Latest in Copyright Law

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of a controversial European Union law that seeks fair compensation for copyrighted material, but which has faced opposition over concerns it could be a blow to a free and open Internet. Known as the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, it was passed in…

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is attempting to rally its users against a proposed update to European copyright law that would make online platforms liable for copyright infringement. “This legislation poses a threat to both your livelihood and your ability to share your voice with the world,” Wojcicki wrote in a blog post…

Paramount was handed a victory this week in its battle over who owns the domestic rights to the classic La Dolce Vita. "Partial summary judgment is granted in favor of Plaintiffs with respect to their First Claim for Relief because as a matter of undisputed fact and law, Defendant does not own, and at no time has…

UPDATE, 12:04 PM: The MPAA says that today’s Supreme Court decision “will hinder American businesses' ability to compete overseas to the detriment of the long-term economic interests of the United States, and particularly its creative industries.” The trade group adds that it will “study the decision further before…

“This is the most comprehensive effort to modernize our copyright laws in over a decade,” James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, said about the country’s controversial new Copyright Modernization Act. The new law — also known as Bill C-11 — aligns Canada more closely with the World…

The 6-2 U.S. Supreme Court decision favors content owners including Hollywood studios over an unusual coalition of public interest and Internet activists including Google. At issue was whether the federal government had the right in 1994 to pass a law that extended copyright protection to works that were already in…

The UK Supreme Court today upheld a 2009 appeals court ruling that Andrew Ainsworth, the engineer who designed the Imperial Stormtrooper helmets for George Lucas’ original Star Wars, didn’t violate British law by selling copies of the helmets. Lucasfilm had already won a $20 million judgment against Ainsworth and his…

Ahead of a House Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday that will look at how to combat online IP theft, members of both the House and Senate talked today about the continuing harm the practice causes the U.S. economy. The reaffirmation was welcome news to Hollywood’s unions and guilds, who have long urged Washington…