The Copykat

This CopyKat from David Liao

US Copyright Office – farther update

As previously covered on here, in that place was an unprecedented removal of Maria Pallante from her put at the U.S. of America Copyright Office concluding Oct with simply about speculation that her policy put had been the drive of this. Further information lately revealed indicates soundless that the U.S. of America Copyright Office may accept been grossly mismanaged during Pallante’s time, with i such illustration beingness a failed electronic licencing plan which exceeded its budget of $1.1 i thou m yesteryear over $10 million.  In addition, in that place are too allegations a mistaken budget item to the melody of $25m appeared inwards the initial FY18 appropriations request, which would employment organisation human relationship for roughly a 3rd of the Copyright Office’s budget. This information has been brought to lite specifically inwards relation to a mouth introduced inwards Congress March this yr (which would, alongside other things, let the President appoint the side yesteryear side Register of Copyright equally opposed to the Librarian of Congress) too to a greater extent than to a greater extent oft than non a telephone yell upward for modernisation of the Copyright Office too reallocation of ability betwixt the authorities branches.  More details here.

Big Bang Producers tin slumber soundly to Soft Kitty

Fans of the hitting demo “The Big Bang Theory” volition survive familiar with the catchy vocal “Soft Kitty” (video clip here for those unfamiliar or wanting a refresher). What may survive less well-known is that inwards Dec 2015 a case was filed inwards relation to this vocal yesteryear Ellen Newlin Chase too Margaret Chase Perry, the daughters of Edith Newlin who wrote the master copy lyrics to the vocal inwards the 1930s equally a poem.

As background, this poetry form had been published inwards the Songs for the Nursery School mass yesteryear i of the defendants The Willis Music Group (“Willis Music”) inwards 1937 with Newlin’s permission, too too registered too so equally a musical composition with the U.S. of America Copyright Office. Willis Music afterward renewed this copyright registration inwards 1964 too the plaintiffs alleged this would accept renewed Newlin’s rights to the lyrics. If so, the licence provided yesteryear Willis Music to the other defendant’s (including Warner Bros. Entertainment) would accept required Newlin’s permission too hence role of this vocal inwards the demo infringed her copyright. 

Despite noting that department 24 of the 1909 Copyright Act is “hardly a model of clarity”, the Southern District Court of New York lately dismissed the claim, belongings that Newlin too assigned the copyright to Willis Music (meaning the licence was valid) too that the distinction made yesteryear the plaintiff’s betwixt mutual police describe copyright too other copyrights was a distinction without a difference. For to a greater extent than details, come across here for the memorandum too order. 

Collection societies too blockchain

The 3 largest member-owned collection societies (the American Society for Composers, Authors too Publishers (ASCAP), the Society of Authors, Composers too Publishers of Music (SACEM), too PRS for Music) are working with IBM too Hyperledger Fabric to utilisation a novel organisation to confirm copyright ownership information too conflicts using blockchain technology. The destination of the projection is to “prototype how the music manufacture could utilisation too adopt a shared, decentralised database of musical function metadata with real-time update too tracking capabilities” and, if successful, volition hopefully address long-standing issues inwards the music manufacture too supply benefits to music creators worldwide. See here for to a greater extent than details.