Russia’s Forced Licensing Plan For ‘Enemy’ Content “Legalizes Piracy”
Since February 24, 2022, Russia’s troops have poured death and destruction on Ukraine. There are no obvious signs to suggest that the conflict will end anytime soon. Part of the early response from Ukraine’s allies was to impose sanctions on Russia, to weaken the country’s ability and will to wage war. Companies in many sectors suspended or terminated business in Russia, including prominent entertainment industry players. As a result,...
Elon Musk: “Overzealous DMCA Is a Plague On Humanity”
Earlier this week, Republican Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that aims to shorten the copyright term to a maximum 56 years. The controversial proposal is a direct attack on Disney, which previously spoke out against the “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida. The chances of this bill passing are rather slim. The Democrats currently have a majority in the Senate and it’s unclear whether the proposal is broadly supported by Hawley’s...
Disney Seeks a Senior Paralegal to Help Combat Online Piracy
Disney is one of the best-known brands in the world and the owner of an impressive collection of movies and TV shows. New and old releases earn the company a healthy stream of revenue, both in movie theaters and through its own movie streaming service Disney+. While there is plenty of competition from other movie studios, Disney’s single biggest threat appears to be piracy. To tackle this issue, Disney’s in-house anti-piracy team...
New Legislation Gives Telecoms Regulator Major Powers to Fight Piracy
Laws that attempt to deter copyright infringement by punishing pirate site operators exist in most developed countries around the world. Entities such as the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment use them to take hundreds of sites and services offline, either through direct legal action or simply using the threat of it. But this is just one aspect of content protection and when pirates refuse to take their operations offline,...
Kim Dotcom Could Seek New Zealand Trial After Co-Defendants Strike Deal
Often described as the biggest case in copyright history, the so-called ‘Mega Conspiracy’ battle has been living up to its billing since 2012. For at least a decade, Kim Dotcom and co-defendants Mattias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk, and Finn Batato faced a mountain of charges in the United States, a country that has never been visited by the former. More recently, however, there has been a significant shift in positions, meaning that...
U.S. Senator Targets Disney With Bill Limiting Copyright Protection Term
Over the past decades, copyright protection terms have gradually been extended all around the world. In the United States, copyrights are currently enforceable for 70 years after the author’s death. If something was made for hire, protection is available for 95 years after publication or 120 years after creation, whichever is shorter. These terms were last changed in the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which is also dubbed the...
