News & Media
The DMCA? She Bite Sometimes – Lenz v. Universal
In Lenz v. Universal, the N.D. Calif. allowed a little push-back against overreaching copyright owners who wield Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) takedown notices like a blunt club. In February of 2007, Stephanie Lenz videotaped her toddlers dancing in her kitchen to the Prince song, “Let’s Go Crazy.” She then uploaded the 29 second video to Youtube. “Let’s Go Crazy”
MIT Gag Order Lifted!
The gag order in the MBTA subway hack case has been lifted. See Citizen Media Law Project.
When will she LEAVE?
Fay didn’t strengthen to hurricane status, but she has parked her fat ass right over us for days.
Did You Get a Notice From “Trademark Monitoring and Notification Service?"
Mike Atkins at Seattle Trademark Lawyer provides this valuable warning. Atkins writes: Companies like this may provide a legitimate service. But from where I sit, it only looks like they’re trying to profit from trademark owners’ inexperience. Watch out for them. The letter looks official, but it’s really just an official waste of money. Atkins speaks the truth. Each trademark
College Prezzes, "Lower the drinking age!"
A group of college presidents calling themselves “The Amethyst Institute” say setting the drinking age at 21 encourages binge drinking on college campuses. They are urging legislators to lower the age. William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, William Brody, president of Johns Hopkins, C.D. Mote Jr. of the University of Maryland and the presidents of Washington and
Fay Update
It looks like Fay will not become a hurricane after all. That’s good news. But, she seems determined to hang around us for a few days.
Oh Crap…
Yesterday, I said “aw, fuck buying supplies… this is just going to be a puny tropical storm.” It looks like Tropical Storm Fay is going to cut under Orlando, go out to sea, pick up enough steam to become Hurricane Fay, and then return to shore just north of Orlando. That is not a good thing. I don’t expect that
Fay Update
Looks like Fay is turning a little bit… heading more out to sea before coming back inland. This is a big pain in the ass. It looks like the storm won’t hit the Orlando area head-on, but it looks like it is going to orbit the area for days.
Bill Donohue Doesn't Like These Blogs – Read Them!
Bill Donohue has been a wellspring of asshattery at every opportunity he has been granted, save one. He did have a pretty mature reaction to the South Park episode that took the ass out of him. Now he wants the blogs Bitch Ph.D. and Towleroad cut from the Democratic National Convention’s list of credentialed blogs. I’m following Popehat’s lead. Any
Streisand Effect is a Real Biyotch
See Popehat, When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Decency in my Soul
Professor Ann Bartow implores her readers at Feminist Law Profs: “Please, if you have any decency in your soul, support passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.” (source) I don’t agree with much that Bartow says, but on this one I was inclined to agree. But, I wanted to read the Act with a critical eye first. Most of the
Copyright Applies to Free Software Too
by Tara Warrington Legal Satyricon Correspondent The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in Jacobsen v. Katzer that the terms of a license – even one granting free and nonexclusive use – control when determining if the scope of the use is limited by the license itself or more broadly by copyright law. The decision itself is not
If you can't beat 'em, put ads on 'em.
CNET reports that some media companies are no longer looking at YouTube clips of copyrighted material as a threat, but are now simply placing revenue-generating ads alongside them.
Copyright Applies to Free Software Too
So says the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. See Court says copyrights apply even for free software, WIRED. More analysis to follow.
T Subway Hack Case Gets Worse
Either the coverage is missing something, or there is something terribly wrong happening in the MBTA hacker case. See Boston (T) Party — Judge Puts Gag Order on MIT Students in MBTA Hack Presentation. CNET reports that not only did the Judge let the temporary restraining order he granted last weekend remain in place, but extended it and ordered the
Jackson Brown Sues McCain
John McCain helped himself to Jackson Browne’s song, “Running on Empty” for a campaign ad. Browne is suing for copyright infringement, Lanham Act violations (for falsely suggesting that Browne supports the McCain campaign) and for right of publicity violations under California law. LA Times and The Associated Press.
$1.5 Million Award in Negligent Transmission of an STD
On Point News reports that an Iowa man who transmitted HPV to his girlfriend is liable to her for $700,000 in compensatory damages and $800,000 in punitive damages. Karly Rossiter, 25, has been diagnosed with both strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), one of which causes genital warts and the other cell abnormalities that can lead to cervical cancer. In
Individual Rights? Forget Heller
By Jonathon Blevins, Legal Satyricon Second Amendment Correspondent As first reported here and here, the Second Amendment does not act (currently) as a restriction on the states’ power to regulate the right to keep and bear arms. The Heller decision simply laid the foundation for the eventual incorporation of the Second Amendment via the Fourteenth Amendment. Thus, unless you live
It's Ammo! It's Seasoning! It's Both!
If you are a vegetarian, you may want to cringe now. I think this is the best idea since Shimmer Floor Wax/Dessert Topping. Brett W. Holm of Chaska, Minnesota got sick of finding metal pellets in the birds he shot and ate. So what did he do? He invented SPICE SHOT — ammunition comprised of spices formed into pellets. (source,
