NZ's National Party sued by Eminem for copyright infringement

Cory Doctorow 9:00 am Wed Sep 17, 2014

The National Party was instrumental in passing the harsh "strict liability" NZ copyright laws that offer no relief from liability, even for people who buy licenses that turn out to have been offered in error — as appears to be the case in the National Party campaign ad that used Lose Yourself for bed music.

National Party bought the license for Lose Yourself from Beatbox through Apra/Amcos, the major NZ/AU music licensing body, but Eminem's publishers say that the license did not cover campaign ads. The suit could result in a five-figure payout to Eminem.

Copyright lawyer Chris Hocquard, who founded Dominion Law in Auckland, said although the National Party thought it was doing everything right, the party could still be in the wrong.

"Unfortunately, from a legal perspective, the fact that they didn't think they were doing anything wrong doesn't mean they weren't doing anything wrong – it just means they can turn around and blame someone else later on."

National Party sued over Eminem copyright infringment [Nikki Papatsoumas/NZ Herald]

(Thanks, Juha!)

(Image: Demi Lovato & Eminem MANIP, Leticia Lima, CC-BY)

Drone filmmaker captures Children's Fairyland from the view of a flying fairy — and it's downright magical

There's still magic in the world, as evidenced by this fairy's-eye view of Children's Fairyland, that charming 70-year-old storybook theme park in Oakland, California. You might remember that when I'm… READ THE REST
This deck of wholesome activities inspires mini-adventures

We've been writing about Lea Redmond since 2009 here on Boing Boing. She's just one of those kind of people who consistently makes neat things — a real Happy Mutant!… READ THE REST
This house for sale in Pittsburgh is filled with whimsical themed rooms

Listed at $159,900 this 1,075 square-foot home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is bland on the outside but features rooms with outer space, submarine, tropical island, and moonbase motifs. The owners put… READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST