3 Count: Gangnam Profits?

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1: Foxtel Wants UK-Style Block on Piracy Websites

First off today, Josh Taylor at ZDNet reports that, in Australia pay TV provider Foxtel is asking the government to institute a UK-style site blocking provision. Such a system would allow rightsholders to obtain injunctions requiring ISPs to deny access to piracy websites.

Foxtel submitted its recommendation in a filing with the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC), which is currently overseeing a review of Australian copyright law in a bid to modernize it. Foxtel said that the approach has been very successful in the UK, drastically reducing traffic to The Pirate Bay and other blocked sites. Foxtel also recommended a graduated response system, similar to the ones coming to the US and UK and is already at work in New Zealand.

2: Kim Dotcom Gets Green Light to Sue New Zealand Spies

Next up today, Enigmax at Torrentfreak writes that Kim Dotcom has been given clearance by a high court in New Zealand to sue the country’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) over spying conducted on him during the investigation leading up to his arrest and the closure of Megaupload.

The GCSB has admitted to spying on Dotcom, however, the organization claims it was not aware that Dotcom was a citizen of the country, which would make the surveillance illegal. Dotcom has been cleared to sue the GCSB to learn more about the surveillance and seek damages. Dotcom along with his employees were arrested in January due to joint action by US and New Zealand authorities, that also shuttered his site, Megaupload.

3: Gangnam Style Earnings: PSY YouTube Video Earns Artist at Least $7.9 Million

Finally today, the Associated Press has done an analysis of the expected earnings from “Gangam Style” and estimates that the song has earned its artist, PSY, at least $7.9 million. However, most of that money doesn’t come from PSY’s native South Korea or even asia at all, but rather, the U.S. Most of the views of the video, which is now the most popular of all time on YouTube, have come from the US and have earned him about $870,000. iTunes sales have brought in another $2.7 million.

Though the song has sold well in asia, sales earn less revenue there with most Koreans using a $10 per month service to download and stream most music legally. Royalties from those sales likely add up to just over $61,000. However, by far the biggest likely revenue stream for PSY has been his commercial appearances, which could amount to as much as $4.6 million per year. The split between PSY, his agents and others in his camp is unknown.

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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