DRM
DRM-free music sold on Yahoo
(Thanks to León Sánchez Ambía for the link). This is a very interesting new development in the DRM front. Yahoo is selling the new song by Jessica Simpson as an MP3 unencumbered with technical protection measures. This is quite a development, as all the songs sold in iTunes have some Read more…
Conferences
Computer Law Conference programme published
We have published the draft programme for the VI Computer Law World Conference, which will take place from Wednesday 6th – Friday 8th September 2006. The programme is looking extremely good (if I may say so myself), so get going and register as soon as you can! (llamas not included). Read more…
Litigation
Chronicle of a suit foretold
It was inevitable. The popular online video repository YouTube has been sued for copyright infringement by Robert Tur, owner of Los Angeles News Service. Tur seems to be an experienced copyright litigator, and he is asking for $150,000 USD for each infringed work, and also is asking for an injunction Read more…
Litigation
Shakira don’t lie
(via Carolina Botero). Colombian pop superstar Shakira was involved in a brief IP-related scandal with regards to a song from her album Oral Fixation vol.2. The hit song is “Hips Don’t Lie” with Wyclef Jean, in which it is possible to hear a distinctive trumpet tune troughout the song, but Read more…
Creative Commons
Bars in Spain
(Thanks to Paul Keller for picture) Is this the shape of things to come in Spain? In case you do not read Spanish, the image says: “The music that you are listening to is free for public difusion.” By the way, you can also smoke in this bar.
Software patents
European patent policy under review
A couple of noteworthy developments in the European software patent debate. Firstly, the European Commission has criticised the European Patent Office harshly as lacking political accountability. The lack of accountability has allowed the EPO to change policy so that it permits the issuing of software and business methods patents. Secondly, Read more…
Creative Commons
Tom Chance on the iCommons summit
This is a very interesting read from Tom Chance of Remix Reading. I can see that there are going to be a growing number of concerns about how events like the summit are run, organised and handled. He makes some very valid points about the venue and governance. In my Read more…
Conferences
Jet-lagged in Sydney
William Gibson writes in his excellent novel Pattern Recognition that jet-lag happens because your soul is catching-up with you. Mine must be somewhere over Ukraine. The first day of the Unlocking IP conference has finished, and it has been an excellent first day, perhaps with the exception of one paper Read more…