News about copyright
Numerous books are written, countless pictures taken and large amounts of new music and pieces of art are created every day. But, alongside that creativity comes the risk of copyright infringement. These days, it's simple to download music or films from the internet without the creator of that work's knowledge or approval. Similarly, books, photographs and works of art are routinely (and illegally) being copied and distributed. That’s why copyright issues are in the news so frequently. You can follow all the developments in this area in our copyright news.
Counterfeit electronics on the rise
Figures released by the UK Border Force reveal a six-fold increase in the number of seized counterfeit electrical goods in the last four years. The most commonly seized goods include designer headphones, hair straighteners, chargers, vacuum cleaners and batteries.
Hosting provider Elcatel has to take down counterfeit sites
Hosting provider Elcatel was summoned last week by the Court in The Hague to take down eighteen websites that sell counterfeit products. If Elcatel doesn’t do so, they will have to pay €5000 for each day the websites remain active.
The Pirate Bay copyright conviction is justified
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has rejected an appeal from two founders of The Pirate Bay, saying that a Swedish court was right to put copyright law ahead of their right to receive and impart information. It was probably the last chance for Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde to escape their sentence to prison and fines of 5 million euros by the Swedish Court of Appeal.
Copyright infringement Harlem Shake
The Harlem Shake, one of the biggest viral hits in 2013, is faced with an accusation of copyright violation. Reggae artist Hector Delgado and rapper Jayson Musson say the producer of the chart-topping hit “Harlem Shake” did not have permission to use their voices.
Decline in illegal music file sharing
According to market research firm NPD’s “Annual Music Study 2012”, illegal music file sharing declined significantly in 2012. Last year the number of consumers using peer-to-peer services to download music declined 17 percent compared to the previous year. NPD cited an increased use of legal streaming music sites as being behind the drop.
Dr. Dre sues Yamaha
Hip-hop heavyweight Dr. Dre is suing Yamaha for marketing a line of “PRO” headphones that copies the design of the highly-popular Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones.
Intellectual property law and social media
A federal court in New York has ruled that Agence France-Presse (AFP) violated photographer Daniel Morel's copyrights by distributing his images of the 2010 Haiti earthquake without permission. The court also found The Washington Post, which published the images, liable for infringement.
The Winklevoss Twins help Superman
Warner Bros. scored a huge victory in the long-running and complex legal battle over the copyright to Superman. Interestingly, Warner Bros. may have the Winklevoss Twins to thank - indirectly.
Novagraaf Amsterdam is moving
After 27 years at its offices at Hogehilweg 3, Amsterdam, Novagraaf Nederland BV is relocating. At the end of December, our (main) office will move to a completely customised accommodation at Hoogoorddreef 5, Amsterdam. This new office occupies the ground floor of the Asia building, part of the Atlas ArenA complex.
New: How are we doing?
Some time ago, Novagraaf conducted a detailed customer satisfaction survey. The outcome of this survey was very positive: our customers awarded our services a ‘7.9’. A very nice figure, but we believe that customer satisfaction is not something that should only be measured once a year. From today therefore, we offer you the possibility of sharing you opinion at any time via our website.
