The battle over the European Union’s Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was thought to be all over but the shouting. The final text of the directive was adopted by the European Parliament last year and the deadline for member countries to implement the directive in their local laws was set for June, 2021. All that was left was to figure out how member state legislatures, rights owners and digital platform providers would give it practical effect.
Rights
TikTok Received 10,625 Copyright Takedown Notices In H1 2020
The company released its latest transparency report with numbers for takedown notices. Over 104.5 million videos were removed from the platform in the first six months of 2020. TikTok also received 1,800 legal requests and 10,625 copyright takedown notices. TikTok says it removed content in 89.6% of those cases in which it received a takedown notice.
Source: TikTok Received 10,625 Copyright Takedown Notices In H1 2020
A Supreme Court Without RBG May Impact Hollywood’s Grip on Intellectual Property
On Oct. 7, the U.S. Supreme Court holds an oral argument in Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc., the most important copyright case in decades. It’ll now happen without the high court’s most fervently pro-copyright voice. More often than not, when a big ruling on the subject was on the table, it was she who carried the big pen.
Source: A Supreme Court Without RBG May Impact Hollywood’s Grip on Intellectual Property
Digital conference for Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union to explore copyright
As technology develops, and borders dissipate in the digital environment, the policy landscape changes to open up new opportunities. The implementation of the Copyright in the Digital Single Market (CDSM) Directive holds many promises for the digital cultural heritage sector. Decision-makers, practitioners, rights holders and others have a role in making them a reality.
Facebook’s new Rights Manager tool lets creators protect their photos
Facebook today is introducing a new tool that will allow rights holders to protect and manage their photos across both Facebook and Instagram. With the newly launched “Rights Manager for Images,” Facebook is offering creators and publishers access to content matching technology similar to what it introduced in 2016 to combat stolen videos.
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Rights Dispute With StudioCanal
This is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest have got a deal that could potentially revive the franchise. On Friday, attorneys for the group as well as Vivendi and its StudioCanal division told a California federal court that they had finally achieved settlement.
Source: ‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Rights Dispute With StudioCanal
USPTO Veteran Shira Perlmutter Named Register of Copyrights
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the appointment of Shira Perlmutter, a veteran policy expert at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as the 14th U.S. register of copyrights. Perlmutter will assume her role sometime in late October, at which time Maria Strong, who has served as acting register since January 2020, will return to her role as associate register of copyrights for policy and international affairs.
Source: USPTO Veteran Shira Perlmutter Named Register of Copyrights
Frankfurter Buchmesse Announces WIPO Partnership on Intellectual Property
In a statement today (September 17), Frankfurter Buchmesse and WIPO are announcing a new partnership “to put intellectual property and the creative industries on the global agenda.” Many in the world publishing industry are sure to recognize that this is one of the most logical collaborative arrangements that might arise in an era in which the digital dynamic is generating new challenges to legacy patterns of content protection and availability.
Source: Frankfurter Buchmesse Announces WIPO Partnership on Intellectual Property
Australia to amend law making Facebook, Google pay for news
The author of proposed Australian laws to make Facebook and Google pay for journalism said Thursday his draft legislation will be altered to allay some of the digital giants’ concerns, but remain fundamentally unchanged. Australia’s fair trade regulator Rod Sims, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said he would give his final draft of the laws by early October.
Source: Australia to amend law making Facebook, Google pay for news
EU civil society says Commission’s copyright guidance violates ‘fundamental rights’
A backlash has arisen from those in the civil rights community who feel that Article 17 of the directive, designed to ensure that platforms would no longer make copyright-infringing work available online, breaches fundamental rights. In particular, the contingent took aim on Monday (14 September) at the proposed use of automated content-blocking technologies in the detection of copyright-infringing material online.
Source: EU civil society says Commission’s copyright guidance violates ‘fundamental rights’