Law Commons^™

Exploring The Interfaces Between Big Data And Intellectual Property Law, Daniel J. Gervais

Daniel J Gervais

This article reviews the application of several IP rights (copyright, patent, sui generis database right, data exclusivity and trade secret) to Big Data. Beyond the protection of software used to collect and process Big Data corpora, copyright’s traditional role is challenged by the relatively unstructured nature of the non-relational (noSQL) databases typical of Big Data corpora. This also impacts the application of the EU sui generis right in databases. Misappropriation (tort-based) or anti-parasitic behaviour protection might apply, where available, to data generated by AI systems that has high but short-lived value. Copyright in material contained in Big Data corpora must …

Blockchain And Smart Contracts: The Missing Link In Copyright Licensing?, Balazs Bodo, Daniel Gervais, Joao Pedro Quintais

Daniel J Gervais

The Google Art Project: An Analysis From A Legal And Social Perspective On Copyright Implications, Katrina Wu

Katrina Wu

The Google Art Project is an ambitious attempt by Google to curate worldwide artwork online in the highest resolution possible. Google accomplishes this by partnering with museums where museums provide access to art collections and Google provides the technology to capture high quality images. Under this existing model, Google places the burden of copyright clearances on museums and removes images from online if requested by copyright owners. An endeavor like the Google Art Project is not unprecedented however, when Google attempted to put the world’s books online under the Google Books Project, scanning millions of titles and offering snippets for …

Ip Law Book Review: Configuring The Networked Self: Law, Code, And The Play Of Every Day Practice, Frank Pasquale

Frank A. Pasquale

Julie Cohen's Configuring the Networked Self is an extraordinarily insightful book. Cohen not only applies extant theory to law; she also distills it into her own distinctive social theory of the information age. Thus, even relatively short sections of chapters of her book often merit article-length close readings. I here offer a brief for the practical importance of Cohen’s theory, and ways it should influence intellectual property policy and scholarship.

Dissolving Innovation In Meltwater: A Misguided Paradigm For Online Search, Bill D. Herman

Bill D. Herman

With the exponential increases in online information, internet search engines have helped fill a substantial and growing need for the capacity to sort through and manage data. News outlets in general and newspapers in particular are among the most socially important sources of online content being indexed, and these outlets are faring rather poorly in the internet economy. Both of these sectors are thus in a precarious, potentially conflicted relationship, with copyright law serving as the primary legal basis for mediating the relationship. A 2013 decision, Associated Press v. Meltwater, is one recent attempt to mediate this relationship. In …

The Evolution Of The Digital Millennium Copyright Act; Changing Interpretations Of The Dmca And Future Implications For Copyright Holders, Hillary A. Henderson

Hillary A Henderson

Copyright law rewards an artificial monopoly to individual authors for their creations. This reward is based on the belief that, by granting authors the exclusive right to reproduce their works, they receive an incentive and means to create, which in turn advances the welfare of the general public by “promoting the progress of science and useful arts.” Copyright protection subsists . . . in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or …

The Copyrightability Of Nonliteral Elements Of Computer Programs, Julian Velasco

Julian Velasco

No abstract provided.

Guidelines To Limit Criminal Prosecutions Of Filesharing Services, Benton C. Martin, Jeremiah R. Newhall

Benton C. Martin

This short essay acknowledges certain efficiencies in enforcing copyright law against "secondary" infringers like filesharing services through criminal proceedings, but it proposes guidelines for prosecutors to use in limiting prosecutions against this type of infringer.

Migración A La Nube: ¿Está Segura Nuestra Información?, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Marco A. Vargas Iñiguez Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors discuss the benefits and risks of moving your business data to the cloud through case studies and offer practical tips to protect business confidential information stored in the cloud. //////////////////////// Los autores estudian los beneficios y los riesgos de almacenar datos e información en la nube a través de casos de estudio y ofrecen consejos prácticos para proteger la información comercial confidencial almacenada en la nube.

