fair use

We Need a Political Litmus Test for Tech and SOPA Isn't It

Stevie Converse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:13:57 -0500

Full article: GigaOM
Stacey Higginbotham
A growing problem as the web and technology becomes more central to how we share, communicate and work is that an average person doesn’t know how abstract laws can affect their lives and the media doesn’t expose how well (or poorly) politicians understand technology. As a result, certain companies with lobbyists are getting away moulding our laws and policies in their favor and in the process they are going to hinder how Internet works and thrives.

How 'What What (In the Butt)' Unintentionally Bolstered Fair Use

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:35:33 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Nate Anderson
Federal Judge J.P. Stadtmueller has waded into the swampland of fair use, <em>South Park</em> and "What What (In the Butt)" to deliver a July 6 order that may break new judicial territory by citing the <em>South Park</em> episode "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants" in its footnotes. And Stadtmueller has the proper feel for the absurd needed in any judge about to rule on a case involving the phrase, "You want to do it in my butt, in my butt?" The case has interesting implications for fair use law.

Free Press Blasts Newport TV's Attempt to Intimidate

Stevie Converse — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:44:52 -0400

Full article: TVNewsCheck
Harry A. Jessell
Free Press says that Newport Television's demand that it stop using station logos as part of its campaign against virtual duopolies is not a violation of copyright law, but "a clear and outrageous attempt to intimidate Free Press, and to silence commentary on this important issue."

Winner of 'Copyright School' Video Challenge Announced

Stevie Converse — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:46:21 -0400

Full article: Public Knowledge
Mehan Jayasuriya
Public Knowledge announced the winner of a contest to produce a more balanced educational video on Fair Use that YouTube's "Copyright School." The winning video explains the basics of fair use and encourages creators to exercise their rights by reusing, remixing and recontextualizing existing content in their videos.

Free Press to Newport: We Won't Be Silenced

Stevie Converse — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:39:25 -0400

Full article: SavetheNews.org
Josh Stearns
Free Press launched Change the Channels, a new campaign to uncover and fight covert consolidation, a practice whereby TV stations outsource their local news operations to their competitors resulting in less local competition and diversity, and sometimes even duplicate newscasts. We seem to have struck a nerve. Newport Television, one of the worst covert consolidation offenders, sent Free Press a "cease and desist" letter last week. But Free Press is not backing down and won't be bullied into silence.

Everything Is a Remix: The Invention Edition

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:22:14 -0400

Full article: Tech Dirt
Innovation is almost always about remixing. It's about taking ideas that are already out there, and transforming them and adding to them. And yet, our social and legal policies seem to deny this. Copying is one part of the very important process of innovation. Copying is a component, but the important part is then taking that copy and doing more with it.

Fair Use Isn't Much Good if You Can't Afford It

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:09:03 -0400

Full article: GigaOM
Mathew Ingram
Remixing bits of text, images and video to create new forms of art is arguably a huge social benefit. And the principle of "fair use" is supposed to make that easier to enable. But "fair use" only applies if you can afford to fight for your idea in court. What does that mean for the future of the remixable web?

Copyright Troll Righthaven Achieves Spectacular 'Fair Use' Loss

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:03:42 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Nate Anderson
In its bid to sue hundreds of bloggers, commentors and website operators from posting even a few sentences from newspaper stories, the copyright zealots at Righthaven have just scored an own goal. A federal judge ruled in one of the company's many lawsuits, saying that even the complete republication of copyrighted newspaper content can be "fair use."

'Fair Use' Generates Trillions in the US Alone

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:10:30 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Nate Anderson
Strengthening the nation's intellectual property laws isn't just a matter of cracking down ever harder, of limiting the limitations and giving increasing power to rightsholders. Fair use and other limitations on copyright themselves generate significant economic activity -- $4.7 trillion in 2007.

Media Minutes: February 19, 2010

Candace Clement — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:06:47 -0500

Law professor Susan Crawford discusses Google's plan to build high-speed fiber networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. And Public Knowledge has introduced a new Copyright Reform Act -- model legislation that will look at updating copyright law for the digital age.