Category: copyright

Media Protection Services Ltd v Crawford and another – WLR Daily

Posted August 24th, 2012 in company directors, copyright, informations, law reports, magistrates, solicitors by sally

Media Protection Services Ltd v Crawford and another [2012] EWHC 2373 (Admin); [2012] WLR (D) 250

“The laying of an information by a director of a private limited company, acting for reward on behalf of a client in the course of its business, constituted acting as a solicitor within the meaning and in breach of section 20 of the Solicitors Act 1974 and carrying on a reserved legal activity, namely the conduct of litigation, contrary to the Legal Services Act 2007, with the result that the proceedings were void.”

WLR Daily, 16th August 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Fact’s victory over Surfthechannel is a decisive blow in the copyright wars – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2012 in complaints, conspiracy, copyright, Crown Prosecution Service, data protection, fraud, internet, news, precedent, prosecutions by sally

“The link-sharing website’s demise at the hands of the content industry’s pitbull has set more than one precedent.”

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The Guardian, 19th August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Surfthechannel owner sentenced to four years over piracy

Posted August 15th, 2012 in copyright, internet, news, sentencing by sally

“A 38-year-old Briton who made £35,000 a month through a website that linked to pirated copies of films and TV shows has been sentenced to four years in prison.”

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The Guardian, 14th August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disclosure of copyright-protected information under FOI not a breach of copyright law, says ICO – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 6th, 2012 in copyright, disclosure, freedom of information, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Public bodies that disclose copyright-protected information in order to comply with a request under freedom of information (FOI) laws are not guilty of copyright infringement, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 3rd August 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

New UK ‘Copyright Hub’ would help address problems with copyright licensing framework, report says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 31st, 2012 in copyright, licensing, news, reports by sally

“The UK should have a new ‘Copyright Hub’ to allow for rights holders to licence the use of their content through a simpler, more transparent and less costly system than currently exists, a report commissioned by the Government has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 31st July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

More than 2,000 O2 ‘porn pirates’ to be sent letters – BBC News

Posted July 26th, 2012 in copyright, internet, news, pornography by sally

“More than 2,000 O2 customers will receive letters accusing them of illegally downloading porn films.”

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BBC News, 24th July 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government may be in breach of EU copyright laws over volunteer-run libraries’ royalty payment commitments, authors’ body claims – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 25th, 2012 in copyright, EC law, intellectual property, libraries, news, publishing, volunteers by sally

“The Government may have failed to abide by EU copyright laws if volunteer-run libraries are not required to pay authors royalties when they loan out books, the Society of Authors (SoA) has claimed.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Speedy copyright law change process is extended to regulations carrying 10 year jail term – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 20th, 2012 in copyright, news, parliament, penalties, regulations by sally

“It will be possible to use a speeded up Parliamentary approval process for changing parts of copyright law that carry penalties of up to 10 years in jail under a proposed new law, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Copyright exception law could be changed without full Parliamentary scrutiny – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 12th, 2012 in bills, copyright, ministers' powers and duties, news, regulations by sally

“The Business Secretary will have the power to add or remove exceptions to copyright and add or remove exceptions to rights in performances through new laws that would not be subject to the full scrutiny of Parliament, under Government plans.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Home secretary upholds decision to extradite Richard O’Dwyer – The Guardian

Posted July 10th, 2012 in copyright, extradition, internet, news by sally

“The home secretary, Theresa May, has told the House of Commons that she will not revisit plans to extradite Sheffield Hallam student Richard O’Dwyer to the US on copyright charges, saying the decision had ‘already been taken’.”

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The Guardian, 9th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government must change copyright law to protect website browsing, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 5th, 2012 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“OPINION: The UK Government is considering reform of copyright laws in the wake of the Hargreaves Review. One change that it must make when reforming copyright law is to make it clear that the act of web browsing does not require permission from copyright holders.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Usedsoft GmbH v Oracle International Corp – WLR Daily

Posted July 5th, 2012 in computer programs, copyright, EC law, law reports, licensing by sally

Usedsoft GmbH v Oracle International Corp (Case C-128/11); [2012] WLR (D) 192

“Article 4(2) of Parliament and Council Directive 2009/24/EC meant that the right of distribution of a copy of a computer program was exhausted if the copyright holder who had authorised, even free of charge, the downloading of that copy from the Internet onto a data carrier had also conferred, in return for payment of a fee intended to enable him to obtain a remuneration corresponding to the economic value of the copy of the work of which he was the proprietor, a right to use that copy for an unlimited period. In the event of the resale of a user licence, the second acquirer of the licence, as well as any subsequent acquirer of it, was able to rely on the exhaustion of the distribution right under article 4(2), and hence be regarded as lawful acquirers of a copy of a computer program within the meaning of article 5(1) and benefit from the right of reproduction provided for in that provision.”

WLR Daily, 3rd July 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Orphan work usage will have to be paid for under new copyright law, Government says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 5th, 2012 in copyright, news by sally

“Businesses and public bodies that want to make use of so-called ‘orphan’ works will have to pay to do so under new plans unveiled by the Government.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Acta down, but not out, as Europe votes against controversial treaty – The Guardian

Posted July 5th, 2012 in copyright, EC law, internet, news, treaties by sally

“Anti-piracy agreement rejected by European Parliament, but Acta could be revived by European Commission.”

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The Guardian, 4th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Collecting societies gain rights to collect royalties by default under Government plans – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 4th, 2012 in copyright, intellectual property, licensing, news by sally

“Collecting societies will be able to collect royalties on behalf of all rights holders and not just members under a Government plan that would require individual content creators to opt out of their systems.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 3rd July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Website blocking provisions to be removed from Digital Economy Act, says Government – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 28th, 2012 in copyright, internet, legislation, news, repeals by sally

“The Government is to repeal sections of the Digital Economy Act (DEA) which give the Culture Secretary the power to draw up new regulations on website blocking.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Content mining should be cleared up and copyright law entirely rewritten, say MPs – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 28th, 2012 in copyright, intellectual property, internet, news, reports, select committees by sally

“Publishers should develop new licensing models that would allow researchers to use computerised techniques to read information contained in journal articles at ‘realistic rates’, MPs have said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Ofcom outlines new anti-piracy rules – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2012 in appeals, codes of practice, consultations, copyright, internet, news by sally

“Illegal downloaders will start receiving warning letters from internet service providers from 1 March 2014, under a draft code for the government’s anti-digital piracy regime drawn up by media regulator Ofcom.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Richard O’Dwyer: living with the threat of extradition – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2012 in advertising, copyright, extradition, internet, news by sally

“Student who set up website posting links to TV and film content fears being used as a guinea pig by Hollywood giants.”

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The Guardian, 24th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rights holders groups campaign for private copying exception to exclude cloud storage – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 21st, 2012 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“Limits should be placed on any new ‘private copying’ exemption introduced under UK copyright law to prevent individuals copying digital content into cloud storage services for private use, rights holder groups have said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com