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

1: Govt Cuts ‘Streamlined’ Piracy Discussion

First off today, in Australia Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland has quietly amended a posted document for discussion to remove all references to a controversial “streamlined” system by which copyright holders would be able to gain access to information about alleged infringers. The proposal, which outlines expanding safe harbor protections to ISPs, previously mentioned such a system as a requirement for protection but, currently, the document only makes reference to the broader issue. McClelland’s office stated that the document was posted by mistake and that a clarification will be posted soon.

2: Time Zone Database Has New Home After Lawsuit

Next up today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that oversees domain names on the Web, has agreed to host The Time Zone Database. The database was recently shut down following a lawsuit from astrology software maker Astrolabe, which sued the database’s former administrator, David Olson, claiming that there was copyrighted information in it. The database is used by many sites and operating systems, including all Unix-based system, which in turn includes Mac OSX and Linux, to help set time and adjust for time zone differences. ICANN has said that it will deal with any legal issues as they arise.

3: Labour Unveils ICT Policy

Finally today, in New Zealand, the Labour Party has released its ICT policy statement and, according to it, if elected, the party will remove the “three strikes” clause recently passed in the country and do a complete review of the Copyright Act with an eye on introducing a completely new copyright bill in 18 months. The Labour Party has been a long-standing opponent of the law but currently only holds a minority in the House of Representatives.

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.

With the holiday weekend in the U.S., it was a slow week for copyright news but it was still an important week as the largest verdict in copyright history was set aside, we get the first measures of effectiveness from New Zealand’s “Three Strikes” law and the pirate party fights and loses its bid to prevent a copyright extension in the EU.

All in all, it may be a shorter show but it’s not one that you want to miss.

This week’s stories include:

• Oracle’s $1.3 Billion Verdict Reduced
• Three Strikes Law Brings About Slowdown in Pirate Traffic
• Pirate Party Fights, Loses Against Copyright Extension
• Google Touts Copyright Advances
• Bloomberg Must Defend Itself Against Swatch Over Analyst Call
• At Least One Aussie Phone Directory Not Protected by Copyright

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: Copyright Law Puts Brakes on Internet Traffic

First off today, as the dust settles from New Zealand’s “three strikes” law, in which repeated file sharers can be fined and banned from using the Internet, it seems that it has had at least some impact. According to one industry insider, P2P traffic coming into the country has dropped by about 10%, though they emphasize that it’s too early to tell if that’s a trend. According to the same report, despite being in force since the beginning of the month, ISPs have not yet started receiving infringement notices.

2: Bloomberg LP Must Defend Swatch Analyst Call Case

Next up today, Bloomberg will have to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by Swatch, which accuses the magazine of infringing their copyrights over an analyst call. According to Swatch, Bloomberg recorded an analyst call and posted the transcript on their site. The court ruled against Bloomberg’s motion to dismiss saying that the work did qualify for copyright protection since Swatch recorded the call on their own. The motion to dismiss, however, did not rule on the merits of the infringement claim, just stated that Swatch had grounds to move forward with the suit.

3: Telstra Calls on Attorney-General Over Copyright

Finally today, Australian telephone company Telestra has lost a critical ruling saying that its phone directory division, Sensis, can not claim copyright in its phone book. Sensis sued a competitor, Phone Directories Company, over the company’s alleged copying of their directory information to release a competing phone book. The judge ruled that Sensis’ product does not qualify for copyright protection because it was, for the most part, compiled automatically and not by humans. The company is queueing up to talk with the country’s Attorney-General Robert McClelland to seek copyright reform to better protect electronic databases.

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: Oracle’s $1.3 Billion Verdict Against SAP Thrown Out by Judge

First off today, the judge in the Oracle/SAP case as set aside the record-breaking $1.3 Billion verdict against SAP and has reduced it to $272 Million. The case stems from SAP’s allaged downloading and use of Oracle software through its now-defunct TomorrowNow software-maintenance unit. The two companies are competitors in the business management software sector, with SAP being the largest. SAP has admitted that was liable but disputed the damage amount, prompting the judge to reduce the award. The judge has ordered a new trial on damages be held if Oracle does not agree to the reduction.

2: No Infringement Notices So Far – ISPs

Next up today, in New Zealand, one day after the country’s new “three strikes” law has taken effect ISPs are reporting that no infringement notices have arrived for them to process. Rightsholders claim that they are still working on means to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and that the notices will trickle in over time, rather than hit like a wave. The law requires ISPs to pass along notices of infringements and offers the Copyright Tribunal the ability to punish repeat offenders with up to $15,000 fine and possible disconnection.

