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Copyright

Guardrails for the Internet: Preserving Creativity Online

Michael Lynton | Posted 06.25.2009 | Media

Read More: Music Piracy, Copyright Infringement, Internet Policy, Internet, Movie Piracy, Intellectual Property, Bittorrent, Piracy, Copyright, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Michael Lynton Piracy, File Sharing, Michael Lynton, Media News
Michael Lynton

In no other realm of our society have we encountered so widespread and consequential a failure to put in place guidelines over the use and growth of such a major industry.

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The Solipsist and the Internet (a Review of Helprin's Digital Barbarism)

Lawrence Lessig | Posted 06.20.2009 | Media

Read More: The Internet, Piracy, Mark-Helprin, Copyright, Culture, Mark Helprin, Lessig, Media News
Lawrence Lessig

Helprin's thesis is simple and familiar to any intelligent sort who first comes to think about the way the law regulates creative work: that there's something fundamentally unjust about the law of copyright.

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Jason Linkins

Scritti Politti: May 19, 2009

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 06.19.2009 | Media

Read More: Blogs, Ezra Klein, Video, Auto Tune the News, David Souter Retires, Copyright, Danger Mouse, Bloggers, Supreme Court, David Souter, Souter Replacement, Auto-Tune-the-News, Media News

The best work of Brian Joseph Burton, better known as DJ/produce par excellence Danger Mouse, is also best known for being illegal. Naturally, I refe...

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For the Justice Department-RIAA Connection, the Fifth Time is Not The Charm

Gigi Sohn | Posted 05.17.2009 | Politics

Read More: Recording Industry, Department of Justice, Copyright, Riaa, Jenner & Block, Intellectual Property, Ip, Ip Law, Justice Department, Intellectual Property Law, Politics News
Gigi Sohn

While there are a number of lawyers and others in the White House and elsewhere with a more balanced view of copyright, having so many recording industry lawyers concentrated in the Justice Department is particularly troubling.

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Should Newspapers Charge for Online Content? To Answer This Question, You Have to Consult a Lawyer

Peter Scheer | Posted 05.17.2009 | Media

Read More: Copyright Infringement, Politics News, Intellectual Property, Newspapers, Copyright, Bloggers, Content-Aggregators, Death of Newspapers, Media News, Online Newspapers, Blogging, Media News
Peter Scheer

Information wants to be free, but the creators of information also need to eat. Which of these interests ultimately prevails, although partly a business issue, depends fundamentally on legal considerations.

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News Executives Losing Fight Against Law and Technology

Art Brodsky | Posted 05.09.2009 | Media

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Associated Press, Internet, Newspapers, Copyright, Shepard Fairey, Media News
Art Brodsky

Not content with trying to destroy the concept of fair use for images, the Associated Press is now threatening a war on the words of the Internet.

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Hypocrisy And Bad Faith In The AP's Countersuit Against Shepard Fairey

Jonathan Melber | Posted 04.12.2009 | Media

Read More: Fair Use, Copyright, Mannie Garcia, Associated Press Fair Use, Law, AP Fair Use, Photography, Art, Media News, Shepard Fairey, Barack Obama, Obama Hope Poster, Shepard Fairey Poster, Shepard Fairey AP, Media News
Jonathan Melber

An AP victory in this case would undermine artistic freedom. And it would, to paraphrase Lawrence Lessig, effectively outlaw a legitimate form of art.

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John Conyers Tries [and Fails] to Explain His Opposition to Public Science Access

Michael Eisen | Posted 04.08.2009 | Politics

Read More: Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, Science, Open Access, John Conyers, Publishing, Copyright, Nih, Politics News
Michael Eisen

Rep. Conyers would have us believe that it is just a coincidence that his bill would erase a government policy vehemently opposed by publishers who have contributed to his campaigns.

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The Answer for Amazon's Kindle Catastrophe Can Be Found In The Twilight Zone

Art Brodsky | Posted 04.03.2009 | Media

Read More: Amazon Kindle, Copyright, Twilight Zone, Text to Speak, Kindle, Ereader, Kindle Voice, Media News
Art Brodsky

Amazon folded like a flimsy book page on the issue whether their new Kindle should be able to sound out words.

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Eric Cantor's Copyright Smackdown

Jonathan Melber | Posted 03.21.2009 | Media

Read More: Copyright Infringement, Gop, Art, Copyright, Aerosmith, Digital Millenium Copyright Act, Youtube, Music, Shepard Fairey, Eric Cantor, House Republicans, Obama Hope Poster, Fair Use, Dmca, Media News
Jonathan Melber

Eric Cantor is getting a lesson on what "fair use" isn't: his chest-beating, stimulus-opposing, victory-proclaiming video set to the tune of Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle."

