GrayZone, Author at GrayZone, Inc.

Far-Reaching New Copyright Laws Set to Pass in Spending Bill

Congressional leaders have revealed their comprehensive spending and COVID-19 relief bill, which includes controversial copyright initiatives that civil liberties advocates worry could punish internet users for ordinary online behavior. Measures found in the $2.3 trillion spending package include the Trademark Modernization Act, the CASE Act, and a felony streaming proposal. All of these expand the […]

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Neil Young Ceases Copyright Case Against Donald Trump

As Donald Trump seems certain to lose his 2020 presidential bid, singer-songwriter Neil Young has decided not to continue to fight him in court over the use of his songs “Devil’s Sidewalk” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” at Trump’s campaign rallies. Papers were filed on Monday to dismiss the copyright case. Back in August,

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Copyright Agreement Between Google and French Newspapers

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, announced on its blog that it has signed copyright agreements with six French magazines and newspapers, including Le Figaro and Le Monde. These agreements follow months of negotiations between the tech giant, French news agencies and publishers, where they decided how to apply the EU’s updated copyright rules, which let

Led Zeppelin Handed Copyright Victory by U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has decided not to hear a copyright infringement case over Led Zeppelin’s signature song, “Stairway to Heaven,” handing the band a victory by default. According to Bloomberg Law and Variety, justices in the case refused to revive a copyright lawsuit that alleged that the English rock band stole its 1971 classic from

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Nicki Minaj to Copyright Trial After Winning Fair Use Case

Tracy Chapman has accused Nicki Minaj of infringing the copyright of her song, “Baby Can I Hold You,” for her remake titled “Sorry” which features Nas. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips, after reviewing summary judgment documents from both parties, concluded that Minaj’s “Sorry” creation constituted fair use of copyright. In making this decision, Phillips

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CBS Wins Star Trek: Discovery Copyright Infringement Case

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that CBS was not guilty of copyright infringement and that a “Star Trek: Discovery” story arc about a giant tardigrade did not infringe upon the copyright of an unreleased video game that also centered around a giant tardigrade. Anas Osama Ibrahim Abdin, who owns a copyright

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Trump vs. Linkin Park in Video Copyright Complaint

After a copyright infringement complaint from Linkin Park, Twitter has removed a campaign video retweeted by President Trump. The band stated that it had not given the Trump campaign permission to use their song “In the End,” which plays in the video’s background. The video featured images of President Trump as well as excerpts from

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Internet Archive Sued for ‘Mass Copyright Infringement’

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet Archive announced its “National Emergency Library,” which temporarily suspended the waitlists for borrowing e-books and made writers and publishers see red. What started as general outrage has now become a copyright infringement lawsuit. In their lawsuit, four of the nation’s largest publishers have accused The Internet Archive,

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Eagles’ Don Henley Urges Congress to Tackle Online Piracy

Music Piracy / June 2, 2020

Don Henley, the songwriter of the rock band Eagles, has asked Congress to, in the band’s words, “Take It to the Limit” in ridding the internet of online piracy and protecting artists’ rights. In so doing, he has put himself at the center of a copyright battle that pits the recording industry and Hollywood against

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Georgia Can’t Copyright State Laws, Says Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of Georgia can no longer copyright and sell an annotated version of its state code. According to the state of Georgia, Public.Resource.Org originally filed the case after the state claimed that the nonprofit website violated copyright law by allowing the public free access to their annotated code.

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