2015 - The Copyright Year

2015 - It's been some other busy copyright year! Pre-1972 audio recordings, the copyright inward performances in addition to protecting a 'vibe' inward the USA, equally good equally the fine art of photography inward France, web blocking in Australia, a failed private copying exception inward the Great Britain all featured on the 1709 copyright blog, along with topics such equally the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and the ensuing changes inward countries such equally Canada in addition to New Zealand, in addition to the reform of copyright law, both inward the U.S. in addition to Europe. These, in addition to many to a greater extent than updates, regularly made our headlines - in addition to here's exactly a brief in addition to somewhat personal trace of piece of job organisation human relationship of who said what to whom in addition to why they did. The carve upwards of the 'digital pie' past times the music manufacture was some other recurring theme, equally were culinary recipes in addition to all things food, along with the hot topic of the Definition of  'communication to the public' in addition to what this really agency - which seemed to exit the Court of Justice of the European Union clutching at ever to a greater extent than complicated in addition to ever to a greater extent than mutual feel defying decisions when looking at online linking. Well to the human being on the Clapham omnibus anyway. 

The twelvemonth began with i of those topics that featured on a regular reason throughout 2015: 60s popular band the Turtles' ongoing battle with Sirius XM to acquire paid royalties for the usage of their pre-1972 audio recordings such equally 'Happy Together": In Jan a New York federal approximate largely dismissed Sirius XM’s asking to reconsider her 2014 determination inward favour of members of the band over the payment of royalties for recordings made before 1972. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon attempt to usage copyright laws to block the sale of Omega watches at discounted prices past times Costco volition exactly non piece of job - because of the 'first sale' doctrine' - in addition to that Omega's activity was also a misuse of copyright. In Europe, The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the consent of a copyright holder does non concealment the distribution of an object incorporating a piece of job where that object has been altered after its initial marketing to such an extent that it constitutes a novel reproduction of that piece of job (Case C‑419/13, Art & Allposters International BV v Stichting Pictoright) with Eleonora opining that the determination agency that that at that topographic point is no such affair equally a full general regulation of digital exhaustion nether the InfoSoc Directive. Another thread that ran through to the unopen of the twelvemonth was the harmonisation of copyright inward the European Union: The European Copyright Society (ECS) said inward a missive of the alphabet to the European Commission's digital commissioner Günther Oettinger, that the "actual Union-wide unification of copyright", equally opposed to merely farther harmonising the existing European Union copyright regime, would have got "several major advantages" proverb "While copyright unification may live considered undesirable, or maybe likewise drastic, past times sure stakeholders in addition to national legislatures, this is inward our sentiment the entirely way a fully surgical operation digital unmarried marketplace seat for copyright-based goods in addition to services tin ultimately live achieved. It is inward fact the logical side past times side stair for the European Union legislature to accept inward this field" in addition to "a European copyright constabulary would found a really unified legal framework, replacing the multitude of oftentimes opaque in addition to sometimes conflicting national rules that shortly exists. Mr Oettinger seemingly agreed equally he had previously expressed his preference for "uniform rules" on copyright to apply across the European Union.

released a comprehensive study, “Copyright in addition to the Music Marketplace” detailing the ageing music licensing framework equally good equally the ever-evolving needs of those who practice in addition to invest inward music inward the twenty-first century. In add-on to providing an exhaustive review of the existing system, the study made a number of recommendations that would convey both clarity in addition to relief to songwriters, artists, publishers, tape labels, in addition to digital delivery services. Also inward the USA, Andrus Nomm, a 36 twelvemonth onetime Estonian who lives inward the Netherlands, in addition to i of a modest grouping of ex MegaUpload staffers who are facing extradition to the US for involvement inward the running of the controversial file-transfer company, cannot live the author of a piece of job protected past times copyright: “une personne morale ne peut avoir la qualité d’auteur.” The instance is Cass. Civ. 1ère, No. 13-23566.