3: Cop is Suspended for Downloading a Pirated Movie in his Squad Car

Finally today, a bored police officer in Madison, Wisconsin has been suspended after he downloaded the movie Hall Pass illegally using his in-car laptop. The illegal download was discovered after the laptop became infected with a virus due to the download, forcing action from the department’s IT personnel to clean it off. The officer’s name has not been released.

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: Music Execs Want to Know How a (Possibly Imaginary) 13-Year-Old Brought Down Bieber on YouTube

First off today, at least some music executives are asking questions as to how a possibly fictional 13-year-old was able to successfully get music videos by Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, among others, removed from YouTube for several hours. As reported earlier, the user, named ILCreative, had filed copyright notices against the official YouTube channels of many artists. New details, however, are showing that ILCreative was able to do so because he or she had been authorized as a YouTube partner and that gave them greater access to file copyright reports. Though some music executives are pushing for answers, others are calling it an isolated incident that is not a sign of a larger problem.

2: Survey: College Plagiarism Is at an All-Time High

Next up today, a Pew Research Center survey indicates that more than half of all college students believe that plagiarism has increased over the last ten years and nearly 90 percent put at least some of the blame on the Web and computers. Other results from the study find a wide expectation in the growth of digital textbooks and online eduction.

3: No Internet Rush to Beat Copyright Clampdown

Finally, today is the day that New Zealand’s “three strikes” law takes effect but it doesn’t appear that Internet users in the country rushed to download all of their files beforehand. There was no reported spike in data usage despite the law’s deadline. However, in other articles, there has been a report of users switching to using proxy services in an attempt to avoid detection under the law.

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: Copyright Office Advocates Eliminating Compulsory License

First off today, the U.S. Copyright Office, which advises Congress on copyright-related matters, has recommended that the U.S. phase out cable and satellite statutory licenses. Those licenses make content from providers, such as networks, available for a flat fee under the law. The Copyright Office would like to phase out those licenses in favor of having cable and satellite providers work with rightsholders directly. Most feel Congress is unlikely to act on the recommendation, especially since it is the USCO’s fourth attempt at phasing out these licenses.

2: Labour Promises Online Copyright Reform

Next up today, in New Zealand, the day before the country’s “three strikes” law is to take effect, the Labour Party in the country has made copyright reform, including the repealing of the above law, part of its party platform. They’ve promised to repeal the law within 90 days if elected into office. They also promise to look at the entirety of the copyright act and seek out other, broader copyright reforms.

3: US Studios Avoided Telstra Battle and Went After iiNet Instead in Copyright Case

Finally today, cables leaked by Wikileaks reveal that, in Australia, the movie studios deliberately avoided picking a legal fight with the larger ISPs and, instead, sued the third-largest company, iiNet, over allegedly not doing enough to stop copyright infringement over its network. Specifically, the studios wanted to avoid a tussle with “the big guns” Telstra BigPond, which they feared would be in a better position to defend and win the lawsuit. The iiNet case is currently about to be heard a third time, this time before the High Court of Australia.

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: Zediva Bows to Court Order, Suspends Online DVD Service

First off today, DVD streaming service Zediva, in order to comply with a recent court order, has ceased operations. The service, which previously allowed users to rent a DVD player via the Web to watch a physical DVD was the subject of a lawsuit from the movie studios, which in turn got an injunction against them on the grounds they were violating the movie’s public performance right. Zediva is appealing the ruling but is also emailing their existing customers about how to handle already-purchased credits.

2: UBC Joins Throng of Schools Opting Out of Copyright Contract

Next up today, in Canada the University of British Columbia has joined with 15 of the 25 biggest schools in the country in dropping their contract with Access Copyright. Access Copyright is a licensing group founded by authors and publishers to handle licensing and compensation for collegiate use of their work. However, after Access Copyright tried to impose higher fees and require greater monitoring of use, many schools have walked away from their existing agreements, setting the stage for them to either limit use copyrighted works or strike deals with publishers directly.

3: ’3 strikes’ File Sharing Law Kicks in From Today

Finally, today is the day in which New Zealand’s “three strikes” legislation takes effect, meaning that copyright holders can now send notices to ISPs within the country regarding suspected copyright infringement by users. Those ISPs then have to forward on those notices and, after three such notices, account holders may have their access cut. Similar laws in other countries have had mixed receptions and approaches, including a recent U.S. agreement that is bringing a “six strikes” system this 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 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: BT Ordered to Block Links to Newzbin 2 Website

First off today, a court has ordered the UK ISP BT to block access to the site Newzbin2 using their “CleanFeed” technology, which is primarily aimed at blocking access to child exploitation sites. The ISP was sued by the Motion Picture Association, which sought the blocking, has said it does not plan to appeal the verdict and both sides will return to court in October to determine how the blocking will work. Many are worried that this ruling sets a dangerous precedent and that the technology can not handle the load that will be put on it.