I Programmi Per Elaboratore E I Confini Del Diritto D'Autore. La Corte Di Giustizia Nega La Tutela A Funzionalità, Linguaggio Di Programmazione E Formato Dei File Di Dati (Computer Programs And The Boundaries Of Copyright: The Court Of Justice Denies Protection To Functionalities, Programming Language And Formats Of Data Files), Guido Noto La Diega

Guido Noto La Diega

A comment to the Sas Institute Inc. v. World Programming Ltd case [Court of Justice, Grand Chamber, 2 May 2012, C-406/10]. It is one of the most important European decisions in the field of computer programs and it is notable both from a practical and a theoretical point of view. The European Court of Justice denies protection to functionalities, programming language and format of data files, because they have to be considered as 'ideas' and not as 'expression'. The idea/expression dichotomy, often called into question especially in software copyright, is placed at the core of a not anymore ignorable, both …

Le Idee E Il Muro Del Suono. I Programmi Per Elaboratore Nella Più Recente Giurisprudenza Europea (Ideas And Sound Barrier: Computer Programs In The Most Recent European Case-Law), Guido Noto La Diega

Guido Noto La Diega

After a deep introduction on the technical and definitory aspects of computer programs, in this essay I study the European case-law, stressing the renovated importance of the idea/expression dichotomy. The occasion is propitious to describe the evolution of law in a technological environment: nihilistic views have to be abandoned. Italian Abstract: Dopo un'approfondita introduzione sugli aspetti tecnici e le preliminari definizioni in materia di programmi per elaboratore, questo saggio si concentra sulla giurisprudenza europea, dove si torna a sottolineare con forza l'importanza della dicotomia idea/espressione. L'occasione si rivela propizia per descrivere l'evoluzione del diritto in relazione all'evoluzione tecnologica: sul punto, …

La Industria Del Libro 3.0 Y J.K. Rowling, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Maria Alejandra Lopez Garcia Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors provide a brief overview of what could be called the 3.0 version of the book industry. Under the 3.0 book industry, the author’s role in exploiting their creations has to embrace new and creative business models, which may often come into conflict with publisher’s old business models. In the article, the authors take a look at the innovative business models implemented by J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Radiohead and Frank Ocean amongst others. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Los autores proporcionan una breve descripción de lo que podría llamarse la versión 3.0 de la industria del libro. En la industria del libro 3.0, …

Changing Places: A New Role For Creators In The Digital World, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Maria Alejandra Lopez Garcia Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors provide a brief overview of the author’s role in exploiting their creations and how new technologies have made authors and publishers explore new business models. In the article, the authors take a look at the innovative business models implemented by J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Radiohead and Frank Ocean amongst others./////////////////////////////////////////////////// Los autores proporcionan una breve descripción de la función del autor en la explotación de sus creaciones y cómo las nuevas tecnologías han obligado a los autores y editores explorar nuevos modelos de negocio. En el artículo, los autores echan un vistazo a los modelos de negocio innovadores …

Tolerance Is Law: Remixing Homage Parodying Plagiarism, Mathias Klang, Jan Nolin

Mathias Klang

Three centuries have passed since copyright law was developed to stimulate creativity and promote learning. The fundamental principles still apply, despite radical developments in the technology of production and distribution of cultural material. In particular the last decades’ developments and adoption of ICTs have drastically lowered barriers, which previously prevented entry into the production and distribution side of the cultural marketplace, and led to a widening of the base at which cultural production occurs and is disseminated. Additionally, digitalisation has made it economically and technically feasible for users to appropriate and manipulate earlier works as method of production. The renegotiation …

El Proyecto De Ley Sopa En Contexto, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Claudia Macmaster Tamarit Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors discuss the relationship between IP and technology throughout history, before delving into the current regulation trends and perspectives in IP. The article then explores recent US efforts to protect IP and concludes with a brief analysis of the Stop Online Piracy Act bill./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Los autores analizan la relación entre la propiedad intelectual y la tecnología a lo largo de la historia. Posteriormente exploran las tendencias actuales en su regulación y las perspectivas hacia el futuro. Finalmente, el artículo explora los recientes esfuerzos en los Estados Unidos para proteger la propiedad intelectual y concluye con un breve análisis del Proyecto …