believes the determination to live fundamentally wrong: whilst the recordings portion a real similar 'vibe' - the songs are quite unlike - in addition to this instance was all nearly the alleged copying of a song. Grammy winner John Legend was i of many inward the creative industries concerned that the  verdict could laid a worying precedent for artists creating music inspired past times others. Howard E King, The lawyer for Thicke, WIlliams in addition to co-writer rapper TI, said the determination laid a "horrible precedent for music in addition to inventiveness going forward". An appeal followed afterwards inward the year. The IP Court of Venice held that a More Entertainment where the CJEU said that live broadcasts are non communication to Blue Planet inside InfoSoc Directive, but Member States tin protect them: "[The Information Society] [D]irective provides that broadcasting organizations may prohibit the provision to Blue Planet fixations of their broadcasts, so that everyone tin access them from a house in addition to at a fourth dimension chosen individually." 

Revenge porn - the involve to legislate betwixt privacy in addition to copyright? which concluded that whilst it may live useful inward sure circumstances, copyright was non the best tool to protect privacy. Marie-Andrée Weiss added to this with her article Right of Publicity in addition to Freedom of Speech Clash inward Manhattan. 

Jimi Hendrix by Gered Mankowitz

May May May: The calendar month began with the intelligence that the music-sharing service Grooveshark had unopen downwardly after 10 years. A total 11 strong panel ('en banc') of judges of the Ninth Circuit reversed the before (and somewhat controversial) determination of the Appeals Court in Garcia v Google now denying Cindy Garcia whatever copyright inward her acting performance. What's to a greater extent than the courtroom was fairly critical of Judge Alex Kozinski's before decision. In exceptional they were critical of Kozinski's readiness to grant an injunction against Google, despite the fact that this activity appears to have got constituted prior restraint contrary to the First Amendment. Kozinski, who was also i of the 11 en banc panel of judges, did non accept this criticism with a shrug of the shoulders, but instead launched into a robustly worded dissent. Also inward the US, the Obama direction sided against Google in addition to said the U.S. Supreme Court should non remove heed the company's appeal inward a instance against Oracle, inward a instance which had broad implications for the applied scientific discipline industry. The instance involved how far copyright protection could extend to Java programming language.  In a new instance for Sherlock Holmes we reported on yet some other endeavor past times the Estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes detective dramas, to protect the grapheme of Sherlock Holmes, this fourth dimension claiming that the plot of the novel celluloid "Mr Holmes" infringes on the Conan Doyle's brusk story, "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier" published inward 1926 inward Strand magazine. This claim seemed to have got to a greater extent than legs than previous ill judged attempts to protect the characters of Holmes in addition to Watson, equally this instance reflected on similarities betwixt the novel celluloid in addition to the volume it is based on,  "A Slight Trick of the Mind" past times Mitch Cullins, in addition to afterwards (and even so copyrighted) plant past times Conan Doyle. US District Judge Philip Gutierrez sitting inward California allowed a shape activity lawsuit to proceed against satellite-radio fellowship Sirius XM Holdings Inc over the payment of royalties for pre-1972 tracks. The US National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance ruled that a iconic photograph of Jimi Hendrix taken in, with Hendrix 1967 wearing a armed services jacket, holding a cigarette in addition to puffing a cloud of smoke spell looking at photographer Gered Mankowitz, lacked the originality necessary for its protection past times French law, in addition to that “the failure of the description of the characteristic elements of the alleged originality also constitutes a violation of the regulation of defence strength rights.” The TGI hence concluded that Mr. Mankowitz had no intellectual holding rights over the photograph. Marie-Andrée  opined that, equally such, this ruling should give interruption to French IP practitioners defending the rights of a photographer, equally they must at nowadays bear witness why the author chose the unlike elements of a photograph in addition to how these choices reverberate his personality inward such a way that the piece of job is original. However, the instance volition live appealed, in addition to so the debate on what is an master copy work, in addition to how to prove, it is even so ongoing inward France.

