Intellectual Property Law

minilinks for 2009-02-24

By hugh

• EU Parliament Approves 70 Year Copyright for Recordings
  Sound recordings would be copyrighted for 70 years under a new proposal passed by the parliament -- not the 95 years that had been sought -- but the Council of Ministers have yet to agree.
  
• Dude, Where's My Downloadable Movie Service?
  The technology exists, the demand exists. So why aren't most movies available for instant download for a monthly fee? Slate explains the issue.
• Why Open Source is More Secure
  Sun Federal COO Bill Vass explains why organizations that require security are turning to open source operating systems.
• The Best Open Government Programs
  A contest by Sunlight Labs brought in a whole host of great programs designed to help the public keep government accountable.
  
• Congress Examining Privacy Practices
  A House subcommittee is holding hearings on behavioral advertising, as lawmakers consider legislation that would limit the ads and establish privacy protections.
  
• DVD Copying Case Focuses on 'Fair Use'
  The MPAA told a federal judge that consumers have no fair use right to copy their DVDs.
  
• Everyone Hates DRM
  A podcast from UCLA Law School Professor Dough Lichtman takes a look at why DRM is such a reviled technology, with input from several EFF voices.
  
• Copyright Lobby Targets "Pirate Bay for Textbooks"
  Finnish online book rental service Bookabooka is getting heat for helping students rent textbooks to their peers.
  
• Swedish Study Finds 86% Would Pay For Legal P2P
  Yet another study showing the public is ready to pay for the right to use P2P software legally to download movies and music.
  

Full post as published by Electronic Freedom Foundation - Deep Links on April 24, 2009 (boomark / email).