3 Count: Dirty Legal Dancing

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

1: Browserpopcorn Shut Down by the MPAA, Dev Says

First off today, Andy at Torrentfreak writes that BrowserPopcorn, a web-based version of the popular pirate movie streaming software Popcorn Time, has been shut down by the MPAA according to its developer, just days after its launch.

The service, which drew media attention over the weekend, was meant to be a web-based alternative to the downloadable client that is Popcorn Time. However, developer Milan Kragujević has taken the site down and replaced it with a note blaming the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for shutting it down.

However, Torrentfreak notes that the service might not have been very sustainable. It operated with six dedicated servers that had a combined capacity of just 1,200 users. By comparison, the most popular BitTorrent downloads can easily reach over 10,000 users apiece, meaning it would have been very easily overloaded, even by modest attention.

2: Jay Z Song ‘Big Pimpin’’ Picked Apart in Copyright Dispute

Next up today, Anthony McCartney at the Associated Press reports that testimony is scheduled to end in the Jay Z Big Pimpin’ lawsuit and the case will be handed to the jury.

The lawsuit was originally filed by heirs of the Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi, who wrote the song Khosara Khosara, which was sampled in Big Pimpin’. Jay Z and producer Timbaland claim that the cleared the rights for the sample. However, the heirs claim not only was the sample not cleared, but its use in the song was offensive to Hamdi’s reputation and a violation of his moral rights.

Testimony in the trial has been ongoing for nearly a week. After testimony wraps up, the case will be handed to an 8-person jury, which must decide if the use of the sample was a copyright infringement.

3: Havas, TD Ameritrade Seek Dismissal Of ‘Dirty Dancing’ Copyright Suit

Finally today Steve McClellan at MediaPost reports that advertising agency Havas Worldwide New York and its client TD Ameritrade have asked the court to dismiss a copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit filed against them by Lions Gate Entertainment over their use of elements from the film Dirty Dancing.

The lawsuit centers around an ad released by Havas for TD Ameritrade that used the link “Nobody Puts Your Old 401(k) in the Corner”, a reference “Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner” in the film. The ad also featured an image of a man holding up a piggy bank akin to the “lift” scene in the original film.

The defendants arguing that the Los Angeles court the case is currently filed in does not have jurisdiction over them, both of which are based in New York. However, a New York court recently took up the same matter and ruled in favor of Lions Gate, noting that both of the defendants are national companies with offices in the area and Lions Gate is based in Los Angeles.

The advertising campaign in question ran from October of last year to this April.

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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