Conservatives seeking allies in drafting of new copyright legislation

The Globe and Mail reports that the Conservatives are “actively looking to recruit allies across the Commons floor” to support and help shape the proposed copyright legislation. The bill is expected to be introduced later this week and reportedly will, among other things, make it a crime  to pick “digital locks” attached to media files. The article goes on to say that such changes are almost certain to be unpopular amongst most Canadians and that the real pressure to update the law comes from the U.S. and Europe who are dissatisfied with the current state of copyright law in Canada.

Beyonce pirating her own music?

It is being reported on thewrap.com that Sony Music has blocked videos of Beyonce appearing on YouTube for copyright infringement. What’s interesting is that the videos being blocked are on Beyonce’s own YouTube channel. The article states that “Sony’s move is the first time a record company has shut down one of its own superstars”.

CNET looks at Apple patent and trademark disputes through the years

A recent article on CNET.com takes a brief look back at some of the more interesting patent and trademark skirmishes Apple has been involved in through the years. Steve Jobs recently said “We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours”. As the article notes, the sentiment cuts both ways. Apple has been on the receiving end of its share of patent suits in the past.

EU Parliament strongly rejects ACTA provisions

The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, striking a blow against the validity and applicability of that treaty.

Yet another Avatar copyright claim

According to a recent article in the Montreal Gazette Emil Malak, a restaurant owner from Vancouver, is planning on suing the makers of Avatar for copyright infringement. Malak claims that Avatar contains many similarities to a script he wrote and sent  to many studios, including director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, in 2002. This news comes just a day after a Beijing court threw out a similar claim by a Chinese author.

ACTA talks to resume this week

Negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) are set to resume in Mexico this week. In an article for the Toronto Star, Michael Geist suggests that much of the talk will revolve around a proposed three strikes system that would result in people losing internet access based on three allegations of copyright violation.

Michael notes that, while the three strikes proposal has received a lot of attention focusing on the impact of such a system on internet users, the price of implementing such a system has received relatively little attention. The cost of implementing a three strikes system should not forgotten because this cost will ultimately fall to the consumer. You can click on the link above to read Michael’s full article regarding the proposed ACTA three strikes system.

As O’Brien leaves NBC his recurring characters and bits stay behind

Reuters.com reports that Conan O’Brien’s settlement with NBC will result in NBC retaining the rights to copyrighted and trademarked elements of O’Brien’s shows. This means that if Conan goes on to host a new show with a different network he will have to make do without the recurring characters and bits he used throughout his 16 plus years with NBC.

ONCA denies application of arbitration clause to non-consumer plaintiffs

On Wednesday, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a motion to certify class proceedings against Dell Computers. The main issue was the application of a mandatory arbitration clause in the purchase agreement. The Consumer Protection Act invalidated mandatory arbitration causes on July 31, 2005. The court held that this applied to agreements made before July 31, 2005 where the claim to be arbitrated arose after that date. In addition, approximately 30% of the class were non-consumer purchasers. The court refused to grant a partial stay with respect to these proceedings based on two considerations: (1) it would create unreasonable duplication and delay, and (2) given the complexity of the mandated arbitration procedure it was unlikely that any non-consumer claims would be addressed otherwise.

It’s long past time to cast aside doubts about the importance of digital advocacy

The Toronto Star has posted an interesting article about the power of digital advocacy in the modern age, as shown by the incredible success of the Against Proroguing Parliament Facebook group. Future lawmakers should consider the increasing role of the internet and social networking sites in the democratic process when proposing new regulatory policies.

Further Revisions to the UK Digital Economy Bill

The Times reports the Digital Economy Bill, which would have given “sweeping powers” to amend copyright laws to the Business Secretary, will be revised after Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and Facebook informed the Business Secretary of their “grave concerns” regarding the Bill’s clause 17.