How Copyright Law Could Affect Comic-Con And Cosplay. The ongoing Star Athletica, LLC v. Varsity Brands copyright lawsuit over cheerleader uniforms may have implications for cosplayers at Comic-Con, notes JD Supra in the blog post Comic-Con, Costumes and Copyright Concerns. The Copyright Office has previously upheld that clothes and even costumes are not copyrightable due to their utilitarian nature, but the case over cheerleader costume designs could prohibit unauthorized costumes of superheroes and other popular characters for Comic-Con, cosplay events and even Halloween.
German Court Rules Music Copyright Does Not Always Outweigh “Artistic Freedom.” The German Constitutional Court recently ruled that musical “sampling” does not infringe on a musician’s intellectual property rights to preserve “artistic freedom.” BBC News reported in the article Kraftwerk loses German hip-hop copyright case in top court that prohibiting musical sampling would “practically exclude the creation of pieces of music in a particular style.” German Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda told Ars Technica, “The Constitutional Court has carefully examined how copyright works like a double-edged sword for artists. It has positioned itself as a guardian of creativity by permitting the use of works for interpretation, remix and reference in other songs.”
Opinion: Stop California Bill To Copyright Public Records. A column in the San Jose Mercury News advocates against a recently-introduced bill to copyright public records in the state, calling the legislation “a mistake.” Government publications are currently exempted from copyright law. Investigative reporter Thomas Peele questions why state legislators would “want to keep news organizations and other from freely posting public records that show wrongdoing, abuse, corruption, misuse of public funds.”
World’s First 3D-Printed Office Building Completed In Dubai. 3D printers have already contributed to other construction projects, but Dubai announced the completion of the first 3D-printed office building. The Huffington Post writes in A 3D Printer Made This Building–And People Actually Work There that everything, from the furniture to the phone hookups to the electric wires, was developed using a 3D printer. The building took 17 days to print and 2 days to install.
European Commission Releases Online Policy Proposal To Mixed Reviews. Last week, the European Commission published a set of proposals, including the Communication on “Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market Opportunities and Challenges for Europe.” In European Commission Online Platform Proposals Puts Onus on Companies, Jens-Henrik Jeppesen with the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is critical of the Commission’s attitude towards copyright infringement. “[On] copyright and enforcement, judgment must be reserved. The Communication restates the Commission’s view that revenue streams from distribution of online copyrighted content are unfair in some circumstances but does not say how it may seek to address it.”