MPs, Lords question human rights compatibility of Digital Economy Bill – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 16th, 2010 in bills, copyright, human rights, news by sally

“The Government must provide more detail on exactly how alleged copyright infringers will be cut off from the internet before a file-sharing disconnection law is passed, according to a parliamentary committee.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th February 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Pubs win court battle over music charges – The Independent

Posted February 12th, 2010 in appeals, copyright, licensed premises, news, tribunals by sally

“The catering trade and retailers won their court battle today over the charges they pay for playing recorded music.  High Court judge Mr Justice Arnold upheld a ruling from a Copyright Tribunal which the Institute of Licensing said will mean pubs, hotels and restaurants across Britain will now receive up to £20 million in refunds.”

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The Independent, 12th February 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Law firm’s piracy hunt condemned – BBC News

Posted January 29th, 2010 in copyright, internet, law firms, news by sally

“Music industry representative the BPI has criticised the approach used by a UK law firm in chasing file-sharers.”

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BBC News, 29th January 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Free music site creator cleared in fraud case – The Independent

Posted January 15th, 2010 in conspiracy, copyright, fraud, internet, news by sally

“A man accused of running one of the world’s largest music sharing websites was today acquitted of conspiracy to defraud.”

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The Independent, 15th January 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Peer drops damages-quantification amendment to digital bill – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 15th, 2010 in bills, copyright, damages, internet, news by sally

“A Conservative peer who had proposed forcing copyright holders to detail the exact damage they suffered when trying to force alleged infringers off the internet will drop the plan. Lord Lucas told OUT-LAW Radio that he would ‘not pursue’ the proposal.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th January 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Ministers offer concessions on copyright changes – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2010 in bills, copyright, internet, news by sally

“Ministers have given a concession over what critics claimed were ‘draconian’ powers which would enable them to crack down on online copyright infringement.”

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BBC News, 13th January 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Expert claims file-sharing Bill could give Government control of the internet – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 18th, 2009 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“The Digital Economy Bill would give the Government the power to control the internet access of UK citizens by ministerial order, bypassing Parliament and without an adequate right of appeal, according to one legal expert.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th December 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Lucasfilm Ltd and others v Ainsworth and another – WLR Daily

Posted December 17th, 2009 in copyright, damages, enforcement, law reports by sally

Lucasfilm Ltd and others v Ainsworth and another [2009] EWCA Civ 1328; [2009] WLR (D) 367

“A maker of plastic ‘Star Wars’ helmets was not producing a work of sculpture for the purposes of s 4 of the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1986 and was entitled to a defence under s 51 permitting production of a three-dimensional object in accordance with a design which was itself copyright. A claim against the helmet-maker for breach of United States copyrights was not justiciable in England because the infringement was essentially a local matter involving local policies and local public interest and was a matter for local judges. There was no international jurisdiction over copyright infringement claims and if one were to be created it should be done by international treaty rather than by the courts themselves.”

WLR Daily, 16th December 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Star Wars propmaker wins battle against George Lucas – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 17th, 2009 in copyright, damages, enforcement, news by sally

“A propmaker has won a multi-million pound Appeal Court battle with the makers of Star Wars over the rights to manufacture Stormtrooper helmets.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Software development agreement did not transfer copyright, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 2nd, 2009 in computer programs, copyright, news by sally

“A company has failed in its attempt to declare itself the owner of software that it paid another company to develop. The High Court has refused to declare that copyright in the software passed to Infection Control Enterprises Ltd (ICEL).”

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OUT-LAW.com, 2nd December 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

File-sharer disconnection law published to continuing opposition – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 23rd, 2009 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“The Government has published the legislation which would force internet service providers to disconnect internet connections used by alleged file sharers without a court order. The Digital Economy Bill contains the controversial provisions.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd November 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Regina v Gilham – WLR Daily

Posted November 12th, 2009 in copyright, law reports, video games by sally

Regina v Gilham [2009] EWCA Crim 2293; [2009] WLR (D)

“In relation to the offence of selling a device which is primarily designed, produced, or adapted for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of effective technological measures, it must be established that there has been copying of the whole or a substantial part of a copyright work, but it was not necessary to consider a computer game as a whole because copyright also subsisted in the various drawings which resulted in the images shown on the television screen or monitor.”

WLR Daily, 10th November 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Government will produce model contracts to govern copyright transactions – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 3rd, 2009 in contracts, copyright, news by sally

“The Government will produce ‘model contracts’ to be used in copyright dealings in an attempt to make copyright law more useful and understandable. It will also standardise the way copyright exceptions to copyright law are dealt with in contracts.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th October 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

TalkTalk threatens legal action over Mandelson’s filesharing plan – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2009 in copyright, human rights, internet, news, penalties by sally

“TalkTalk, the second largest internet service provider in the UK, has threatened to launch legal action if business secretary Peter Mandelson follows through with his plan to cut off persistent illegal filesharers’ internet connections.”

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The Guardian, 29th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Mandelson sets date for blocking filesharers’ internet connections – The Guardian

Posted October 28th, 2009 in copyright, internet, news, penalties by sally

“Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, warned internet users today that the days of ‘consequence-free’ illegal filesharing are over as he unveiled the government’s plan for cracking down on online piracy.”

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The Guardian, 28th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Culture minister confirms court oversight for UK disconnections – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 27th, 2009 in copyright, internet, news, penalties by sally

“UK internet users will not be disconnected from the internet for illegal file sharing without a court’s involvement, a Government minister has pledged. Culture minister Ben Bradshaw has told MPs that there would be a ‘strict’ process involving the courts.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 27th October 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Freelancer’s copyright infringed by sales of digital back issues, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 22nd, 2009 in copyright, internet, media, news by sally

“A Daily Mirror service which sold digital copies of back issues infringed the copyright of a freelance photographer whose pictures appeared on their pages, the High Court has ruled.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd October 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Government measures against illegal file-sharing to be watered down – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2009 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw revealed today that controversial measures to tackle illegal file-sharing will be watered down following fierce opposition.”

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The Guardian, 20th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mail on Sunday pays Madonna damages over wedding photos – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2009 in copyright, damages, news, privacy by sally

“Madonna today accepted substantial undisclosed damages for privacy and infringement of copyright over the Mail on Sunday’s publication of ‘purloined’ photos of her wedding to Guy Ritchie.”

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The Guardian, 6th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Getty Images wins £2,000 settlement over unauthorised web use of photo – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 11th, 2009 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“A removals firm has been ordered to pay nearly £2,000 to photographic agency Getty Images for using a copyright-protected photograph on its website. The company had removed the picture when notified by Getty Images but had not paid a requested fee.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th September 2009

Source: www.out-law.com