The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School is a leader in the study of the law and policy around the Internet and other emerging technologies.
Copyright and Fair Use
A healthy copyright system must balance the need to provide strong economic incentives through exclusive rights with the need to protect important public interests like free speech and expression. Fair use is foundational to that balance. It's role is to prevent copyright from stifling the creativity it is supposed to foster, and from imposing other burdens that would inhibit rather than promote the creation and spread of knowledge and learning.
The Fair Use Project (FUP) was founded in 2006 to provide legal support to a range of projects designed to clarify, and extend, the boundaries of fair use in order to enhance creative freedom and protect important public rights. It is the only organization in the country dedicated specifically to providing free and comprehensive legal representation to authors, filmmakers, artists, musicians and other content creators who face unmerited copyright claims, or other improper restrictions on their expressive interests. The FUP has litigated important cases across the country, and in the Supreme Court of the United States, and worked with scores of filmmakers and other content creators to secure the unimpeded release of their work.
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Non-Residential Fellow
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Brett Frischmann
Affiliate ScholarBrett Frischmann’s expertise is in intellectual property and internet law. After clerking for the Honorable Fred I. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and practicing at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, DC, he joined the Loyola University Chicago law faculty in 2002. He has held visiting appointments at Cornell and Fordham. Read more » about Brett Frischmann
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Lauren Gelman
Non-Residential FellowLauren is an experienced attorney, frequent speaker and start-up advisor who has worked in the field of Internet law and policy since 1995. She is the founder of BlurryEdge Strategies, a legal and strategy consulting firm located in San Francisco that advises technology companies and investors on cutting-edge legal issues. Lauren previously led the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and taught at the Law School and the Department of Engineering. Read more » about Lauren Gelman
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Jennifer Granick
Director of Civil LibertiesJennifer Granick is the Director of Civil Liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. Jennifer returns to Stanford after stints as General Counsel of entertainment company Worldstar Hip Hop and as counsel with the internet boutique firm of Zwillgen PLLC. Before that, she was the Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Jennifer practices, speaks and writes about computer crime and security, electronic surveillance, consumer privacy, data protection, copyright, trademark and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Read more » about Jennifer Granick
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Published Works
By Elizabeth Townsend Gard • September 24, 2004 at 10:34 am
Published Works
Legal and Policy Responses to the Disappearing "Teacher Exception" or Copyright Ownership in the 21st Century University, 4 MINN. INTELL. PROP. REV. 209 (2003) (available at mipr.umn.edu/archive/v4n2/townsend.pdf)
This article expores the historical changes in the presumption that teacher's own their copyrighted materials. It also gives specific suggestions on how teachers can retain copyright, if that is something they are concerned about. Read more » about Published Works
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Inside Digital Media - digital music issues
By Yuko Noguchi • April 3, 2004 at 11:16 pm
Regarding digital music issues, there is a website with a series of very good audio interviews, called Inside Digital Media. It includes interviews with people from RIAA, Apple regarding iTune and iPod, MusicMatch, Microsoft, among others. Read more » about Inside Digital Media - digital music issues
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Digital Hollywood conference
By Yuko Noguchi • April 3, 2004 at 3:16 am
3月29日から31日にかけて、Digital Hollywoodというカンファレンスに出席してきました。ハリウッドのお膝元で開催されるだけあって、映画・音楽・放送などの関係者、技術サイドの関係者などが集まり、パネルで意見交換をすると共に、新しい技術やビジネスの話題で盛り上がるなど、なかなか楽しく、かつ勉強になるイベントです。 実は、昨年も出席したのですが、今年、印象的だったのは、音楽業界の人たちが、オンラインビジネス成功1周年、を大きく掲げていたことです。AppleのiTuneが米国で本格的に立ち上がったのが2003年4月、その後今までに5000万曲がダウンロードされたと報告されています。 Read more » about Digital Hollywood conference
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Prof. Nakayama's article
By Yuko Noguchi • March 11, 2004 at 1:22 pm
中山教授が、8日の記事で、知的財産国家戦略の議論が、結論を急ぎすぎており、学会や消費者の意見をも考慮した充分な検討を欠いていると指摘されています。
権利の創設や制度改革などは、一度行うともとに戻すのは至難の業です。改革することは素晴らしいことですが、きちんとした議論のうえ、バランスのとれた制度を、という中山教授のご意見は非常に重要だと思います。 Read more » about Prof. Nakayama's article
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Golan v. Holder - Google, Inc. Supreme Court Amicus Brief in support of Golan
Publication Date:June 21, 2011Publication Type:Litigation Brief -
Golan v. Holder - ACLU Supreme Court Amicus Brief in support of Golan
Publication Date:June 21, 2011Publication Type:Litigation BriefAmerican Civil Liberties Union Supreme Court amicus brief in support of Petitioners. Read more » about Golan v. Holder - ACLU Supreme Court Amicus Brief in support of Golan
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Golan v. Holder - Public Domain Interests' Supreme Court Amicus Brief in support of Golan
Author(s):Jennifer UrbanPublication Date:June 21, 2011Publication Type:Litigation Brief -
Golan v. Holder - The Conductors Guild and The Music Library Association's Supreme Court Amicus Brief in support of Golan
Publication Date:June 20, 2011Publication Type:Litigation Brief
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Fairey v. The Associated Press
We represented visual artist Shepard Fairey in connection with the AP’s claim that his iconic “Hope” poster in support of President Obama’s campaign infringes the AP’s copyrights. We represented Fairey because we believe his artistic transformation of a news photograph to convey a political message fell within the protection of the fair use doctrine and presented an important example of why fair use is essential for free expression. Read more » about Fairey v. The Associated Press
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Shloss v. Estate of Joyce
After the Estate of James Joyce refused to allow a scholar to quote Joyce in her book, we successfully defended her right under the fair use doctrine to use the quotes she needed to illustrate her scholarship. After we prevailed in the case, the Estate paid $240,000 of our client’s legal fees. Read more » about Shloss v. Estate of Joyce
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Brave New Films v. Savage
After Original Talk Radio Network, the nationwide distributor of Michael Savage’s radio show, issued a takedown notice against a video critical of Savage’s portrayal of Muslims, we filed a lawsuit that convinced the company to withdraw its objections to our client’s film. Read more » about Brave New Films v. Savage
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Salinger v. Colting, et al.