2: Driver: San Francisco on PC Marks Return of Always-On DRM

Next up today, video game publisher Ubisoft is back in the news for its DRM practices. A recent announcement from the company states that its upcoming release “Driver: San Francisco” will require an always-on Internet connection, even when being played in single player mode. This move follows other Ubisoft games such as “Assassin’s Creed 2″ and “Splinter Cell: Conviction” that had similar requirements but were patched away after fans of the games complained and technical issues surfaced. The change was announced on the game’s official Twitter account.

3: RWC Statue at Center of Copyright Dispute

Finally today, a statue of New Zealand Rugby star Michael Jones has found itself at the heart of a copyright dispute after sculptor Richard Wells says he was denied money and co-authorship in the work that he was promised. However, the credited artist, Natalie Stamilla, says that Wells was hired solely to do “grunt work” and that his artistic input was minimal. Wells has been dropped from the project, which will create a 1.5x size statue of Jones for Eden Park, but has said he will not give up in his fight for attribution.

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: Netflix Customers See Red After Price Hike

First off today, Netflix customers are upset after a rate hike on the company’s plans may see some users having an increase as much as 60% on their bill. Netflix announced they were separating out their DVD rental and streaming accounts, charging $8 for each instead of $10 for both 1 DVD rental and unlimited streaming in one account. The rate hike is being blamed in at least part on anticipated struggles with negotiating new licensing deals with movie studios as old contracts expire for Netflix. Studios are expected to demand much more money due to Netflix’s growth and the fact many are establishing competitors of their own. The rate hike takes effect immediately for new customers and September 1st for existing ones.

2: ISPs to Charge for Online Infringement Notice

Next up today, ISPs in New Zealand have one a decision from their government that will enable them to charge $25 for every infringement notice filed under that country’s new three strikes law. The price is actually compromise between disparate positions between copyright holders, who wanted to only pay $2 per notice, and ISPs, which wanted them to pay $40. The system requires ISPs to send on notices of copyright infringement on behalf of ISPs and, after three notices, copyright holders will be able to take matters before a copyright tribunal, which can impose penalties as high as $15,000 and have infringer’s Web access cut.

3: If a Monkey Steals Your Camera, Who Owns the Photos?

Finally today, an unusual copyright question has been raised after a photographer traveling in Indonesia had his camera snatched by a group of monkeys who took a series of accidental self portraits with it. The photographer, David J Slater, was able to recover the camera with the images intact but created a good deal of discussion by licensing the photos out to the Caters News agency for distribution. Techdirt, in turn, raised the question of who owns the copyright in such photos (copyright usually transfers to the person taking the photo). However, that question is no longer hypothetical after Casters filed a takedown notice on the images, ordering their removal. Techdirt is claiming fair use in its use of the photos.

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: Apple iCloud — Amnesty for Music Pirates?

First off today, Apple introduced its upcoming iCloud service, which, in part, is aimed at making your music purchases and downloads available across all of your devices. Apple also introduced an add on service called “Music Match” that scans your library and replaces ripped (or downloaded) songs with high-quality tracks from the iTunes store. Though iCloud is free, Music Match will be $25 per year. Music Match, which has the approval of all four of the major record labels, is already being called “amnesty” for pirates because it will convert many illegally downloaded tracks into legal copies. How true this is remains to be seen but it may be an attempt by the record labels to earn some revenue from pirated tracks, even if only a fraction of their legal value.

2: Govt Won’t Revisit Copyright Law

Next up today, the New Zealand government has announced that they will not be revisiting their three strikes law, which will disconnect suspected file sharers after a number of warnings, despite a recent UN report calling such laws a violation of human rights. According to the government, the disconnection system would only be implemented if a warning system was deemed to be ineffective, which mitigates the potential concerns over the law.

3: Forever 21 Forever 21′s David and Goliath Attempt to Stomp Out Blogger

Finally today, clothing store Forever 21 filed a cease and desist letter with the site WTForever21.com claiming copyright infringement, trademark infringement, unfair competition and dilution. The site, which lampoons some of the company’s fashions, received the letter in April and, after months of legal volleying, has been given a 10-day ultimatum to either shut down or face a lawsuit. It is unclear what Rachel Kane, the blogger behind the site, intends to do.

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.