The Citizen Media Law Project is providing access to information on the SOPA and PIPA, the online piracy bills before Congress, and also to links for summaries and commentaries on the laws. -db From the Citizen Media Law Project, January 18, 2012, by CMLP Staff. Full story
With copyright protection established in the U.S. Constitution and free speech in the Bill of Rights, it is vital to honor each in the fight over the new online piracy bills currently before Congress says Ken Paulson of the First Amendment Center. It will be a difficult task to craft a law that intercepts pirated content headed for the U.S. while protecting the free flow of ideas. -db From the First Amendment Center, January 13,
It now appears now that Congressional bills to protect copyright on the Internet will be embroiled in a long, intense struggle even as President Barack Obama declared his opposition to key elements of the bills. The technology industry opposes the bills out of concern that they will stifle free speech and innovation. -db From The New York Times, January 15, 2012, by Jenna Wortham and Somini Sengupta with contribution from Nick Bilton. Full story
Twenty-nine news companies are forming NewsRight, a for-profit enterprise, to protect copyrighted content and to seek fees in cases of unauthorized use of content. NewsRight intends to avoid the errors of Righthaven, the so-called copyright troll, who suffered devastating defeats in the courts caused by its shoddy practices. -db From MediaPost, January 5, 2012, by Erik Sass. Full story
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that court documents in case brought by Apple against a maker of Mac computer clones were public. Apple claimed that the documents contained “compelling trade secrets” about the Mac OS X operating system. -db From The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, January 6, 2012, by Kristen Rasmussen. Full story