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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Workshop on Commons Theory for Young Scholars
By Stefan Bechtold • November 22, 2006 at 2:28 pm
In May 2007, the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, in collaboration with Stanford's Center for Internet and Society, will hold a "Workshop on Commons Theory for Young Scholars". Larry Lessig and Tim Wu will provide feedback to presentations by young scholars (doctoral students, post-docs and assistant professors). Read more » about Workshop on Commons Theory for Young Scholars
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Victory in Anti-Circumvention Proceedings
By Jennifer Granick • November 22, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Today, the Copyright Office issued new rules allowing people to circumvent technological protection measures on their cell phones in order to be able to switch carriers and use the phone on a different network.
Background: Read more » about Victory in Anti-Circumvention Proceedings
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Lessig to Argue Kahle Case
By Lauren Gelman • November 7, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Lessig will argue at the Appeal in Kahle v. Ashcroft at 9AM November 13, 2006. A post by the Plaintiff Brewster Kahle. Read more » about Lessig to Argue Kahle Case
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Golan v. Gonzales Briefed And Argued In Tenth Circuit
By Anthony Falzone • September 4, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Golan v. Gonzales has been briefed and argued in the Tenth Circuit, and we are awaiting a decision. Government's brief is here. Read more » about Golan v. Gonzales Briefed And Argued In Tenth Circuit
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Golan v. Holder - Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to Amend Complaint
Author(s):Colette VogeleLawrence LessigPublication Date:July 20, 2004Publication Type:Litigation Brief -
Golan v. Holder - Second Amended Complaint
Author(s):Colette VogeleLawrence LessigPublication Date:July 20, 2004Publication Type:Litigation Brief -
Golan v. Holder - Plaintiffs' Rule 56(f) Motion for Discovery
Author(s):Colette VogeleLawrence LessigPublication Date:July 12, 2004Publication Type:Litigation Brief -
Kahle v. Gonzales - Government's Motion to Dismiss
Publication Date:June 23, 2004Publication Type:Litigation BriefThe Government's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint in the District Court. Read more » about Kahle v. Gonzales - Government's Motion to Dismiss
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Murphy v. Millennium Radio Group, LLC, Craig Carton and Ray Rossi
We filed an amicus brief in the Third Circuit on behalf of Brave New Films urging affirmance of the district court’s finding of fair use and rejection of plaintiff’s DMCA claims. Read more » about Murphy v. Millennium Radio Group, LLC, Craig Carton and Ray Rossi
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Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens and NFL, et al.
We filed an amicus brief in the Fourth Circuit in support of the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL urging the Fourth Circuit to grant rehearing or rehearing en banc, after a divided panel ruled that the Raven’s incidental use of a copyrighted logo in historical game films was not a fair use. Read more » about Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens and NFL, et al.
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Aguiar v. Webb
We defended a documentary filmmaker who was sued for copyright infringement for clips appearing in his documentary about Count Dante, an enigmatic, Chicago martial arts legend. Read more » about Aguiar v. Webb
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Vargas v. BT
We successfully defended Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, and songwriter, Brain Transeau’s (better known by his stage name, BT), against spurious copyright infringement claims. Read more » about Vargas v. BT
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The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation
Date published:January 9, 2013"The justification for creating temporary monopolies through patents and copyrights is that they encourage creative activity that would not otherwise take place. But Raustiala and Sprigman argue that imitation -- which music labels and movie studios often consider theft -- frequently stimulates creativity rather than discouraging it." Read more » about The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation
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Microsoft, Nokia, Black Rain: Intellectual Property
Date published:December 25, 2012The Electronic Frontier Foundation hired Daniel Nazer as a staff attorney, the San Francisco-based digital rights advocacy group said in a statement. Read more » about Microsoft, Nokia, Black Rain: Intellectual Property
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Is That A Budweiser In Your Hand?: Product Placement, Booze, And Denzel Washington
Date published:November 27, 2012""It's not something you're legally required to do," says Daniel Nazer, a resident fellow at Stanford Law School's Fair Use Project. "There's a big distinction between the culture of the content industry and the law."" Read more » about Is That A Budweiser In Your Hand?: Product Placement, Booze, And Denzel Washington
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Famed quotation isn't dead -- and could even prove costly
Date published:November 6, 2012"Fair use is a "very gray area," says Julie Ahrens, who runs the Fair Use Project at Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society. "There are lots of things that are not clear."" Read more » about Famed quotation isn't dead -- and could even prove costly
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CIS Introduction Meeting (Past Event)
September 28, 2009Stanford Law SchoolCome and meet the staff of CIS! Be introduced to our Documentary Film Program and Consumer Privacy Project.
Learn how to get involved with the Center for Internet and Society. Hear about the classes we are teaching and opportunities for students to work with us. Highlights include: Shepard Fairey v. The AP, WhatApp.org. Read more » about CIS Introduction Meeting
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6/12: Sixth Annual E-Commerce Best Practices Conference (Past Event)
June 12, 2009Stanford Law SchoolFor more information and to register please visit:
http://lst.stanford.edu/best_practices Read more » about 6/12: Sixth Annual E-Commerce Best Practices Conference -
5/14 & 5/15: Legal Frontiers in Digital Media (Past Event)
May 14, 2009Stanford Law SchoolPlease register at: http://publishingcourses.stanford.edu/legal-frontiers/
A joint conference of:
• Media Law Resource Center
• Stanford Publishing Courses
• Stanford Law School Center for Internet & SocietyA conference on emerging legal issues
surrounding digital publishing and content distribution Read more » about 5/14 & 5/15: Legal Frontiers in Digital Media -
5/11-5/13: 3rd Annual Tech Policy Summit (Past Event)
May 11, 2009Stanford Law SchoolTech Policy Summit is the only executive conference of its kind that brings together prominent leaders from the private and public sectors to examine critical policy issues impacting technology innovation and adoption in the United States and beyond.
<a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" http:="" events.techpolicycentral.com="" tps="" register.php"="">Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Tech Policy Summit, which will be held May 11-13, 2009 at the San Mateo Marriott hotel in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more » about 5/11-5/13: 3rd Annual Tech Policy Summit
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First Amendment Architecture - STLR Symposium 2012 - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age (Video)
February 29, 2012
STLR Symposium 2012 - Co-Hosted by the Center for Internet and Society
February 10, 2012 -
Taking Forgetting Seriously - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital (Video)
February 28, 2012
STLR Symposium 2012 - Co-Hosted by the Center for Internet and Society Read more » about Taking Forgetting Seriously - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital (Video)
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First Amendment Architecture - STLR Symposium 2012 - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age (Audio)
February 28, 2012
STLR Symposium 2012 - Co-Hosted by the Center for Internet and Society
February 10, 2012 -
Taking Forgetting Seriously - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age (Audio)
February 28, 2012
STLR Symposium 2012 - Co-Hosted by the Center for Internet and Society Read more » about Taking Forgetting Seriously - 2012 STLR Symposium - First Amendment Challenges in the Digital Age (Audio)