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

1: RIAA IP Addresses Matched to Illegal BitTorrent Download

First off today, a series of articles from the blog Torrentfreak have connected IP addresses allegedly associated with the RIAA, Sony Pictures, NBC Universal, Fox Entertainment and even the palace of French President Nicholas Sarkozy with downloading files via Bittorrent. The blog used a new site entitled YouHaveDownloaded, which monitors some 20% of the Bittorrent traffic and records IP address information. Visitors can then see what the service has found that they’ve downloaded or check other IP addresses. There’s been no comment from any of the organizations involved.

2: Sony, Warner Join Suit Against Grooveshark Music Service

Next up today, in a move that was predicted last week, both Sony and Warner Music have joined Universal Music’s lawsuit against the streaming service Grooveshark. The lawsuit, which Universal filed in November, alleges that Grooveshark executives uploaded tracks to their streaming service in violation of copyright law. Grooveshark denies this and claims that its tracks are user uploaded and, as such, it deserves safe harbor protection from the DMCA. However, according to Universal, emails and other information obtained through an earlier lawsuit indicate otherwise. Sony and Warner joining the lawsuit now means that the three biggest record labels are involved and the fourth, EMI, which currently licenses its music to Grooveshark, is in the process of being sold to Universal.

3: Court Will Test Time-Shift Drift

Finally today, the Federal Court of Australia is taking up a case that could have a major impact on the nation’s copyright laws as it pertains to time shifting. The case centers around Optus, a local cell phone carrier, being sued by a slew of sports leagues and TV networks. According to the plaintiffs, Optus is illegally enabling users to record and stream live TV, including football (soccer) and Rugby matches on their phone. According to Optus, this is completely legal as time shifting, recording TV for viewing at a later date, is legal. However, the lawsuit alleges that, since the act is done via the cell network, those rules don’t apply and that since there is such a small delay between when a work is recorded and available, that it isn’t true time shifting and is instead just moving the media to a more convenient platform. Many, however, are predicting that this is an area of Australian copyright law that is ripe for legislative action, possibly making any impact from this case short-lived.

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: House Committee Appears Headed Toward Approving SOPA

First off today, the House Judiciary Committee seems to be on a path of approving SOPA, sending it to the House of Representatives for a full vote. The hearing yesterday, which lasted over 7 hours, will continue today but early votes on amendments shows strong support for SOPA in the committee. The bill, which allows copyright holders to seek orders barring ISPs, payment processors and advertisers from letting users access or doing business with sites primarily aimed at copyright infringement, was the subject of nearly 50 amendments, only 10 of which were voted on yesterday. However, one of those amendments, proposed by Representative Darrell Issa, would have removed much of the controversial elements of the bill but was voted down by a 22-12 margin. The hearing is expected to continue today and may stretch past the New Year if Congress goes on break before it’s finished.

2: UMG Claims “Right to Block or Remove” YouTube Videos it Doesn’t Own

Next up today, Universal Music Group hsa responded to allegations that it improperly ordered the takedown of a viral music video posted by controversial cyberlocker site Megaupload. According to Universal, the takedown wasn’t related to the DMCA, but rather, a private contract that UMG has with YouTube to remove videos that infringes any of their rights, not just copyright. This, according to UMG, seems to stem from a partnership the labels signed with YouTube as part of creating the offical VEVO channels. The music video featured various musicians offering support for the site, even as the record labels are condemning Megaupload as a haven for piracy. The video, however, is back on YouTube pending further information from UMG.

3: UK Government Outlines Plans to Reform Copyright Law

Finally today, the UK government has issued its proposal for reforming the nation’s copyright laws and the recommendations follow closely many of the suggestions from the controversial Hargreaves report earlier this year. Those changes include the legalizing of format shafting copyrighted works (IE: ripping a CD to your MP3 player), expanding an copyright exception for researchers to include data mining, expanding “fair dealing” to include satire and, most controversially, making orphan works (works without known copyright holders) available for reuse. The proposal now enters a 14-week public comment period, ending in March of next year.

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.

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

1: Universal Censors Megaupload Song, Gets Branded a “Rogue Label”

First off today, cyberlocker site Megaupload released a music video featuring many of music’s top stars including Diddy, Will.i.am, Snoop Dog and more. Though the video didn’t talk about copyright issues, it showed the artists talking about how much they love or use Megaupload, even as the RIAA and the MPAA seek to classify Megaupload as a “Rogue” website that enables widespread copyright infringement. However, Universal Music has filed several takedown notices against YouTube version of the video, putting Megaupload’s account at risk of being banned even though, according to Megaupload, the label doesn’t own anything in the video. Site founder Kim Dotcom went on to say that Universal was a “Rogue” label and that they had filed a counternotice relating to the video.

