It is interesting that the death of one of the most iconic american musicians of all time also centered around one of the most well known copyright infringement cases in history. International pop star Prince Rogers Nelson, better known to the world as by Prince, passed away on Thursday April 21st. He was only 57 years old. … Read more →
What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?
In a previous post, I shared about the importance of the Copyright Act of 1976. That act really defines copyright protection in the United States and protects both the copyright holder and the consumer in many different ways. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act however takes the Copyright Act of 1976 to another level. Known as the DMCA, it was… Read more →
The Copyright Law of 1976
Copyright Law, and more specifically the Copyright Act of 1976, is a law that every copyright lawyer, artist and artist manager should know and understand. It is a very important piece of legislation that influences how those in the music industry do business. It is the law that dictates how work can be disseminated and used. For our purposes, we… Read more →
The Seven Copyright Law Categories, And How Your Business Can Avoid Copyright Infringement
If you are a business owner, it is important to be familiar with the different forms of copyright laws. Take a look at the list below so that your company can avoid infringing on any copyright laws. Literary Works The early uses of copyright laws applied to books, articles, and other written works. The laws reserved the right to make… Read more →
8 Things You Need To Know About Copyright Law
In the internet age, issues surrounding copyright law have become an increasingly pressing issue. Technology makes it easy to copy, alter, share information and intellectual property. This includes anything from text and audio to images and video. A major problem that we are facing today is that people do not fully understand the copyright laws, potentially resulting in an illegal… Read more →
Hong Kong Debates Copyright Laws
A United States consulate has urged Hong Kong to update its copyright law to help protect artists and promote creativity and innovation. Pan-democrats have proposed three amendments to the Copyright Bill 2014 – fair use, user-generated content and contract override. Consulate spokeswoman Darragh Paradiso said the laws should better reflect the digital media environment of today. “The United States has… Read more →
Rightscorp wins landmark ruling, Cox hit with $25M verdict in copyright case
A Virginia federal jury watching a high-profile copyright case reached a verdict (PDF) today, ordering Cox Communications to pay $25 million to BMG Rights Management for turning a blind eye to music piracy. The company’s behavior amounted to a willfully infringed copyright in the eyes of the jury. The verdict comes at the close of a two-week trial, which took place after US District Judge Liam… Read more →
Judge sides with Rightscorp, says DMCA doesn’t protect Cox
Nearly a year after two music publishers and online copyright cop Rightscorp initiated a high-stakes lawsuit against Cox Communications, a judge has made a ruling that’s potentially devastating to Cox’s case. US District Judge Liam O’Grady has ruled that Cox isn’t protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s “safe harbor” provisions. That’s the part of the DMCA that protects “online service providers” from copyright lawsuits if… Read more →
Who To Blame For Copyright Infringement?
Torrents and peer-to-peer file sharing has been one of the most discussed problems facing the entertainment industry over the last several years, and for good reason. The illegal distribution of intellectual property is severely hurting the music, film, and television industries. While some users are happy to pay for a new music album or rent the latest movie online, there… Read more →
Steven Tyler Calls For Copyright Law Reform
Steven Tyler recently wrote an open letter explaining his views on U.S. copyright laws, first published in the Huffington Post. The open letter follows a cease-and-desist letter sent to Donald Trump, asking the presidential candidate to stop using Aerosmith’s song “Dream On” during campaign events. The musician is looking to spread the message that copyright laws need to change. “My… Read more →