copyright news stories on Newser

Google 'Violated Copyright' But Dodges $1B-Bullet

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:28:09 CDT

A federal jury in San Francisco has reached an impasse on a key issue in Oracle's copyright-infringement case against Google, handing the database-software company a major setback. Oracle had been seeking up to $1 billion in damages on copyright claims after alleging that Google Inc. built its popular Android mobile...

Courtney Love Gave Up Rights to Kurt's Image for Cash

Rob Quinn — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:41:00 CDT

She lost custody of her daughter, Frances Bean in 2009, and in 2010 Courtney Love gave up custody of the name and likeness of Frances' father Kurt Cobain, according to court documents obtained by The Fix . The documents show that Love surrendered publicity rights for the Nirvana frontman in return...

German Court: No Free Pass for YouTube

Kevin Spak — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:21:05 CDT

Google is responsible for all the copyrighted content its users post on YouTube, a German court ruled today, in a landmark decision that could have massive implications for online content. The court ordered Google to remove all copyrighted clips brought to its attention, rejecting the web giant's argument that it...

Pinterest Reassures Users Over Copyright Concerns

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:38:05 CDT

Pinterest is quickly following up on the copyright concerns that were recently raised by a lawyer and photographer, whose blog post on the potential issues went viral on the social networking site . "Pinterest is a platform for people to share their interests through collections of images, videos, commentary, and links...

Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Using Pinterest

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:45:07 CDT

Pinterest quickly racked up millions of users, all of whom love sharing Internet finds by "pinning" images to the website. But one Pinterest user, who also happens to be a photographer and lawyer, delved into copyright law and the site's terms of use—and discovered that Pinterest protects itself while...

'Eye of the Tiger' Singer Violates Newt Copyright

Rob Quinn — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:30:13 CST

Newt Gingrich's unauthorized use of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" has led to a lawsuit —and now revenge. On the Colbert Report , Survivor frontman Dave Bickler took to the stage and infringed Newt's copyright by singing line after line from Gingrich's most recent book, A Nation Like No Other , to...

'Eye of the Tiger' Guitarist Suing Newt Over Song Use

Rob Quinn — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:00:00 CST

Newt Gingrich is going to have to start playing a different song as he battles his rivals, says Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan. The rocker is suing Gingrich over his use of " Eye of the Tiger" at campaign rallies, Reuters reports. Sullivan co-wrote the 1982 hit, best known as the theme...

Megaupload Founder Hid From Cops in Panic Room

Kevin Spak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:38:05 CST

New Zealand police raided the fortified mansion of Megaupload founder "Kim Dotcom" today, and the arrest did not go smoothly. Police tell the AFP that when they arrived, Dotcom, who is also known as Kim Schmitz, "retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic locking mechanisms," eventually barricading...

Velvet Underground, Warhol Estate Battle Over Banana

Rob Quinn — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:03:00 CST

The Velvet Underground is taking the Warhol Foundation to court over the rights to rock and roll's best-known banana. The surviving members of the band argue that the banana illustration then-manager Andy Warhol created for their massively influential 1967 debut album has become their trademark, and Warhol's estate had no...