Next Librarian Of Congress Pivotal For Copyright Reform. After Librarian of Congress James Billington stepped down on September 30, Max Lewontin with The Christian Science Monitor highlights the tech industry’s interests in a modernized Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office in the Oct. 5 article: Why Silicon Valley Cares So Much About Who Will Lead the Library of Congress. While some groups advocate for a new independent agency, the article notes the Re:Create Coalition’s recent “call for a more modern agency, but one that is still under the control of the Library of Congress.”
New Study Reveals Innovation Has Greater Impact On Curbing Piracy. The Copia Institute released a new report today “The Carrot or The Stick?” which revealed that anti-privacy laws are not effective deterrents in combating piracy. By analyzing regulations in 6 different countries, the report found that greater innovation through services like Spotify and Netflix actually leads to larger reductions in piracy activity and copyright infringement.
A Primer On TPP’s Copyright Implications. Variety’s Ted Johnson provides a guide to the TPP’s potential impact on copyright terms in the Oct. 5 article How the Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Impact Hollywood. In the article, Johnson notes the tension between Hollywood interests and the digital community, “For years, the pact has been hotly debated, with groups like the MPAA and the Recording Industry Assn. of America pushing for more uniform protections for intellectual property in the face of rampant overseas piracy, and a number of public interest groups critical that it will benefit primarily large corporations.”
New Exhibit Showcases Blurred Lines In Architecture And Copyright Laws. WIRED examines the Center for Architecture’s exhibit Un/Fair Use, which seeks to distinguish between permitted and plagiarized types of architecture in the Oct. 2 article Architecture’s Fine Line Between Stealing and Inspiration. Architects have been confounded in recent years by copied and original designs, particularly given the Shine v. Childs court ruling that indicates even conceptual drawings are protected under copyright law. “We teach that use and expression are fused together. If you were to design by copyright law, it would produce a strange object” says exhibit curator and architecture professor Ana Miljacki.
The Fog Of Misguided Copyright Protections And VW Eco Transgressions. In a recent blog post, Stan Adams of the Center for Democracy and Technology makes the case for more transparency from automakers in light of the Volkswagen (WV) controversy. In the blog post The EPA, the DMCA, and VW: Research, Not Copyright, Should Protect the Environment, he explains how the copyright protections under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), established to prevent illegal activity by consumers, actually aided VW and their ability to skirt the law. Adams notes, “Whatever this may say about regulatory approaches, it certainly says something about how far from copy protection the use of [the DMCA] has strayed.”
New Secret Decoder Ring For Understanding Music Licensing And Copyright. The team at R Street has developed a new reference guide to help aid policy discussions about ongoing issues in the worlds of music licensing and copyright. The resource guide, R Street’s Primers on Music-Licensing Laws, Decisions and Terminology, will be updated as appropriate so be sure to bookmark it!