Re:Create Applauds Marrakesh Treaty To Improve Access To Published Works For Disabled. On Feb. 10, President Obama sent the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled to the Senate for ratification. In response to the treaty, which focuses on copyright exceptions to improve access to books and other published material, the Re:Create Coalition issued a statement in support of the treaty and encouraged the Senate to ratify the agreement.
Filmmakers Document Need To Reform Copyright Office Exemption Process. As the Copyright Office solicits comments from stakeholders on Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), documentarian Gordon Quinn joined with Public Knowledge fellow Courtney Duffy to pen the Feb. 14 Motherboard op-ed The DMCA is Broken for Filmmakers Like Me. The piece argues that the “outdated and cumbersome exemption process” must be reformed by Congress in order to “empower creators to create, to find inspiration in existing works and build upon them, which enriches the cultural ecosystem at large.”
Massive Fanbase Support Leads To Deadpool Box Office Success. Techdirt’s Tim Cushing describes the backstory behind how, after years of delays due to complicated licensing deals, Deadpool was finally produced, earning a record box office opening. Cushing explains in the Feb. 16 article Without Copyright Infringement, Deadpool Doesn’t Get Made how 20th Century Fox only committed to production after leaked test footage resulted in “mobilizing a fan base that is now making good on its promise to support the movie.”
U.S. Weighs In On European Union’s Digital Ambitions. European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker recently announced the European Union’s (EU) effort to establish a Digital Single Market aimed to unify all of the EU member countries in updating their policies to reflect the digital age. In a Medium blog post, the Re:Create Coalition wrote, “It’s important the European Union take into consideration the unintended consequences of harmful regulations, such as take down and stay down. We call on the EU to focus on how to foster a thriving creative economy above all else.” Evan Engstrom, Executive Director of Engine, also had a post that said, in part, “The EC’s approach to platform regulation isn’t just a problem for online intermediaries; it poses a threat to the Internet ecosystem as a whole.”
How Will Copyright Lawyers Handle The Youngest Of 3D Printers? 3D printing technology is benefitting another group in society – children – by fostering creativity at an early age. In Mattel unveils ThingMaker, a 3D printer for kids, CBS News reports on the unveiling of the toymaker’s new 3D printer for kids, which enables them to create everything from dolls to action figure robots to jewelry. According to Mattel Senior Director Aslan Appleman: “In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever for families to transcend the digital world and make their ideas real.”
International Fanworks Day A Success. In celebration of International Fanworks Day on February 14, the Organization For Transformative Works hosted contests for readers such as “Lyrics Round Robin for ‘Hey Jude’ fandom-style.” In a thank you blog post, Claudia Rebaza highlights some of the best entries and coverage International Fanworks Day received.
MPAA Circumvents Government, Threatens Fair Use. There are growing concerns over the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) deal with Donuts, a large internet domain registry that establishes the MPAA as a “trusted notifier” for reporting copyright infringing websites. Although the agreement has limitations, many are concerned this will lead to a website losing its domain or having its website co-opted without proper due process. In MPAA May Like Donuts, but They Shouldn’t Be the (Copyright) Police, Mitch Stoltz of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) explains the concerns. “Taking away a website’s domain name means interrupting all of the speech that takes place on that site. It creates a much greater danger of censorship than suppressing individual pages or files…That’s why domain registries and registrars shouldn’t take part in policing the contents of websites and services.”