We filed an amicus brief on behalf of a group of library associations and others asking the Second Circuit to reverse a lower court’s injunction of the publication of 60 Years Later: Coming through the Rye an unauthorized story based on J.D. Salinger’s in Catcher In The Rye. Read more » about Salinger v. Colting, et al.
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Can You Trademark Your Pot?
Date published:August 27, 2012Kal Raustiala and Chris Sprigman, continuing their excellent blogging (soon to be in book form) about markets succeeding in absence of intellectual property, have taken a look at the question of whether or not different brands of marijuana can be covered by trademark. With the increasing legality of medical marijuana, it's not uncommon for different strands to get their own brands. However, as the two note, plant varieties cannot be trademarked, but you can build a brand on top of one. Read more » about Can You Trademark Your Pot?
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Copyright Vs. Creativity
Date published:August 24, 2012 -
Publicity rights up in the air
Date published:July 23, 2012The current crop of cases are an important opportunity for an appellate standard, said Julie Ahrens, an attorney and associate director of the Fair Use Project at Stanford Law School. Ahrens filed an amicus brief supporting Electronic Arts in the Hart case on behalf of three nonprofit organizations, including the Digital Media Law Project, and 10 individual law professors. "We're looking for a clear, predictable rule that limits the application of publicity rights and protects free speech rights," Ahrens said.
Read the full story at the original publication link below. Read more » about Publicity rights up in the air
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Christopher Sprigman on creativity without copyright
Date published:July 17, 2012
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Intellectual Property and Individual Liberty: Friends or Foes (Past Event)
March 8, 2012Stanford Law SchoolHosted by the Federalist Society. More info about this event.
Anthony Falzone and Mark Schultz will debate whether significant developments in U.S. copyright law work to protect or violate individual freedom. Professor Paul Goldstein will moderate. Mr. Flazone is the Executive Director of the Fair Use Project with SLS's Center for Internet and Society. Mr. Schultz is a professor of law at Southern Illinois University School of Law, and his research focuses on the intersection of copyright and social norms.
Read more » about Intellectual Property and Individual Liberty: Friends or Foes
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Copyright and the Public Domain After Golan (Past Event)
March 1, 2012Live WebinarGolan v. Holder involves a challenge to the constitutionality of the 1994 Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), which restored copyright in foreign works previously in the public domain under U.S. copyright law. The plaintiffs in the case have challenged the URAA as contravening both the "limited times" requirement and the First Amendment. In October 2011, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case and is expected to issue a ruling before June 2012. Read more » about Copyright and the Public Domain After Golan
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CIS Speakers Series - Sonia Katyal (Past Event)
February 23, 2012Stanford Law SchoolRSVP for this free event today.
Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity Read more » about CIS Speakers Series - Sonia Katyal
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Stanford Technology Law Review Symposium 2012 - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age (Past Event)
February 10, 2012Stanford Law SchoolThe Symposium, co-sponsored by Stanford’s Center for Internet and Society, took place on Friday, February 10, 2012. Scholars and noted practitioners from across the country joined STLR to discuss current and emerging issues in First Amendment law and the Internet. Read more » about Stanford Technology Law Review Symposium 2012 - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age
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Julie Cohen - Hearsay Culture - Show #159 - KZSU-FM
March 16, 2012
A talk show on KZSU-FM, Stanford, 90.1 FM, hosted by CIS Affiliate Scholar David S. Levine. The show includes guests and focuses on the intersection of technology and society. How is our world impacted by the great technological changes taking place? Each week, a different sphere is explored. This week, David interviews Prof. Julie Cohen of Georgetown Law, author of the book Configuring the Networked Self. For more information, please go to http://hearsayculture.com. Read more » about Julie Cohen - Hearsay Culture - Show #159 - KZSU-FM
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Sonia Katyal - Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity (Audio)
March 7, 2012
Stanford Center for Internet and Society Speakers Series Talk - Read more » about Sonia Katyal - Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity (Audio)
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Sonia Katyal - Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity (Video)
March 7, 2012
In her talk, based on her forthcoming book from Yale Press, Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity, Sonia Katyal will discuss the intersection of art, commercial speech, and trademark law within the First Amendment, and will show how the law has shifted in response to the constitutional challenges the branding movement has created. In her talk, Katyal will focus on the "antibranding" movement in popular art and culture, which she defines to include the expressive activities of artists and activists who direct their energies towards challenging corporate branding. The greatest threat to cultural and artistic freedom, she argues, stems not from the pervasive power of the government, but instead from the powerful reach of corporate branding over artistic and consumer response. Read more » about Sonia Katyal - Contrabrand: Art, Advertising and Property in the Age of Corporate Identity (Video)
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PROTECT IP/SOPA - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendent Challenges in the Digital Age (Audio)
March 1, 2012
STLR Symposium 2012 - Co-Hosted by the Center for Internet and Society Read more » about PROTECT IP/SOPA - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendent Challenges in the Digital Age (Audio)