3 Count: 10 Dollars
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1: NinjaVideo Founder Pleads Guilty to Criminal Copyright Infringement
First off today, Matthew David Howard Smith, co-founder of the site NinjaVideo, has plead guilty to criminal copyright infringement and will be sentenced on December 16, where he could face up to 5 years in prison. Two other alleged admins face trial in February if they don’t first plead out. NinjaVideo famously offered links to infringing content and provided both a paid finder service and also ran advertisements, allegedly worth some $500,000. The domain was seized in 2008 but criminal charges were only filed two weeks ago.
2: $10 Settlement Offers: The Entertainment Industry’s New Copyright Tactic
Next up today, an LA-based rights company, Digital Rights Corp have stumbled across a new tactic for enforcing copyright online, having ISPs forward on requests directly to accused file sharers and offering to settle with them for $10 per infringement or less. The system, which is largely automated, scoops up IP addresses, sends out settlement lets to their ISPs for them to forward on via email. The process avoids the courts and, according to the company, is very effective at reducing infringement. However, others, including the EFF, are challenging Rightscorp’s interpretation of the law that they say requires ISPs to pass along such notices, setting up possible challenges for them in the future.
3: Judge Dismisses Copyright Case Against 50 Cent
Finally today, rapper 50 Cent and his record label, G-Unit won a big court victory against Shadrach Winstead, who had sued claiming that the rapper had plagiarized from his book, “The Preacher’s Son — But the Streets Have Turned Me Into a Gangster”, in creating 2009 movie and album “Before I Self Destruct”, both of the same name. The judge tossed the case on a summary judgement claiming that the items were substantially different with only non-protectable similarities.
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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