Spoliation in RIAA P2P Case (D.Ariz)

August 29, 2008, Order striking defendant's answer and granting default judgment to plaintiffs in RIAA P2P case Atlantic v. Howell, No 06-cv-2076(D. Ariz.).

The basis of this order, and the sanction of granting default judgment to plaintiffs, was defendant file-sharer's repeated spoliation of evidence on his computer.

DMCA & The Safe Harbor - Web Video

IO Group, Inc. v. Veoh Networks, Inc., (N.D.Cal. Aug. 27, 2008), granting defendant's motion for summary judgment in a copyright case based on user-generated web-video content.

Though not a music case, the EFF describes the decision as "required reading". 

Online Album Leak - Arrest

Blogger Arrested Over Guns N' Roses Leak

The End

permission to perform the The New York Times reports (8/23/08; B8 "Arts, Briefly") that the California Supreme Court decline to grant certiorari to a case involving the three surviving members of the Doors. The case concerns use of the band's name and trademark by the keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger while touring as a legacy act. Drummer Jon Densmore gave Manzarek and KriegerDoors' songs in 2002, but apparently limited their right to call themselves the Doors and from using the group's logo or other imagery.

iTunes, China, and Censorship

entitled "Songs for The New York Times reports (8/23/08; B8, "Arts, Briefly") that access to Apple's iTunes web site within China was blocked by Chinese Internet providers. Though Beijing authorities have not commented, the move was reportedly sparked by a free compilation album offered by iTunesTibet", which more than 40 Olympic athletes download.

Legal Lyrics Online

The internet is rife with sites offering lyrics to popular songs. But usually, these sites are not authorized to reproduce and exploit the lyrics by the publisher. Alas, ArtistDirect has implemented a licensing deal with Universal and EMI to allow ArtistDirect to post lyrics on its website.

McCain Sued For Use of Song

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne is suing Republican presidential nominee John McCain and the Republican party for using his song "Running on Empty" in a recent TV commercial (Billboard.)

Jackson Browne v. John McCain et al, No. 2:08-cv-05334-RKG (C.D. Cal. complaint filed Aug. 14, 2008).