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PEN Brings the Resistance to Its 2018 World Voices Festival
Courtesy PEN America By John Maher | Feb 15, 2018 PEN America’s 2018 iteration of its World Voices Festival bears the theme “Resist and Reimagine,” doubling down on the organization’s dedication to resisting potential restrictions on free speech under the Trump Administration while suggesting hope for the future. The festival, which comprises more than 60 events in […]
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5 Seriously Dumb Myths about Copyright the Media Should Stop Repeating… By John Degen – WIPO
Media coverage of copyright issues can influence policy and legislation around this crucial protection for authors’ rights. Unfortunately, much of that coverage deals in copyright mythology rather than fact. Here is a simple primer debunking five of the most inaccurate myths perpetuated about copyright. 5 “Artists Feel Restricted by Copyright” – Truth: Professional, working artists […]
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Intervention by the International Authors Forum at the SCCR35 on Libraries and Archives
WIPO As the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) held the 35th session of its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), Maureen Duffy spoke on behalf of the IAF to give the authors view on copyright exceptions with regards to libraries and archives. WIPO is a special agency of the United Nations dealing with […]
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International Children’s Book Day April 2
Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD. It decides upon a theme […]
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Copyright Agency takes Government of New South Wales to Copyright Tribunal
The Copyright Agency in Australia will be taking the Government of New South Wales (NSW) to Copyright Tribunal after it has failed to make proper payment for using copyrighted materials. According to the Copyright Agency these breaches of copyright have taken place over five years and have led to up to 200 million pages of copyrighted material […]
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Internet Archive – scans and uploads books en masse – MASS INFRINGEMENTS!
The Internet Archive is a San Francisco–based nonprofit digital library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. It seeks donations of hard-copy books from libraries and individuals and then scans, digitises, and offers them for lending and downloading without paying royalties or PLR. Alerts about this website have been posted by the Society […]
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Amazon Is Thriving Thanks to Taxpayer Dollars…and government food stamps
The tech giant has received more than $1 billion in tax breaks. The government is also funding food stamps for many of its workers. BY DAVID DAYEN January 10, 2018 As Amazon builds up its distribution network, it’s hit on a trick long practiced by the likes of Walmart: using the federal government to help pay its workers. […]
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PEN America and PEN Center USA Unite Against Threats to Expression
PEN Center USA in LA to Join Forces with PEN America in New York to Create National Organization PEN America and PEN Center USA will join forces in 2018 as a stronger national organization under the banner of PEN America, uniting writers coast to coast to bolster the defense of free expression in the […]
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Fire and Fury – the right to freedom of speech under threat in the US
ABA and Authors Guild Slam Trump’s Legal Campaign Against ‘Fire and Fury’ By Jim Milliot | Jan 04, 2018 A range of book industry organizations, including the ABA and the Authors Guild, have issued public condemnations of President Trump’s attempt to block Henry Holt’s publication of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff. […]
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Protecting copyright is crucial to fostering creativity
Protecting copyright is crucial to fostering creativity Copyright Agency Limited chairman Kim Williams.Picture: Stuart McEvoy The issues of copyright and respect for creators is a great policy challenge in Australian creative life. The rights of creators are under siege on many fronts: • no consideration to who loses out when books, music, TV or […]
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Author Richard Flanagan says artists are held in contempt by those in power
Award-winning author Richard Flanagan has accused politicians from both major parties of holding Australian artists in contempt and “frequently and assiduously” acting against their interests. Flanagan also said in a speech to the Copyright Agency that Australia faced the prospect of its culture being the “milch cow” of tech giants Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple, who he described […]
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Focus on Fair Use: Debunking Copyright’s Snake Oil Salesmen
Focus on Fair Use: Debunking Copyright’s Snake Oil Salesmen By Keith Kupferschmid, 1 December 2017 I was on the phone last week talking to someone about a potential partnership between our two organizations that could benefit individual creators. We began by exchanging information about our respective organizations. He spoke first, and I followed. After […]
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