Friday fix-ups
The number of events listed in the IPKat's efficiently-updated 'Forthcoming Events' feature, which lives on the left-hand side-bar of this weblog's front page, stands at 49. FREE events are listed in this charming shade of purple ... but the colour may change suddenly and without notice, so you have been warned.
He tries very hard to avoid the temptation, but the IPKat drifts in the general direction of The Register ("Biting the hand that feeds IT") more often than he'd like to admit. And that's where he found this delicious item concerning the Cleveland (UK) Police. The very same squad of elite enforcers that has brought six people to court for alleged involvement in the OiNK BitTorrent network has not been paying licensing fees for the music played in its canteens, it seems.
From Howard Knopf's excellent Excess Copyright blog, Canada, comes information concerning proposals to introduce a statutory defence to copyright infringement in respect of works of parody and satire. Howard writes: "That leaves Canada alone without an actual satire or parody right or a willingness to seriously consider it amongst the major common law jurisdictions to which we normally compare ourselves. Even France, where copyright is taken very seriously, has such a right". The IPKat is in two minds about who has got this one right. Satire or parody based on a work whose copyright owner can't sue for copyright infringement, thus making himself look even more foolish in the process, misses out on half the fun. It's a bit like sticking your head inside the mouth of a lion on tranquilisers. Merpel adds: come on, Canadians -- first show us your satire and parody! Then we'll decide if it's good enough to merit protection. Incidentally ... Google hits for "Canadian satire": 3,070. Google hits for "Canadian parody": 1,150. Google hits for "Lumberjack Song": 93,200 ...
Inspired both by the O Canada item below and the parody item above, the IPKat took at peek at both the English and the French versions of O/Ô Canada. They go like this:
He tries very hard to avoid the temptation, but the IPKat drifts in the general direction of The Register ("Biting the hand that feeds IT") more often than he'd like to admit. And that's where he found this delicious item concerning the Cleveland (UK) Police. The very same squad of elite enforcers that has brought six people to court for alleged involvement in the OiNK BitTorrent network has not been paying licensing fees for the music played in its canteens, it seems.
From Howard Knopf's excellent Excess Copyright blog, Canada, comes information concerning proposals to introduce a statutory defence to copyright infringement in respect of works of parody and satire. Howard writes: "That leaves Canada alone without an actual satire or parody right or a willingness to seriously consider it amongst the major common law jurisdictions to which we normally compare ourselves. Even France, where copyright is taken very seriously, has such a right". The IPKat is in two minds about who has got this one right. Satire or parody based on a work whose copyright owner can't sue for copyright infringement, thus making himself look even more foolish in the process, misses out on half the fun. It's a bit like sticking your head inside the mouth of a lion on tranquilisers. Merpel adds: come on, Canadians -- first show us your satire and parody! Then we'll decide if it's good enough to merit protection. Incidentally ... Google hits for "Canadian satire": 3,070. Google hits for "Canadian parody": 1,150. Google hits for "Lumberjack Song": 93,200 ...Inspired both by the O Canada item below and the parody item above, the IPKat took at peek at both the English and the French versions of O/Ô Canada. They go like this:
O Canada!Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Ô Canada! Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Something tells him that these verses -- just like those of pretty all the other national anthems he has come across -- are crying out for a little parody, particularly if it has an intellectual property theme [Merpel notes, WIPO does not yet have its own anthem; perhaps Canada's can be put to transformative use]. There's no prize, but the Kats would love to see their readers' best efforts. Just send them here, with the email subject line "Anthem".
