Retiring Justice John Paul Stevens's Impact On IP Law 106
Pickens writes "Corporate Counsel recounts the profound legacy of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, author of the majority opinion in what some consider the most important copyright ruling of all time — the 1984 Betamax decision (Sony v. Universal City Studios) that established that consumers have a personal 'fair use' right to make copies of copyrighted material for non-commercial use. Justice Stevens's contribution to the ultimate decision in Betamax extended well beyond writing the opinion. The justices' initial debates in the case make it clear that Stevens was the only one of the nine (PDF) who believed that the 'fair use' doctrine gave consumers a right to make personal copies of copyrighted content for home use. It was his negotiating skill that pulled together the five-vote majority allowing home video recorders to be sold and used without interference from copyright holders. An IP litigator is quoted: 'The ruling that making a single copy for yourself of a broadcast movie was fair use ... that was truly huge, and was a point on which the court was deeply divided.' So the next time you're TiVo-ing an episode of your favorite show, remember to give a quick thanks to Justice Stevens; and let's hope that whoever President Obama appoints to replace him will follow in Stevens's footsteps and defend Fair Use, not corporate copyright interests." The review also touches on Stevens's "patent skepticism," which may be on display when the court delivers its eagerly awaited Bilski ruling.
Right (Score:2, Funny)
"and let's hope that whoever President Obama appoints to replace him will follow in Stevens's footsteps and defend Fair Use, not corporate copyright interests."
That's what's going to happen.
Re:The only IP law that I care about is... (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, I didn't miss the joke. I'm still a little fuzzy on the humor.
Does he have a license? (Score:2, Funny)
I thought someone else had patented skepticism. Does he have a license to use it?
Re:The only IP law that I care about is... (Score:3, Funny)
Black helicopters are dispatched. Please, don't leave the area, citizen.
TCP/IP now stands for Trusted Computer Platform / Intellectual Property.
False marking (Score:4, Funny)
Re:One man's game (Score:3, Funny)
It really did work! I was under the impression that every country was ruled by people of some kind, even if few in number.
What exactly is running all these countries? Aliens? Lions? Something that passes the turing test?
Re:One man's game (Score:3, Funny)
Not all of us group politicians and their overlords in with humans.
Obama is a communofascist (Score:1, Funny)
Just look at how many basic constitutional rights have been violated by "Herr" Obama. We no longer have free speech, or the right to have guns, and churches are being outlawed as we speak. Obama controls the media and it all but ignores the amazing tea bagger movement. Just look at how the price of gasoline has gone up, this is part of his plot to make us all walk or take the bus in order to make sure we are too tired to oppose him. The man would fit perfectly inside the communist fascist Nazi party. Not only does he want government control of everything, he also wants to give the United Nations authority over the USA and he has repeatedly confirmed that he intends to institute death panels to execute anyone who disagrees with these opinions. I have read that there are internment camps with gas chambers being built in secret locations across the country and that Obama has personally placed orders for thousands of chinese-made mobile execution buses.
WAKE UP AMERICA!