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Happy Public Domain Day 2026
4 months ago
- Public Domain Day celebrates works entering the public domain on January 1st each year.
- Works by authors who died in 1955 enter the public domain in countries with 'life plus 70 years' copyright terms.
- Works by authors who died in 1975 enter the public domain in countries with 'life plus 50 years' copyright terms.
- In the US, films and books published in 1929 enter the public domain.
- Notable works entering the public domain include William Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying' and Langston Hughes' 'Not Without Laughter'.
- Other significant works include Agatha Christie's 'The Murder at the Vicarage' and Hermann Hesse's 'Narcissus and Goldmund'.
- The public domain also welcomes works by Albert Einstein, Wallace Stevens, and Thomas Mann.
- The article highlights the cultural and historical significance of these works and their authors.
Standard Ebooks: Public Domain Day 2026 in Literature
4 months ago
- Public Domain Day is celebrated on January 1, marking the expiration of copyright on older works.
- In the U.S., works enter the public domain 95 years after publication due to extended copyright terms influenced by corporations.
- 2019 marked the first significant entry of works into the public domain in nearly a century.
- On January 1, 2026, books published in 1930 will enter the U.S. public domain, including works by Faulkner, Kafka, Christie, and Hughes.
- Notable books entering the public domain in 2026 include 'The Castle' by Kafka, 'The Maltese Falcon', and 'As I Lay Dying' by Faulkner.
- Other significant works include 'Not Without Laughter' by Langston Hughes and 'The Murder at the Vicarage' by Agatha Christie.
- The article highlights 20 books being prepared for free release by Standard Ebooks for Public Domain Day 2026.
OpenAI Must Turn over 20M ChatGPT Logs, Judge Affirms
4 months ago
- Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang ruled in favor of news organization plaintiffs, considering privacy concerns over material relevance in ongoing litigation.
- District Judge Sidney H. Stein upheld the ruling, rejecting OpenAI's argument to search a 20 million-log sample, citing no legal requirement for the least burdensome discovery.
- The case is part of consolidated pretrial proceedings for 16 copyright lawsuits against OpenAI, raising novel questions about copyright law's application to AI.
- Judge Stein distinguished OpenAI's reliance on a securities case, noting differences in privacy interests and legal ownership of the logs in question.
- The plaintiffs are represented by Susman Godfrey LLP, Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, Loevy & Loevy, while OpenAI is represented by Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP; Latham & Watkins LLP; and Morrison & Foerster LLP.
X Sues Music Publishers over "Weaponized" DMCA Takedown Conspiracy
4 months ago
- X Corp. escalates legal battle with music industry from copyright lawsuit to antitrust war.
- Music publishers accused X of mass copyright infringement in 2023; settlement talks failed.
- X countersues NMPA and major publishers (Sony, Universal, Warner Chappell) under Sherman Antitrust Act.
- Alleges NMPA used DMCA takedown notices as an 'extortionate campaign' for higher licensing fees.
- Claims NMPA and members colluded to avoid individual deals, pushing for supracompetitive pricing.
- NMPA threatened 'massive program' of DMCA notices in 2021 if X didn't agree to partnership.
- Over 200,000 posts targeted in first year; 50,000+ users suspended due to the campaign.
- X argues DMCA was weaponized to harm business by targeting popular users, not piracy.
- Alleges NMPA hypocrisy: executives reposted fan-made content while demanding its removal.
- Major publishers (Universal, Sony, Warner) later joined alleged conspiracy after failed licensing deals.
- X seeks damages, permanent injunction against anticompetitive conduct in high-stakes case.
Extracting books from production language models (2026)
4 months ago
- Investigates memorization and extraction of copyrighted text from production language models (LLMs).
- Uses a two-phase procedure: initial probe (sometimes with Best-of-N jailbreak) and iterative continuation prompts.
- Tests four production LLMs: Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok 3.
- Measures extraction success with nv-recall, a block-based approximation of longest common substring.
- Finds varying extraction success: Gemini 2.5 Pro and Grok 3 require no jailbreak, while Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4.1 do.
- Claude 3.7 Sonnet can output entire books near-verbatim (e.g., nv-recall=95.8%).
- GPT-4.1 requires more attempts and eventually refuses continuation (e.g., nv-recall=4.0%).
- Highlights that extraction of copyrighted training data remains a risk for production LLMs despite safeguards.
Judge orders Anna's Archive to delete scraped data; no one thinks it will comply
4 months ago
- WorldCat operator wins default judgment against Anna’s Archive.
- Anna’s Archive ordered to delete WorldCat data and cease scraping, using, storing, or distributing it.
- Anna’s Archive is a shadow library launched in 2022, archiving books and making them available via torrents.
- Recently expanded by scraping Spotify to create a 300TB copy of top-streamed songs.
- Lost its .org domain but remains online at other domains.
- OCLC, operator of WorldCat, alleged Anna’s Archive illegally hacked and stole 2.2TB of data.
- Anna’s Archive did not respond to the lawsuit and claims to deliberately violate copyright laws.
- Court order may help OCLC request hosting services to remove WorldCat data from Anna’s Archive sites.
AI and Corporate Capture of Knowledge
4 months ago
- Aaron Swartz advocated for free access to publicly funded knowledge and faced severe legal consequences for downloading academic articles.
- AI companies are appropriating vast amounts of copyrighted material without consent or compensation, yet face minimal legal repercussions compared to Swartz.
- The control of knowledge by a few tech giants threatens democratic participation and public trust by limiting access to information.
- The disparity in legal treatment between individual activists like Swartz and large corporations highlights systemic biases in copyright enforcement.
