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The Copyright Hammer
A new decision in a case pitting a service provider against record companies may well hand copyright holders the means to crush Internet service providers who allow file swapping on the their connections.
Verizon was holding out against the Recording Industry Association of American, which wanted to get the name of a Verizon subscriber who had downloaded a ton of music. Verizon said the Digital Millennium Copyright Act didn't give the RIAA the right to just demand such info without going to court first.
The judge disagreed, saying Congress clearly wanted the DMCA to give copyright holders a streamlined way to attack supposed infringers.
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|1.22.03 @ 2:43AM|#
And the reason we get some wierd unintelligible birthday song at Chili's, instead of Happy Birthday.
Jim|1.22.03 @ 2:49AM|#
Who owns the copywrite to 'Happy Birthday'? I thought it was public domain.
Eric|1.22.03 @ 4:21AM|#
AOL Time Warner apparently owns it. It brings in about $2 million in royalties a year (half of which, I think, is AOLs).
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.htm
Russ|1.22.03 @ 9:46AM|#
Ah yes, our fine copyright laws. The absurd reason you have to put up with movies and TV shows where the people sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" instead of "Happy Birthday" at birthday parties.