The 10 year old US Federal law knows as the Digital Millenium Copyright Act may finally be getting a dose of sanity, through case law. A federal judge is taking on the copyright conflict between Universal music and Stephanie Lenz. At issue is a letter from Universal, telling Ms. Lenz to take down a video off of Youtube. Universal claims, that is a violation of the law for her to be putting up a video teaching her young toddler to walk, while the song "Let's Go Crazy", performed by Prince is playing in the background.
Hollywood Inc. sends out thousands of these letters each year, claiming it as a violation of DCMA law. With the assistance of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is her assertion that the video is harmless, and fair use of a popular song.
In related news, the Google owned company, Youtube has protested and won the right to not hand over personally identifiable data to Hollywood Inc., as it pushes to assert that much of Youtube content contains illegal copies of entertainment.
As a person who makes his livelihood creating content, I can certainly understand wanting to be paid for my work. I'm willing to bet you like it paid for your work to, whatever that is. And as an author with both the written word as well's audio and video, I am finding the claims made under DCMA to be at best, ludicrous. If the Electronic Freedom Foundation does not prevail in this case, I think were all in deep trouble. You won't be able to turn on a video camera without insisting that anybody who might be driving by in a car have their radio turned off, because you're video is now a violation of DCMA. In a similar light, drivers will not be able to use their GPS with turn by turn directions, because the robotic voice might be overheard on your video camera, creating a copyright violation.
My second example may sound extreme. And I'm clearly aware, there is right, wrong and legal. In the United States, we often need case law to refine legislation law. If common sense does not prevail, we may all have to abandon Hollywood Inc. and go find our favorite artists directly on the Web, by passing this insanity from Hollywood, Inc. and its misuse of DCMA.
Tcat Houser creates intellectual content for TRCB.com, GetCertify4Less, StudyExam4Less and other sites. Philosophically, he is strongly opposed copyright protection schemes, because they only encumber legal users, without stopping pirates.
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