Those Turtles

In June inward Australia, Green political party senator Scott Ludlam branded the government’s controversial website blocking nib a "lazy in addition to dangerous" slice of legislation that wouldn’t live happening if the Labor authorities “hadn’t gone completely missing". The Australian Parliament had begun debating the Copyright Amendment (Online infringement) Bill 2015 which would enable rights holders to apply to the Federal Court for an injunction to strength ISPs to block its customers from accessing a website. The legislation was enacted. China's Sword Campaign - the at nowadays annual nationwide special enforcement crackdown on online piracy in addition to copyright infringement - began. The elbow grease is jointly operated past times the National Copyright Administration of Red People's Republic of China (NCAC), Ministry of Industry in addition to Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in addition to Cyberspace Administration of Red People's Republic of China (CAC). In 2015 the elbow grease focussed on music, celluloid in addition to TV, online literature in addition to mobile applications. In London the  British Academy of Songwriters, Composers in addition to Authors (BASCA), the Musicians’ Union (MU) in addition to United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland Music successfully challenged the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland Government's novel exception to copyright for private copying. In BASCA v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation in addition to Skills the High Court agreed the Oct 2014 regulations were unlawful because the determination non to supply fair compensation was based on wholly inadequate evidence.  Whilst the music manufacture welcomed the move, in addition to to this blogger it is sure as shooting a right interpretation of the law, the determination was widely criticised equally beingness merely out of touching with the reality of what consumers really do. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pyrrhic victory at best.  Ongoing European Union copyright reform prompted Andy to ponder on the 'what of those reforms? Following a vote past times the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, the amended version of its study on the implementation of the EU’s 2001 InfoSoc/Copyright Directive went forrad for for a vote a past times the total European Parliament inward July in addition to the revised draft study (amongst other things) called for: an acquit upon assessment inward relation to whatever unmarried European copyright championship proposal;  looking at issues arising from geo-blocking of access to sure content services inside the EU; mandatory adoption of some copyright exceptions in addition to limitations - whilst recognising that some divergence may live justified on the grounds of specific cultural in addition to economical interests; an assessment of proposed novel exceptions to allow (for example) libraries to lend e-books; in addition to text in addition to information mining; in addition to revisiting 'safe harvour' provisions. US satellite broadcaster Sirius XM had a mixed month. SiriusXM won a rare victory inward Florida over its usage of pre-1972 recorded music inward the satellite radio broadcasters' ongoing battle with Flo & Eddie. Judge Darrin Gayles decided to dominion inward favor of SiriusXM's summary judgment motion. The approximate said he understood why his judicial colleagues inward other states had ruled differently, noting that California in addition to New York are creative centres of culture, in addition to laws have got been enacted at that topographic point to protect artistic rights, in addition to at that topographic point have got been prior cases that have got touched upon the nowadays controversy. But Judge Gayle said that "Florida is different"  saying "There is no specific Florida legislation roofing audio recording holding rights, nor is at that topographic point a bevy of instance constabulary interpreting mutual constabulary copyright related to the arts." But that was the lastly of the 'good' news. As the calendar month ended Sirius reached a settlement with the 3 major tape labels  over that long-rumbling pre-1972 copyright dispute inward the US. The recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) claim small town also includes ABKCO – the possessor of classic Rolling Stones copyrights – in addition to the claimants were awarded $210m equally component subdivision of a small town with Sirius. In a statement, Sirius said: “The small town resolves all past times claims equally to our usage of pre-1972 recordings owned or controlled past times the plaintiffs in addition to enables us, without whatever additional payment, to reproduce, perform in addition to broadcast such recordings inward the U.S. of A. of America through Dec 31, 2017.