2: Yoga Pose Copyright Bid Too Much of a Stretch, U.S. Says in Bikram Battle

Next up today, the U.S. Copyright Office has announced that it is reversing course and no longer accepting registrations for yoga poses and other exercises. The office, in an email that was submitted as evidence in a dispute between two New York-based yoga studios, the Copyright Office said that yoga poses, “Do not constitute the subject matter that Congress intended to protect as choreography,” and, as such, will not provide registration certificates for them. Previously, the Copyright Office had done so, even if the poses were in the public domain, but reached the new conclusion after reviewing the legislative history of copyright law.

3: YouTube acquires RightsFlow

Finally today, Google’s YouTube service has acquired RightsFlow, a licensing service that specializing in streamlining the licensing process for music. The move is, most likely, an effort to simplify and speed up the process of licensing music on YouTube. YouTube, which is currently being sued by Viacom for its practices in its early years, has been working hard to secure licensing and rights to music and videos uploaded to its service and, by acquiring RightsFlow, seeks to simplify that process.

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: Anonymous Threat Taken Seriously

First off today, members of the group Anonymous, upset about the recently passed legislation in New Zealand to suspend suspected file sharers from the Internet, have threatened to attack the New Zealand Parliament’s website, as they have done with other sites in the past. The government has said that they are taking the threats serious and are taking steps to mitigate against the potential attack. There is no word as to when the attack is scheduled to begin or how serious the threat is.

2: Dropbox Attempts to Kill Open Source Project

Next up today, cloud-based file synchronizing service Dropbox has filed a “mistake” DMCA notice and has attempted to kill an open source project, Dropship, which takes advantage of Dropbox’s hashing system to share files. Dropbox, which synchronizes files between computers via the Web, using a hashing system to prevent it from storing a file more than once. Dropship uses this system to allow Dropbox users to share files using just the hash, having the file appear in both user’s Dropbox folder. Dropbox has requested the project be removed from Github, which its owner did voluntarily, and has removed copies of Dropship stored on their server. Dropbox has admitted a DMCA notice it sent was a “mistake”, caused by a bug in Dropbox’s file removal system, but has continued to try and shut down all mirrors of the software.

3: YouTube Is Said to Be Near a Major Film Rental Deal

Next up today, reports from industry insiders indicate that Sony, Warner Brothers and Universal have all inked deals with Google to rent movies via YouTube, a project that has been in the works for at least two years. According to reports, the prices will be similar to the rental rates on iTunes and other competitors. Currently independent filmmakers already offer such rentals on YouTube for $2 to $4 per viewing.

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: Strange Turn in Dancing Baby vs. Prince Case

First off today, the Lenz v. Universal case, which centers around a thirty-second clip of a dancing baby posted by Stephanie Lenz, the plaintiff in the case, now has Universal seeking to find her in contempt of court. The suit, came about after Universal Music filed a takedown notice against the clip due to its background music, which got it removed from YouTube. Though Lenz had the video put back, she, at the nudging of the EFF, sued Universal for filing a false takedown. However, Universal is claiming that Lenz suffered no ill effects from the takedown and has sought documentation from her on the issue. According to Universal though, Lenz has not provided adequate documentation and they are seeking to have her found in contempt. The court had previously ruled that Lenz had waved her attorney-client privilege by disclosing publicly disclosing facts that were discussed, forcing her attorneys to hand over documents related to her case.

2: CVS/pharmacy Unit Sued by Artist for Copyright Infringement

Next up today, artist Susan Lordi Marker is suing CVS Caremark Corp.’s CVS/pharmacy unit for copyright infringement, cleaiming that a line of figurines sold in their store are knock offs of her “Willow Tree” line of figurine angels. Marker’s angels are faceless figurines with wire wings placed in different poses. Marker is seeking to force CVS to stop selling the figurines, destroy all merchandise as well as profits from the sales and court costs.

3: CBS TakesDown Own Video (Image)

Finally today, CBS has seemingly filed a DMCA takedown against a video it was using on its own site. The video was of reporter Serene Branson, who slurred her words while live on TV reporting on the Grammy’s, leading to speculation she had suffered a mild stroke. Branson, is a correspondent for the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles and CBS’ main site had used YouTube clip of the incident as part of its reporting even though it doesn’t seem to have been on an official CBS channel. However, a takedown notice was filed against the clip, resulting in its removal and a rather bizarre scene on the CBS site, one captured in the image above. Hat tip: Thanks to @brettmorrison for the suggestion.

