Friday’s Endnotes – 12/20/24

By , December 20, 2024.

Publishers Association wins High Court bid ordering internet service providers to block pirate websites — “Website blocking as a remedy for tackling piracy was first deployed by publishers collectively in 2015. The court can be asked to order intermediaries to intervene to prevent access to websites which infringe copyright. This order is the first of its kind for UK publishing, because it also targets ‘copycat’ domains that trade off existing pirate brands.”

The UK government mulls letting AI firms steal copyrighted work — “The UK government has launched an indescribably long and over-complicated consultation about copyright and AI. All it needed was one yes or no question.”

Netflix and Hollywood Obtain Canadian Site Blocking Order Against Pirate ‘Brand’ Soap2Day — “The Federal Court of Canada has issued a new site blocking order requiring major ISPs to block access to Soap2Day domains. The order was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by Netflix, Bell, and several major Hollywood studios alleging copyright infringement. The operators of the associated Soap2Day domains must pay millions of Canadian dollars in damages.”

Proposed copyright policy change sparks concerns among Universities of Wisconsin faculty — “Despite this assurance, many faculty members worry the policy will grant the university more control over their intellectual work and undermine academic freedom. Bernard-Donals argued the policy could make universities treat faculty-created materials like commodities. ‘With copyright control over course material, what’s to stop a university from bundling together syllabi, notes and PowerPoints and assigning non-experts to teach those courses?’ he asked. ‘It has the potential to make courses into cookie-cutter modules, which could be a serious problem for academic quality.'”

Because it is that time of year, please enjoy a series of 2024 recaps. Friday’s Endnotes will return in 2025: