Intellectual Property

Court Allows ISPs to Charge Studios for Help in Hunting Pirates

Court Allows ISPs to Charge Studios for Help in Hunting Pirates

By Intellectual Property, News, Uncategorized 0 comments

Canada’s Supreme Court recently ruled that internet service providers in the country may charge media makers for assistance in looking up the IP addresses and details of customers that spread and use pirated media. The ruling was made in a case involving Voltage Pictures vs telecom giant Rogers. The production company behind the movie Hurt Locker wanted to sue around 55,000 Rogers customers who allegedly bootlegged the studio’s films, but the provider wanted to charge $100 per hour for assistance. The court ruled in favor of Rogers, but said that the telecom should go back to a lower court to […]

German Court Delays Decision on YouTube Intellectual Property Case

German Court Delays Decision on YouTube Intellectual Property Case

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

A case involving YouTube’s potential violation of intellectual property rights will reportedly be delayed by as much as two years as Germany’s highest court has postponed its decision to seek the opinion of European Union judges. The case began in 2008 where YouTube was sued by a music producer who sought compensation from the platform and the user who illegally uploaded songs of British Singer Sarah Brightman. A Hamburg court ruled in 2015 that the Google-owned video platform must ensure that the rights violations resulting from illegal uploads are being stopped. However, YouTube was not ordered to compensate the producer […]

EU Approves Copyright Directive, Link Tax & Upload Filter

EU Approves Copyright Directive, Link Tax & Upload Filter

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

The European Parliament voted today in favor of a controversial piece of legislation which aims to give creators the right to demand compensation when their work gets uploaded or used online, and prevent users from uploading and sharing unlicensed copyrighted content. Critics called the decision “disastrous” and said that the directive’s Article 11 provision would not be effective in taxing platforms like Google News. Meanwhile, Article 13 would prove to be too burdensome to smaller platforms since scanning the data would require a lot of resources. Aside from this, the system is likely to be abused by copyright trolls and […]

EU to Vote on Controversial Copyright Directive

EU to Vote on Controversial Copyright Directive

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

European lawmakers this week will be deciding on a controversial copyright reform that is likely to affect how and what content is uploaded online. It is said that the directive, which is supported mostly by artists, authors and creators, aims to protect creators by forcing those who upload or link to their work online to pay. It will also hold websites such as Facebook and YouTube responsible for the content their users upload. However, critics say that the broad rules could impact parodies, remixes, and even articles and websites. The directive’s Article 13 in particular, was slammed and many have […]

Chinese Silicon Valley Investments a Risk for Startups

Chinese Silicon Valley Investments a Risk for Startups

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

Various interviews and publicly available information have shown that more than 20 venture capital firms in Silicon Valley have close ties to Beijing and other state-owned funding entities. However, the increasing hard stance of the US government against Chinese acquisitions may make it more difficult for startups to procure funding. Former CFIUS member and attorney Stephen Heifetz says that the current perception is that a lot of the tech transfer that the US government is worried about is being done in the startup world. It is said that President Donald Trump does not intend to clamp down on Chinese technology […]

Huawei Hits Back at US Lawmakers Over Research Funding

Huawei Hits Back at US Lawmakers Over Research Funding

By Cybersecurity, Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

Huawei’s rotating chairman Eric Xu hit back at several US lawmakers who called the company’s contribution to the research funding of over 50 American universities a “significant threat” to national security. Xu scathingly remarked that US congressmen Marco Rubio and Jim Banks had been “ill-informed” and are being “closed-minded”. The congressmen added in their open letter that Huawei’s Innovation Research Program were a core part of “China’s toolkit for foreign technology acquisition”. Xu added that the lawmakers showed not just ignorance of how science and innovation presently works, but also their lack of confidence in the U.S.’ competitiveness. Source: Reuters

Trump to Use Review Panel to Deal with Chinese Tech Investments

Trump to Use Review Panel to Deal with Chinese Tech Investments

By Cybersecurity, Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

US president Donald Trump says that his administration will task a national security review panel to screen Chinese tech investments for possible threats, instead of imposing restrictions. The Treasury Department recommended the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for the task. The committee, whose authority has been enhanced by new legislation in Congress, will be well-poised to control transactions and address security concerns. The move is said to be a softer approach to curbing Chinese investments pushed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. However, other senior Trump advisers are still arguing for harsher, China-specific curbs that invoke emergency […]

Instagram Star Admits to Using Stock as Own Work

Instagram Star Admits to Using Stock as Own Work

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

Singapore-based photographer Daryl Aiden recently issued an apology after admitted to uploading stock image library content as his work. News site Mothership caught Aiden uploading images from Shutterstock, CanStockPhoto, Unsplash.com and other stock photo sites. Some were merely edited to alter their colour and composition. The popular Instagram photographer who already has more than 104,000 followers has already worked with brands such as Sony, Oppo, and Uniqlo.   On the issue, global technology editor for Campaign UK magazine Emily Tan remarked that no brand is completely safe when working with an influencer, just as no brand ambassador can be guaranteed […]

EU Parliament Votes to Retain Copyright Rules

EU Parliament Votes to Retain Copyright Rules

By Emerging Media, Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

The European Parliament last Wednesday voted in favor of keeping tougher copyright rules which could significantly restrict the market power of tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Proposed two years ago, the EU’s Copyright Directive was intended to foist more responsibility on online platforms, forcing them to share profits with publishers as well as bear liability for copyright infringement online. The Parliament’s decision was said to have been lauded by copyright holders. However, dissenting lawmakers may still force a vote at the general assembly next month.   Source: Reuters

EU Copyright Directive Draws Criticisms from Internet Luminaries, Lawmakers

EU Copyright Directive Draws Criticisms from Internet Luminaries, Lawmakers

By Intellectual Property, News 0 comments

Several lawmakers and key figures in the tech industry voiced their criticisms this week against Europe’s copyright reforms which may compel companies such as Google and Microsoft to pay publishers and take on liability for internet content. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said that mandatory upload filters could become the basis for further invasive monitoring of all internet content, while new types of exclusive rights may discourage people from sharing content online. Wales, along with World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, net neutrality expert Tim Wu and internet pioneer Vint Cerf had already written a letter to Parliament president Antonio Tajani […]

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