Tag Archives: copyright

SCOTUS declines to hear AI copyright case

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Ralph Hanson

The US Supreme Court today announced they were not going to hear a case claiming copyright protection for AI generated works.  The plaintiff wanted to have copyright go to the person running the AI software. The courts had previously ruled … Continue reading →

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‘Great 78 Project’ Works to Preserve Vintage Recordings; Big Music is not Amused

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. Therefore, ye soft pipes, play on.” – John Keats: If record companies had their way, there would be a lot of really sweet music out there. Let me explain. The music … Continue reading →

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The Many Faces of the Distracted Boyfriend Meme

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Ralph Hanson

You all know this photo, right? It’s the image from the Distracted Boyfriend meme that you’ve seen used a 1,000 different ways.  The image was made by Spanish photographer Antonio Guillem in 2015 as a stock photo that could be licensed … Continue reading →

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Copyright in the News

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Ralph Hanson

Judge rules that embedded tweet violates photo’s copyright The blog Engadget is reporting that a New York federal court has ruled that a news sites that embedded a tweet containing a photo of quarterback Tom Brady violates the photographer’s copyright. … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Ralph Hanson

How are News Corp. and the Fox Group doing post corporate split? Better than expected.  Bigger is increasingly not necessarily better. Is there more than one standard of beauty out there? Increasingly, it looks like the answer is “Yes.”  British … Continue reading →

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TV/movie piracy & Hollywood. Who’s to blame? And is it all bad?

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Ralph Hanson

A post in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Are improper movie downloads Hollywood’s own fault? Kinda looks like it.  When you give people easy, reasonably priced ways to download movies, they prefer them over “pirated” downloads. And as … Continue reading →

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Could This Be The Copyright Law Update We Need?

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Ralph Hanson

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding copyright law as of late that charges that it is hopelessly biased toward the rights of large, corporate media (i.e. Disney and the like). Under current copyright law, it is apparently legal for … Continue reading →

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Girl Talk & Girl Walk Links

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Ralph Hanson

Here are links to posts talking about mashup artist Gregg Gillis’s performances as Girl Talk, and of the great dance film Girl Walk // All Day. Link Ch. 7 – Meet Girl Talk’s Gregg Gillis Link Ch. 7 – Girl … Continue reading →

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Link Ch. 13 – Copyright’s Barbara Ringer Remembered

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Ralph Hanson

Barbara Ringer, who went to work for the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress in 1949 right after she graduated from law school, had as much influence on American copyright law as anyone in the twentieth century. Read the … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Ralph Hanson

I’ve been so busy putting up links to go with the upcoming 4th edition to Mass Communication: Living in a Media World that I haven’t had time to question anything lately.  So here we go: Does Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander pay … Continue reading →

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