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.

1: Project Playlist Puts Legal Troubles Behind It

First off today, Project Playlist, the controversial music player targeted at Myspace and Facebook users, has struck a deal with Universal and Warner Music, putting its legal woes behind it. Currently, three of the four major record labels, Universal, EMI and Sony, have struck deals to allow the service to use their music while Warner has dropped their suit and may have reached a similar agreement though that is unclear. This makes Project Playlist the first streaming music service in the U.S. to make arrangements with all four major record labels.

2: Viacom Gains Support in Copyright Suit

Next up today, Viacom has found some allies in its lawsuit against YouTube. Several media companies including Disney, NBC Universal and Warner Bros have all filed amicus briefs, or “friend of the court” briefs, on their behalf. Viacom in its suit claims that YouTube was aware that much of the content posted to the service, especially in the early days of the site, was infringing and took no action. YouTube claims to be protected by DMCA safe harbors.

3: Hurt Locker’s Bosses to Sue Downloaders

Finally today, the makers of the movie the Hurt Locker have signed with the U.S. Copyright Group and will be filing tens of thousands of lawsuits against alleged file sharers. The U.S. Copyright Group has already filed similar lawsuits for independent filmmakers but this is the first major release to sign with the company. The company has said that this will take the campaign to “a much higher level”.

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.

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

It was a busy week for copyright news with a flurry of stories raining down. We see the conclusion to one of the most important DMCA-related cases as well as one of the most controversial plagiarism cases. However, we also have new beginnings, including the start of a potentially heated copyright battle in the technology world. We also have some interesting news about Second Life and perhaps the most awesome DRM/forum response in the history of gaming.

All in all, there were thirteen stories this week including news from all over the copyright world including our “Weird Story of the Week”.

This week’s stories include:

• Veoh Wins Against Universal
• Skype Founders Sue eBay
• Coldplay and Satriani Settle
• More Bad News for the Potential Pirate Bay Buyers
• Batman Can Run, But He Can’t Glide
• And Many more…

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.

1: AP alleges copyright infringement of Obama image

The famous and ubiquitous Obama “Hope” poster has become the subject of a lawsuit as the Associated Press, who claims to hold the copyright in the original photograph, has sued Shepard Fairey, the street artist behind the iconic poster.

The poster, which became a de facto symbol of the Obama campaign, was originally thought to be based upon a Reuters photo. Fairey is being represented by the Anthony Falzone, executive director of the Fair Use Project at Stanford University, who believes that fair use will protect Fairey’s right to use the image in the manner he did.

2: Judge Tells UMG: No, You Cannot Sue Veoh’s Investors For Copyright Infringement

Universal suffered another set back in its lawsuit against Veoh as the judge threw out a portion of the suit that named several investors in the site as defendants. The judge had already declined a motion for summary judgement, saying that “safe harbor” provisions in the DMCA applied to Veoh even though the site altered the videos before publishing them to the Web.

The judge found that, since Veoh has not been found guilty of doing anything infringing, Universal can not sue the investors. This is in contrast to the Napster case, where the investor was successfully sued after keeping the service open after it had been found to be infringing.

3: TorrentSpy renews legal campaign against MPAA

Nearly a year after it found itself on the wrong end of a $100 million judgment against the MPAA, Torrentspy has filed an appeal in the case claiming that they were unfairly denied access to a trial and were mandated to take actions that violated user privacy.

The site had defied a court order to turn over user data and various logs in part by blocking traffic from within the U.S. Torrentspy, which is now closed, has not indicated if they have any plans to reopen should they win their appeal.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today, we’ll 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 below or send me an email using the contact form above. I hope to hear from you.

Want the Full Story?

Tune in every Saturday morning for the live recording of the Copyright 2.0 Show or wait and get the edited version Monday morning right here on Plagiarism Today.

This is something of a bittersweet episode of the Copyright 2.0 Show as Chris Matthieu, the usual co-host of the show, will be taking an extended leave of absense following this episode. In his place will be Patrick O’Keefe of the iFroggy Network.

Goodbye’s aside, it was still a very busy week for copyright news with a a lot of major stories including a conclusion to the Google Book lawsuit, one that literally dates back to the beginnings of this site, and tons of other stories.

All in all, there were seventeen stories this week including news from all over the copyright world including our “Weird Story of the Week”.

This week’s stories include:

• Google Settles Book Search Case
• Redbox Accuses Universal of Foul Play
• More DMCA Notices on Private Videos
• Conflicting Views of “Making Available”
• Unnecessary Censorship Strikes Weird Al
• And Many more…

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

Show Notes