EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has called for governments to strike a balance between policing the Internet to protect copyright and upholding freedom of expression. “The protection of creators must never be used as pretext to intervene in the freedom of the Internet,” Reding told the DLD conference on innovation, digital media, science and culture […]
The sponsors of both the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act anti-piracy measures have halted progress on their respective bills through the US legislature. Lamar Smith, who sponsored SOPA, said that he had “heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online […]
The US Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have shut down file sharing site Megupload.com. In one of the largest criminal copyright cases in US history, seven individuals responsible for operating Megaupload.com and their associated companies, Megaupload Limited and Vestor Limited, have been charged in the United States with engaging in a […]
Satellite provider Eutelsat has suspended a Kurdish TV station that was found guilty of breaching Denmark’s anti-terror laws. Roj TV is appealing a Copenhagen City Court ruling that said its programmes incite terrorism, and fined it and its parent company 2.6 million kroner ($445,000) each. In a statement, Eutelsat said “under these circumstances, Eutelsat has […]
Ofcom has backed VoD regulator ATVOD’s ruling that three Viacom companies – Nickelodeon , Paramount and MTV Networks – are responsible for the VoD content of Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV respectively on the Virgin Media platform. The broadcasters had notified ATVOD last year that they considered Virgin Media to have “editorial responsibility” for the […]
US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa has supported the actions of websites, which went ‘dark’ Wednesday January 18th, describing the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) anti-piracy measures as threats to the openness, freedom, and innovation of the Internet. “The Protect IP Act and […]
Senator Patrick Leahy, sponsor of the contentious PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) anti-online piracy legislation, has hit back against websites that have shut down in opposition to his measure. “Much of what has been claimed about the Senate’s PROTECT IP Act is flatly wrong and seems intended more to stoke fear and concern than to shed […]
Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), has joined the criticism of the “blackout” threatened by various websites opposing anti-piracy legislation, describing such actions as “stunts” and “gimmicks”. “Only days after the White House and chief sponsors of the legislation responded to the major concern expressed by opponents […]
A shareholder in Netflix is taking legal action against the video streaming and rental site, claiming it made “materially false and misleading statements” about its business practices and its contracts with content providers. They allege the statements meant investors were caught out by a major share price declines last year. The suit lodged in Northern […]
News Corp Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch has issued his most forthright tweet since he activated his Twitter account on January 1st by accusing Internet giant Google of aiding film piracy. “Piracy leader is Google who streams movies free, sells advts [advertisements] around them,” Murdoch wrote, adding later that film making was “risky as […]