- Democracy relies on free access to knowledge, and corporate control over information undermines this principle.
Spotify won court order against Anna's Archive, taking down .org domain
3 months ago
- Anna’s Archive lost its .org domain in early January due to a lawsuit filed by Spotify and major record labels.
- The lawsuit was initially sealed but was unsealed on January 16, revealing details about the domain suspension.
- The music companies requested and received a temporary restraining order on January 2 to stop Anna’s Archive from distributing copyrighted works.
- The order required Public Interest Registry (PIR) and Cloudflare to shut off access to Anna’s Archive’s domains.
- Anna’s Archive was notified of the case only after the domain suspension was implemented.
- The operator initially believed the suspension was unrelated to their Spotify backup.
Stealing Isn't Innovation – America's creative community message against AI
3 months ago
- America's creative community is a global leader, driving jobs, economic growth, and exports.
- Some tech companies, backed by private equity, are using creators' work without authorization, disregarding copyright laws.
- Artists and creators are uniting against unauthorized use of their work, labeling it as theft, not innovation.
- Ethical AI development through licensing and partnerships is presented as a viable alternative that respects creators' rights.
- A long list of creators and organizations have signed in support, highlighting widespread concern and solidarity in the creative community.
Rent-Only Copyright Culture Makes Us All Worse Off
3 months ago
- Participation in Copyright Week to discuss and support principles guiding copyright policy.
- Digital media access limits ownership, leading to rental models with restrictive terms.
- US copyright law struggles with digital copying and resale rights.
- 50th anniversary of the 1976 Copyright Act prompts calls for reform.
- First sale doctrine (Section 109) is eroding, impacting consumer rights.
- First sale allows resale and lending but doesn't cover digital reproduction.
- Digital media restricts second-hand markets, swaps, and libraries.
- Subscription services offer convenience but lack permanence and ownership.
- California's AB 2426 requires disclosure of revocable licenses for digital purchases.
- Federal efforts to establish digital ownership rules face resistance.
- Courts may need congressional intervention to correct misinterpretations of copyright law.
- Reforming Section 109 could restore consumer agency and spur innovation.
EFF calls Daybreak a copyright bully over its EverQuest emulator lawsuit
3 months ago
- Daybreak Games sued the EverQuest Heroes Journey emulator (THJ) for profiting from its IP, pulling in $100K/month at the expense of the live MMO.
- The EFF criticized Daybreak as a 'copyright bully,' but omitted key facts like THJ's financial impact on EverQuest.
- Daybreak has historically allowed non-profit emulators (e.g., Project 1999, SWG servers) but took action against THJ due to direct competition and financial harm.
- The EFF compared Daybreak to 'new owners alienating fans,' but Daybreak is essentially the same as Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) under new management.
- Daybreak’s emulator policy ('don’t charge nothin’, won’t be nothin’') is more lenient than studios like Blizzard, which aggressively pursues for-profit emulators.
- Most emulator servers affected by the lawsuit were restored within weeks, showing the resilience of non-profit fan communities.
Adviser of Highest EU Court Backs VPN Neutrality in Anne Frank Copyright Battle
3 months ago
- The Diary of Anne Frank is a well-known literary work written during World War II by a young girl hiding from the Nazis.
- A copyright battle exists over the digital accessibility of the diary, controlled by the Swiss-based Anne Frank Fonds.
- In the Netherlands, parts of the manuscripts remain under copyright until 2037, while they are public domain in other countries like Belgium.
- The Dutch Anne Frank Stichting published a scholarly edition online with geo-blocking to restrict access in countries where the work is protected.
- The Anne Frank Fonds argued that geo-blocking isn't sufficient if it can be bypassed, but Dutch courts dismissed this claim, leading to an appeal.
- The case is now before the Dutch Supreme Court, with questions referred to the EU's top court (CJEU) regarding VPN neutrality and geo-blocking.
- Advocate General Rantos of the CJEU supports geo-blocking as a sufficient measure, stating VPN providers aren't liable unless they encourage unlawful use.
- The final CJEU ruling, expected later this year, will impact the digital future of Anne Frank's diary and other geo-blocked content.
- If geo-blocking is deemed insufficient, it could affect many websites, including streaming platforms, and create backlash if VPNs are held liable for user actions.
GitHub - anomalyco/opencode-anthropic-auth
3 months ago
- The text is a MIT License for the software 'opencode-anthropic-auth'.
- The license grants permission to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the software.
- The license includes conditions that the copyright notice and permission notice must be included in all copies or substantial portions of the software.
- The software is provided 'as is' without any warranties, and the authors or copyright holders are not liable for any claims or damages.
Danish Students Face Legal Action and Fines over Textbook Piracy
3 months ago
- Online piracy extends beyond entertainment to include educational content, such as textbooks.
- Textbook piracy has been prevalent for decades, with dedicated torrent sites existing for years.
- In Denmark, the Rights Alliance has targeted individuals profiting from pirated textbooks, leading to convictions.
- Despite legal actions, 57% of students using digital textbooks have acquired at least one illegally.
- 74% of students believe sharing textbooks illegally is acceptable, despite knowing it's against the law.
- The Rights Alliance plans to sue students pirating textbooks to enforce cultural change, not seeking financial settlements.
- Fines for illegal sharing could reach several thousand Danish kroner, depending on the extent of sharing.