In July, the calendar month started with what looked similar the makings of a PR disaster for Universal in addition to Prince inward the 'Dancing Toddler' instance - which revolved some a 20 2nd abode moving-picture demo featuring a toddler dancing to Prince's "Lets Go Crazy" which Universal Music forced off YouTube dorsum inward 2007. As the instance reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, US Circuit Judge Milan Smith said somewhat ominously that the concept of fair usage is an integral component subdivision of the linguistic communication of the DMCA, criticising the music fellowship saying: "I struggle with how anyone looking at this from Universal's perspective would incertitude that niggling children playing in addition to dancing some to music past times the creative somebody known equally Prince could view it equally anything other than a fair use." The Estate of the Nazi propaganda government minister Joseph Goebbels won its lawsuit against Random House publishing fellowship over claims that a novel biography past times Peter Longerich, Professor of Modern German linguistic communication History at Royal Holloway College at the University of London, which quoted extensively from Goebbels' diaries, infringed the rights of Goebbel's heirs. Goebbels committed suicide inward May 1945 in addition to his work will acquire inward Blue Planet domain on the 1st Jan 2016. The UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO) released information that showed that the number of United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland consumers accessing digital content through legal download or streaming platforms has risen 10% since 2013 - but that i inward v consumers continued  to access music, movie, TV or gaming goodies from unlicensed sources online. The IPO survey says that 15.6 i K 1000 United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland network users at nowadays access music online, with twelve i K 1000 streaming in addition to 10.5 i K 1000 downloading. Spotify in addition to Amazon were with the most used streaming music platforms inward the UK, but 54% of online music was consumed via YouTube - which whilst a licensed service sure as shooting for songs via its licence with PRS for Music - is non seen equally a primary revenue source past times tape labels in addition to music publishers equally it even so relies on safe harbour provisions to component subdivision - without the involve to obtain licences from tape labels in addition to others. The IPO also launched a consultation on whether the maximum term of imprisonment for online criminal infringement should live raised from the electrical current 2 years to a maximum of 10 years. WWII arrangements live scrapped if the menstruum of protection for copyrighted plant were extended nether the TPP. Like many others, the CopyKat questioned USA's seat inward seeking greater copyright protection in addition to terms, but non seeking to extend the broad protection of U.S. "fair use" to other signatory jurisdictions. In the Blurred Lines case, U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt What is the approach to originality inward French courts?" 

August: And the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) was dorsum inward the intelligence equally the latest leaks revealed a widening disagreement betwixt fellow member nations on the deal’s 'draconian' copyright in addition to intellectual holding (IP) provisions which appears to live a separate betwixt the USA in addition to almost all of the other 11 potential signatories on a number of copyright provisions.  The in addition to so Australian Attorney-General George Brandis commissioned a cost-benefit analysis of proposed digital copyright reform, which volition comprehend an economical analysis into the Australian Law Reform Commissions's (ALRC) recommendation to adopt a flexible fair usage provision inward regards to digital copyright inward Australian law, seemingly equally the the AG was concerned nearly the costs to both rights holders in addition to rights users.  A federal approximate inward Los Angeles told the metropolis of Inglewood that it could non quiet a critic of Mayor James T. Butts Jr. past times asserting copyrights over the official videos of City Council meetings. US District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald's determination made it clear that the the solid reason legislature had severely limited the might of local governments in addition to other world entities to copyright the materials they practice - in addition to - fifty-fifty if Inglewood could copyright the videos, the usage past times local resident Joseph Teixeira criticising the Mayor would live covered past times fair use. Ashley Madison, the website that allowed married people to have got hole-and-corner liasons tried to preclude dissemination of its stolen database in addition to other information past times sending DCMA copyright takedown notices to social networks in addition to file-sharing sites. It was entirely partially successful - non to the lowest degree equally at that topographic point were 33m user records available to live posted online - a huge volume. Some takedowns worked - but some failed - because platforms such equally Twitter resisted some DCMA claims.  As the calendar month ended, inward the UK, PRS for Music wrote to it's members proverb it is starting fourth dimension legal activity against online music streaming platform SoundCloud after "five years of unsuccessful negotiations". And John Enser updated us on the European Commission latest consultation arising out of its Digital Single Market initiative: This time, the topic on the card was 1993's SatCab Directive, or to give it its total championship "Directive 93/83/EEC of 27 September 1993 on the coordination of sure rules concerning copyright in addition to rights related to copyright applicable to satellite broadcasting in addition to cable retransmission"

