[ACC News] Copyright Society seminars: 18 and 27 August 2009: Understanding the Google Book Settlement; Copyright Responsibility on the Internet

[Australian Copyright Council]

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 Australian Copyright Council --- Subscriber Information Services

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Copyright Society seminars
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18 August 2009: Understanding the Google Book Settlement
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Google¹s decision to scan books with or without permission under its Library
Project was highly controversial and landed it in court in an action brought
by the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and various
other copyright owners. The October 2008 settlement of that case has been
equally controversial.

Copyright owners have until 4 September 2009 to decide whether they will
remain in the Settlement Class, object to the settlement  or opt-out. A
³fairness hearing² on the settlement is currently scheduled for hearing on 7
October 2009, but the settlement has also attracted the attention of the US
Department of Justice. In this seminar, two speakers comment on the case and
aspects of the settlement.

Speakers

     * Michael Lijic, International Affairs & Digital Strategy, Copyright
Agency Limited (CAL)
     * Sally McCausland, Lawyer, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)

When: 18 August 2009, 6:00pm presentation, followed by drinks at about
7:00pm (registration from 5:30pm)

Where: Middletons Lawyers, Level 26, 52 Martin Place, Sydney

Cost: $45 (members of CSA); $70 (non-members); $10 (full-time students)
(prices include GST)
Information about CSA membership is available at
http://www.copyright.asn.au/membership

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27 August 2009: Copyright Responsibility on the Internet ­ in Three Acts
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Changes in law are driven by widespread changes in the conditions of
economic exchange, in available technology, in accepted morality, and, just
maybe, in human nature.  The liability of internet service providers (ISPs)
for copyright infringements by ISP customers is a small, intriguing ­ and
unfinished ­ story of such legal development.  In the period 1998 ­ 2004,
the issue seemed to become settled ­ with legislatures around the world
giving mainstream ISPs substantial protection from secondary liability for
copyright infringements by Internet users.

But there are now shifts in the terrain ­ and those of us who thought the
issue was largely settled may have been quite wrong.  More and more, courts
and legislators are calling on ISPs to have greater responsibility for
copyright infringement by customers.  In this talk, Professor Hughes
explores the reassessment of ISP liability that is occurring on a variety of
fronts, explaining how the resulting instability is the result of
technological advances and changing business models; how some of these
advances have decoupled policy considerations concerning copyright liability
from other kinds of liability, particularly for defamation; and how this
form of copyright liability moved from a knowledge standard to an intent
standard, and may be moving now from these fault-based standards to
mechanistic, regulatory standards of responsibility more familiar to areas
like banking law and general tort theory than intellectual property.

Speaker

    * Professor Justin Hughes, Cardozo Law School
    
* Chair: Michael Handler, University of New South Wales

More on Professor Hughes at http://www.copyright.asn.au/f2009n06.htm

When:  27 August 2009, 6:00pm presentation, followed by drinks at about
7:00pm (registration from 5:30pm)

Where: Copyright Agency Limited, Level 15, 233 Castlereagh Street, Sydney

Cost: $45 (members of CSA); $70 (non-members); $10 (full-time students)
(prices include GST)
Information about CSA membership is available at
http://www.copyright.asn.au/membership

How to book
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I* book at the Copyright Council's online shop
http://shop.copyright.org.au/home.php?cat=266

Or

* print a pdf flier from http://www.copyright.asn.au/events
and post or fax to PO Box 1986 Strawberry Hills 2012, fax: (02) 8815
9799

Or

* email your contact and payment details to info at copyright.asn.au



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 Australian Copyright Council
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 Australia

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