Archive
Category: Copyright
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iiNet wins: Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd [2010] FCA 24
Justice Cowdroy of the Federal Court of Australia has just handed down judgment in Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd [2010] FCA 24 (iiNet Case), finding in favour of the respondent. As you’re probably aware, the iiNet Case centres on allegations of copyright infringement in connection with unauthorised downloads of films by iiNet’s subscribers… Read more →
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IIA to educate ISPs on copyright liability after iiNet case
The Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA) has invited internet service providers to attend a briefing on their copyright liability following the conclusion of oral argument in the Village Roadshow v iiNet case — judgment in which is expected early next year. The briefing is designed to answer an interim question raised by the iiNet litigation:… Read more →
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“We’re not copyright police”: iiNet
The iiNet trial continues. During argument yesterday, Cobden SC for iiNet argued that to require internet service providers (ISPs) to forward notices of copyright infringement to their subscribers would impose an unreasonable duty on ISPs to ‘police’ their customers. The issue arises in the context of interpreting the requirements for authorisation liability under ss 36(1A)… Read more →
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Melbourne game pirate convicted of commercial copyright infringement
According to The Age, a fellow University of Melbourne alumnus has been convicted of three counts of commercial copyright infringement and fined $20 000 for running a duplication lab in his parents’ home: Jeffrey Lim, 28, converted the ground floor of his parents’ Doncaster home into a work office that held six hard drives, a… Read more →
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Senator Conroy criticises ongoing iiNet defence
Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, has issued a stinging attack on iiNet’s position in Roadshow Films Pty Ltd & Ors v iiNet Ltd. Speaking at the CommsDay summit in Sydney yesterday, Senator Conroy described iiNet’s defence as something which ‘belongs in a Yes Minister episode’ — ironic, given that… Read more →
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Cisco sued for GPL copyright infringement
The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) has commenced proceedings against Cisco Systems Inc, alleging copyright infringement. The plaintiff argues that Cisco distributed software subject to the General Public License (GPL) without meeting the terms of the popular open source licence. Specifically, FSF alleges that Cisco’s subsidiary Linksys sold networking products containing GPL software without making… Read more →
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Andersen v Monsoon Multimedia Inc: Enforceability of the GPL to be Tested in US Court
The GNU General Public License (‘GPL’) is about to be tested in a United States court. Two developers have brought suit against a company using open source software in its commercial product without disclosing the downstream source code. Their cause of action is copyright infringement — that is, that the defendant’s conduct falls outside the… Read more →
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Criminal Copyright Infringement Sanctions against Simpsons Movie Pirate
According to this press release issued by the Attorney-General’s department on Friday, a search warrant was executed at the premises of a 21-year-old Sydney man, who was arrested on charges of commercial copyright infringement. The accused is alleged to have made a bootleg copy (‘cam’) of The Simpsons Movie with intent to distribute commercially. Curiously,… Read more →
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Survey finds teenagers disrespectful of copyright
This piece is almost Onion-worthy for its obviousness. According to a study conducted by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times, teenagers don’t understand copyright law. This is hardly surprising, given that most politicians — heck, even lawyers — exhibit similar deficiencies: Among teens aged 12 to 17 who were polled, 69 per cent said they… Read more →
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Google Asked to Remove Miro Tribute
From Wendy Seltzer: ‘Searching with Google yesterday, I smiled at its logo, playfully reworked to look like a Joan Miró painting in honor of the Spanish artist’s birthday. His family and Artist’s Rights Society weren’t smiling, the Mercury News reported, asking Google to remove the tribute mid-day. Google honored the request while saying that the… Read more →