Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
Charitable Retransmission?
Hey everyone, I came across this article today and I found it interesting after just covering the section on s.31(2) and Bell Canada v 1325030 Ontario https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/locast-copyright-1235007484/ Locast was a video streaming service directed at “cord cutters.” Locast advertised itself as a non-profit organization that provided users with online access to broadcast television stations. CBS, […]
Olivia Rodrigo vs Paramore
Most of you are likely familiar with this already, but I just wanted to share an interesting and fairly recent music-industry copyright issue that arose between the singer Olivia Rodrigo and the band Paramore. The songs at issue here are Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” and Paramore’s “Misery Business.” I’ve hyperlinked the songs on YouTube. After […]
Bad Art Friend and Copyright
Hey all, If you spend a bad amount of time on Twitter like I do I’m sure you’ve seen the buzz about Bad Art Friend, a piece in the NYT Mag about a very convoluted and petty feud between two authors. One of the main points of contention in the article is an allegation of […]
Shift in Power Dynamics in Relation to IP in the Entertainment Industry
Hi everyone! I just came across an interesting IP-related article that I thought I’d share. Essentially, it is about how writer and actress Michaela Cole turned down a $1 million Netflix deal because they wouldn’t allow her to retain any of the copyright. Mind you, Cole was only asking for 5% of her copyright (at […]
Presentation: Fluid Trademarks
Hi Everyone! I would like to share my presentation on Fluid Trademarks with all of you. Fluid trademarks are marks that change over time (think Google Doodle). They are an increasingly prevalent branding strategy in the digital age, but due to their changing nature it is very difficult to shoehorn fluid marks into existing IP regimes. […]
![[Presentation] Taylor Swift and Copyright/Moral Rights](https://iplaw.allard.ubc.ca/files/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-09-13-at-10.45.24-PM-360x202.png)
[Presentation] Taylor Swift and Copyright/Moral Rights
Hi everyone, I decided to do my presentation on Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her first 6 albums. She just released her version of her album Fearless a couple of weeks ago. I was curious how she was able to re-release her old songs if someone else owned them – if you’re curious as well, check […]
UK Copyright Lawsuit on the Bitcoin White Paper
I came across this interesting article on a copyright infringement lawsuit, where an Australian man is suing bitcoin.org for displaying a copy of the bitcoin white paper (which outlines the idea behind bitcoin) on its website. It is essentially a fight over proving authorship of the bitcoin white paper, and it made me think of […]
Copyright Infringement Showdown: The Fair Use Doctrine
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/copyright-infringement-showdown-the-4536885/ Hey everyone. Found this interesting article discussing fair use in the United States and how the doctrine has been used over time. I think it is interesting to compare this with our “fair dealing doctrine”. Although both are meant to achieve a somewhat similar purpose, there are several differences. The four factors of […]
“The world is desperate for more Covid vaccines – patents shouldn’t get in the way” (op-ed in The Guardian)
Hi Everyone, I came across this op-ed in The Guardian about the patent restrictions on Covid vaccines that I thought was very timely. Amongst the obvious concerns that vaccine patents are getting in the way of manufacturing the needed volume, the author advocates for using “‘compulsory licensing’” to make the pharmaceutical industry allow local manufacturers […]
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Google in copyright fight with Oracle
Hi Everyone, I came across this update in the litigation between Google and Oracle regarding Google’s use of some Oracle code in creation the Android platform. The US Supreme Court has ultimately decided that Google’s use of the code constituted fair use, with the majority noting key factors being that Google “took only what was […]