>X-Google-Sender-Auth: 00454146c1056d6b >Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 00:12:15 -0500 >Reply-To: Visual Resources Association <VRA-L at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> >Sender: Visual Resources Association <VRA-L at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> >From: Jen Green <jengreen at UMN.EDU> >Subject: VRA Intellectual Property Rights News: December 2007 >To: VRA-L at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU >List-Help: <http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=VRA-L>, > <mailto:LISTSERV at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU?body=INFO VRA-L> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:VRA-L-unsubscribe-request at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> >List-Subscribe: <mailto:VRA-L-subscribe-request at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> >List-Owner: <mailto:VRA-L-request at LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> >List-Archive: <http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=VRA-L> >X-ELNK-Received-Info: spv=0; >X-ELNK-AV: 0 >X-ELNK-Info: sbv=0; sbrc=.0; sbf=00; sbw=000; > >IPR-In the News? >Compiled by Jen Green >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Blog: The Caucus: The New York Times Politics >Blog: Facebook Bows to Privacy Protest >posted by Sarah Wheaton, November 29, 2007 ><http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/facebook-bows-to-privacy-protest/>http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/facebook-bows-to-privacy-protest/ > >"We told you last week about the outcry - >spearheaded by MoveOn.org - over a new feature >on Facebook that broadcasts users' purchases and >other activity on some external websites to >their friends and in their profiles on the >social networking site. > >Critics objected to what they viewed as a breach >in privacy because users would have to formally >decline to have the information displayed after >making purchases at each participating web site. >Most Facebook applications involve a pro-active >"opt-in," with users choosing to participate. >MoveOn and the more than 51,500 members of its >protest group wanted Facebook to make the Beacon >feature "opt-in," too, meaning that if a user >took no action, their information would not be >displayed." > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Oregon Challenges RIAA's Tactics in Music Piracy Claim >by Jaikumar Vijayan, Computerworld/PCWorld.com, December 1, 2007 ><http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140173-c,copyright/article.html> >http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140173-c,copyright/article.html > >Oregon is fast becoming Ground Zero in the >contentious battle between the Recording >Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the >tens of thousands of consumers it accuses of >illegal music sharing. The state >Attorney General's office this week filed an appeal in U.S. District >Court in Oregon calling for an immediate >investigation of the evidence presented by the >RIAA when it subpoenaed the identities of 17 >students at the University of Oregon who >allegedly infringed music copyrights. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >File-Sharing Operator's Lawsuit Against Record Labels Dismissed >by Alex Veiga, The Associated Press on ><http://Law.com>Law.com, December 4, 2007. ><http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1196762667705> >http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1196762667705 > >A federal judge on Dec. 3 threw out an antitrust >lawsuit that the operator of the LimeWire online >file-sharing service filed against a coalition >of major record labels. U.S. District Judge >Gerard E. Lynch in >New York ruled that Lime Group LLC failed to >make its case that it has been harmed by the >recording companies' business practices, and he >granted the companies' motion to dismiss the >claims. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Stanford Law School's Fair Use Project to >Represent RDR Books in "Harry Potter" Copyright >Lawsuit >Stanford Law School, December 4, 2007 ><http://tinyurl.com/2skhh9>http://tinyurl.com/2skhh9 > >The Fair Use Project of Stanford Law School's >Center for Internet and Society announced today >that it is signing on as co-counsel to defend an >independent book publisher's right to publish >The Harry Potter Lexicon, an unofficial >reference guide to the Harry Potter series of >books and movies. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Nielsen To Offer Copyright Protection System For The Web >by Antone Gonsalves, InformationWeek, December 5, 2007 ><http://tinyurl.com/yp76eo>http://tinyurl.com/yp76eo > >Nielsen, best-known for its rankings of TV >programming, said Wednesday it is developing a >system that would police Web sites for >copyrighted material, and notify site owners and >content providers when video has been posted >without authorization. Nielsen is developing the >system with Digimarc, a provider of digital >watermarking technology. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Professor uses YouTube, Facebook in copyright fight >by Rafael Ruffolo, ComputerWorld, December 5, 2007 ><http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9051140>http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9051140 > >In an effort to combat the Canadian government's >impending copyright reform bill -- legislation >which some say could affect privacy and property >rights for Canadian consumers and businesses -- >one industry activist is taking his fight to the >digital streets. