Public Meeting on Consumer Messaging in Connection with Online Transactions Involving Copyrighted Works from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET on April 18, 2017

Copyright Alert

Consumer Messaging in Connection with Online Transactions Involving Copyrighted Works

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force will host a public meeting on Consumer Messaging in Connection with Online Transactions Involving Copyrighted Works from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET on April 18, 2017 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The meeting will be webcast, and members of the public will have opportunities to participate. In its January 2016 White Paper on Remix, First Sale, and Statutory Damages, the Task Force concluded that when consumers download copies of works (such as eBooks, music, and motion pictures), they do not appear to have a clear understanding of what they can legally do with those copies. It also determined that consumers may benefit from having more information about the nature of their transactions related to copyrighted works delivered online—including whether they are paying for access to content or for ownership of a copy—to instill greater confidence and enhance participation in the online marketplace.  The Task Force is therefore convening this meeting to facilitate a dialogue about ways to improve consumers’ understanding of license terms and restrictions in connection with online transactions involving copyrighted works. The goal is to explore issues and facilitate a discussion, and to determine in what ways government can be of assistance. Please note, for those attending the event in person in Alexandria, registration is required. Registration is free. The meeting will be open to members of the public to attend, space permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis. Register to attend. Visit the USPTO's event page for more details and webcast information. For non-press inquiries, please contact Linda Quigley, Attorney-Adviser, Office of Policy and International Affairs (Copyright), USPTO, at linda.quigley@uspto.gov.

All-Star Witness List In Lawsuit Over Constitutionality Of RIAA Lawsuits, TechDirt, 11/20/08

Via TechDirt: All-Star Witness List In Lawsuit Over Constitutionality Of RIAA Lawsuits:

"The list includes:

John Perry Barlow (former songwriter for The Grateful Dead, founder of the EFF, and well known digital thinker)
Prof. Johan Pouwelse (technical and scientific director of European research project P2P-Next)
Prof. Lawrence Lessig (needs no introduction, I imagine, for folks around here)
Matthew Oppenheim (who has a somewhat murky relationship with the RIAA, at times representing the RIAA, and at other times insisting he does not represent the RIAA)
Prof. Terry Fisher (a director of Harvard's Berkman Center and author of Promises to Keep, an early book looking at how the internet was changing the entertainment industry, and how it's business models need to change)
Prof. Wendy Seltzer (well known copyfighter, law professor, former staff attorney at the EFF and founder of the Chilling Effects site)
Prof. John Palfrey (Harvard law professor, co-director of the Berkman Center, author of Born Digital)
Prof. Jonathan Zittrain (Harvard and Oxford law professor, co-director of the Berkman Center, author of The Future of the Internet)
Andrew Grant (former antipiracy specialist at DRM company Macrovision)"

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081120/1244282904.shtml

Legal Jujitsu in a File-Sharing Copyright Case, New York Times, 11/18/08

Via New York Times: Legal Jujitsu in a File-Sharing Copyright Case:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/legal-jujitsu-in-a-file-sharing-copyright-case/?scp=1&sq=copyright&st=cse

Don’t Buy That Textbook, Download It Free - New York Times, 9/14/08

Don’t Buy That Textbook, Download It Free:
"Unlike other projects that share course materials, notably OpenCourseWare at M.I.T., Connexions uses broader Creative Commons license allowing students and teachers to rewrite and edit material as long as the originator is credited. Teachers put up material, called “modules,” and then mix and match their work with others’ to create a collection of material for students. “We are changing textbook publishing from a pipeline to an ecosystem,” he said."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/technology/15link.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&em

Research Shows Students View Music Piracy as Socially Acceptable - Idaho Examiner, 9/14/08

Research Shows Students View Music Piracy as Socially Acceptable:
"[University of Idaho researcher Darryl] Woolley said that piracy may not be perceived as an “immoral behavior” for students. They may not see it as unethical because they have no first-hand knowledge of prosecutions for piracy, and they may try to rationalize it because of financial situations. “They also view recording labels negatively and think that it does not hurt the recording artist,” he said."
http://www.idahoexaminer.com/reports/10057/research-shows-students-view-music-piracy-as-socially-acceptable