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A blog relating to Internet legal issues by Professor John Swinson, University of Queensland
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Copyright First Sale Doctrine Reviewed by Supreme Court
Can United States copyright owners block importation of copies of their works sold or distributed outside of the United States?
Confronting this apparently straightforward question, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on 29 October 2012, that revealed complex interactions of the relevant statutes and the difficult consequences flowing from alternative interpretations of those statutes. Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, U.S. No. 11-697. See oral argument transcript.
The case involves Wiley text books printed and sold in Thailand, and Kirtsaeng’s unauthorized importation and resale of those text books in the United States. Wiley sued, claiming that the importation was an infringement under 17 U.S.C. 602(a), and Kirtsaeng defended that he had a right to resell the publications purchased in Thailand under the first sale doctrine codified at 17 U.S.C. 109(a).
On review is the Second Circuit’s decision for Wiley that the text books printed in Thailand could not satisfy the limitation in Section 109(a) that the first sale right applies only to copies “lawfully made under this title,” which the Court interpreted as copies physically made in this country.
Google Liable for Defamation Based on Search Results
In a jury trial in Melbourne, Google was found to have defamed a Melbourne man by placing his photo next to underworld figures.
See SMH and WebProNews and IBT
See SMH and WebProNews and IBT
Australian Domain Name Resales
Top 10 public .com.au domain sales Source: domainerincome.com Hardware.com.au - $33,333 Electricity.com.au - $30,933 Currencyconverter.com.au - $27,500 Websitedesign.com.au - $22,000 1300numbers.com.au - $20,000 Vitamins.com.au - $20,000 Fridges.com.au - $20,000 Wines.com.au - $19,000 Carparts.com.au - $18,011 Freestuff.com.au - $18,000
See: SMH
Why are Google Maps So Much Better
This is a good post that explains why Google Maps are so good. And see also this Atlantic article. Some people have said that maps are the future of Google. Photos below of Google Street View Bike People and Hiker.
Software and Internet Patents
The U.S. Federal Circuit on October 9, 2012 granted en banc review of a case in which a Federal Circuit panel held that a claim must not be deemed inadequate under 35 U.S.C. §101 if, after taking all of the claim recitations into consideration, it is not “manifestly evident” that a claim is directed to a patent ineligible abstract idea. CLS Bank International v. Alice Corp., Fed. Cir., No. 11-1301, 10/9/2012. Alice Corp is an Australian company, suing for patent infringement in the United States.
The en banc court vacated the panel decision and requested briefing on the following questions:
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What test should the court adopt to determine whether a
computer-implemented invention is a patent ineligible "abstract idea”;
and when, if ever, does the presence of a computer in a claim lend
patent eligibility to an otherwise patent-ineligible idea?
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In assessing patent eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101 of a
computer-implemented invention, should it matter whether the invention
is claimed as a method, system, or storage medium; and should such
claims at times be considered equivalent for § 101 purposes?
[N]othing in the Supreme Court’s
precedent, nor in ours, allows a court to go hunting for abstractions by
ignoring the concrete, palpable, tangible, and otherwise not abstract
invention the patentee actually claims. It is fundamentally
improper to paraphrase a claim in overly simplistic generalities in
assessing whether the claim falls under the limited “abstract ideas”
exception to patent eligibility under 35 USC §101. Patent eligibility
must be evaluated based on what the claims recite,
not merely on the ideas upon which they are premised.
To read the Court’s order for en banc review, click here; to read a summary of the panel decision and obtain a copy of Judge Linn’s opinion, click here.
Hobart.com Domain Name Sale
An Australian domain name company has sold Hobart.com.au for $65,000 to a website hosting business after purchasing the website for just $875 back in 2005, highlighting the potential riches in buying and selling geographic domains.
See Article
See Article
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