The U.S. Copyright Office is currently in the process of conducting its 6th triennial rulemaking review under 17 U.S.C. § 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). This section allows the Copyright Office to create exemptions to the DMCA’s prohibition against bypassing technological measures that control access to copyright protected works. In each rulemaking proceeding […]
IP Osgoode is pleased to announce the release of a new book entitled “What’s Wrong with Copying?” by Prof. Abraham Drassinower. Reprinted below is the Harvard University Press book flier. Copyright law, as conventionally understood, serves the public interest by regulating the production and dissemination of works of authorship, though it recognizes that the requirements […]
The Canadian Government announced last week that it is amending the Copyright Act to extend the term of protection for performers and makers of sound recordings from its current 50 years to 70 years. This will bring Canada’s laws more into line with those of more than 60 counties which have protection of 70 years […]
This Sunday, April 26th is World Intellectual Property Day, an annual event to promote discussion of the role of intellectual property (IP) in encouraging innovation and creativity. The date was chosen in recognition of the day the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970, with the goal of increasing the general understanding of IP. This […]
Video streaming, we all do it (or have done it at some point). It’s difficult not to in this day and age when entertainment is so easily transportable and amenable to on-the-go enjoyment, the stationary television becoming less and less the platform for watching our favourite movies and shows. Some of us have engaged in […]
On March 16th, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) heard oral arguments in CBC v SODRAC . The SCC granted leave to appeal from the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) decision back in September, which originally stemmed from a 2012 Copyright Board (the “Board”) decision. The issue centers on whether broadcasters should be required to pay […]
The US Copyright Office has published a report that, at the very least, promises to reopen the debate surrounding rights of remuneration for performers and makers of sound recordings. This followed huge publicity generated in the United States about artist remuneration rates for webcasting, which in turn was sparked by pop pixie Taylor Swift’s pronouncement that her […]
Let’s get it on Right now, Robin Thicke must hate the blurred lines of copyright infringement. According to reports, a U.S. district court jury in Los Angeles recently ruled in favour of the Marvin Gaye estate, concluding that the authors of 2013’s song of the summer, “Blurred Lines”, are liable for copyright infringement. Fresh off […]
Canadian science fiction writer, journalist, and blogger Cory Doctorow has published a new book on Copyright and Digital Rights Management (DRM) reform Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free. The book approaches these subjects from a content creator’s perspective, and is a succinct and thoughtful piece that explores the challenges of Copyright and the use of Digital Rights […]
In my previous post, I detailed how a single digital spin of a song can trigger multiple webcasting tariffs. I also mentioned that royalties are not always paid wholly and directly to a single “creator” of music, but rather distributed on a percentage basis, depending on the various roles in the creation of the musical recording. […]