Have you ever seen Night of the Flesh Eaters? Probably, though you probably know it as the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. Now ask yourself why have you seen it (besides it being a fun little romp about zombies) – because it has been pervasively shown on broadcast television and other media for … Continue reading »
Feb
23
The Copyright Dilimma for Pinterest
In case you’ve been living under a digital rock, one of the currently hot internet properties is pinterest.com. Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to skim pictures from third-party websites and to post them along with a link back to the original website that the image originally appeared on – sort of … Continue reading »
Feb
14
The Three Second Rule of Copyright
At dinner the other night, a friend mentioned she had recently seen a performance of Broadway songs at a fairly well known theater here in Minneapolis/ St Paul. She mentioned that during the performance the host for the night compared the first seven notes of the iconic Somewhere over the Rainbow to notes played during … Continue reading »
May
16
Copyright Office Requests Comments on Eliminating Compulsary License for Cable Providers
In April the Copyright Office published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comments related to a proposed change to the current method that cable and satellite providers license broadcast television from stations (e.g., local network affiliates). Currently, three sections of the Copyright Act provide a compulsory (statutory) license for these broadcasts, meaning that negotiations … Continue reading »
Apr
29
Copyright Office Calendar
April 29, 2011 April 29, 2011: Copyright Office website and online registration unavailable from 5:00 p.m. through May 2, 2011, at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. May 1, 2011 Effective date of final rule on deposit accounts May 11, 2011 Due date for notices of participation in public meeting on technical aspects of mandatory deposit of … Continue reading »
Feb
24
Copyright Office Extends Deadline for Reply Comments in Inquiry on Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
From the Library of Congress NewNet Issue 412 – February 18, 2011 The Copyright Office is extending the deadline for filing reply comments in response to its Notice of Inquiry requesting public input on the desirability and means of bringing sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, under federal jurisdiction. Reply comments must be received … Continue reading »
Feb
23
I am NOT a Gleek – Glee on Copyright
First off, I am not a “Gleek”; however after watching a recent episode with my family, I got to thinking about what a great illustration about copyright law that the show and the production of the show provides. The first issue that came to mind was – beside the producers of Glee, who is making … Continue reading »
Feb
09
SPNN Workshop: Copyright Myths
When: Sat, March 5, 1pm – 3pm Where: SPNN – 375 Jackson Street, Suite 250 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101 Description: What is a copyright and how does it affect you as a video producer? Kenneth Kunkle of Kunkle Law Office will go over common questions creative people may have concerning copyright issues. Kenneth is a … Continue reading »
Feb
03
New Copyright Rules on Registering Photo Databases
In a nod to the reality that most photographers have gone digital and use databases to store and display their work, the Library of Congress (where the Copyright office is) recently announced an interim rule concerning registration of databases of photographs and group registration of published photographs (previously electronic group registration was limited for unpublished … Continue reading »
Dec
21
Gray Market Goods in Legal Gray Area
In what is perhaps a fitting end to the only copyright case before the Supreme Court during this term, the Court sitting without Justice Kagen issued its first split decision of the term – leaving the issue of “gray-market” goods in a gray area. ‘Gray-market’ goods, or ‘parallel imports,’ are genuine products possessing a brand … Continue reading »