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 »
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 »
On February 28, the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) decided in favor of photographer David Oppenheimer, who had sued Douglas Prutton, a lawyer, who used a photo of his without permission. This was the first case and ruling for the CCB. History of the Copyright Claims Board The CCB, created in 2021, gives photographers a way
Copyright Claims Board’s First Case Sides with Photographer Read More »
In a serious blow to AI image generator users, the United States Copyright Office (USCO) has reversed a decision it made last September regarding whether AI-generated artwork enjoyed the same copyright protection as human-generated art. The copyright office maintains that AI artwork generated by Midjourney and other text-to-image software is not protected by copyright law,
USCO Rules That AI Artwork Doesn’t Have Copyright Protection Read More »
Three AI image generators—DeviantArt, Midjourney and Stability AI—have been served with a major class action lawsuit, in an effort to defend artists. These platforms have been accused of unlawful competition, right of publicity violations and DMCA violations, and the lawsuit states that artists must be protected and compensated for their work. AI Image Generators and
Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Midjourney Read More »
By ruling in favor of the French luxury brand Hermès in their lawsuit against Mason Rothschild, a digital artist who created the ‘MetaBirkin’ NFT, the federal jury has set a precedent for future NFT copyright cases. The jury returned their verdict after a trial that lasted five days, finding that the NFT based on Birkin
Jury Rules in Favor of Hermès in MetaBirkins Copyright Case Read More »
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes its annual Notorious Markets Report, which was recently released. The report focuses on the physical markets and websites that are seen to be the biggest threats to the country’s intellectual property owners. It is from submissions from copyright owners that the list is compiled. This
Notorious Markets Piracy Sites List Published by U.S. Gov’t. Read More »
