Appeal from the victims of Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) — This week, a group of 38 organizations published the following appeal: “As working writers, translators, photographers, and graphic artists; as unions, organizations, and federations representing the creators of works included in published books; as book publishers; and as reproduction rights and public lending rights organizations; we oppose so-called ‘Controlled Digital Lending’ (CDL) as a flagrant violation of copyright and authors’ rights.” An accompanying FAQ explains the practice of CDL, why it falls beyond the bounds of copyright law, and why it harms authors and creators.
EU Copyright Directive: Breakthrough — Agreement on text for the new Directive was reached yesterday, after months of negotiations. See DSM Watch: Crunch Time for the Copyright Directive for more background, along with press releases about the text from both the European Commission and European Parliament. The text must now be translated into 23 other languages and passed by the EU Parliament.
The Copyright Directive: how the mob was told to save the dragon and slay the knight — The European Commission also published this fiery post on Medium following the agreement. “Of course, we know from recent elections and referendums that simple memorable slogans — however untrue or unobtainable — can go a long way to winning over hearts, minds and voters. And so it was, that the wholly inaccurate phrases ‘link taxes’ and ‘censorship machines’ started to be part of the campaign against the proposed Copyright Directive. Never let the truth get in the way of a catchy slogan.”
Copyright Office Refuses Registration for ‘Fresh Prince’ Star’s ‘Carlton Dance’ — Eriq Gardner reports, “In correspondence last month that was surfaced on Wednesday in California federal court, Saskia Florence, a supervisory registration specialist in the Office’s Performing Arts Division, told Ribeiro’s attorney that registration must be refused because his claimed ‘choreographic work’ was a ‘simple dance routine.'”