RiP! Explores the relationship of Copyright and Fair Use to popular culture mashups/remixes. The film features Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis), Lawrence Lessig, Cory Doctorow, Dan O’Neil and more. Also here.

Los Angeles artist Dereck Seltzer filed suit in the Central District of California against Green Day for copyright infringement. Seltzer alleges that the band used his work ‘Scream Icon’ without authorization in its website, videos and concerts, including a performance at the American Music Awards. The work (found here) was registered with the copyright office [...]

Today is World’s Fair Use Day (WFUD), “a free, all-day celebration of the doctrine of fair use: the legal right that allows innovators and creators to make particular uses of copyrighted materials. WFUD will take place at the Newseum in Washington D.C. on Tuesday January 12, 2010.” More here.

Set to premiere on PBS in January 2010, Copyright Criminals explores the relationship between hip-hop and copyright law and the complicated legal issues brought on by music sampling. From the website, Years before people started downloading and remixing music, hip-hop sampling sparked a debate about copyright, creativity and technological change that still rages today. Independent [...]

In an update to Wednesday’s Roundup: EMI sues bluebeat.com for offering Beatles catalog, a Federal Court Judge on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing bluebeat.com from, “directly or indirectly infringing in any manner [on] copyrighted work.” The order granting the TRO (below) notes, Defendants claim in their Opposition that they sell “entirely different [...]

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a proposed multilateral agreement  meant to quell international copyright piracy and counterfeit goods. While in negotiations today in Seoul, Korea (November 4-6, 2009), many are concerned that the agreement will be over-restrictive and have chilling effects.  Particularly troubling is the United States drafted section on Internet Service Providers (ISPs). [...]

The Beatles record label, EMI, sued bluebeat.com, its parent company, Media Rights Technology Inc., and Chief Executive Hank Risan for offering songs from the band’s catalog for 25 cents. More here. Professor Donald Jones sued the legal blog Above the Law for posting his faculty photo alongside a news story about his arrest and eventual [...]

The San Francisco Music Tech Summit is offering discount registration for a limited time. Until Friday, November 6, 2009, prices for admission (not including fees) are “Absurdly Low”: General Admission: $129.00; Developer: $99.00; Full-time Working Musician: $79.00. This year’s event is being held on Monday, December 7, 2009 (9am-6pm + cocktails) at the Hotel Kabuki [...]