US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw) [LWN.net]

US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Posted Aug 12, 2005 18:16 UTC (Fri) by madscientist (subscriber, #16861)
In reply to: US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw) by smitty_one_each
Parent article: US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Well, by all means if you think you will be impacted be sure to write; I'm not suggesting you shouldn't--I think the restriction to IE is bogus as well.

Remember that this site is only to register "pre-release copyrights"; that is, register a copyright on a work before it's been released to the public. Once it's been released, it's automatically copyright under the Berne convention. The problem is that movies, etc. are being pirated and distributed before the movie has been released and there's apparently some legal question as to whether people who do that can be charged with copyright violation. The goal of this new law is to make that more clear.

Given the FOSS model of "release early and often" it doesn't seem like too many FOSS folks will care to pre-register copyrights.

I'm not saying no one should make the effort to get this changed, not at all! I'm saying that given the restricted audience and the requirement that only people who will be directly impacted are supposed to comment, not many people will qualify.

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US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Posted Aug 12, 2005 22:03 UTC (Fri) by zotz (guest, #26117) [Link]

"Given the FOSS model of "release early and often" it doesn't seem like too many FOSS folks will care to pre-register copyrights."

Actually, I think this practice is not followed more than you would think when it comes to Free Software.

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/40737

US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Posted Aug 12, 2005 22:09 UTC (Fri) by zotz (guest, #26117) [Link]

"Once it's been released, it's automatically copyright under the Berne convention."

Oops, forgot this comment in the other post.

Are you sure you have this right? Aren't things copyrighted once they are "fixed"? I didn't think publishing had anything to do with it.

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/40046

US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Posted Aug 13, 2005 14:58 UTC (Sat) by Arker (guest, #14205) [Link]

They're automatically copyrighted in Berne Convention jurisdictions, yes. But when you sue you're in a better position if it's been registered, nonetheless. This is to let them register before they release, to be in a better position to sue leakers.

Note also that it's written entirely for hollywood, it's restricted explicitly to films and music.

The reason it's to be IE only is because they chose a crappy CRM system, and apparently don't have anyone that understands how to make a simple form without it.

US Copyright Office Requests Comments on IE-Only Service (Groklaw)

Posted Aug 15, 2005 13:41 UTC (Mon) by swiftone (guest, #17420) [Link]

Once it's been released, it's automatically copyright under the Berne convention

I believe the Berne convention copyrights upon _creation_, not publication. However, I'm judging from the snippet of the law quoted that you can't REGISTER a copyright (which is standard practice before going to court) until publication...until this law.

it doesn't seem like too many FOSS folks will care to pre-register copyrights.

Given that the law only allows preregistration for certain specific classes of commonly pirated material (read: movies), it doesn't seem like any FOSS will be able to pre-register copyrights.