After suits, Phoenix backs fair use and copyright law changes; Los Angeles Times, 2/28/14

August Brown, Los Angeles Times; After suits, Phoenix backs fair use and copyright law changes:

"Back in 2010, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig gave a lecture on copyright law. Speaking at a conference for the organization Creative Commons, he used YouTube clips of fans dancing to Phoenix's song "Lisztomania" as an example of proper "fair use" principles. He later uploaded the full lecture, which included the clips, to YouTube.

Liberation Music, the firm that licenses the Phoenix song in Australia and New Zealand, disagreed with Lessig's take. The firm issued a YouTube takedown order, asking that the lecture video be removed, and later threatened their own lawsuit against Lessig.

As perhaps was to be expected when one sues a law professor, Lessig and the Electronic Frontier Foundation countersued for "misusing copyright law."

The flurry of suits finally came to an end this week, according to Billboard, after Liberation admitted being in the wrong and would pay compensation associated with the cases."

Record Label Picks Copyright Fight — With The Wrong Guy; NPR's All Tech Considered, 9/27/13

Laura Sydell, NPR's All Tech Considered; Record Label Picks Copyright Fight — With The Wrong Guy: "Liberation Music eventually backed down. But Lessig decided to invoke another part of the copyright law, "which basically polices bad-faith lawsuits," he says — threats made fraudulently or without proper basis. Lessig is suing Liberation Music because he wants labels to stop relying on automated systems to send out takedown notices, he says."