Forwarded by Negativland.
>
>
>
>
>Monday June 04 05:00 PM EDT
>
>
>
>Online search tool finds copyright owners
>
>
>By John Borland CNET News.com
>
> The U.S. Copyright Office has launched a Web tool to help identify who
>owns copyrights to movies, books and other works.
>
> The massive database serves as a foundation of solid information for an
>issue that has grown to be increasingly controversial online over the last
>year. Napster and other file-swapping services have increased the tension
>over the limits of traditional copyright law online, sparking debates that
>are still playing themselves out in court.
>
> As a simpler replacement to an earlier, outdated search tool, the
>Copyright Office's new service won't shift any of the power balances
>between copyright holders and their critics online. But it will serve as a
>faster way to figure out exactly who owns the copyright of any given work
>that somebody might wish to download or trade online.
>
> The office has played a quiet role in the debates over online music and
>other works that have punctuated the digital landscape for the last
>several years.
>
> It has a central role in determining how much music Webcasters can play
>on their online radio stations, and in how much the companies have to pay
>for the rights. This has been a contentious issue for several years and is
>now in arbitration in front of copyright authorities.
>
> The office also submitted a brief in the Napster trial, disagreeing with
>that company's argument that people trading songs online without
>permission weren't violating copyright law.
>
> The new copyright-finding tool covers works that have been registered
>since 1978. The office said that more than 13 million search terms are
>included, although this covers considerable duplication of works.
>
----------------------------------------------------
Rumori, the Detritus.net Discussion List
to unsubscribe, send mail to majordomoATdetritus.net
with "unsubscribe rumori" in the message body.
----------------------------------------------------
Rumori list archives & other information are at
http://detritus.net/contact/rumori
----------------------------------------------------
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
N© Detritus.net. Sharerights extended to all.