Walled Gardens & The Stationers’ Company 2.0, Greg Lastowka

Greg Lastowka

Copyright law originated as a law designed to regulate the commerce of printing, not as a law designed to protect the interests of authors. The Statute of Anne changed this by vesting copyright with the author and thereby creating the possibility of pre-publication negotiations. Today that bargain is being broken. In our era of cloud-computing and Web 2.0, non-author intermediaries provide platforms that constitute the tools of authorship, the tools of publicity, and the tools of commercial distribution. Within this new ecosystem, we are seeing a return to the model of the Stationers’ Company, where legal power over authorial production …

Copyright Exhaustion And The Personal Use Dilemma, Aaron K. Perzanowski, Jason M. Schultz

Aaron K. Perzanowski

Copyright law struggles to provide a coherent framework for analyzing personal uses. Although there is widespread agreement that at least some such uses are non-infringing, the doctrinal basis for that conclusion remains unclear. In particular, the prevailing explanations of fair use and implied license are both flawed in important respects. This Article proposes a new explanation for the favored status of certain personal uses. Drawing on the principle of copyright exhaustion - the notion that once the copyright holder parts with a particular copy of a work, its power to control the use and disposition of that copy is constrained …

Marca Corporal, Derecho De Propiedad Intelectual (Derecho De Tatuajes), Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Marco A. Vargas Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors go back to the origins of tattoos and trace its way into mainstream pop culture. In doing so, they analyze the legal implications of tattoos relating to IP through various brief case studies.////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Los autores se remontan a los orígenes de los tatuajes y trazan su camino dentro de la cultura pop. Paralelamente, analizan las implicaciones jurídicas de los tatuajes a través de diversos casos.

El "Product Placement" En El Cine, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq., Marco A. Vargas Iñiguez Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The authors discuss briefly the history of product placement in film citing several examples. Then, they analyze the current state of regulation and look forward at what lies ahead, as product placement has become ingrained in the entertainment industry.///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Los autores analizan de una forma breve la historia del emplazamiento de productos o product placement en el cine, utilizando varios ejemplos. Después se adentran en el estado actual de la regulación y miran hacia el futuro de la industria.

Digital Exhaustion, Aaron K. Perzanowski, Jason M. Schultz

Aaron K. Perzanowski

As digital networks emerge as the dominant means of distributing copyrighted works, the first sale doctrine is increasingly marginalized. The limitations first sale places on the exclusive right of distribution are of little importance when the alienation and use of copies entails their reproduction. This fact of the modern copyright marketplace has led to calls for statutory clarification of digital first sale rights. Acknowledging the obstacles to legislative intervention, this Article argues that courts are equipped today to limit copyright exclusivity in order to enable copy owners to make traditionally lawful uses of their copies, including resale through secondary markets. …

The Problem With Intellectual Property Rights: Subject Matter Expansion, Andrew Beckerman Rodau

Andrew Beckerman Rodau

This article examines the expansion of the subject matter that can be protected under intellectual property law. Intellectual property law has developed legal rules that carefully balance competing interests. The goal has long been to provide enough legal protection to maximize incentives to engage in creative and innovative activities while also providing rules and doctrines that minimize the effect on the commercial marketplace and minimize interference with the free flow of ideas generally. The expansive view of subject matter protectable via intellectual property law has erased the clear delineation between patent, copyright, and trademark law. This has led to overprotection …

From Music Tracks To Google Maps: Who Owns Computer-Generated Works?, Mark Perry, Thomas Margoni

Mark Perry

Increasingly the digital content used in everyday life has little or no human intervention in its creation. Typically, when such content is delivered to consumers it comes with attached claims of copyright. However, depending on the jurisdiction, approaches to ownership of computer-generated works vary from legislated to uncertain. In this paper we look at the various approaches taken by the common law, such as in Canada, and the legislative approach taken in the United Kingdom. The options for how computer-generated works may be treated and suggestions for their best placement in copyright are discussed.

Los Derechos De Autor Y El Dominio Público, Rodolfo C. Rivas Rea Esq.

Rodolfo C. Rivas

The author discusses the subtle differences between Copyright and Author's Rights. Then he goes into analyzing the different ways a work can become part of the public domain and how it varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and from time to time.////////////////////////////////////////////////////El autor analiza las sutiles diferencias entre los derechos de autor y el copyright. Posteriormente se adentra en el análisis de las formas en las que una obra entra dentro del dominio público, y como estas varían dependiendo del territorio y de la época.