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Blog: Collectanea: Jon Band publishes Educational Fair Use Today >by Georgia Harper, December 5, 2007 ><http://tinyurl.com/2ytav4>http://tinyurl.com/2ytav4 > >Jon Band has summarized three recent fair use >case holdings in an article entitled, >Educational Fair Use Today, published by the >Association of Research Libraries. He notes that >the cases all found fair uses in commercial >contexts (artwork, a search engine case >involving images, and the use of small copies of >posters in a coffee table book) and so >strengthen fair use, particularly when fair use >is employed in transformative circumstances. >Most importantly, he believes that >transformative is taking on a new meaning beyond >the idea of changing the nature of the work, >like a parody changes the underlying work or >scholarly criticism uses another work. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >House Bill Would Create Govt. Copyright Czar >by Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, December 6, 2007 ><http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2229544,00.asp>http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2229544,00.asp > >If members of the House Judiciary Committee have >their way, there will be far fewer vendors >hawking illegal copies of your favorite holiday >blockbusters in Times Square this time next year. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >EU Online Copyright Bill Coming; Publishers Debate DRMs >by William New, Intellectual Property Watch, December 9, 2007 ><http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=861>http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=861 > >European publishers and copyright holders have a friend in European >Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding, >which she reinforced last week in describing >efforts to push through a new bill on digital >publishing copyrights. At the same event, >publishers and cutting-edge US technology >company SecondLife debated IP issues such as the >problems of digital rights management for >protecting copyrights. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Searching for Common Ground on Copyrights >by Andy Guess, Inside Higher Ed, December 11, 2007 ><http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/12/11/copyright>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/12/11/copyright > >"In the auditorium once reserved as a studio for >Crossfire, CNN's now-defunct political smackdown >showcase, a collection of scholars and copyright >specialists gathered at George Washington >University on Monday to explore legal issues too >complex for a 10-second sound bite." > >Web Leaders Seek More Searchable Government >by Kim Hart, Washington Post, December 11, 2007 ><http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121001663.html>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121001663.html >These days you can Google just about anything, >from your favorite celebrity's pet to your >boss's middle name. But using the biggest search >engine to get information about the government >often falls short. That's what leaders from >Google and Wikipedia plan to tell the Senate >Committee on Homeland Security and Government >Affairs today, urging Congress to require >federal agencies to make their Web sites, >records and databases more searchable. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Copyright Clearance Center Launches Copyright Labs >BusinessWire.com. December 12, 2007 ><http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071212005967&newsLang=en>http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071212005967&newsLang=en > >Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), the world's >largest provider of copyright licensing >solutions, today announced the launch of >Copyright Labs ( ><http://www.copyrightlabs.com>www.copyrightlabs.com), >a testing ground for new services, applications >and products. The site launched with three >applications already available. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Copyright Protection Tool Launched >Daily Research News Online, December 12, 2007 ><http://www.mrweb.com/drno/news7704.htm>http://www.mrweb.com/drno/news7704.htm > >In Canada, Destiny Media has launched a version >of its Clipstream software specifically for >protecting clients' media content from theft, >copying or reuse when embedded in surveys. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Lawmakers raise questions about copyright enforcement bill >by Grant Gross, IDG News Service/MacWorld, December 13, 2007. ><http://www.macworld.com/article/131068/2007/12/lawmakers.html>http://www.macworld.com/article/131068/2007/12/lawmakers.html > >A handful of lawmakers, law professors and >consumer groups have raised objections to a new >U.S. copyright bill that could significantly >increase the fines for copyright infringement. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >DOJ Blasts New 'Copyright Czar' Bill >by Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, December 13, 2007 ><http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2234098,00.asp>http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2234098,00.asp > >The Department of Justice on Thursday slammed intellectual property >legislation that would re-organize its IP >enforcement structure, calling it unnecessary >and counterproductive to the work it has already >accomplished. