In 1996, global music sales were close to $40 billion. In 2013, global music sales were a mere $15 billion, a decrease of 62%. Who’s to blame? Well, if you ask the recording industry, they’ll say internet file sharing. Yet a number of people, including a few economists in peer reviewed studies, say that file sharing has no effect. Who is right? Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, takes you through the statistics and the studies to find out.
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Marching Bravely Into the Quagmire: The Complete Mess that the “Transformative” Test Has Made of Fair Use
The Supreme Court is the last word on the law of copyright. But when their last words are unclear as to intent, trouble starts brewing immediately. Such is the case with so called “transformative” uses. This single reference has created more confusion amongst the court than any copyright decision in recent memory. Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., takes you through how “transformative” has turned the murky waters of “fair use” into a quagmire of conflicting rulings and questionable logic.
Taking the Raging Bull by the Horns: A Statute of Limitations That Never Expires?
You would think that waiting for 16 years to file a lawsuit would mean that the relevant Statute of Limitations would prevent you from proceeding. Yet the Supreme Court has recently ruled that in copyright cases, the Statute of Limitations may never run out. Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., takes you through the decision in Petrella v. MGM and what it means for the entertainment industry.
DMCA “Takedown” Notices: Why “Takedown” Should Become “Take Down and Stay Down” and Why It’s Good for Everyone
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires websites and search engines to remove infringing material upon a request by the copyright owner. Yet, in one week, Google receives well over 6 million DMCA “takedown” requests. Is the system working or drowning? Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., takes a look at the competing arguments, and suggests how the system can be improved for everyone.
Copyrights Last Too Long! (Say the Pirates): They Don’t; And Why It’s Not Changing Anytime Soon
On July 15, 2014, The Intellectual Property subcommittee of Congress once again looked at the contentious issue of copyright duration. Nova Southeastern University's Copyright Officer, Stephen Carlisle, J.D., leads us through political and practical reasons for the current length of copyright terms and why it’s not likely to change.
Copyright Infringement Litigation Over BitTorrent File Sharing: Truth or Troll?
Over a million people just used BitTorrent to download your show. None of them paid you a penny. What are you going to do about it? Stephen Carlisle, J.D., Copyright Officer for Nova Southeastern University, explains the minutiae and criticism of BitTorrent copyright infringement litigation.
Copyright Stifles Innovation And Creativity! (Says The Internet): It Doesn’t; And Here’s Why
Is copyright an unfathomable evil? There are lots of dire pronouncements, with lots of invective and insults hurled. Yet as typical with such cyberspace broadsides, there is very little explanation of precisely how this suppression of innovation occurs. That’s because copyright doesn’t suppress either creativity or innovation. And here’s why.