanna.

We also begin our reluctant and unofficial death watch for Grooveshark and we seem to be back to square one with the Jammie Thomas case.

All in all, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

This week’s stories include:

• PayPal to Cut Off Pirate Sites
• Pawlenty Accused of Infringement in Hockey-Themed Ad
• A Stoplight Approach for Pirates in Search Results
• Grooveshark Sued, Again
• Jammie Thomas Verdict Reduced, Again
• George Lucas Loses Stormtrooper Helmet Case, Again

You can download the MP3 file here (direct download). Those interested in subscribing to the show can do so via this feed.

Show Notes

About the Hosts

Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Bailey (@plagiarismtoday) is the Webmaster and author of Plagiarism Today (Hint: You’re there now) and works as a copyright and plagiarism consultant. Though not an attorney, he has resolved over 700 cases of plagiarism involving his own work and has helped countless others protect their work and develop strategies for making their content work as hard as possible toward their goals.

Patrick O’Keefe

Patrick O’Keefe (@iFroggy) is the owner of the iFroggy Network, a network of websites covering various interests. He’s the author of the book “Managing Online Forums,” a practical guide to managing online communities and social spaces. He maintains a blog about online community management at ManagingCommunities.com and a personal blog at patrickokeefe.com.

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

1: Music Publishers File Copyright Suit Against Grooveshark

First off today, a group of songwriters and producers have filed suit Grooveshark, saying that the music streaming service, which allows users to upload tracks for others to listen to, is violating copyright law. The lawsuit comes as Grooveshark continues to wrangle with Universal Music and not too long after they settled a similar suit with EMI. Meanwhile, other services, including Spotify and Turntable.fm, have inked deals with the record labels and are operating free, licensed streaming services that compete with Grooveshark.

2: David LaChapelle Wins Pre-Trial Ruling Against Rihanna

Next up today, David LaChapelle has won a round in his lawsuit against Rihanna and her label in the judge refusing to dismiss the case and let it go to trial. LaChapelle sued the singer in February claiming that her S&M video infringed upon his popular photographs, to which it bore a resemblance. The judge dismissed several of LaChapelle’s claims saying they were duplicates of his copyright claim but allowed the copyright claims to move forward and also threw out Rihanna’s fair use defense saying that it was “unavailing”. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for August 10.

3: Spanish Piracy Law Draws U.S. Investments: Minister

Finally today, Spain’s Culture Minister has said that, thanks in part to a new anti-piracy law that will take effect next months, many U.S. and other foreign companies are looking to invest in Spain and set up legal alternatives. According to the minister, many organizations were planning on withdrawing from Spain, which has a piracy rate around 80%, because the investment was not worthwhile. However, if they new anti-piracy law proves effective, they are preparing to move in and create new services within the country.

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 6 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.

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

1: US Lawmakers Renew Push for “Rogue Websites” Bill

First off today, a bipartisan group from both chambers of Congress have announced that they are renewing their push for legislation to enable the blocking and banning of so-called “rogue” websites that are for the purpose of infringing copyright. COICA, as it was known last year, did not receive a full vote before the Senate, despite sailing unopposed through committees. However, a new version is expected to be introduced shortly in both chambers.

2: Google boots Grooveshark from Android Market

Next up today, Google has booted the Grooveshark app out of the Android Marketplace citing copyright concerns. Grooveshark works by having users upload their music to the service and have others stream the content. Though Grooveshark has struck deals with at least one record label, EMI, others are currently suing the company, including Universal, claiming that the service is infringing. Apple had previously removed the iPhone version of the app out of its App Store in August of last year, forcing iPhone users to jailbreak their phone to use the app if they wanted it.

3: Baidu to Launch Licensed Music Service in May

Finally today, China’s largest search engine, Baidu, has announced that it will be working with record labels to launch a licensed music service. Currently named Baidu Ting, the new service will allow users to stream and download licensed music directly from Baidu. The move comes as authors have ramped up a campaign against Baidu’s digital document service, seeing Baidu make concessions there on the issue of copyright. Baidu has said that it is in talks with the major international record labels to try and work out deals with them for the service, however, those record labels have repeatedly taken Baidu to court over its MP3 search service, which allows users to easily find and download pirated music files.

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 6 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.