I’m in Malaysia for a WIPO seminar on the software industry (note to self: in the future, stay away from water and ice). Yesterday there was an interesting session on the gaming industry in the Asian region. The representative from the Japanese software industry gave statistics on the subscription-based online Read more
I was surprised to find this story on the front page of Saturday’s Guardian because it shows the growing importance of copyright questions in the mainstream press. However, I was less impressed with the article’s content. The headline tells us that “Polish priests threatened with jail for plagiarising sermons”. Quite Read more
Meet a typical level 70 human mage (name and server omitted to protect the innocent). He has reached highest level, so what is he to do next? Embark on the endless pursuit of better gear and epic mounts! But he cannot compete with those kids that spend all day in Read more
I have been following with interest the ongoing litigation between one Joanne Kathleen Rowling and Steven Vander Ark (a Rowlingian name if I ever saw one), the maker of the Harry Potter Lexicon, but until now I have been silent as the intricacies of American Fair Use are as much Read more
Ars Technica has an interesting story on the continuing growth of BitTorrent traffic, yet the head of anti-piracy operations at the MPAA says that things are getting better. The problem for those figthing BitTorrent traffic is that sites are one Google search away, regardless of which tracker site you prefer. Read more
(via Out-Law). The Music Business Group, which brings together all of the collective music industry associations, has issued its Response to UK IPO consultation on copyright exceptions. Just when you think that the music industry cannot sink any lower, they go and surprise you with documents like these. Amongst the Read more
The April 2008 issue of SCRIPTed is now live. This issue is filled with excellent material. There are some very relevant and timely articles on the P2P debate, and also on the German Constitutional Court decision with regards to Trojans. Another very intriguing article about trade marks and the No Read more
(via Philippe Aigrain) There has been a bit of an overload on the three-strikes proposals these last few weeks, but I think that this is really important. The European Parliament voted last Wednesday on report A6-0063/2008 on Cultural industries in Europe. The report originally looked the the average pro-copyright industry Read more
Much virtual ink has been spent discussing the latest attempt to shift liability for illegal file-sharing back to the intermediaries. UK ISPs are said to be in negotiation with the British Phonographic Industry in order to turn them into enforcers. ISPs are supposed to disconnect illegal file-sharers after other disciplinary Read more