MPAA: Moviegoers Use More ‘Piracy-Enabling’ Smartphones

New data revealed by the MPAA shows that frequent moviegoers own more smartphones and other technological devices. The MPAA notes that the movie industry should therefore explore fresh options to use these devices to drive new visitors to theaters. At the same time, however, the movie group is warning theater…

File-Sharing Copyright Trolls Invade Finland

The practice of issuing copyright infringement notices for the purpose of obtaining cash settlements is now commonly referred to as “copyright trolling." It’s a practice that started in Germany, before moving to the UK and US, and now it’s facing a resurgence in Europe, this time in Finland.

Google Takedown Notices Surge 711,887 Percent in Four Years

A new paper published in the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology shows that the number of DMCA notices received by Google increased 711,887 percent in four years. The increase can be credited to a few copyright holders and industry groups such as the RIAA, who started an avalanche of…

Android App Pirates Plead Guilty to Criminal Copyright Infringement

Two men associated with the "pirate" Android store Appbucket have pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement. The Department of Justice estimates that the site generated over $80,000 in revenue during the two years it was active. The fate of the third Appbucket defendant is still unknown.

Dotcom’s Mega Plans $179m Public Listing Via Reverse Takeover

Mega.co.nz, the cloud storage company founded by Kim Dotcom, has announced its intention to go public with a backdoor listing on the New Zealand stock exchange. The deal, worth a cool NZ$210m ($179m), will be actioned via a reverse takeover of a local investment shell company.

Judge: IP-Address Is Not a Person and Can’t Identify a BitTorrent Pirate

An important ruling in Florida has made it more difficult for copyright holders to extract cash settlements from alleged BitTorrent pirates. District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro dismissed a lawsuit filed by Malibu Media, arguing that the IP-address evidence can't identify the person who actually downloaded the pirated file.

Sssh! Dotcom’s Use of Twitter Problematic, Court Told

Days after the Supreme Court denied Kim Dotcom access to evidence held by the FBI, the Megaupload founder's legal team were back in court seeking other documents in connection with a compensation claim. During the hearing, however, a Crown lawyer took the opportunity to complain about Dotcom's use of Twitter.