derivative work

According to Robert Brauneis’ new paper, “Copyright and the World’s Most Popular Song”, the song “Happy Birthday To You” — long held as an example by us copyright reformists — is most likely not copyrighted after all, due to the tortuous path of ownership and failure to re-register.[linked from patry copyright blog] See also the [...]

Surely some enterprising plaintiff-side attorney can generate a lawsuit from the reasonable expectations of consumers to continue to have access to the music they paid for: Customers who have purchased music from Microsoft’s now-defunct MSN Music store are now facing a decision they never anticipated making: commit to which computers (and OS) they want to [...]

Word on the street is starting to trickle in that the popular music was not licensed: * John Lennon’s “Imagine” was definitely used without permission. The Lennon estate + EMI are suing. (See Reuters, 4/23 (link from pharyngula); the NYT, 4/24; and Paste Magazine. (I can just picture the graphic on The Daily Show: “Ono [...]

Josh Timonen wrote a detailed synopsis of the movie “Expelled”, the creationist film that tries to argue that creationist views are “unfairly” excluded from the academy. What piqued my interest about this particular post (there have been hundreds by now about how bad the movie is, the deceptiveness of the filmmakers, P.Z. Myers’ being prevented [...]

A NYT blog is reporting that Radiohead is making digital copies of its next album available for pick-your-own-price amount — and the best part is they’re DRM-free. Commenters on the post were almost all positive. A few salient points pulled out of comments: * This will generate fans for and interest in its nice physical [...]

The NYT has two interesting stories right now featuring, shall we say, different approaches to artists and IP. The first in a genre near and dear to my heart is a profile of Dark Horse Comics, which “built [their] publishing platform around creators’ rights … [Their] pitch was, ‘We’ll match the rights that you get [...]

(It’s the anthem for fccfu.com … and, relatedly, you all know about Eric Idle’s ‘The FCC Song’, right?)

Two great tastes that taste great together. Many “Daily Show” fans (well, okay, me) have been concerned about the future of “This Week in God” now that Stephen Colbert is leaving “The Daily Show” for his own spinoff. Today’s NYT (10/12) explains that the segment is going to stay, but with a new correspondent — [...]

Up early for my spouse who caught a red-eye. Now she’s resting peacefully and I of course can’t get back to sleep. But that’s okay, because there’s the Internet! Positive outcomes of BlogHer: Mary Hodder at Napsterization is establishing a Speakers’ Wiki. In response to publisher anxieties & thinly-veiled threats of litigation, Google is implementing [...]

Sony is claiming copyright over “Zorro” and has sent a C&D to Sobini Films, which is wanting to produce a movie set in the future (well, 2010 – barely the future any more!) about Zorro. Johnston McCulley first introduced Zorro in 1919 in The Curse of Capistrano. The BBC article states it thusly: “Sobini contends [...]

Slate just ran an article on cover albums (“Copycats – The cover album makes a comeback” by Franklin Bruno, 2005/6/23), which is interesting timing considering that the Register of Copyrights has proposed to eliminate the compulsory cover license. [Lessig covers (ahem) the issue and responds to commentary from Importance of Being Ernest and Joe Gratz].

well — grokster is out. from the beginning: We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties. and from the end: There [...]

The NYT ran an article today (5/26) about rap/hiphop music in Bolivia. Young artists are using hiphop & rap to get their message of social justice, democracy, and peace. One young artist talks about copyright infringement: The one CD the rappers recorded, called “Wayna Rap,” sells robustly on the streets of El Alto, pirated by [...]

Cool archive of NYC hip-hop posters from late 70s/early 80s. Reprinted without any permission from the poster designer(s), so far as I can tell. Why, that’s blatant COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT !!! Why, s/he’s a — a — a Pirate, that’s what. A Pirate and a Thief. Posting this archive, without seeking the copyright owner’s permission and [...]

great: A federal task force that monitors the Internet caught on to the student and got a warrant I also love how all these cases have some quote from the RIAA about how much money they lose each year. Unverifiable Saganesque billions and billions… Teen Convicted Under Internet Piracy Law By BETH DeFALCO Associated Press [...]

No, it’s not fanfic about Bigfoot & Yeti, together at last. Bobby “Boris” Pickett remakes “Monster Mash” to point out Bush’s slash & burn environmental policies. See monsterslash.org Lyrics: We were hiking in the forest late one night When our eyes beheld an eerie sight Our president appeared and began to frown Then he and [...]

“We think photos are the next big thing. Everyone has the content” because of the rapid proliferation of digital cameras among consumers “and there are no copyright issues,” Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said at a news conference. “We think music plus photos is the next big thing.” — NYT, Apple Rolls Out New iPod [...]

how fabulous — k. r. munson defeats subway preachers with showtunes: (Note: This is not me. I just think it’s cool.)

6th Circuit sampling decision: Bridgeport [9/6] [law.com - Article]

Reading: Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism by Robert J. Pennock; Music: Disco, “Carmen”, Chumbawamba, Judy Garland, “Red Hot + Blue” (Cole Porter covers), Ani DiFranco & Utah Phillips “Fellow Workers”, Klezmatics “I Ain’t Afraid” (cover of Holly Near song)