- The anti-piracy group adopts a zero-tolerance policy, with even a single illegal share warranting legal action.
- Publishers warn that unchecked piracy could eliminate the market for Danish textbooks, affecting educational institutions.
- 37% of students received pirated textbooks from teachers or professors via official study intranets.
Anna's Archive Loses .PM Domain, Adds Greenland (.GL) Backup
3 months ago
- Anna’s Archive faced domain takedowns after a lawsuit by Spotify and major record labels.
- The lawsuit followed plans to release scraped Spotify data, including full tracks.
- A New York court issued a preliminary injunction targeting domain registries and intermediaries.
- Domains like .org, .se, and .in were taken down, but some registries resisted U.S. jurisdiction.
- The .pm domain was blocked, possibly by the registrar Openprovider, not the French registry AFNIC.
- U.S. court orders and international pressure from anti-piracy groups like BREIN contributed to the takedowns.
- Anna’s Archive registered a new Greenland-based domain (.gl) to evade U.S. jurisdiction.
- The Pirate Bay previously used a .GL domain but was suspended by the Greenlandic registry.
- Anna’s Archive continues to dodge takedowns while rightsholders maintain legal pressure.
Google AI Tools Start Blocking Disney-Related Prompts
3 months ago
- Google has backed down in its AI dispute with Disney after receiving a cease and desist letter.
- Disney complained that Google's AI tools were generating Disney-owned characters without permission.
- Google's AI models, including Gemini and Nano Banana, now block prompts involving Disney characters.
- Disney's cease and desist letter demanded Google stop copyright infringement and training models on Disney IP.
- Google responded by stating its commitment to engaging with Disney and respecting copyright controls.
- Disney recently signed a $1B deal with OpenAI to license characters for the Sora video app.
DMCA Subpoenas Can't Be Used for Foreign Piracy Lawsuits, Court Rules
3 months ago
- Mangajikan, a major piracy site with 185 million monthly visitors, was targeted by Shueisha via a DMCA subpoena.
- Shueisha sought to uncover the operator's identity through Cloudflare, leading to the voluntary takedown of Mangajikan and Alammanga.
- A dispute arose over whether Shueisha could use the operator's identity for lawsuits outside the U.S., which the court ruled against.
- The court emphasized that the DMCA subpoena's scope is limited to U.S. copyright enforcement, not foreign litigation.
- Shueisha's argument to bypass protective order restrictions by filing a U.S. lawsuit was rejected as an impermissible bait-and-switch.
- The pirate site operator's privacy protections were mostly denied, though sensitive personal data remains protected.
- Shueisha can share the operator's identity with its Japan team for U.S. enforcement but not for foreign lawsuits.
- Cloudflare must now disclose the operator's identity, and Shueisha must decide on U.S. legal action or destroy the data if unused.
Anna's Archive 'Releases' Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback
3 months ago
- Anna’s Archive, a meta-search engine for shadow libraries, announced backing up Spotify, shocking the music industry.
- Initially, only Spotify metadata was released, but the site later added millions of music files totaling 6 terabytes.
- Spotify and major labels (Universal, Warner, Sony) filed a lawsuit, leading to domain takedowns, but the site persisted with Greenland-based backups.
- 47 new music torrents and a metadata torrent were added, containing 2.8 million files with embedded metadata and cover art.
- The files use abstract Spotify track IDs, matching Spotify’s internal cache format, and are labeled by popularity rank ('pop_0').
- A U.S. court injunction prohibited Anna’s Archive from distributing copyrighted works, but the site partially complied before releasing music files.
- Spotify and labels may take further legal action, but non-U.S. entities may not comply with the injunction.
- Anna’s Archive has not commented on the new release, while Spotify referred to its court injunction.
'It's over for us': release of AI video generator Seedance 2.0 spooks Hollywood
3 months ago
- Hollywood writer Rhett Reese warns that AI could make traditional filmmaking obsolete after seeing an AI-generated clip of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting.
- The clip was created using Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator by ByteDance, with just a two-line prompt.
- The Motion Picture Association (MPA) accuses ByteDance of unauthorized use of copyrighted material on a massive scale.
- AI tools are trained on data from the web, including copyrighted works, leading to demands for compensation and licensing frameworks.
- MPA CEO Charles Rivkin calls on ByteDance to stop infringing activities, citing risks to creators' rights and jobs.
- UK peer Beeban Kidron urges AI companies to strike deals with the creative industries to avoid prolonged litigation and industry damage.
Disney Blasts ByteDance with Cease and Desist Letter over Seedance 2.0 AI Model
3 months ago
- Disney issued a cease and desist letter to ByteDance over Seedance 2.0's unauthorized use of Disney's copyrighted characters.
- Seedance 2.0, a new AI video platform by ByteDance, faced backlash for deepfakes using Hollywood IP without permission.
- The Human Artistry Campaign criticized Seedance 2.0 as an attack on creators, calling AI-generated content 'destructive to culture.'
- The Motion Picture Association (MPA) demanded ByteDance stop infringing activities, citing massive unauthorized use of copyrighted works.
- Disney previously sent a cease and desist to Google and now blocks prompts involving Disney-owned characters in AI tools like Gemini.
- Disney signed a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to license characters for generative video app Sora, signaling a move to monetize AI.
- Seedance 2.0's viral deepfakes included scenes like a Tom Cruise vs. Brad Pitt fight and alternate endings for 'Stranger Things.'
- Critics argue Disney's actions aim to monopolize AI use of their IP, leveraging it as a key asset in the AI-driven entertainment market.
- The controversy highlights tensions between AI innovation and copyright protection in the entertainment industry.