"Happy Birthday" saga was moving towards the halt game: in a summary judgment US District Judge George H. King held that the song's master copy copyright, assigned  Clayton F. Summy, who copyrighted in addition to published them inward a volume titled "Song Stories for the Kindergarten" was at nowadays complimentary of copyright claims, 2 years  after Good Morning To You Productions challenged the copyright owned past times Warner/Chappell, arguing that the vocal should live "dedicated to world usage in addition to inward Blue Planet domain." In Japan, Kenjiro Sano's pattern for the Tokyo Olympic's official logo was dropped after a claim past times the Belgian designer Olivier Debie who argued that the pattern was real similar to i he created for the Theatre De Liege, Mr Sano also admitted that a make of promotional bags produced for brewer Suntory contained copied images, blaming staff at his studio. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 zoo is Nagoya was also reportedly checking similarities betwixt its ain Sano designed logo in addition to the logo of a museum inward Costa Rica. Animal rights charity PETA filed a  federal lawsuit inward San Francisco seeking to vest copyright inward that infamous 'Monkey Selfie' inward the crested dark macaque who snapped the image,with lensman David Slater's unattended camera.  PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sued on behalf of the macaque, dubbed Naturo, claiming he was the author of the selfies, hence allowing Peta to administer all revenues from the photos for the practice goodness of the monkey, in addition to other crested macaques living inward a reserve on the Indonesian isle of Sulaw. Holy haberdashery, Batman! The ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed a 2012 District Court judgment that held that the Batmobile's bat-like appearance in addition to other distinct attributes, including its high-tech weaponry, attract copyright protection that can't live replicated without permission from owners DC Comics. Benjamin Allison, the attorney for the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate,  told The Wrap that it has reached a settlement inward regulation with the producers of Mr Holmes which stars Sir Ian McKellen: The terms of the small town were non made public, but Mitch Cullin’s novel, on which the celluloid was based,  will advert the usage of Conan Doyle's even so copyrighted cloth moving forward. Adult moving-picture demo studio The IFPI said the ruling, handed downwardly inward the Saint Petersburg & Leningradsky Region Arbitration Court, is a pregnant judgment which, when implemented, should amend the environs for developing a thriving licensed music trace of piece of job organisation inward Russia.

So what's on the bill of fare inward October? In the USA  The US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit delivered its judgment, in addition to confirmed the determination of Judge Chin inward the 'Google Books' instance in addition to that the scanning activities of Google inside its Library Project are to live considered a fair usage of copyright works. In Feb this twelvemonth nosotros reported on the instance of Tomaydo-Tomahhdo LLC et al v. George Vozary et al where.a federal approximate told a Cleveland restaurateur that nutrient recipes can't live protected past times copyright constabulary where Judge Patricia Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Gaughan said "The identification of ingredients necessary for the grooming of nutrient is a argument of facts. There is no expressive chemical constituent deserving copyright protection inward each listing." In a similar case, an appellate courtroom held now found that neither a chicken sandwich recipe nor its cry is eligible for copyright protection inward the US. In Colón-Lorenzana v. South American Rest. Corp. the claimant, a worker at a fast-food restaurant, suggested a concept for a novel chicken sandwich, consummate with his ain recipe in addition to a cry - the “Pechu Sandwich": This consisted of a fried chicken pectus patty, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, in addition to garlic mayonnaise on a bun - but the claims were dismissed past times the First Circuit -  neither the recipe nor the merchandise cry brutal into whatever of the 8 enumerated categories of plant available for copyright protection. Would a courtroom inward Europe accept the same approach? Keep reading! 
Senators Grassley in addition to Leahy, the Chairman in addition to Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary, succeeded inward persuading the US Copyright Office that “software-enabled devices” (such equally cars, phones, drones, appliances, in addition to many to a greater extent than products with embedded figurer systems) could live modified in addition to altered past times users who did non involve to acquire to the expense of taking cars to pay €133,500 past times way of damages to the creative somebody Anita Molinero after the fellowship had the latter’s sculpture incinerated without her cognition or consent. And inward the wake of a number of decisions past times the CJEU, Eleonora treated us to her extremely useful tabular array which seeks to clarify the answer to the enquiry whether linking falls nether the compass of the right of communication to Blue Planet equally per Article 3 of the InfoSoc Directive (until the side past times side CJEU determination ......):

