New Hampshire Court: First Amendment Protects Criticism of “Patent Troll”
A New Hampshire state court has dismissed a defamation suit filed by a patent owner unhappy that it had been called a “patent troll.” The court ruled [PDF] that…
Copyright and Fair Use
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Adult film producer Strike 3 Holdings settles copyright infringement case
"Firms such as Strike 3 sending scores of DMCA take-down notices to alleged copyright offenders that threaten them with lawsuits is “a lot of work for ever…
EFF to Supreme Court: Don’t Turn US Patents Into Worldwide Patents
The general rule in patent law is that each country has its own patent system. If you want damages for sales in the United States, you need a U.S. patent. If yo…
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Appeals court revives Oracle's copyright claim against Google
"Annemarie Bridy, a professor of intellectual property at the University of Idaho College of Law, said in an interview the ruling could stifle software inn…
First Amendment and FX Triumph in “Feud” Right of Publicity Case
In a big win for free speech, the California Court of Appeal has rejected Olivia de Havilland’s right of publicity and false light claims against FX. The court’…
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Hecla takes aim at critical film with copyright claim
"“This was a classic case of a documentary commenting on a mine and using some of a promotional video as part of that documentary,” said Daniel Nazer, a st…
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Blockchain -- panacea or bubble?
Blockchain technology is taking the world by storm. From banking to health care, many tout blockchain and the cryptocurrencies it enables as a cure-all. Others…
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A Mixed Result for Cox in the Fourth Circuit
The Fourth Circuit has issued its decision in BMG v. Cox. In case you haven’t been following the ins and outs of the suit, BMG sued Cox in 2014 alleging that th…
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Popularity doesn't equal truth.
Popularity doesn't equal truth. And yet Facebook's recent proposal to rank the trustworthiness of news sources based on popularity is loosely equating t…
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Linking Is Not Copyright Infringement, Boing Boing Tells Court
"“Boing Boing’s reporting and commenting on the Playboy photos is protected by copyright’s fair use doctrine,” EFF Senior Staff Attorney Daniel Nazer says,…
Copyright, The First Wave of Internet Censorship
When someone wants to remove speech from the Internet, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) notice and takedown process can provide the quickest path.…
EFF to Court: Don’t Let Trolls Get Away With Asserting Stupid Software Patents
If trolls don’t face consequences for asserting invalid software patents, then they will continue to shake down productive companies. That is why EFF has filed…