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#copyright

Happy Public Domain Day 2026

Standard Ebooks: Public Domain Day 2026 in Literature

OpenAI Must Turn over 20M ChatGPT Logs, Judge Affirms

X Sues Music Publishers over "Weaponized" DMCA Takedown Conspiracy

Extracting books from production language models (2026)

Judge orders Anna's Archive to delete scraped data; no one thinks it will comply

AI and Corporate Capture of Knowledge

Spotify won court order against Anna's Archive, taking down .org domain

Stealing Isn't Innovation – America's creative community message against AI

Rent-Only Copyright Culture Makes Us All Worse Off

EFF calls Daybreak a copyright bully over its EverQuest emulator lawsuit

Adviser of Highest EU Court Backs VPN Neutrality in Anne Frank Copyright Battle

GitHub - anomalyco/opencode-anthropic-auth

Danish Students Face Legal Action and Fines over Textbook Piracy

Anna's Archive Loses .PM Domain, Adds Greenland (.GL) Backup

Google AI Tools Start Blocking Disney-Related Prompts

DMCA Subpoenas Can't Be Used for Foreign Piracy Lawsuits, Court Rules

Anna's Archive 'Releases' Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback

'It's over for us': release of AI video generator Seedance 2.0 spooks Hollywood

Disney Blasts ByteDance with Cease and Desist Letter over Seedance 2.0 AI Model