International Issues
in cra-briefings35 · March 01, 2006
GOOGLE PUTS AMERICAN NATIONAL ARCHIVE VIDEO ONLINE
One hundred archival videos from the US National Archives are being put online by Google. This represents the first part of an ongoing project to digitize 114,000 film reels and 37,000 videos of historical significance in the Archive collection. Google has released details of the non-exclusive arrangement to make this content available and has asserted that all of the material involved is in the public domain. For more information on this project see http://video.google.com.
US REPORT OF ORPHANED WORKS
The United States Copyright Office has released a report on orphaned works. These are works whose term of copyright has not expired under US law, but whose copyright owner cannot be found. When someone wishes to make use of the work and needs permission, the project can be stopped if the owner cannot be found. The report is based on 850 inquiries. Though a number of options have been presented to the Copyright Office, the report indicates that the Office is leaning toward a solution that would include an obligation for a reasonable search for the owner and a corresponding limitation on liability. The Office has realized that the terms of both provisions would need to be developed through legislation. For a full copy of the report please go to www.copyright.gov/orphan/orphan.report.pdf Canada has a process for dealing with unlocatable copyright Copyright Board of Canada. People seeking to use a work, through a preliminary search, make application to the Board. search conducted by major collectives to determine whether unlocatable and whether a license should be issued. owners administered through the having failed to locate the owner. The Board relies on a secondary or not the rights holder is in fact unlocatable and whether a license should be issued.
RECORDING INDUSTRY PIRACY WAR CONTINUES…
The recording industry continues in its efforts to shut down networks involved in the licensed sharing of copyright protected material. Most recently, officials in Belgium and Switzerland announced the shutdown of the Razorback 2 server that was one of the largest servers on the EDonkey P2P network. Many people question the strategy as users simply migrate to other servers or become users of darknets. For more information on the shutdown of the Razorback 2 server please see www.news.com.
CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWNSITES OVER COPYRIGHT
In response increased international scrutiny amid growing criticism of its laxness in enforcing IP rules, the Chinese government recently announced that it has shut down 76 sites accused of copyright infringement since last September. Yan Xiahong, the deputy director of the Chinese National Copyright Administration, has acknowledged that “Internet copyright infringement has become increasingly rampant”. Many in American-based production industries have questioned whether this will be enough to combat piracy in the world’s second largest Internet market. See: http://www.china-embassy.ch/ger/fyrth/t235877.htm
EDUCATIONAL USE of the INTERNET in AUSTRALIA
Educators and the Copyright collective in Australia are at odds over the fee to be charged for browsing Internet content. The dispute that will likely be heard at the federal court, has led to a statement by Delia Browne, the national copyright director for the Ministerial Council on Education Employment Training and Youth Affairs, that teachers will turn off the Internet in schools if they are required to pay a royalty for browsing. In Australia, schools currently pay approximately $10.00 per year/per student for rights to reproduce works in schools. www.australian.it.com.