Copycense Weekly Review (through Dec. 17, 2011)
Copycense social media posts on copyright, communications, intellectual property and the media industries from December 11 through December 17, 2011.
- As family battles over her assets, singer Etta James is terminally ill & fighting for her life tinyurl.com/7e8onn5 #music
- Beyonce 2010 tour: Tells story of record label execs telling her first solo album had no hits. Result tinyurl.com/323xqx
- All 10 hours of House #SOPA Day 1 debate, and then some is.gd/QXuVa5 #copyright
- RT @juditrius: Take action: Ask Johnson & Johnson to join the medicines patent pool for hiv/aids bit.ly/u5B1O2
- Dec. 13, 2011: 300th anniversary of New York’s first slave market. Located on Wall St. tinyurl.com/3svpgam
- Per @whitehouse: “Happy Bill of Rights Day” (Thursday) | Fast forward to utter imbecility at #SOPA hearing, Day 1. How the mighty has fallen
- RT @loricnet: Cats could do a better job governing. #SOPA is a giant hairball, anyway.
- Catching up on #SOPA timeline coverage. At point where folks are talking about this fiasco tinyurl.com/7qc8a5c | Are they serious?
- “Droit de suite” bill introduced in US congress. This is provided for in Berne Convention but not required. nyti.ms/sQE4me
- 15 Dec /HT @howardknopf
- DNS expert Paul Vixie on #SOPA harms bit.ly/uHad7g #copyright /HT @mmasnick @normative
- RT @primusluta: “I’m not arguing with you about technology here” Rep. Watt …. uh yeah this is about technology #SOPA
- RT @onthemedia @NYTimes says it should have credited @Techdirt for breaking news about music website and domain seizure bit.ly/w5cu0l
- Hearing, debates sounds nice, but I stand by Nov. 28 prediction — esp. with “too fast” meme: is.gd/mTdvv1 #copyright #sopa
- 15 Dec
- RT @nancyprager: [Clerk’s] got a cup of water. Bright side for all tech geeks watching is she is cute. Bet a meme develops around her. #sopa
- House Judiciary Committee markup hearing on #SOPA: is.gd/FdfmbX (audio) OR is.gd/H2fRkp (video) #copyright
- Someone *please* be humane: throw the clerk a bottle of water, at the least #SOPA
- Berman tried to save the clerk, but alas, she must continue reading. Good for citizenship; sucks to be the clerk #SOPA #copyright
- Watching House #SOPA hearing. I feel for the woman assigned to read all this text into the record. She’s just on the definitions section.
- What person or organization is behind KeeptheWebOpen.com? Rep. Issa’s name is on the Web site, but not really clear #sopa #copyright
- The anti free software movement: pay developers flpbd.it/TV1v
- The pro & con advertising campaigns behind SOPA/PIPA is.gd/0EQmRw #copyright
- Jared Polis (D-CO), former Web entrepreneur, on #SOPA is.gd/ltvjzV #copyright
- Hachette: “Self-publishing is a misnomer” is.gd/CgZZqm | @jakonrath: “giant bowl of steaming fail” is.gd/9GWLfK
- Scholars decline to act as reviewers, even as tenure depends on peer-reviewed publications is.gd/2AvqZR
- Authors Guild Files for Class Certification in Google Case http://bit.ly/unhpkI /HT @LloydJassin
- Indie bookseller on Amazon.com’s price comparison offer (which, BTW, excludes books) is.gd/1ogRr6 /HT @LawandLit
- Life Cycle of a Book j.mp/rVROdx HT @LawandLit
- Library Wars: Amazon, publishers vie for control of e-Book rentals is.gd/erGE0b /HT @DrRimmer #books #copyright
- Comedian Louis C.K. posts numbers on his direct-to-consumer comedy tour is.gd/0s7ZSV
- USA: Court denies software company’s attempt to censor consumer complaints on the Web is.gd/I8jXFQ /HT @RonColeman
- The Facebook resisters is.gd/ganyeN #social
- Amazon’s decent treatment of authors doesn’t seem to extend to app developers is.gd/g55lTI /HT @CraigGrannell #mobile
- Secret terms & conditions every #music subscription service must agree to is.gd/pMzynl HT @airvpn #copyright
- Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane Oscar up for auction is.gd/O65aNC
- LoC: Digital preservation and the online video revolution is.gd/ZpRcnc
- Editorial: Rent-seeking leads to executive “atrophy” is.gd/NtvLGe /HT @AdamThierer #copyright
- Corporate use of Google’s ContentID to claim ownership of public domain works is.gd/CAbhay
- In the so-called year of the e-book, retail bookshops are reporting brisk sales for high-priced titles is.gd/CgoRqa
- #Copyright & “remix culture”: The new Prohibition? bit.ly/sDo3Vj /HT @howardknopf | Oy.
