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

1: Google: Belgian Papers to Appear in Searches Again

First off today, a consortium of Belgian newspapers, which Google had dropped from its main index, will reappear in Google searches following legal assurances that they will not sue. The newspapers had previously sued Google for copyright infringement over its Google News product and a Belgian court issued an order forcing Google to drop the papers. Google claimed the order did not discriminate between Google News and its main index, forcing them to drop the papers, something the papers said was not the case. Regardless, the two sides have struck a deal and now the news sites will reappear in Google’s main index and have already begun to show up again.

2: Indie Labels Sue LimeWire Over Failed Copyright Deal

Next up today, Merlin, a collection of independent labels, has filed a lawsuit against the now-defunct LimeWire service claiming that the company went back on a previous agreement and failed to offer them a settlement similar to the one they offered the major labels. According to the suit, when Merlin filed a cease and desist notice in 2008, they held off on suing because LimeWire said they had struck a deal with the other labels and would offer them a similar set of terms. However, Merlin came to collect on that deal, LimeWire did not pay up. Merlin is seeking some $5 million in damages plus costs in the suit.

3: Church of God Sues Sony Pictures and Comcast for Copyright Infringement

Finally today, Sony and Comcast are being sued by the Church of God over their new religious comedy “Salvation Boulevard”. In the movie, a pastor takes a church and grows it into an international empire and the church in the movie uses a logo similar to the Church of God’s famous logo, which is what sparked the lawsuit. The Church of God is suing for copyright and trademark infringement over the film’s use of the similar logo and is seeking both damages and to stop the film’s distribution.

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: Music Service Grooveshark Settles Copyright Claims With Merlin

First off today, music streaming service Grooveshark has announced it has settled a lawsuit with Merlin, an organization created to represent independent labels. The deal will see Grooveshark pay an undisclosed amount to Merlin for past uses and sets a licensing rate moving forward. Grooveshark has signed similar deals with EMI and INgrooves but has not brought other labels on board.

2: Discovery Forcing Takeover of DeadliestCatchTV.Com

Next up today, The Discovery Channel is taking over a fan site for its “Deadliest Catch” show, DeadliestCatchTV.com. The site, which has been in operation since early 2007, is being shuttered over claims that the site infringes on Discovery Channel copyright. Among the list of complaints is that the site embedded official Discover Channel clips that the company had uploaded to various sites and provided the embed code for. Please note that, if you visit the link above after today, it very likely will be down as the takeover is due to take place August 11.

3: IPSOS: The Rise and Rise of Digital Music

Finally today, the research firm IPSOS has released a study that paints a more bright future for digital music. According to the study, even though CD sales are declining, digital sales and legal streaming are on the rise and will continue to be, largely through a combination of digital efforts including sites like iTunes and Spotify. However, the study did caution that there would be an ongoing issue with piracy and that not offering free, legal alternatives has a predictable impact on piracy issues.

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.

We also have updates on the Google/Viacom case as well as a new independent group that becomes the fifth largest music rightsholder.

Also, in weird copyright news, we have a political leader that has been arrested in relation to a famous warez group, an engineer allegedly fired for his copyright opinions and plagiarized poetry at the Washington Post.

Remember, as usual, this week’s linkroll is a “raw” link list. Some stories are duplicated, some do not point to their original sources and some may not be accurate. A great deal of refining goes into producing the show notes for the Copyright 2.0 Show.