Do you own the software embedded in your mobile phone, car, or robot bartender? According to the software’s copyright holder, probably not. Chances are that software is subject to a licensing agreement that restricts what you may do with it. The same is true for the e-books, movies, and music you buy online. Even though clicking the “Buy Now” button may…

It’s Copyright Week, a series of activities and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of the law, addressing what’s at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation. Today’s topic is “Building and Defending a Robust Public Domain: The public domain is our…

Federal Ruling Marks End To Copyright Monkey Business. A federal judge ruled on January 6 that a monkey who snapped a selfie on a nature photographer’s camera cannot own the copyright to those pictures. In Judge says monkey cannot own copyright to famous selfies, Ars Technica reports the judge told the courtroom, “This is an issue for Congress and the…

Highlights from Re:Create Coalition Members’ Comments on the European Union’s Copyright Consultation WASHINGTON—The European Union (EU) recently solicited feedback from stakeholders in a consultation on the “Regulatory environment for platforms, online intermediaries, data and cloud computing and the collaborative economy” to inform the rulemaking process to establish a Digital Single Market (DSM). The current structure of the EU allows for…

  What do player piano rolls from 100 years ago have to do with modern streaming services? How do musicians get the rights to record a cover song? Why is Spotify getting sued? How is it different from AM/FM radio? What is the future of the music industry? Raza Panjwani answers all of Meredith Whipple’s questions and more in this…

Submitted by Benton Foundation on behalf of Alan Inouye on January 12, 2016 – 5:51amInformation Policy in 2016: Let’s Have Some Optimism Let’s put some of that holiday cheer and a few of our resolutions for the new year to productive use As we welcome the New Year, policy wonks appreciate that as the last year of a second-term president,…

Section 1201 of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) prevents unlocking of digital devices. While Section 1201 was intended to protect copyright, there have been many unintended consequences. The issue that has been at the forefront of the 1201 reform debate is cell phone unlocking. Consumers should be able to choose to switch their mobile phones to a different carrier…

This piece was co-authored by R Street Digital Director Zach Graves.  America’s music-copyright world was shaken up in December when the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) issued its long-awaited rate adjustment for Pandora, a digital Internet radio service. The decision lowered rates paid by its subscription service and increased rates for its ad-supported service – the latter representing the vast majority…

Copyright Office Seeks Comments On Improving Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). On December 31, the U.S. Copyright Office announced its plans to solicit comments on the effectiveness of the DMCA and its “safe harbor” provisions. The Office seeks to understand how section 512’s safe harbors, limitations on liability for online service providers and notice-and-takedown process impact copyright issues. Ars Technica…

In recent weeks, copyright-related controversies involving two Holocaust-era works—The Diary of Anne Frank and Mein Kampf—have received widespread media attention. The fact that these issues are arising now, 70 years after the end of World War II, demonstrates how copyright can be made to serve political ends long after the goal of incentivizing authors is relevant. This past November, The…