Monday, October 10, 2005

Poposed Amendments to Canadian Copyright Law Could Impact Educators

This story from the Manitoban Online today.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

U.S. Copyright Office Publishes Final Regs on Section 111 Royalty Rates

The Copyright Office announced its final regulations on Section 111 statutory license royalty rates. These royalties pertain to cable systems' retransmissions to subscribers via over-the-air broadcast signals. The rates are based on a percentage that is determined by gross receipts of the individual cable system. The regulations are effective for the accounting period beginning July 1, 2005.

Source: Adjustment of Cable Statutory License Royalty Rates, 70 Fed. Reg. 58310 (October 6, 2005) (amending 37 CFR pts. 201 and 256).

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Finnish Parliament Passes Copyright Bill

As reported by NewsRoom Finland

Australian High Court Rules in Favor of Modders

See the complete story from IT News in Australia.

In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law

A collection of 19 essays published together in a 208 page book concerning the future of Canadian copyright law, which focuses primarily on the implications of Bill C-60. A soft cover version can be purchased for $50 CDN from the publisher or downloaded for free under a Creative Commons license. Michael Geist is listed as the author.

Jack Kapica wrote an interesting article on the book and its underlying issues.

BlogScript: Innovation, Technology and the Law: Suing Google Print

BlogScript: Innovation, Technology and the Law: Suing Google Print

Comments on Google Print from a European perspective.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Afghanistan to Draft Law Enforcing Copyright

An interesting article regarding copyright law in Afghanistan can be found here from the Pak Tribune.

U.S. Copyright Office Seeks Comment on Potential Noncircumvention Exception

For those who feel that the anti-circumvention restrictions on sound recordings is too burdensome, it appears that the U.S. Copyright Office is taking notice. Comments should be sent to the link below.

From 70 CFR 57256:

The Copyright Office is preparing to conduct proceedings in accordance withsection 1201(a)(1) of title 17 U.S.C., which was added by the Digital MillenniumCopyright Act. This section provides that the Librarian of Congress may exemptcertain classes of works from the prohibition against circumvention oftechnological measures that control access to copyrighted works. The purpose ofthis rulemaking proceeding is to determine whether there are particular classesof works as to which users are, or are likely to be, adversely affected in theirability to make noninfringing uses due to the prohibition of circumvention.

The Copyright Office requests written comments from all interested parties,including representatives of copyright owners, educational institutions, librariesand archives, scholars, researchers, and members of the public, to elicitevidence on whether noninfringing uses of certain classes of works are, or arelikely to be, adversely affected by this prohibition on the circumvention ofmeasures that control access to copyrighted works. Written comments are dueby December 1, 2005. Reply comments are due by February 2, 2006.

Although the Copyright Office will accept comments delivered by hand or by theU.S. Postal Service, it prefers that comments be submitted through its website,which will contain a submission page here that will be activated approximately 30 days prior to each applicable deadline.For further information, go to the Copyright Office.