Andrew Moshirnia wonders whether an EU scheme might wind up kind of outlawing the Internet. [Citizen Media Law]
Posts Tagged ‘copyright’
Clips of Jon Stewart shows
Viacom/Comedy Central retreats from some legal rumblings on behalf of a show itself known for its clever use of video clips from other sources. [Levy, CL&P]
Kookaburra, cont’d
“No actual kookaburras could be reached for comment, as they were too busy engaging in howls of derisive laughter at these litigious humans.” [George Wallace, A Fool in the Forest, earlier]
“Man sued over photos of public art on Seattle streets”
Mike Hipple took photos of Dance Steps on Broadway, a public art installation on sidewalks in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The photos earned him $60 and now a lawsuit from sculptor Jack Mackie. [KOMO]
Kookaburra sits on his royal-tee
An Australian judge has ruled that a flute riff in Men at Work’s “Down Under” wrongfully used the most famous nursery tune associated with Australia, “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree,” which turns out to be a composition from 1932 still under copyright. [Carton/Legal Blog Watch, Fountain]
Infamous terrorist Carlos the Jackal sues to protect his image
“[A]pparently determined to control his image even from his Paris prison cell, he has brought suit against a French production company shooting a documentary film on his life and legend, demanding a say on the final cut.” [Edward Cody, Washington Post].
While we’re at it: “Mirandizing the Christmas Day Bomber — Why?” [Paul Cassell, Volokh on this Bill Otis post, versus many critical commenters]
Welcome National Review Online readers
Yesterday’s roundup item wondering whether Massachusetts Democrats had secured the requisite photo permissions for women portrayed as rape victims in a controversial campaign flyer drew many readers thanks to a link from Kathryn Lopez at the Corner.
Can’t clear the copyrights, cont’d
Everyone seems to be willing in principle to re-release public-domain Jack Benny shows that are milestones in early TV comedy, but CBS balks at paying for all the lawyering that would be needed. [BoingBoing] More: JackBenny.org.
December 18 roundup
- Class action to follow? Longtime Overlawyered favorite Gloria Allred now representing one of the Tiger Tootsies [The Observer]
- Alabama lawyer moves to postpone trial so he can see Crimson Tide take on Texas [Yahoo “Rivals”]
- “Thomas the Tank Engine attacked for ‘conservative political ideology'” [Telegraph; Canadian academic calls for tighter controls on children’s broadcasting]
- Government manages to lose money at bookie racket: “NYC’s Off-Track-Betting Seeks Bankruptcy Protection” [Bloomberg]
- “Rapist ex-lawmaker claims copyright on his name, threatens legal action” [Boing Boing, Volokh, Randazza/Citizen Media Law]
- Graubard Miller $42 million contingency fee “now in referee’s hands” [NYLJ; earlier Oct. 5, etc.]
- It’ll destroy our image of him: opponents say “alleged Ponzi schemer and disbarred attorney Scott Rothstein filed frivolous lawsuits” [DBR]
- New Hampshire disciplinary panel finds prominent injury attorney broke ethics rules in handling client who talked of firing him from multi-million-dollar case [Keene Sentinel]
Man sues over commercial use of mugshot
After an Ohio man’s 2005 arrest for huffing gold spray paint, his gilt-chinned police mugshot raced around the Internet, ensuring him “worldwide infamy”. Now he’s represented by a lawyer who’s suing entities that have used his visage on “T-shirts, coffee mugs and even a billboard in Europe.” [AP, Legal Blog Watch]