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Copyright Registration for the Arts Community >PRWeb.com: Press Release Newswire, December 14, 2007 ><http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb576477.htm>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb576477.htm > >Artists frequently sacrifice their financial >well-being to focus on their artwork. Whether it >is a lack of customers or because they funnel >any extra money toward art projects, many live >on a limited income. As a result, it is not >uncommon for artists to forgo spending the fee >to register their works with the U.S. Copyright >Office, especially if it means getting an >expensive lawyer to help. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >What the Creative in 'Creative Commons' Really Means >by Matt Safford, PC Magazine, December 14, 2007 ><http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2234809,00.asp> >http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2234809,00.asp > >At the turn of the millennium, Stanford law >professor and cyber-law expert Lawrence Lessig >had an idea. In the midst of a Supreme Court >case arguing that the latest lengthening of >American copyright laws was unconstitutional, >Lessig decided that if he couldn't stop the >strengthening of copyright law, which was >extended by an additional twenty years in 1998, >he would help create an alternative. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Elvis release pulled in copyright row >by Reuters. December 17, 2007 ><http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKN1732124420071217>http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKN1732124420071217 > >Music distributor Cargo Records has pulled the >plug on an Elvis Presley release after the >singer's label threatened legal action, sources >said. >In one of the clearest signs of Sony BMG Music >Entertainment's tough policy on enforcing the >copyright of its vintage Presley works - even >though some sound recordings have become part of >the public domain -- the label pressured Cargo >to withdraw "New York: RCA Studio 1: The >Complete Sessions". > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >XM settles copyright suit filed by Universal >by Reuters, December 18, 2007 ><http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-universal18dec18,1,4916451.story?coll=la-headlines-business>http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-universal18dec18,1,4916451.story?coll=la-headlines-business > >XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Monday >that it had settled a copyright infringement >lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group and hoped >to reach deals with other music companies. The >dispute centers on XM's portable Inno device, >which can store and record music from satellite >radio. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Blog: c|net News: Underexposed: Going to the Mat for Photo Copyrights >posted by Stephen Shankland, December 20, 2007 ><http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9835714-39.html>http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9835714-39.html > >Last week, a not-for-profit San Francisco >singing group called the Richter Scales posted a >Web 2.0-mocking video, "Here Comes Another >Bubble", set to the tune of Billy Joel's "We >Didn't Start the Fire." One of the many photos >that flashed by in the video was one Hartwell >took of Valleywag's Owen Thomas. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Microsoft Piracy Fight Gains Momentum in China >by Reuters, PC Magazine, December 26, 2007 > >Shortly before Hu's 2006 Seattle visit, the >Chinese government issued a decree requiring all >personal computers manufactured in China to come >with a licensed operating system before leaving >the factory gates. Now, nearly two years later, >the software company co-founded by Gates is >seeing the benefits of more stringent >intellectual property policies in China, with a >decline in piracy rates and improved results at >its mainstay Windows division. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Google's AdSense patent cleared, AutoLink still questioned >by Joel Hruska, ars technica: the art of technology, December 27, 2007 > >Google won a moderate victory in its ongoing >patent battle with Hyperphrase Technologies >yesterday, but the United States Court of >Appeals for the Federal Circuit only partially >upheld (PDF) Google's request for a summary >judgment and remanded part of the case for >reconsideration. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Click University Certificate in Copyright Management: Principles and Issues: > >This program, consisting of 5 online courses and >2 in-person courses, created in partnership >between Lesley Ellen Harris and SLA Click >University, begins in January 2008. Participants >have two years to complete the 7 courses >required for the certificate, or may take any >course ? la carte. The first course, >Introduction to Copyright Principles, begins on >January 21, 2008. There is an optional >additional course for Canadian librarians on >Canadian copyright law. For more information, >see: > ><http://sla.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178409&sessionid=3-6C1F1A09-08B7-417A-9114-770E710BD2F8&mode=show&page=253>http://sla.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178409&sessionid=3-6C1F1A09-08B7-417A-9114-770E710BD2F8&mode=show&page=253 > > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Many thanks to all of our VRA-IPR members who >are monitoring multiple listservs to make this >IPR news posting possible. Please submit any >comments, questions, or suggestions to Jen Green >at ><mailto:greenjennif at gmail.com>greenjennif at gmail.com >.
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