- “There is a legitimate policy dispute about how disruptive government enforcement powers should be” is.gd/3G9Qeh /HT @howardknopf #SOPA #copyright
- RT @BerinSzoka: Is #SOPA markup still on for Thursday? Not on House Judiciary page … rules require 36 hours’ notice #OPEN #copyright
- Visual Resources Assn.: Fair use of images for teaching, research & study is.gd/WhgONl [pdf] #copyright
- William Patry, “How to Fix Copyright” out now is.gd/HuddpU #copyright
- HathiTrust response to Authors Guild claims of #copyright infringement is.gd/AiwwlG [pdf]
- William Patry (2005) on Bikram Yoga’s #copyright claim is.gd/RDiQaZ & why Bikram press release is wrong is.gd/unhCKh
- RE is.gd/OcI4jd @CopyrightOffice says Bikram Yoga is exercise, not protectible choreography is.gd/okhXZp #copyright
- 75 years in, Consumer Reports makes money in print and online is.gd/qdTjPu
- USA: Even without #SOPA, court OKs private #domain seizure based upon counterfeit sales allegation is.gd/XwrkDu
Louis C.K. Comedy Tour
Most folks will focus on the balance sheet as a sign of Louis C.K.’s success
The show went on sale at noon on Saturday, December 10th. 12 hours later, we had over 50,000 purchases and had earned $250,000, breaking even on the cost of production and website. As of [Tuesday, Dec. 13], we’ve sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58).
(Truth be told, if LCK must pay self-employment taxes, his final take will be about $75.58.)
What immediately struck me was the simplicity and usability of his Web site (although the red font on dark background was hard to read), and his approach to sharing the filmed performance on BitTorrent
To those who might wish to “torrent” this video: look, I don’t really get the whole “torrent” thing. I don’t know enough about it to judge either way. But I’d just like you to consider this: I made this video extremely easy to use against well-informed advice. I was told that it would be easier to torrent the way I made it, but I chose to do it this way anyway, because I want it to be easy for people to watch and enjoy this video in any way they want without “corporate” restrictions.
Please bear in mind that I am not a company or a corporation. I’m just some guy. I paid for the production and posting of this video with my own money. I would like to be able to post more material to the fans in this way, which makes it cheaper for the buyer and more pleasant for me. So, please help me keep this being a good idea. I can’t stop you from torrenting; all I can do is politely ask you to pay your five little dollars, enjoy the video, and let other people find it in the same way.
Sincerely,
Louis C.K.
It’s frank and without whine. And it subtly addresses what I think is the biggest issue people miss today with respect to copyright: its utility to individual creators, as opposed to its use by multinational corporate copyright holding companies.
What fewer people will mention is the inordinate amount of work Louis C.K. needed to put in — likely for decades — to get to a point where he could benefit from making a $200,000 profit based upon $5 show sales. A performer only can pull something like this if he or she has an audience that is willing to buy the product, AND promote that product to others who may not be part of the audience.
Therefore, Louis C.K.’s success isn’t that he has profited on this single show. It’s that he survived in the business long enough to put himself in a position to profit from this single show. The next step is for him to be able to replicate this success in future shows, after the novelty has disappeared.
Copycense Weekly Review (through Dec. 10, 2011)
Copycense social media posts on copyright, communications, intellectual property and the media industries from December 4 through December 10, 2011.
- Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day. Sec. Clinton on Internet freedom http://t.co/uqwQScr7 vs ICE seizures http://t.co/XiDgTQh6 #copyright
- Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day. Re: human rights & IP: UNESCO http://t.co/76DQJKgW UNDHR, Art. 27 http://t.co/97WQ3nhx #copyright
- Audio Drylongso: Former slaves tell their stories (via LoC): http://t.co/1Q9aSbS9 | Coverage: http://t.co/M6L1nNbt /HT @LawandLit
- “For Chinese netizens, #SOPA is another great firewall” http://t.co/rUALNWRb /HT @onthemedia #copyright
- Ice Cube draws parallels between sampling and … Eames architecture?!?!? http://t.co/39zS2utj /HT @NewBlackMan | Straight boulevois
- LOC: Digitizing & making pre-1978 @CopyrightOffice records more accessible http://t.co/2yGrLzFp
- “Viacom’s lawsuit vs. Google showed studio reps surreptitiously uploaded clips … for promotional purposes” http://t.co/jm07uKA3 #copyright
- RE http://t.co/lPOIlImI UNESCO? http://t.co/76DQJKgW UNDHR, Art. 27? http://t.co/97WQ3nhx #copyright
- “This truth should be self-evident: Human rights should never be subjugated to #copyright” http://t.co/Fsp6FiqA