Fixing Ram Copies, Aaron K. Perzanowski

Aaron K. Perzanowski

Scholars, litigants, and courts have debated the status of so-called “RAM copies” - instantiations of copyrighted works in the random access memory of computing devices - for decades. The Second Circuit’s decision in Cartoon Network v. CSC Holdings has recently reignited the controversy over these putative copies. There the court held that CSC did not create copies within the meaning of the Copyright Act when it buffered fleeting segments of television programs. In many respects, the Second Circuit’s holding is a straightforward application of the Act’s nested definitions of “copies” and “fixed.” But because the court declined to apply the …

The Google Book Search Settlement: Ends, Means, And The Future Of Books, James Grimmelmann

James Grimmelmann

For the past four years, Google has been systematically making digital copies of books in the collections of many major university libraries. It made the digital copies searchable through its web site--you couldn't read the books, but you could at least find out where the phrase you're looking for appears within them. This outraged copyright owners, who filed a class action lawsuit to make Google stop. Then, last fall, the parties to this large class action announced an even larger settlement: one that would give Google a license not only to scan books, but also to sell them.

The settlement …

Rethinking Anticircumvention's Interoperability Policy, Aaron K. Perzanowski

Aaron K. Perzanowski

Interoperability is widely touted for its ability to spur incremental innovation, increase competition and consumer choice, and decrease barriers to accessibility. In light of these attributes, intellectual property law generally permits follow-on innovators to create products that interoperate with existing systems, even without permission. The anticircumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) represent a troubling departure from this policy, resulting in patent-like rights to exclude technologies that interoperate with protected platforms. Although the DMCA contains internal safeguards to preserve interoperability, judicial misinterpretation and a narrow textual focus on software-to-software interoperability render those safeguards largely ineffective. Subjecting restrictions on …

Liability For Spatial Data Quality, Harlan Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

Liability in data, products, and services related to geographic information systems, spatial data infrastructure, location based services and web mapping services, is complicated by the complexities and uncertainties in liability for information system products and services generally, as well as by legal theory uncertainties surrounding liability for maps. Each application of geospatial technologies to a specific use may require integration of different types of data from multiple sources, assessment of attributes, adherence to accuracy and fitness-for-use requirements, and selection from among different analytical processing methods. All of these actions may be fraught with possible misjudgments and errors. A variety of …

Internet Killed The Copyright Law: Perfect 10 V. Google And The Devastating Impact On The Exclusiive Right To Display, Deborah B. Morse

Deborah Brightman Morse

Never has the dissonance between copyright and innovation been so extreme. The Internet provides enormous economic growth due to the strength of e-commerce, and affords an avenue for creativity and the wide dissemination of information. Nevertheless, the Internet has become a plague on copyright law. The advent of the digital medium has made the unlawful reproduction, distribution, and display of copyrighted works essentially effortless. The law has been unable to keep pace with the rapid advance of technology. For the past decade, Congress has been actively attempting to draft comprehensible legislation in an effort to afford copyright owners more protection …

Intellectual Property And Free Speech In The Online World: How Educational Institutions And Other Online Service Providers Are Coping With Cease And Desist Letters And Takedown Notices, Laura Quilter, Marjorie Heins

Laura Quilter

Study of educational institutions and online service providers (Internet service providers) and their responses to cease and desist notices.

Evolving Standards & The Future Of The Dmca Anticircumvention Rulemaking, Aaron K. Perzanowski

Aaron K. Perzanowski

Every three years, the Copyright Office conducts a rulemaking to determine temporary exemptions from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's (DMCA) anticircumvention provision. These exemptions are designed to prevent likely adverse impacts on noninfringing uses created by the prohibition on removing or bypassing technological protection measures that restrict access to copyrighted works. At the conclusion of the third and most recent rulemaking, the Librarian of Congress, acting on the advice of the Register of Copyrights, announced six classes of works exempt from the DMCA's anticircumvention provision for the three-year period ending October 27, 2009. This Article describes those exemptions and argues …