News

Job Opening: Staff Attorney Fellow

We're excited to announce we have a new position opening at New Media Rights as of today for a Staff Attorney Fellow!

Please share this information with any attorneys or recent law school graduates that have a passion for public interest and internet law.  This is a paid position.  The position is open immediately and we are accepting applications only until March 22nd.
 

 

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Fri, 03/08/2013 - 12:24pm

Internet User's Guide to the Copyright Alert System "Six-strike" policy - FAQ

Just this week, a number of the major internet service providers in the United States, including AT&T, Verizon, and Time Warner, began implementing the "Copyright Alert System."

What is the Copyright Alert System?

The system is an anti-piracy approach where your Internet Service Provider allows content partners, typically large media companies (i.e. Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA] and the Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA] ) to police the ISP's networks for copyright infringement. This means they monitor Internet traffic, and when potential copyright infringement is identified, the copyright holder will send your IP address to the ISP and request that the ISP notify you. The ISP will engage in a series of escalating warnings and actions with internet subscribers intended to discourage digital "piracy."

Read our new FAQ to learn more about how the new system will affect you as an Internet user.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 04/18/2023 - 2:53pm

How we defeated Lionsgate's unfair takedown of Buffy v Edward, and our next battle

As you may have heard, New Media Rights recently assisted pop-culture hacker and remix artist Jonathan McIntosh (RebelliousPixels.com) in his battle with Lionsgate over the improper copyright takedown of his well known Buffy vs. Edward: Twilight Remixed video.
 
Jonathan's story is most interesting, because Jonathan had recently shown the Copyright Office the video in a hearing about copyright exemptions last May where New Media Rights was advocating for your right to reuse video under fair use. In one of its findings, the Office praised the video as an example of innovative fair use that copyright exemptions are there to protect. 
 
Jonathan's battle, and our experience working with folks one-to-one suggests there are large media companies that intend to blindly monetize every reuse of content, even if it means steamrolling fair use and the freedom of speech. 
 
Due to Jonathan's compelling post, and supporting coverage from ARS Technica and people like Mike Masnick of Techdirt, we were able to resolve his issues, and now Jonathan's Buffy Versus Edward: Twilight Remixed is back on Youtube, viewable without ads.  Forbes also covered this victory.
 
Read on to learn how we won this victory, how we can keep this work going, and about our next battle against unwarranted takedowns.
Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Wed, 01/23/2013 - 11:05am

NMR helps remix artist Jonathan McIntosh fight Lionsgate's Youtube takedown of "Buffy vs. Edward"

Buffy vs Edward unfairly removed

A new year brings new battles for independent creators to share their work.

Pop-culture hacker and remix artist Jonathan McIntosh (popculturedetective.com) explains in this post how New Media Rights is fighting for him in his battle with Lionsgate over the copyright takedown of his well known Buffy vs. Edward remix video.

New Media Rights is proud to be helping Jonathan fight this battle with Lionsgate over his video.  Asserting the right to make fair use of content simply shouldn't be this hard.

It is part of a bigger picture development in the world of online video.

His story, and our experience working with folks one-to-one suggests there are large media companies that intend to blindly monetize every reuse of content, even if it means steamrolling fair use and the freedom of speech. 

Read the full story to learn more.

Remember New Media Rights is a non-profit project doing this work on a shoe string budget, so if you support this work please donate now so we can keep advocating for creators like Jonathan!

 

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Mon, 01/14/2019 - 3:24pm

Invest in creativity and slay the copyright trolls!

Dear New Media Rights community, 

We logged our 600th one-to-one assistance case since mid-2010 this week!

When you support New Media Rights, you invest in creativity, and the slaying of copyright trolls.

Tax-deductible donations from folks like you support creative projects, free speech, and job-creating ideas that may die on the vine without our assistance.  Just this afternoon I spent time gathering evidence on a large media company that has abused copyright law to takedown a video that is 100% legal.  We will use that information to restore this content and expose the abuse by this company.