updated us on 2nd 6 months of the UK IPO's Orphan Works Register.  This menstruum had seen much less activity: Only 31 novel applications had been received, taking the total to 294 for the whole year. However the proportion of successful applications has stayed the same at 83%. As was noted at the 6 calendar month point, the vast bulk of applications had been for even so images (229) with written plant (47) inward 2nd place. However the success charge per unit of measurement for written plant is much lower at 55%. Sound recordings come upwards inward 3rd house (14 of which 12 were granted licences) in addition to musical notation, scripts & choreography, in addition to moving images entirely having i or 2 applications for each category.  the IPO also announced that it was abandoning the UK's private-copying exception which was introduced inward Oct 2014, in addition to which was effectively declared illegal past times the High Court inward July of this twelvemonth - non to the lowest degree because of the ruling of the CJEU inward Case C‑572/13, Hewlett-Packard Kingdom of Belgium SPRL v Reprobel SCRL, intervener Epson Europe BV ( SBS Kingdom of Belgium NV v Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en Uitgevers (SABAM), on a reference for a preliminary ruling from the hof van beroep te Brussel (Brussels Court of Appeal, Belgium) holding that a transmission non accessible to Blue Planet is "not a communication to the public". The Anne Frank Fonds, laid upwards inward 1963 past times Anne’s father, Otto, said that the 'Diary' nosotros all know was even so inward copyright despite Anne's decease inward 1945. Why ? Well it seems the Diary is an edited compilation of 2 before plant past times Anne Frank, in addition to that edited version was set together past times her father, Otto, in addition to first off published inward 1947 - but equally the copyright term volition run from Otto's decease inward 1980, the Foundation say this piece of job is still protected past times copyright inward Europe in addition to volition live until 2050.  The Foundation also said that 2 master copy versions past times Frank, in addition to diverse afterwards translations, were non published until 1986, in addition to so i time to a greater extent than the Trust says these remain inward copyright, equally practice the versions edited past times the German linguistic communication author Mirjam Pressler, who is even so live (and is credited equally a co-author with Otto of the 'definitive edition'). The Diary was first off translated inward English linguistic communication inward 1952 past times Barbara Mooyaart, who is at nowadays 96. In the United States, the diary’s copyright volition even so halt inward 2047, 95 years after the first off publication of the volume inward 1952. We had entirely noted the rising of music platform 'Aurous' inward September, but past times the halt of Nov the writing was on the wall for the alleged " flagrant instance of a trace of piece of job organisation model powered past times copyright theft on a massive scale" in addition to its founder Andrew Sampson equally the Recording Industry Association of America launched an action. And finally our leader, inspiration in addition to blogmeister Jeremy Phillips retired - nosotros already missy him!

So our lastly month, December. As the calendar month began, the European Commission issued a proposal for a regulation on the cross-border portability of online content services inward the internal marketplace seat and released a novel Communication - Towards a modern, to a greater extent than European copyright framework, inward which it anticipated that policy in addition to legislative activity would live taken inward Europe inward abide by of: (a) exceptions in addition to limitations; (b) exclusive rights (including both clarifying issues facing linking in addition to considering whether whatever activity specific to intelligence aggregators is needed); in addition to (c) enforcement (including Follow the Money strategies, commercial-scale infringements, application of provisional in addition to precautionary measures, in addition to injunctions in addition to their cross-border effect); Thirdly the EC launched a world consultation on the evaluation in addition to modernisation of the legal framework for the enforcement of intellectual holding rights. Elsewhere, in Germany, the Federal Supreme Court of Justice (BGH) has upheld a legal ruling that effectively obliges Internet service providers to block access to copyright infringing websites inward instances where the site's operators in addition to hosts are unidentifiable. German linguistic communication collection guild GEMA straightaway welcomed what it called a "long overdue landmark decision" that "points the way forrad for protecting the rights of authors inward the digital music market" adding "Finally nosotros have got legal clarity on the permissibility of blocking access to websites illegally offering copyrighted music plant on a massive scale. This is a major stair forrad inward the contend against Internet piracy".  A two-year-old lawsuit over the ownership of the copyright of 'Happy Birthday' came to a close, equally publisher Warner/Chappell settled with the plaintiffs who kicked off the dispute. The "most of import outcome": i time the small town procedure has been approved, 'Happy Birthday' will live inward the "public domain" (and yes I know I was criticised for using this phrase before. But whatever, this is clearly non an ideal outcome for Warner/Chappell, who had previously been generating some $2m inward royalties from the vocal annually.  As the calendar month ended, 1709 Blog friends Margherita Bariè in addition to Marco Annoni updated us on the potential protection of both culinary recipes in addition to photographs of dishes nether Italian law: noting that the photography of nutrient would live protected where they display sufficient originality, nosotros learned of the interesting determination past times the Court of Milan to afford protection to recipes proverb this protection is based "not on the contents of the recipes of the diverse kinds of preserved meats or of the education to the diverse grooming steps, but rather on the shape of aspect that needs to live regarded equally relevant for the purposes of the requested protection". And inward the reason of music, sharing the digital pie in addition to copyright reform, "Can nosotros e'er trust copyright licensing?" opining "the skillful intentions of the European Union [CMO management] Directive in addition to the IPO's secondary legislation are laudable but until nosotros tin have got genuine trust inward the vast mechanism which monetises copyright, all beak nearly reforming other parts of copyright is rather similar edifice a theatre on sand." CISAC reported that for 2014, the total revenue collected past times its members worldwide was €7.9 billion (£5.8 Billion). As the copyright twelvemonth closed, PRS for Music settled with online platform SoundCloud after v years of fruitless negotiation in addition to that latterly launched legal action, with CEO Robert Ashcroft proverb the bargain had resulted "in a licence nether which our members are fairly rewarded for the usage of their music" adding "The safe harbours inward electrical current legislation even so nowadays ambiguity, in addition to obstruct the efficient licensing of online services, but our understanding with SoundCloud is a stair inward the right direction towards a to a greater extent than degree playing land for the online marketplace" in addition to that Europe needs to rebalance how condom harbour provisions piece of job IPKat here, but just to cheer upwards the content industries, a New Zealand approximate ruled that MegaUpload boss Kim Dotcom in addition to 3 of his colleagues could live extradited to the U.S. of A. of America to human face upwards criminal copyright charges. Unsurprisingly Dotcom's lawyers said they would appeal. 


You tin grab upwards with Eleonora's 2015 Copyright Awards on the IPKat here. 

As ever - readers volition have got their ain views on what should (or maybe should not) live inward their copyright year. The CopyKat writes from a UK/US, music manufacture in addition to mutual constabulary perspective: So delight allow us know if you lot cry upwards something of import is missing - comment is complimentary on the 1709 blog, but delight live polite in addition to thoughtful!