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The Strange World of “Let’s Play” Videos and the Copyright Problems They Create

Welcome to the strange world of “Let’s Play” videos. These videos merely show someone playing a video game with part of the screen devoted to the video game and the rest to the gamer, recording their reactions and commentary. And it’s big business, with one gamer earning over $4 million a year. How is this possible? Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., explains the method and marketing behind the madness and how copyright issues question the legality of the business.

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Copyright in Recipes! Well Done or Half-Baked?

Earlier this year, there was another skirmish in the long running battle over copyright in recipes. The intriguingly titled case of Tomaydo-Tomahhdo, LLC v. Vozary once again examined the question of: are recipes copyrightable? And if so, what parts? Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., takes a look at the law and the cases that arise when someone gets caught with their hands in the recipe cookie jar.

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The “Blurred Lines” Verdict: What It Means For Music Now and In the Future

The verdict in the “Blurred Lines” case surprised a lot of people. Many failed to see the level of similarity that the jury did, and felt the case set a bad precedent going forward. Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., examines the component parts of the two songs, takes a look at the expert testimony, and explains what it means for music, now and in the future.

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Two More Copyright Myths Bite the Dust: The $150,000 Statutory Damages Award and the DMCA as the Enemy of Free Speech

Two more copyright myths bit the dust this week, though it is doubtless that they will continue to be repeated. The first is the persistent myth of the $150,000 statutory damages award. The second is the myth of the DMCA takedown notice as the enemy of free speech. Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., uncovers the facts behind the fictions.

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Copying Is Not Creativity! Why Creative Artists Don’t Need the Public Domain

It has become very fashionable to insist that copyrights be pushed into the public domain absolutely as soon as possible. This way, the argument goes, they can be copied and built upon by others. Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., asks, since when did copying become creativity? He breaks down the arguments and shows how not only does the premise not hold up, but creative restrictions in fact encourage rather than inhibit creativity.

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The Copyright Office’s Music Licensing Report Explained! (Hopefully)

On February 5, 2015, the Copyright Office dropped its long awaited report on Music Licensing and its recommendations of the changes to be made to the system. At 202 pages, 45 pages of exhibits and 975 footnotes, it’s a lot to digest, but Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle J.D., has done the heavy lifting for you. He outlines the major proposed changes with an eye on whether Congress might enact the changes, and whether the changes go far enough.

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The Fight over “Blurred Lines:” What Parts of a Song are Copyrightable?

The recent court case over the song “Blurred Lines” highlighted a very thorny question: exactly what parts of a song are copyrightable? Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., explains how courts have handled the questions legally, and how music composition techniques and music theory affect the results.

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Copyright Blog Update: Google’s Latest DMCA Abuse, Here Come the Bogus Bonds and Judge Says 1 + 1 = 1

This blog edition updates some topics covered in previous blog posts: Google is caught once again abusing its DMCA safe harbor rights, Canadian publisher announces a series of new James Bond stories, and a Judge rules that two copyrights that are infringed are actually only one copyright infringed. Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., keeps you up to date and explains what it all means.

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