Weekly Copyright Update

February 5, 2016

It’s an Ecosystem for Indies and Beyond Says New A2IM CEO

“The most important thing for us is to not be the last one to the table and have to live on crumbs because someone else has eaten most of the cake,” says Richard James Burgess, A2IM’s new CEO. READ MORE.

Explaining the Chaos with YouTube

BY JONATHAN BAILEY: Though I spent much of last week at HAuNTcon, I have been eagerly following events taking place on YouTube as channels such as popular channels such as I Hate Everything, Eli the Computer Guy and Channel Awesome have all had their accounts lose monetization and face other restrictions over seemingly minor infractions. READ MORE.

Attacking the Notice-and-Staydown Straw Man

BY DEVLIN HARTLINE: Ever since the U.S. Copyright Office announced its study of the DMCA last December, the notice-and-staydown issue has become a particularly hot topic. Critics of notice-and-staydown have turned up the volume, repeating the same vague assertions about freedom, censorship, innovation, and creativity that routinely pop up whenever someone proposes practical solutions to curb online infringement. Worse still, many critics don’t even take the time to look at what proponents of notice-and-staydown are suggesting, choosing instead to knock down an extremist straw man that doesn’t reflect anyone’s view of how the internet should function. READ MORE.

Photographer Sues Today Show for Copyright Infringement

BY ERNESTO: NBC Universal is known to chase pirates, but this week it’s on the receiving end of a copyright lawsuit. Texan photographer Alexander Stross has sued the company for multiple infringements. The Today Show allegedly used Stross’ work on-air, on their website, and on Twitter, all without permission.

Copyright is a double-edged sword, and those who sharpen one side often get cut by the other. In recent years, NBC Universal has fiercely protected its copyrights. The company warned file-sharers of criminal prosecutions, pursued The Pirate Bay in court, and even tried to censor TorrentFreak with an inaccurate takedown notice. READ MORE.

Tattoo Artists Press NBA Game in Copyright Infringement

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REVIEW: A group of tattoo artists has sued the makers of a National Basketball Association (NBA) video game, claiming that depictions of tattooed stars including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant infringe its designs. “NBA 2K16” is the latest in a series of games made by video game developer Take-Two. It was released last September on both the Xbox and PlayStation.

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.” CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.