The European Union’s highest court issued a key legal ruling overturning a Belgian law that would have required Internet service providers to monitor all Internet traffic passing through their systems with the goal of protecting copyright holders’ rights. In a closely watched case, the European Court of Justice struck down a Belgian court ruling from […]
Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua and Uruguay presented a proposal which elaborated further the proposal by the delegation of Chile (SCCR/13/5). Many of the delegations who took the floor supported the proposal, in whole or in part. Other delegations expressed support or opposition to specific elements of document SCCR/13/5, which are reflected in their interventions in the report of the meeting....
A Finnish Court has ruled that the Content Scrabling System (CSS) computer code, which unlocks DVD movies, is lawful in Europe. The decision was a first to interpret the legality of DVD decoding software under the 2001 European Copyright Directive. .... This ruling is good news for consumers and innovators who want to build interoperable tools that will permit consumers to engage in a full range of lawful activities with their digital media collections, like making digital movie archives and video "mash-ups". Besides applying across the EU, European experts believe this ruling will apply across media platforms and not restricted only to DVDs.
Little case law exists in the United States that specifically deals with a consumer’s legal rights to use Karaoke CD+Graphic (CDG) discs. The lack of case law in this area leads to uncertainty among consumers regarding the legality of different uses of a CDG disc. This legal uncertainty has also lead to intimidation and fear of lawsuits stemming from over-zealous threats from karaoke producers, music publishers or record companies who hope to extend their rights in an unchartered area. Private consumers, karaoke hosting businesses (KJs), bars, restaurants, and others all make use of CDG discs in different ways and for different purposes. As a result, their legal rights may vary in some situations. ...
“Tragedy of the Commons”: Intellectual Property Rights in the Information Age
The Threat to Civil Liberties and Innovation Posed by Expanding Copyrights
By Robin D. Gross, Esq.
IP Justice Executive Director
www.ipjustice.org
Published by MIT Press, 2006
0. Introduction
As we enter an information age, the rules governing the use and dissemination of information become increasingly important. Clashes between fundamental freedom […]
Circumvention Prohibitions Reconsidered:
Why America’s Mistake is Europe’s Future
By Robin D. Gross, IP Justice
I. US and EU Pressured to Outlaw Consumer Circumvention
Today lawmakers all over the world are both dreaming of the opportunities and grappling with the challenges that digital technology creates for authors and distributors of intellectual property. At the same time, consumers express excitement […]
DeCSS Litigation Timeline
Below is a table that outlines Hollywood’s various legal battles to outlaw DeCSS software.
v. Mathew Pavlovich
Filed by DVD-CCAIn California State Courts under trade secret misappropriation claim.(Jurisdictional question).
v. Andrew Bunner
Filed by DVD-CCAIn California State Courts under trade secret misappropriation claim.(First Amendment issue).
v. 2600 Magazine
Filed by Eight Hollywood movie studios in NY Federal Court under […]
IP Justice statement to the German Judicial Committee regarding the proposed legislation to implement European Union Copyright Directive (2001/29/EC) (view as .pdf)
28 January 2003
By Robin D. Gross
RE: STELLUNGNAHME DER IP JUSTICE ZUM ENTWURF EINES GESETZES ZUR AENDERUNG DES URHEBERRECHTS IN DER INFORMATIONSGESELLSCHAFT (BUNDESTAGSDRUCKSACHE 15/38)