3 Count: Proxy Wars

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

1: Mike Huckabee Tries “Religious Assembly” Defense in ‘Eye of the Tiger’ Copyright Suit

First off today, Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter Esquire reports that Arkansas Governor and U.S. Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has responded to a lawsuit against him one this use of Survivor’s song Eye of the Tiger at a rally held in honor of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis. In his response, Huckabee claims that the rally was a “religious assembly” and should be exempt from owing royalties or paying damages.

Huckabee was sued by Rude Music, which is owned by Survivor frontman Frankie Sullivan over his use of the song. Huckabee played the song as part of a rally celebrating the release of Davis, who had been released from jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Sullivan said he did not approve of the use of the song and filed a lawsuit, seeking damages for copyright infringement.

In addition to claiming the rally was a religious assembly, Huckabee is also arguing fair use and, furthermore, claiming that he nor his campaign were involved in event.

2: Netflix to Crack Down on Proxy Servers

Next up today, Martyn Williams at PCWorld reports that Netflix has announced it will be “evolving” its technical protections and will soon begin blocking proxy users who attempt to gain access to Netflix works not available in their country.

Netflix has long maintained region differences as licenses and agreements for content are often country-specific. However, It has not taken steps to enforce those restrictions on users, making it simple for users in one country to use a proxy or a VPN to access another nation’s Netflix content.

The announcement comes after Netflix expanded its service to an additional 130 countries, making it available in nearly the entire world. However, since much of the world has a very limited library compared to the United States, it’s likely that demand for access to U.S. Netflix will not subside.

3: Scrapped Japan Stadium Designer Says Rejects Copyright Call

Finally today, Reuters is reporting that U.K. company Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has declined to sign over the copyrights in their plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Stadium, setting up a possible showdown for the copyright of the plans and for alleged unpaid work.

The dispute focuses on the Olympics Stadium to be built for the 2020 games in Tokyo. ZHA had submitted a plan for the stadium but it was met with controversy both due to its cost and a belief it didn’t blend in well with the surrounding area. A competing design by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was instead chosen but, according to ZHA, the Japanese Sport Council (JSC) is still obligated to pay them for the work that’s already been done.

The JSC sent a written request to amend their contract with ZHA, asking ZHA to turn over their copyright in the stadium in order to receive the final outstanding payment. However, ZHA has rejected that request as well as another request that would have barred them from providing information or comment on the project. The JSC has not commented on how they will respond.

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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