- Does red herring of tech vs. Hollywood move so-called #copyright “wars” to Defcon 2? http://is.gd/lQzd7C
- MPAA chairman slams Google over its PIPA/SOPA opposition http://t.co/nhgmyWAE /HT @robinhoover #copyright
- RE http://t.co/CagJtoeE … Is another salvo in the “Tech is killing #copyright” meme in the air lately
- RE http://t.co/CagJtoeE Industry verification the “culture industries” sell units, not culture #copyright
- Music publishers’ association president: #SOPA needed to protect digital marketplace http://t.co/EbdQsWZX #copyright
- “Watering down” #SOPA begins http://t.co/LrZQPatP | I’m all in as of Nov. 28 http://t.co/zJhVyKdk #copyright
- Outstanding reporting by @mmasnick on the Dajaz1 #domain seizure & due process problems http://t.co/XiDgTQh6 #copyright
- ESPN’s ® for its SportsCenter theme http://t.co/rKVHjpbm | Sound http://t.co/rtZFA0rz /HT @tm4smallbiz #trademark
- Electronic Arts banning users from games for alleged forum comment violations http://t.co/edgsrd4Z #games
- USA: Ad network not liable for #copyright Infringement in “For Dummies” e-book case http://t.co/oHEQDlDU
- USA: Federal court rules pro-se blogger isn’t journalist; judgment is $2.5 million http://t.co/qQbvuFJw /HT @LloydJassin
- Verizon to take on Netflix with video streaming service http://t.co/IKeRWyTJ
- Netflix chief: HBO Go is rival ‘we fear most’ http://t.co/abO4p1Qt
- ESPN reporter sues hotel, stalker for $10 million http://t.co/wI46zeh0 /HT @BizMediaLaw:#privacy
- RE http://t.co/dFIxtHkU Official announcement http://t.co/l0UoSoXq UK coverage http://t.co/huUm2Rjm
- RT @James_Gannon: Since when is the test for #copyright infringement “lost sales” and not “copying”? http://is.gd/43P73A
- “Cluetrain” author officially on the “Internet is ruining everything” bandwagon http://t.co/CvtiIJXz /HT @Shocklee
- #SCOTUS cert petition in Wiley v. Kirtsaeng http://t.co/Mfrg2sRn /HT @IPInBrief #copyright
- Why the $2.99 e-book may signal “cheap” http://t.co/lApYTaIT (Hint: Starbucks) #amwriting #books
- @MPAA says SOPA/PIPA will have “changes” http://t.co/SDTxU1gQ | Doubling down http://t.co/zJhVyKdk #copyright
- EU investigating possible collusion between Apple, publishers in e-book market http://t.co/30FPEKO9 #amwriting
- RT @CathyGellis: USA is barely more than 200 years old and already libraries and the post office are dying. Ben Franklin would be pissed. http://is.gd/iGKDXA
- @AmericanPublish joins @RIAA seek to file amicus brief in 9th Cir. RIghthaven case http://t.co/tzok1MUU #copyright
- Norweigan press boycotts Janet Jackson after singer’s photo ownership demands http://t.co/ixzSwEXC /HT @ArtistsRights #copyright
- Paper: “Predicting Fair Use” http://t.co/jXsRybXm #copyright
- RT @rachaelvaughn: Matthew Sag speak about empirical fair use analysis; ~ 40% of district court cases find fair use #copyright http://is.gd/HU0qe6
- 10,000 tweets equals more than 450, 500-word blog posts http://t.co/5JAzrk8e | Reallocating writing time in 2012
- RE http://t.co/MczspGmI Likely SOPA/PIPA related, then reframe convo to make well-funded tech cos. (instead of poor consumers) the devil
- Per @robinhoover, anyone else in #copyright space notice preponderance of Hollywood v. Tech reporting in last 7-10 days? Fishy. http://is.gd/RgWICU
- @robinhoover RE http://t.co/k6tiBQZI May have a point. Add Levine’s Free Ride book review http://t.co/X4o07cnC Seems a coordinated effort
- Napster closed Nov. 30; co-founder says Spotify follows Napster’s “original dream” http://t.co/NA3gssaQ (video) /HT @Shocklee #music
- “Traditional media has historically done well by selling inefficiency.” http://t.co/ioMrfqDp
- Economic “piracy” losses questioned, @MPAA subtly reframing to jobs lost, i.e. http://t.co/LROOzCuJ #copyright
- RE http://t.co/nxzYBYzs Hollywood v. Tech is a sexy news story line, but there’s more synergy than difference #copyright
- Piracy legislation pits Hollywood against Silicon Valley http://t.co/acsmavgF /HT @Cal_Lawyer
- “There are indications that an exquisitely designed hardcover book can keep print sales high & cut into e-book sales” http://t.co/9m6SZTqK
- Selling a book by its (intricately gilded) cover http://t.co/9m6SZTqK | Reminds me of past excitement over LP album covers #books
- Chik-Fil-A sends C&D to Vermont who wants folks to “Eat More Kale” http://t.co/JailJKV6 #trademark
- Extra | USPS to close half of its mail processing centers; slower first class mail delivery times http://t.co/9NoxvY7T
- RE http://t.co/HhkqPK0i No coincidence movie studios’ Ultraviolet move concurrent with SOPA/PIPA proposals #copyright
- Will Hollywood’s ‘UltraViolet’ plan replace the DVD? http://t.co/Muox2qDL | More format shift monetization #copyright #DRM
- RT @lawgeeknz: Killing Michael Jackson gets max 4 years in prison; uploading MJ song under #SOPA gets max 5 years #copyright http://is.gd/yg2Ebd