I have said a few times on this blog that contemporary politics in the United States is increasingly reminiscent of the turbulent 19th century. We only have 2.4 centuries of existence as a nation, and it took half of that time just to begin to fulfill the promise of equality—principally by advancing of the rights of labor relative to the ...
Not only musicians, but authors of all works should be deeply concerned about Rep. Sensenbrenner’s proposed “Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act,” says attorney and blogger Chris Castle. Describing the proposed legislation as a new “safe harbor” for users of creative works, the new law would effectively abolish liability for infringements by large, corporate-owned business sectors like the American ...
The performing rights organization (PRO) called ASCAP was formed on February 13, 1914 when a group of about 100 American composers met at the Hotel Claridge in New York City to create a mechanism for collecting “public performance” royalties. The 1909 Copyright Act had extended the performance right to this class of copyright holders, but it did not define exactly ...
Attorney and blogger Chris Castle writes in The Huffington Post that it is the government’s responsibility to define the intent of safe harbor provisions in the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Arguing common-sensically that these safe harbors could not have been designed to shield massive and repeated infringements, like the volume that exists on YouTube, Castle says that it is ...
