Since Elon Musk took the helm of Twitter, the company has been hit with an avalanche of lawsuits, from unpaid vendors to former employees citing discrimination. The latest is a class action lawsuit by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), which is representing 17 music publishers that accuse the social media firm of massive copyright …
Twitter Served with $250 Million Copyright Infringement Suit Read More »
In a recently published Federal Register notice, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is asking the public for ideas about addressing an immeasurable challenge—that of thwarting counterfeiting and piracy in the U.S. Public Comments and Discussion on Anti-piracy and Anti-counterfeiting Solutions Comments about anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy measures can be made until August 23, …
US Patent Office Seeks Public Comment on Anti-Piracy Read More »
In response to the increased levels of online piracy, which may in part be due to the pandemic, the European Commission wants all countries to block offending websites. They have just released their biannual listing of countries with weak copyright policies. The commission has named thirteen countries that they believe need to make more …
Europe Calls Out Countries for Lack of Copyright Enforcement Read More »
Spinrilla, a popular platform for creating hip-hop mixtapes, accused of copyright infringement by the “Big Three” record companies, has shut down after it agreed to pay out USD $50 million to settle the case. Judge Finds Spinrilla Liable for Copyright Infringement The Atlanta, Georgia division of the U.S. District Court, Judge Amy Totenberg presiding, ordered …
Spinrilla Mixtape Site Guilty of Copyright Infringement Read More »
According to a recently released report by the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which is based in Japan, Japanese entertainment piracy in 2021, which included music, anime, manga and video games, cost these industries ¥1.9 to ¥2.2 trillion yen (US $14.2-$16.5 billion). This study, which is based on requests and questionnaires from consumers, shows a …
Industry Lost 2 Trillion Yen to Manga Piracy in 2021 Read More »
On Thursday, a jury deliberated for three hours and found musician Ed Sheeran not guilty of copying Marvin Gaye’s 1973 composition, “Let’s Get It On” when writing his 2014 song, “Thinking Out Loud.” It was a unanimous decision—a requirement for this particular copyright case. The 32-year-old British singer previously announced that if he were found …
Court Decides Ed Sheeran Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Read More »
A coalition of studios and production houses, in their long battle to protect copyrights and fight piracy, have won a case against the defendant. Dwayne Johnson, who operates two illegal streaming sites, has been ordered to pay the plaintiffs $30 million. As per court filings, the parties agreed to resolve the lawsuit, which also states …
Piracy Crackdown Nets Disney and Major Studios $30M Read More »
In what is a devastating loss to the world’s file-sharers, the legendary Zippyshare will be shutting down at the end of the month. Since 2006, this popular cyber-locker service, like other file-sharing sites such as Megaupload, was frequently used for the storage of unauthorized music downloads and was often a target for anti-piracy efforts. Cloud …
Zippyshare File-sharing Piracy Enabler Shuts After 17 Years Read More »
The U.S. Copyright Office has released a statement about material generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The policy guidelines state that for generative AI to be eligible for U.S. copyright protection, it must have been authored by humans, and each case would be evaluated before granting this protection What Qualifies for AI Copyright Protection? Much like …
Is Generative AI Content Eligible for Copyright Protection? Read More »
An Earth, Wind & Fire “legacy” group has been named in a trademark infringement lawsuit brought by the official band, for using its name and trademarks to trick consumers into purchasing concert tickets to what many consumers believe is the real Earth, Wind & Fire. Promoters Sued for Trademark Infringement Promoters, which include Stellar Communications …
Earth Wind & Fire Legacy Band Sued for Trademark Infringement Read More »
