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What does it mean to be in the public domain? Thoughts about the AP licensing scheme.
The AP has begin trying to license content through a payment scheme. Some of the content – as recently demonstrated by James Grimmelmann “purchasing” a Thomas Jefferson quote – is in the public domain. Does the AP have the right to sell/license this public-domain content? What does it mean to be in the public domain?
August 2009 / 3 min.
Can Amazon’s Kindle disrupt the current textbook market?
BizOp News asks the question: “Is the Kindle DX: Amazon’s 9.7” Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation) a disruptive device for the textbook market?”
July 2009 / 2 min.
Applying DRM to the news
The AP wants to apply DRM to the news. It won’t work. I get the frustration on the AP’s part. The world is changing, and they haven’t figured out to prevent that. They can try for legal changes, try DRM, or adapt. Adapting is hardest, but the only way to succeed long term.
July 2009 / 2 min.
Does selling access to court-filed attorney briefs violate copyright law?
California courts are turning over attorney work product to for-fee services like LexisNexis and Westlaw, which then resell them (or merely make them available?) to customers. Does this violate copyright law?
July 2009 / 2 min.
Amazon apologizes for Kindle fiasco
Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com apologizes for the 1984 Kindle fiasco.
July 2009 / 1 min.
Should there be no copyright for academic publications?
Worth reading and considering is a new draft article by Professor Steven Shavell that proposes abolishing copyright on academic works.
July 2009 / 2 min.
Current themes evident in copyright arguments from 100 years ago
From thepublicdomain.org comes this interesting and revealing series of excerpts from the legislative history of the 1909 Copyright Act.
July 2009 / 2 min.
Amazon’s Kindle DRM strikes again
With physical books - or even electronic sales - the “first-sale” doctrine applies, and the seller cannot unilaterly reverse the transaction and take back the item (even if they credit the consumer for the price). Nor can the seller in a traditional sales transaction prevent resale, etc. - which Amazon also prohibits. Will consumers adjust to this new model, or will we rebel and insist on our traditional first-sale rights?
July 2009 / 2 min.
New law journal launches that focuses on open source
There’s a new law journal in town: “The International Free and Open Source Software Law Review (IFOSS L. Rev.) is a collaborative legal publication aiming to increase knowledge and understanding among lawyers about Free and Open Source Software issues. Topics covered include copyright, licence implementation, licence interpretation, software patents, open standards, case law and statutory changes.”
July 2009 / 2 min.
WordPress and the GPL
Any WordPress theme is so entwined with the main WordPress code as to make it a “derivative work,” and thus subject to WordPress’ copyright and licensing (which is the GPL).
July 2009 / 4 min.