3 Count: 70% Solution

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

1: US Dubs Baidu a ‘Pirate’ Operation

First off today, the U.S. Trade Representative has released a report detailing 33 online “markets” that facilitate the trading of unauthorized copies or counterfeit goods. On the list was a typical spate of p2p sites, such as The Pirate Bay and Demonoid, but also listed was the popular Chinese search engine Baidu, with the USTR accuses of deep linking to copyright infringing material. The goal of the report is to draw attention to these sites and motivate local governments to take action against them, which may be a challenge regarding Baidu as Chinese courts have routinely found the site to be legal.

2: 70% of the Public Finds Piracy Socially Acceptable

Next up today, according to a ethics study from from the Danish organization the Rockwool Foundation Research Unit, some 70% of respondents felt that piracy was acceptable, at least to some degree. Though only 20% said it was completely acceptable, only 30% also said it was completely unacceptable, leaving most somewhere in the middle with it being somewhat acceptable. However, 75% did say that it was unethical to turn around and sell pirated goods. The numbers also closely mirror a similar study done in 1997, showing little change in the past fourteen years in public views on this topic.

3: Righthaven Sues Las Vegas-Based Citadel Broadcasting Over Caption Contest

Finally today, Righthaven, the company that has sued various websites and bloggers for using content from the Las Vegas Review-Journal as well as the Denver Post, has taken on its biggest target to date, Las Vegas based Citadel Broadcasting Co. According to Righthaven, 630WPRO host Matt Allen, who operates out of Providence, R.I., posted a Denver Post photo on his site and held a caption contest for it. As is normal for Righthaven cases, the company is seeking $150,000 in statutory damages and seizure of 630WPRO’s domain. However, most cases settle for far less and don’t require the transfer of the domain.

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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