3 Count: Unexpected Endorsement

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

1: Instagram Sued for Failing to Remove Copyrighted Photo

First off today, Ernesto at Torrentfreak writes that photographer Jennifer Reilly has filed a lawsuit against the Facebook-owned photo sharing service Instagram saying the service failed to remove images she holds the copyright to despite repeated Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)  notices to do so.

Under the DMCA, web hosts, such as Instagram, are protected from liability for copyright infringement by users so long as they meet the requirements of the law and expeditiously remove infringements after notification. According to Reilly, she sent multiple notices over uses of a photo she owns featuring lips and a microphone but Instagram has neither removed nor disabled access to the work.

Reilly has filed similar cases including one against Twitter, which was dismissed (though it’s unclear if there was a settlement), and another recent one against Buzzfeed that’s ongoing. In this case, as with others, Reilly is seeking damages and a permanent injunction against the use of the image.

2: Copyright claim pulls Automobilista from Steam

Next up today, Angus Morrison at PC Gamer reports that the Brazilian racing simulator Automobilista has been temporarily pulled from the Steam store due to a copyright claim from an unknown company.

According to Reiza Studios, the makers of the game, their product features both officially-licensed cars and products alongside with vehicles and items created in house. They claim that the copyright notice doesn’t reference any specific content that’s infringing in the game and that they are already working with Valve, the company behind Steam, to get the game restored. However, they say that the process will take several days.

Automobilista has had some copyright difficulties before, at least with its unofficial mods. Formula One World Championships ordered removal of various mods for the game for copyright infringement from a separate site named RaceDepartment.

3: ​Internet trade group endorses TPP

Finally today, David McCabe at The Hill reports that the Internet Association, a trade organization that includes Google, Amazon, Reddit, Twitter, Spotify and Facebook among others, has published a statement throwing its support behind the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.

The TPP is a trade agreement between a dozen nations along the Pacific rim including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand that covers a wide array of topics including copyright harmonization within the bloc. Many countries signing the TPP will be required to either extend copyright terms or add additional protections under their local laws.

The trade agreement has come under heavy fire due to the secrecy with which it was negotiated and due to the perceived ways it will impact the countries involved. Though the trade agreement has support from many in tech, other tech-related organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have come out in opposition to it.

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.

The 3 Count Logo was created by Justin Goff and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.