Re:Create Announces Policy Event – “Create. Innovate. Reform.” The Re:Create Coalition will host a policy event, which will be held on November 17, 2015 at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, Washington, D.C.). On hand will be scholars and policy influencers discussing the changing landscape of copyright and how it’s affecting innovators and creators. Breakfast will be served so don’t miss out! You can RSVP here.
Education Department Launches #GoOpen To Encourage Open Licensing For Student Materials. Last week the Department of Education announced the new #GoOpen campaign to spur further use of openly licensed materials in classrooms. The campaign also proposes a regulation to require all copyrighted works created with Department grant money to have an open license. “In order to ensure that all students – no matter their zip code – have access to high-quality learning resources, we are encouraging districts and states to move away from traditional textbooks and toward freely accessible, openly-licensed materials,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. The Re:Create Coalition called the campaign “a tremendous step forward for taxpayers, students and teachers across the nation.”
Sony Files Copyright Claim Against Original Creator They Licensed. Hacked tells the story of Mitch Martinez, who licensed stock footage to Sony Music Entertainment only to be sent a takedown notice after using his own footage in a different YouTube video. Though Martinez eventually resolved the copyright claim, P.H. Madore notes in his article Sony Filed Copyright Claim Against Man They Originally Licensed Content From, “The default position is too often that if you’re not a major company, you’re wrong. Copyright in the 21st century is more confusing than ever, and it will be interesting to see how long it is before a system that benefits all content creators more than it does major corporations is put into place.”
Warner/Chappell Continues To Fight “Happy Birthday” Case. Despite a September federal ruling that denied Warner/Chappell Music possessed the copyright for the iconic song “Happy Birthday to You”, the company is pushing for the court to reconsider the decision according to Law360’s Warner Says “Happy Birthday” Ruling Must Be Reheard. The plaintiff film company in the case, meanwhile, notes that Warner’s absurd petitions for another hearing continue to present any new evidence or new arguments.
Advocates Continue To Voice Need For Long-Term Solutions To The Copyright Exemptions Process. A week after the Copyright Office released the 1201 exemptions, Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro released a statement criticizing the rulings: “The Copyright Office’s unexpected ruling will hurt an industry of manufacturers, retailers and installers who are trusted by consumers to provide technology solutions and installation in their cars…The DMCA must be limited to the intended objective of protecting expressive content from access for the purpose of making infringing copies.” Sherwin Siy and Kerry Sheehan of Public Knowledge also discussed last week’s decision during their weekly podcast. They explain the Section 1201 decisions on digital lock exemptions from the Library of Congress and what this means for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
House Judiciary To Hold Listening Tour Events In Santa Clara And Los Angeles Next Week. Chairman Bob Goodlatte announced the locations of next week’s copyright roundtable discussions in a press release. The events will take place at Santa Clara University and UCLA on November 9 and 10, respectively, and will listen to a variety of creators, innovators and users as the House Judiciary Committee conducts a comprehensive review of U.S. copyright law.
ICYMI: Re:Create Members File Comments To Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), Stress Balance For Innovators And Creators. As the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) formulates its Joint Strategic Plan for 2016-2019, the Re:Create Coalition and a number of its members filed comments about the importance of balancing the interests of rightsholders with innovation and the creative economy. You can view their comments here.