Category: Intellectual Property

DMCA and Instant Messaging Patent

A couple of interesting developments in the IP space today: Russian Company Acquitted of Digital Piracy. In the first test of digital piracy law, a jury acquitted a Russian company accused of selling software that allowed users to circumvent security features in an electronic book. By Matt Richtel. [New York Times: Technology] Patent creates IM […]

RIAA doesn’t get it, but O’Reilly does

Last night, I read Tim O’Reilly’s superb article on “piracy” and the evolution of online distribution. Brilliant. Especially apropos was O’Reilly’s comparison of Internet access to television: most of use don’t use “free” TV from the airwaves, but instead get cable or satellite. And many people with subscriptions to TV services pay extra for premium […]

Online music still not ready for prime-time

In CNET News.com today: Liquid Audio to evaporate. The company’s board of directors votes unanimously to dissolve the company and distribute its cash reserves to shareholders. Pretty pathetic. Liquid was one of the very first innovators to attempt to make a legal online music system in the Napster age. The fact that they’ve gone out […]

Dmitry’s DMCA case begins

An important test for the DMCA begins this week. Acording to Wired News, Opening arguments begin Tuesday in the copyright infringement case against the Russian coding firm, a trial expected to test the limits of federal copyright law. Programmer Dmitri Sklyarov will be on hand to testify for both the prosecution and the defense. I’m […]