27 May 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Just hours after the PROTECT IP Act passed unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon placed a hold to prevent it from reaching the Senate. Wyden argued the legislation was an “overreaching approach to policing the internet.” The act was introduced two weeks ago and authorises the government to use court orders to prohibit internet search engines from displaying sites that violate intellectual property laws. It would also force internet providers to block “rogue” sites offering pirated goods.Media groups fighting for anti-piracy protection have largely praised the legislation.
27 May 2011 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The European Commission’s plan to tackle internet copyright infringements, such as illegal media downloads, would require internet service providers to work with the entertainment industry to monitor content. Critics fear this could lead to censorship and over-monitoring. BEUC, the European Consumers’ Organisation said, “Such practices would turn ISPs into some sort of Internet police that monitors the online behaviour of users and enforces copyright legislation. Fundamental rights of users will be jeopardized, namely the right to privacy and the right to due process.” Just last year, a judge ruled in Australia that an ISP company was not responsible for illegal downloading, stating that “If the ISPs become responsible for the acts of their customers, essentially they become this giant and very cheap mechanism for anyone with any sort of legal claim.”
13 Sep 2010 | News and features, Volume 39.03 Autumn 2010
Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood explains why the band released their last album direct to their fans
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27 Jul 2010 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The body responsible for interpreting copyright law within the United States has broadened the exemptions available to video artists seeking to re-use copyrighted material in not-for-profit work. The US Copyright Office’s judgment means that short sections of pre-existing footage can now be legally used in new pieces; for example, online video memes (such as the one based on a segment of footage from the film Downfall) would now be protected from copyright claims.
