The Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, a joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of San Francisco, University of Maine, George Washington School of Law, and Santa Clara University School of Law clinics, has been compiling a database of searchable Cease and Desist (C&D) notices. With the intent of “helping Internet users [...]

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 [...]

In an effort to “call attention to particularly bogus takedowns — and showcase the amazing online videos and other creative works that someone doesn’t want you to see,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently launched the Takedown Hall of Shame. EFF collected some of the most egregious incidents of internet bullying (via DMCA takedown notices) [...]

A West L.A. art collector, who reportedly could recoup $25 million for 11 stolen Andy Warhol paintings would rather waive the money than deal with hassle of investigation. From LA Times. Entertainment Lawyer Chad Fitzgerald weighs in on the copyright suit involving Chris Rock’s documentary Good Hair, noting, “[the plaintiff] will have a steep uphill [...]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the opportunity to promote international co-operation for copyright protection prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair. In her weekly video podcast, the Chancellor criticized Google’s digital library as creating a serious threat to copyright holders on the internet. Said Merkel, “The German government has a clear position: copyrights have to be [...]