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Tila Tequila Likes to F*ck...with Free Speech

Disgrasian | Posted 03.16.2009 | Media

Read More: Tila Tequila Copyright Infringement, Creative Commons, Copyright, A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, Tila Tequila, Bloggers, Free Speech Rights, Free Speech, Tila Tequila Free Speech, Legal Rights, Exploitation, Tila Tequila Censorship, Internet Censorship, Internet Law, Tila Nguyen, Censorship, Fair Use, Media News
Disgrasian

It sounds a helluva lot like Tila Tequila believes in censorship. Of the very same medium that made her, which, frankly, we find shockingly ungrateful.

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The AP Has No Case Against Shepard Fairey

Jonathan Melber | Posted 03.11.2009 | Media

Read More: Photography, Associated Press Fair Use, Law, Mannie Garcia, Art, Copyright, Barack Obama, AP Fair Use, Shepard Fairey, Fair Use, Obama Hope Poster, Media News
Jonathan Melber

Why is the AP acting like it has a case? Because juries are unpredictable, copyright law is confusing and defending a lawsuit is extremely expensive.

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Oleg Teterin, Russian Entrepreneur, Trademarks An Emoticon

AP | MIKE ECKEL | Posted 01.11.2009 | Business

Read More: Emoticon, Copyright, Emoticon Copyright, Emoticons, Oleg Teterin, Business News

MOSCOW — How much would you pay for a ;-)? A Russian businessman has trademarked the emoticon _ or combination of punctuation marks _ used to co...

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If It Ain't Broke, Don't Try To Fix It

Leslie Harris | Posted 11.23.2008 | Media

Read More: Network, Internet, Broadband, Safeguards, Content, Copyright, Digital Copyright, Economy, Online, Digital, Innovation, Innovative, Privacy, Election, President, Google, Internet Start-Up, Internet Policy, Internet Management, Facebook, Network Operators, Website Start-Up, Myspace, Media News
Leslie Harris

Given the proven benefits of this open model for Internet use, it is confounding how many people, both in government and industry, seem willing to start tinkering with it.

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YouTube Gives McCain Campaign A Rare Reality Check

Art Brodsky | Posted 11.16.2008 | Media

Read More: Google, Copyright Infringement, Youtube, John McCain, Viacom, Copyright, Media News
Art Brodsky

From my day job at Public Knowledge, we welcome the McCain campaign to the world as controlled by big media companies.

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Move Over Wall Street, Hollywood and the Chamber of Commerce Want Their Handouts Too

Gigi Sohn | Posted 10.26.2008 | Business

Read More: Recording Industry, Department of Justice, Wall Street Crisis, Justice Department, Copyright, Hollywood, Economy, Business News
Gigi Sohn

These lawsuits could be brought even if the copyright holder has sued the alleged violator for civil damages; your tax dollars could be used to punish the same person or company twice.

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Counterfeit Democracy

Robert Weissman | Posted 10.16.2008 | Business

Read More: Hollywood Studios, Big Pharma, Copyright Infringement, Acta, Counterfeiting, Copyright, Economy, Business News
Robert Weissman

A new draft global trade treaty may interfere with fair use of copyrighted materials, require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to monitor all consume...

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McCain Angers Bands: Heart, Foo Fighters, Van Halen And Others Mad At GOP

Dave Burdick | Posted 10.08.2008 | Entertainment

Read More: Copyright Infringement, Gop, John McCain, Copyright, Van Halen, Heart, Barracuda, Jackson Browne, Sarah Palin Barracuda, Orleans, Sarah Palin, Heart Rnc, Right Now Van Halen Rnc, Van Halen Rnc, Foo Fighters McCain, My Hero, Foo Fighters, Entertainment News

This campaign season, Republicans have been using a lot of songs from artists who wouldn't have given permission if asked, and some who have spoken up...

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Copyright Taxes Are Killing Democracy

Max Keiser | Posted 06.20.2008 | Business

Read More: Bill Moyers, Insurrection, Copyright, Copyright Infringement, Lawrence Lessig, Business News
Max Keiser

I have a question for Bill Moyers, but before I get to that... America was founded by patriots who were sick and tired of, "taxation without represen...

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Searching for the Art of the Possible in Copyright Reform

Gigi Sohn | Posted 05.29.2008 | Media

Read More: Congress, Lawrence Lessig, Copyright, Copyright Infringement, Media News
Gigi Sohn

After 40 years of uninterrupted strengthening and lengthening of copyright laws, we have before us an opportunity for significant reform, and even baby steps should be encouraged.

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Digital Music and the Free Market

Max Keiser | Posted 05.02.2008 | Business

Read More: Adam Smith, Cartel, Mpaa, Copyright, Riaa, Swedish PIrate Party, Bernanke, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, Amiestreet.com, Digital Music, Record Companies, George Soros, Eliot Spitzer, Marketing, Business News
Max Keiser

For years, Madonna pretended to be a vamp to make it big. Dupre is an actual hooker scoring big using the indie music site, aimestreet.com, which charges based on user demand.

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Von Furstenberg Sues Target Over "Spotted Frog" Dress

Reuters | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: Copyright Infringement, Target, Copyright, Diane Von Furstenberg, Business News

A top fashion designer sued Target Corp on Thursday for copyright infringement and other claims, saying the discount store is selling dresses with a p...

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