Education Publishers Sue Shopify for Copyright, Trademark Infringement — According to the complaint, “Shopify not only provides its repeat-infringer subscribers with the tools they need to run their illegal businesses, but also provides them with anonymity, a false veneer of legitimacy, and a safe haven from which to break the law. When Shopify becomes aware that one of its subscribers is using its services to infringe, Shopify must do something about it. Blindly ignoring piracy in order to make more money, as Shopify does here, is not a lawful option.”
New Zealand Library Halts Donation to Internet Archive — “The National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ) is halting its donation of 600,000 books from its overseas collection to the Internet Archive in response to mounting pressure from author and publisher groups around the world, including the Authors Guild, which sent out an alert to its members last week encouraging them to opt out of the program by the stated deadline of December 1. On Monday, November 29, the NLNZ issued a statement announcing that it was ‘reconsidering’ plans ‘in light of concerns raised by interested parties, including issues associated with copyright.'”
US Copyright Office Update on Online Publication Study [PDF] — According to the letter, some copyright registration applicants have expressed uncertainty as to how the term “publication†applies in the online context, and there is a perceived lack of consensus among courts on the issue, which can have significant legal implications for copyright owners. Since launching its study, the Office says, “Commenters provided insightful, but sometimes conflicting, suggestions about whether and how Congress or the Office could provide further clarity. The Office has already taken action to provide additional guidance regarding what constitutes publication, and we will supplement those efforts going forward. The Office also continues to analyze the comments submitted regarding potential statutory and regulatory changes, and to consider the feasibility of commenters’ various proposals in light of our current and future technological infrastructure and systems.”
The accuracy and completeness of drug information in Google snippet blocks — On the perils of automating knowledge. According to a recent study, “In 2014, Google introduced the snippet block to programmatically search available websites to answer a question entered into the search engine without the need for the user to enter any websites. This study compared the accuracy and completeness of drug information found in Google snippet blocks to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medication guides. . . . Google snippets provide inaccurate and incomplete drug information when compared to FDA-approved drug medication guides. This aspect may cause patient harm; therefore, it is imperative for health care and health information professionals to provide reliable drug resources to patients and consumers if written information may be needed.”
Senate Committee Advances Jessica Rosenworcel Nomination — John Eggerton of NextTV reports, “Acting Federal Communications Commission chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday (Dec. 1) for a new, five-year term, meaning only likely, swift full-Senate confirmation before she becomes the regulator‘s first non-acting woman chair.”