The Copykat

Extradition to US for alleged torrenter Artem Vaulin

Artem Vaulin – the alleged possessor of the torrenting site KickAss Torrents (“KAT”) in addition to Ukranian national – is facing extradition to the United States. In July 2016 he was arrested inwards Poland in addition to charged yesteryear criminal complaint, filed inwards U.S. District Court inwards Chicago, amongst i count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, i count of conspiracy to commit coin laundering in addition to 2 counts of criminal copyright infringement. Vaulin has been held inwards custody since his arrest, having been denied bail.

The US is alleging that Vaulin, who is xxx years old, is responsible for the unlawful distribution of $1 billion of copyrighted materials.

Vaulin’s American defence strength council has asked the Illinois District Court to dismiss the case, contestation that torrent files are non copyright protected. Vaulin’s defence strength team argued that “Torrent files are non content files. The reproduction in addition to distribution of torrent files are non a crime.” The defence council continued; “If a 3rd political party uses torrent files to infringe it is after they acquire out the KAT site behind in addition to such bear is likewise random, inconsistent, in addition to attenuated to impose criminal liability on Mr. Vaulin. The authorities cannot exercise the civil judge-made constabulary inwards Grokster every bit a theory inwards a criminal case.”

The Warsaw District Court has ruled inwards a preliminary ruling that Vaulin tin endure extradited. The extradition procedure does, however, stimulate got to a greater extent than or less other hearing until the determination is final, every bit the procedure is decided inwards 2 stages. If the lower courtroom fully grants the extradition request, Vaulin volition stimulate got recourse to the Polish Supreme Court. If extradition is granted, he volition endure facing a criminal trial inwards the US.

And to a greater extent than extradition! it's off to the US for alleged torrenter Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom has been at the centre of an extradition saga since 2012. He is the founder of Megaupload, to a greater extent than or less other BitTorrent site. Dotcom, a High German national amongst permanent residency rights inwards New Zealand, was arrested at the behest of the US on criminal copyright violation in addition to racketeering charges.

In a late released decision, it has been ruled that Kim Dotcom cannot endure extradited to the US on copyright infringement charges. Dotcom’s legal squad had argued that at that topographic point are no equivalent criminal sanctions for copyright infringement inwards New Zealand that would activate the extradition treaty amongst the US.

Instead, it was ruled that Dotcom tin be extradited on grounds of conspiracy to commit fraud, which is an extraditable offence nether department 24 of the Extradition Act 1999. Dotcom in addition to his legal squad at nowadays criticized the decision, stating that “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that copyright charges can't endure fraud charges. Let's only ignore that small-scale fry item over hither inwards New Zealand.”  Image portal gda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

The saga is non at its end, in addition to farther updates should endure available inwards the upcoming months.

Piracy filters for ISPs – spider web blocking

The contentious number of the blocking of pirating sites yesteryear ISPs has been reported on this spider web log previously here, here and here.

The Recording Industry Association of American (“RIAA”), along amongst xiv other groups of rightsholders stimulate got now expressed its dissatisfaction amongst the electrical flow DMCA takedown regime in addition to is advocating for ISPs to straight filter out pirated content in comments filed amongst the US Copyright Office. It argues, inter alia, that “the discovery in addition to takedown organization every bit currently configured results inwards an endless game of whack-a-mole, amongst infringing content that is removed from a site i 2d reposted to the same site in addition to other sites moments later, to endure repeated advertizing infinitem.”

Google responded to the RIAA’s comments, principally pointing out the 99% of links it was asked to take inwards Jan of this yr “were non inwards our search index inwards the get-go place.”

These comments to the US Copyright Office are existence made inside the context of a review of US Copyright laws which is taking house at the moment.

Search engines potentially to endure forced to delist piracy sites inwards Russia

A new copyright law has been proposed inwards Russian Federation which would strength search engines to delist piracy websites.

Sites that would potentially endure blocked nether the novel constabulary would endure those that stimulate got been bailiwick to a web-block injunction inwards the Russian courts, every bit good every bit piracy sites that stimulate got failed to reply to takedown requests yesteryear rightsholders.

Students to pay to play whilst learning music?

Conflict is brewing inwards Japan between The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers in addition to Publishers (“JASRAC”) in addition to The Association to Protect Music Education.

The domestic Copyright Law grants an exclusive “right of performance” to composers in addition to lyricists to perform their copyrighted music. JASRAC is planning to innovate a policy charging copyright fees for performances of copyrighted music at music schools inwards Jan 2018. This policy would endure to accuse music schools 2.5% of the income generated from tuition fees for a fixed charge per unit of measurement licence to perform copyrighted music.

JASRAC argues that it is unfair that music schools are non covered nether this right. In contrast, The Association to Protect Music Education argues that performing music for didactics is non for the role of having people head to it, in addition to that copyright fees are already paid through payment for scores in addition to other materials.

The Association to Protect Music Education is ready to accept legal activity inwards guild to verify that no such fiscal obligation flows from the domestic Copyright Act.

This CopyKat yesteryear Tibbie McIntyre