The hottest new start-up in social media has recently found itself in hot water due to users’ copyright concerns. Pinterest is a social networking site that allows its users to “pin” and share images of things they like from anywhere on the web to individual “boards”. Although the site officially launched in 2010, it has recently experienced an astronomical surge in members, especially females, many of which use the site to share popular recipes and photographs, or to plan weddings, baby showers, or even a new outfit. The site now has over 11 million
Blog Posts - Copyright
Fight Against SOPA and PIPA Continues
The freedom to surf the Internet as one pleases continues to be a controversial issue both domestically and abroad. On January 18, 2013, websites, such as Wikipedia and Reddit, went “black,” and numerous others ha
Megaupload Founder Arrest Raises Questions and Concerns
In a sweeping victory for copyright holders, New Zealand officials arrested Kim Dotcom in Coatesville, New Zealand on January 20, 2012. He founded Megaupload.com on March 21, 2005. He is currently in custody in New Zealand and is characterized as a flight risk. A New Zealand customs official provided secret evidence to Judge David McNaughton, which showed how Read more ...
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Congress to Re-Copyright Works in the Public Domain
With all of the wrangling over SOPA and PIPA this week, a significant development in copyright law has been almost overlooked. On Wednesday, January 18th 2012, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the case of Golan v. Holder. The central issue in the case is whether Congress could take works out of the public domain and re-copyright them. In a 6-2 decision, the Court ruled in Congress’s favor.
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The Great Internet Uprising: Opposition to SOPA
On January 18th, Reddit.com will go dark for a day! I repeat, January 18th, reddit will go dark. Why? To voice the website’s opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) being debated in the House. Many a “redditor” will find themselves with nothing to do all day but, gasp, work. Productivity will boom, memes will drastically wane, bacon sal
The Stop Online Piracy Act: Combating Online Piracy or Censoring the Internet?
A recent House of Representatives bill is causing everyone, from political leaders to technology innovators, to ask the question: what is more important? preventing online piracy or keeping the internet uncensored? The legislation at issue, the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 1361), was introduced on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 in the House of Representatives.
Viacom Still Pushing for Victory Against YouTube
Viacom Inc. is determined to keep pushing with a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company, Google. Viacom’s appeal, joined in the suit by the Football Association Premier League among other content providers, comes in response to U.S.
Rome, Sweet Rome: Who Owns The Rights to Crowdsourced Material?
What would happen if a modern day United States Marine infantry battalion or MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) traveled back in time and battled the Roman Empire under Augustus Caesar? Would the entire Roman Empire be destroyed? Two-time Jeopardy!
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Buyer Beware: Software License Agreements Can Trap Unwary Users
In July 2008, Apple filed suit against Psystar for selling computers with Apple's Mac OS X installed on them. The problem with what Psystar was doing was that the computer hardware was not Apple hardware. Apple's software license agreement for OS X prevents it from being installed on any non-Apple hardware. Psystar claimed that the license term constituted copyright misuse and that the first sale doctrine prevents Apple from exerting control over how copies of OS X are used after they are purchased.
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Nations Agree to International Intellectual Property Protections
On October 1, 2011, businesses and creative industries won a major intellectual property battle. In an effort to impose international regulations on trademark and copyright infringements and prevent intellectual property theft, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea entered into the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
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