New Research: International Balanced Copyright Policies Results In Positive Economic Development And Creativity. New research from American University’s law school found that balanced copyright policies are tied to positive economic development and creativity in a sample of 21 countries across the world. American University’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property established the Copyright User Rights Database to explore balanced…

Copy This Podcast With Michael Geist. In Re:Create’s tenth installment of our Copy This podcast, host Kirby Ferguson sits down with University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist to discuss how intellectual property and copyright fits into the NAFTA renegotiations. While trade agreements were once designed to remove barriers to trade and eliminate tariffs on traditional goods and services, the…

Fair Use and Halloween By Joshua Lamel Medium October 31, 2017 This year, the top three most-searched Halloween costumes all come from popular movies: Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and the clown from Stephen King’s It. Other popular costumes for trick-or-treaters of all ages include Moana, Batman, Chucky, Daenerys Targaryen, and Mickey Mouse. Every October, Americans look to their favorite movies, TV shows and books…

CCIA Research: “Value Gap” Claims Made By The Record Label Industry Are Unfounded. New research released by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), refutes the content industry’s “value gap” claims, instead demonstrating that revenues from both groups are growing steadily. The recording studios have long alleged that revenue from streaming services are coming at the expense of legacy music…

Advocates Urge Congress To Reject CASE Act. This week a variety of library, technology, and public interest groups sent a letter to Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Tom Marino, expressing concerns over proposed legislation to establish a small-claims system within the Copyright Office. Titled the “CASE Act,” the bill would create a Copyright Claims Board. However, groups like the American Library…

ReCreate Coalition Members Send Letter Urging Congress To Reject CASE Act The undersigned organizations and associations appreciate the challenges low-value infringement cases pose to individual artists. Unfortunately, the small claims system established by the CASE Act would not successfully address the problem. Defendants rarely would consent to the jurisdiction of the small-claims tribunal because it would not be in their…

Re:Create Coalition Calls For Fair Use & Safe Harbors In NAFTA. Following the Re:Create Coalition’s recent letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Broadcasting & Cable’s John Eggerton wroteabout the technology industry’s call for the inclusion of fair and balanced copyright provisions in NAFTA. Eggerton wrote “that without such harbors, Reddit would never have gotten off the ground, for example, and…

Executive Director Josh Lamel On Keeping Fair And Balanced Copyright Provisions In NAFTA.Executive Director Josh Lamel sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on October 5 urging the USTR to “include critical rights and protections under U.S. law, including both limitations and exceptions to copyright such as fair use and clear safe harbors for internet platforms.” Lamel also…

Recreate Coalition to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer: Copyright provisions in NAFTA must include fair use and safe harbor protections As you undertake the task of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we write to express our serious concerns about positions the Administration is reportedly considering that will have profound negative impacts on our economy, employment and free…

  Entertainment trade associations looking for opportunity to push a false narrative By Joshua Lamel The Hill October 4, 2017 As the U.S. continues its re-negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), entertainment trade associations are seizing yet another opportunity to push a false narrative around copyright in the U.S. and in foreign countries. They want to roll back…