Unfortunately, finding the spark for a great idea isn't the only hurdle creators face.   Sometimes they need legal services to even be able to share their creativity or innovation, and that's where New Media Rights steps in.  We're gearing up to make 2013 the year the independent creator fights back.
 
There's still time to for you help independent creators and protect free speech in 2013. 
 
Here's how you can make an invest in creativity:
 
Please donate, because if everyone we've assisted donated $35 then we could easily make our goal.
 
You can also donate through our website.  Consider becoming a Founder this year by donating $250 or more.  Your name or your company's name will be prominently displayed on our website as a supporter of New Media Rights.

Both ways of donating are tax-deductible, so donate before December 31 to make sure you get the deduction fro 2012!  And spread the word!

I'm grateful to have you as part of our community, and I look forward to slaying more copyright trolls with you in 2013!

Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year,

Art Neill
Founder | New Media Rights
619-591-8870
art@newmediarights.org

No Rights Reserved

 

Submitted by Art Neill last modified Sun, 12/23/2012 - 11:17am

Geek v Troll: New Media Rights stands up for the underdogs of the Internet

San Diego CityBeat, San Diego's alternative newsweekly, published a great cover story this past week about our work at New Media Rights.

It also has an amazing Street-Fighteresque illustration of a Geek punching a copyright troll. Check it out!

Read the whole story here!

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 05/12/2015 - 10:15am

New Media Rights invited to participate in Copyright Office panels considering potential small claims system for copyright law

In 2012, the U.S. Copyright Office began a process of considering creating a small claims court or system for small-scale copyright disputes.  This would affect the internet users and independent creators New Media Rights assists significantly.

New Media Rights has been invited by the Copyright Office to participate in hearings taking place November 26 & 27 in Los Angeles on the topic.

Executive Director Art Neill will be participating in panels discussing potential remedies and appeals, constitutional issues, and benchmarks for success of such a system.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Fri, 11/30/2012 - 6:37pm

2012 DMCA Anti-Circumvention Rulemaking: Final exemptions make progress but miss important opportunities

Every three years the Copyright Office considers exemptions to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act’s Anti-Circumvention provisions.  These exemptions are critical to protecting otherwise legal activity by internet users and independent creators alike, but they have to be reargued every three years.   

We fought all year at the Copyright Office through comments and testimony, and we're proud to have been a part of making sure these important exemptions originally proposed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation were granted by the Copyright Office on October 26, 2012.

Check out this post to learn more about our work on these exemptions, and to read the Copyright Office's final rule.

 

Submitted by Art Neill last modified Thu, 11/15/2012 - 6:47pm

New Media Rights sponsors Southern California innovation event: Startup Weekend San Diego

New Media Rights, proudly announces their sponsorship of Startup Weekend San Diego, beginning November 16th at California State University San Marcos. The event is a weekend-long, hands-on experience where innovators and aspiring technology entrepreneurs can hear from industry experts whether their startup ideas are viable.  New Media Rights' sponsorship of the event includes an offer of free legal services for the winning team. 

Startup Weekend San Diego is just one of the ways New Media Rights supports the next generation of innovators creating jobs for the San Diego region, and developing technologies to help improve the world.  New Media Rights works directly with technology startups, creators, and internet users every day in San Diego and throughout the U.S., offering free and reduced fee legal services on internet, media, and technology law matters. 

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Fri, 12/14/2012 - 2:57pm

New Media Rights releases 20+ new videos, hundreds more upcoming

We've been steadily working on a new video series targeted at teaching artists, non-profits, tech startups, and internet consumers about internet law. You should subscribe to our channel if you haven't already, so you can know when new videos are uploaded each week.

We've been busy this Fall, working at the FCC on behalf of consumers, helping scores of creators, securing a new grant with the City of San Diego, and launching a new partnership as an independently funded program of California Western School of Law. Learn more, and meet the NMR team in our September newsletter!
Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 03/08/2016 - 9:06am

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