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Parts of SOPA Hiding Inside a Boring Case About Invisible Braces
derekmead writes: The most controversial parts of SOPA, an anti-piracy bill defeated in 2012 after a massive public outcry, may end up becoming de facto law after all, depending on the outcome in an obscure case that is working its way through the legal system without anyone noticing.
Next week, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit will hear oral arguments in ClearCorrect Operating, LLC v. International Trade Commission, a case that could give an obscure federal agency the power to force ISPs to block websites. In January, The Verge reported that this very legal strategy is already being considered by the Motion Picture Association of America, as evidenced by a leaked document from the WikiLeaks Sony dump.
Next week, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit will hear oral arguments in ClearCorrect Operating, LLC v. International Trade Commission, a case that could give an obscure federal agency the power to force ISPs to block websites. In January, The Verge reported that this very legal strategy is already being considered by the Motion Picture Association of America, as evidenced by a leaked document from the WikiLeaks Sony dump.
Copyright has no clothes is how the saying goes.
Perpetual copyright - and make no mistake it is that by extension after extension - robs our culture of rich works that never were. If copyright was a sane term like 20 years then after those 20 years new authors could tell new stories in those universes and receive their own 20 year copyright on their flavors. But, no, better to let the tapestry rot away for a few pennies more a year.
Get a free book on the issues here: The Public Domain.
Shh.