[PGCanada] Public Domain Loses Again!

Michael Hart hart at pglaf.org
Mon Dec 6 11:41:44 PST 2004


JUDGE REJECTS COPYRIGHT CHALLENGE
A federal judge has rejected a challenge to several parts of copyright
law that plaintiffs in the case said unnecessarily keep certain works
out of the public domain. The nonprofit Internet Archive and the
Prelinger Archives argued that so-called orphan works--books that are
out of print, old films, and academic articles without significant
commercial value--should be easier to archive and make publicly
available. At issue in the case was the plaintiffs' contention that
current law fundamentally alters the scope of copyright because it does
not require owners of works to apply for copyright protection, instead
granting protection irrespective of whether it is sought. The judge in
the case disagreed, issuing her ruling without hearing arguments.
Jennifer S. Granick, executive director of the Center for Internet and
Society at Stanford University, which was involved on behalf of the
plaintiffs, said the judge's ruling was improper and that the
plaintiffs would appeal.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 30 November 2004 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/11/2004113003n.htm



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