5 Major Publications that Cover Copyright Well

When it comes to copyright and intellectual property coverage, there is a lot of terrible coverage out there.

Whether it’s journalists who don’t understand the fundamentals of intellectual property, using terms incorrectly or simply providing overly biased and politicized news, there are countless sites that cover copyright and do it poorly.

But rather than calling out those who don’t cover copyright well, it’s time to give praise to those who have done a good job with a difficult subject over the years, at least in the articles that I have read by them.

Also, since I previously did a list of copyright blogs I read, I wanted to focus this time on “mainstream” news sites, sites that are affiliated with traditional publications or otherwise would be classified as “mainstream media”.

On that note, here’s a look at five sites that I’m always happy to link to in my 3 Count column when they’re covering a story I’m interested in.

1. The Hollywood Reporter (Esquire)

Eriq Gardner writes the excellent Hollywood, Esq. blog for The Hollywood Reporter. The blog is all about the many collisions between the film industry and the law, making copyright a key part of the blog’s focus.

But in addition to copyright there’s also a great deal of discussion about contract disputes, trademark, defamation, liability in accidents and more.

In addition to his regular presence on The Hollywood Reporter, his content is often reposted on the publication’s affiliates, including Billboard, Adweek and Backstage as relevant.

2. Variety

Ted Johnson at Variety routinely and consistently writes some of the best and most balanced coverage of copyright that one can find.

Another entertainment-focused publication, Variety talks a great deal about the various legal challenges the industry faces, including covering copyright disputes. Johnson has done great work in recent months with complex legal cases including the Aereo ruling and more.

All in all, Variety is a great source for copyright news, even if they don’t have a dedicated blog or section for it.

3. The Guardian

The Guardian has been a publication long on the rise internationally, known for daring and accurate coverage. However, it’s also been using its clout and talents for reporting on copyright issues, especially internationally.

While, being based in London, it obviously has a heavy focus on UK and EU copyright news, it also does excellent coverage of international stories including those in Australia and the U.S.

There have been many times where I have have found The Guardian’s coverage of a U.S. copyright story to be more accurate and more thorough than any local site or publication.

4. Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a publication that is often overlooked for copyright news but it routinely provides great coverage and business-oriented analysis of what the news means.

In addition to their main publication, they also have the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), which often covers copyright legislation and key rulings. BNA is particularly good with rulings that slipped under the radar of other mainstream sites.

Finally, Bloomberg also owns Businessweek, which also provides great coverage of copyright news, though it doesn’t delve into the subject quite as much.

5. Forbes

Forbes is another business publication but also has a great history of solid reporting on copyright news, in particular as it pertains to the Web. Much of the reporting seems to come from Emma Woollacott, who covers “Control of content on the Internet”, though others have contributed as well.

Forbes does a great job with original reporting and covering breaking stories. It also does so in a plain way that’s easy to read and to understand, making it great for sending to friends and family who may not be as familiar with copyright issues.

All in all, Forbes is one of the first magazines I turn to when a major story, like the Aereo ruling, breaks because I know it’ll have original reporting and one of the best-written pieces on the subject.

Bottom Line

In the end, these are just some of the publications I have come to trust over the years. Three more easily could have made this list but I opted to keep it to five right now.

All in all, despite the Internet being a seeming dredge of poor-quality and highly-biased copyright reporting, there are still many publications working to provide high-quality news on the topic.

So thank you to those above and all of the publications that work tireless to provide balanced and thorough copyright news. It’s a difficult subject but you all help make it much easier to navigate.