Hot Topic - Fair Use

You Can’t Avoid Google’s Search Terms - December 7, 2009
The information and technology game-changer of the last century has been the internet. But Google has changed the language, if not more. To exist is to be indexed.

Tie Up, Tie Down or Just Tired - November 25, 2009
A tie up between News Corporation and Microsoft Corporation is in the air. Sure, it’s insane. But credit both Murdoch and Ballmer for previewing the first truly post-modern publisher.

Google’s Eric Schmidt Walks Into The Newspaper Lions’ Den, And They Let Him Out Unscathed - April 8, 2009
It was probably the most anticipated speech to a newspaper audience for a very long time and yet what a disappointment – Google’s Eric Schmidt didn’t tell publishers how they and Google might work together to ensure print profitability and the publishers basically let him skirt around the copyright and fair use issues of Google News using their material.

WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Dead…For Now - June 23, 2007
Major treaties, internationally binding, are consecrated every so often, typically years in the making. In this digital age, that’s a problem. WIPO’s Broadcasting Treaty might be dead, for now, but it remains a problem looking for a place to happen.

WIPO Moves Fast on Broadcast Treaty. Webcasters Tremble! - September 18, 2006
Time being relative, the United Nations organization watching intellectual property law is moving at blinding speed. In the blink of the galactic eye broadcasters will likely have a new set of worldwide rights…and governments will have new controls on the internet.

Wake Up, Catch Up and Overhaul! - March 6, 2006
European media policy all-stars gathered in Vienna to confer about digital content. The big message: Don't just sit back and watch, do something!

As If Google Didn’t Have Enough Problems with Taxes Taking A Big Bite Out Of Profits That Caused Its Shares Drop By 12% in One Day, and Criticism For Its Censorship Policies Appeasing the Chinese, Now It has Europeans Publishers Mad That The Search Engine Uses Their News Without Payment - February 2, 2006
Google shares got nailed this week, initially a 12% drop knocking some $20 billion off its market cap although it recovered a bit from there, because fourth quarter earnings, while very good, got hit by high taxes and Wall street didn’t like that. It’s had a tough PR week, too, not showing up at a Congressional hearing into censorship policies agreed by American companies doing business in China, and then European publishers warned they are asking the EU Commission to take a look at why the search engine doesn’t pay for the news its robots scan and sort into various categories on the Google news site.

Who Wants to Know How Newspapers Can Survive In the Internet Age? And Here It is - April 14, 2005
What Rupert Murdoch told a Meeting of American Editors in Washington This Week Should Be Required Reading for Every Publisher and Editor