YouTube Says Their Content ID System Works Great, but the Music Industry Disagrees
Google has just put out a new report today about their efforts to fight piracy online, including some details about the Content ID system that gets implemented on YouTube. But music industry leaders aren't happy with how things have been going.
Read MoreGoogle Wins Copyright Case Against Authors, Will Keep Scanning Books to Add to the Infosphere
Fry won't be thawed out to stop them for a while.
In case you hadn't noticed, Google is on a quest to catalogue all information in the Universe and then destroy that Universe so that no new information can be made. OK, fine, that's the plot of an episode of Futurama, but it's still pretty darn close to Google's thirst for knowledge, which has just railroaded attempts by the Authors Guild to keep them from scanning books and offering up search results with excerpts of text.
Read MoreThese Music Industry Leaders Want DMCA Laws to Get Even Stricter
Several prominent musicians, including Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and deadmau5, have asked the US government to change some aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). They want even stricter rules for DMCA takedowns.
Read MoreYouTube Creators Try to Copyright “React,” Internet Reacts as the Internet Does to Copyrights
The Fine Brothers, the minds behind the "Reacts" series of YouTube videos, just tried to file a copyright on the word "react" as it pertains to videos of people reacting to, uh, things. The response to their move has been mostly negative, as one would expect from anybody trying to copyright such a broad definition of a word.
Read MoreDiary of Anne Frank Has a Co-Author Now Because of Copyright Shenanigans
The Anne Frank Fonds, the foundation that currently holds the copyright to The Diary of Anne Frank, has pulled off some interesting legal gymnastics to maintain their possession of said copyright: they added Anne Frank's father, Otto Frank, as a co-author.
Read MoreJudge Shakes Off Taylor Swift Case With Taylor Swift Lyrics
Your case has a blank space, baby.
In what could be seen as putting a bit of salt in a wound, a judge in California threw out a copyright suit against Taylor Swift by using Swift's own lyrics.
Read MoreGeorge Orwell’s Estate Dishes Out Copyright Takedowns on 1984 Merchandise
Double plus irony.
In a stunning display of irony, the estate of George Orwell has begun issuing copyright takedown notices to artists and businesses who "improperly use" 1984.
Read MoreThings We Saw Today: Here’s Some Raiden Cosplay to Inspire and Terrify You
Look at that mask. Those moving pieces. Lights!
Read MoreThe Beijing Winter Olympics Song Sounds a Lot Like Frozen‘s ”Let It Go”
Let it go(ld)?
Several Chinese internet users have begun to point out that the Beijing 2022 Olympic theme song sounds a whole lot like Frozen's famous ballad, "Let It Go." The tinkly piano intro, the choruses' crescendo, the instrumentation, the tempo, the wintry lyrics, the fact that both songs are in the exact same key ... the similarities are undeniable.
Read MoreDirector of Power Rangers Gritty Reboot Fan Film Being ‘Harassed’ by Saban, Copyright Claim Made to Vimeo
It's legislatin' time!
Yesterday the Internet was delighted and/or horrified by the release of Power/Rangers, a fan film from director Joseph Kahn featuring James Van Der Beek, Power Rangers, and Katee Sackhoff. But apparently Haim Saban, owner of the rights to the franchise and joint-producer of the upcoming Lionsgate Power Rangers film, was less than enthused by all of that free advertising.
Read More[UPDATED] Randy Queen Pulls Defamation Threats, Apologizes to Escher Girls Blog Admin
Hooray!
Yesterday we told you about how Escher Girls, a tumblr dedicated to scrutinizing the inaccurate female anatomy that's become industry standard in comics, was facing legal threats from an artist upset with his work being featured. Today the blog's admin, Ami Angelwings, has heard from that artist yet again, and it seems like the matter is going to work out in her favor.
Read MoreUnrealistic Female Anatomy Tumblr “Escher Girls” Currently Facing Harassment From DMCA-Abusing Comic Artist
Someone's about to learn about the Streisand Effect.
If you're a comics loving feminist on the Internet, then you probably have a passing familiarity with Escher Girls and the sometimes snarky, oftentimes insightful work they do. If you're a comic book artist who doesn't understand the difference between defamation and constructive criticism (or copyright infringement and fair use, for that matter), Escher Girls is the bane of your existence. And, unfortunately, now the site is facing unfounded legal action from one particularly upset artist.
Read MoreAlesia Stein Explains More About Hasbro, Zazzle, And The Brony Bro-Haha
This might be as close to the pony's mouth as Zazzle will let us get.
Yesterday we reported on a possible legal issue surrounding the use of the word "brony" in fan-made merchandise. To provide more context and clear up any confusion surrounding her interactions with Zazzle, Alesia Stein, i.e. Mandomommy herself, sent us this e-mail update.
Read MoreAnimator Aims Lawsuit Against Frozen
Ready Your Fanfic, ‘Cause Sherlock Holmes Is Now In the Public Domain
Great Scott!
(Most of) Sherlock Holmes Is Now Officially Part of Public Domain in the U.S.
Just don't say anything about Watson's second wife.
You know that Sherlock Holmes fanfiction you've been writing in your spare time? (Don't lie to us, somebody out there is totally doing it). You might be able to publish it without being forced to search+replace all the names of the characters first, because the majority of the Holmes canon is definitely public domain, a judge recently ruled.
Read MoreTomoNews Reminds YouTube of Its Roots in an Animated Letter about Copyright Changes [Video]
"Spayncc" is going after YouTube. If only all angry mobs could be this weird and funny.
Pretty much no one likes YouTube's copyright bot running around flagging videos as copyright violations wherever it wants—not even the copyright holders. At best, opinions on the subject range from indifferent to "kill it with fire." That's why TomoNews is here with a pretty hilarious animated letter to YouTube from content creators.
Read MoreYouTube Changed Its Copyright Policies, People Overreacted, Again
What? No. Put down the pitchforks, tar, and feathers. It's going to be fine.
It was already against YouTube policy for users to monetize videos that contain copyrighted content, but YouTube's recent copyright changes have given copyright holders the ability to flag copyrighted. Some problems with the new system have shown themselves, but it's not as though YouTube is unaware that newly implemented systems need work.
Read MoreSon of First Ever Doctor Who Writer Sues BBC For Breach of Copyright Over TARDIS
But what if it just travelled back in time to before copyright laws existed?
Another day, another person suing the BBC for copyright over a beloved Doctor Who character or property. Now we've got a new contender -- Stef Coburn, whose father wrote the very first episode of the show that aired back in 1963, believes he's entitled to the copyright for the TARDIS.
Read MoreGood News For Sad People: This Charming Charlie Has Gotten a Copyright Reprieve
I am an intellectual property and I need to be loved!
At last, someone has spoken out against the copyright takedown threats against This Charming Charlie -- namely, Morrissey himself.
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