3 Count: Hidden Mines

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

1: Jay-Z, Timbaland, Ginuwine Defeat Soul Musician’s Copyright Lawsuit

First off today, Blake Brittain at Reuters reports that a judge has tossed a lawsuit filed against musicians Jay Z and Ginuwine, over alleged copyright infringement of an earlier track.

The lawsuit was filed by musician Ernie Hines, who alleged that Jay Z and Ginuwine illegally sampled a 1969 song of his. As proof, he noted that both of the alleged infringements were produced by Timbaland at around the same time in the late 1990s.

However, the judge in the case was unimpressed with Hines’ arguments, noting that many of the elements shared by the three songs were from public domain tracks. As such, the judge ruled that the works were not similar enough to show infringement and has dismissed the case.

2: Adaption or Dramatic Works Out of Religious Scriptures Entitled to Copyright Protection, Says Delhi High Court

Next up today, ANI reports that the Delhi High Court has ruled that, while there is no copyright protection on original religious works, adaptations, including dramatic ones, are protected under copyright law.

The case pitted spiritual leader Srila Prabhupada against the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, alleging that the trust (as well as others) violated his copyright by sharing his work on various websites and social media channels.

The trust argued that there was no copyright in the works at issue, as they were based on public domain scripture. However, the court found in favor of Prabhupada, noting that adaptations, explanations and original content on top of those public domain works can be protected.

3: Starfield DLSS Modder Wants to Put “Hidden Mines” to Stop Mod Piracy

Finally today, Joel Loynds at Dexerto reports that PureDark, a supersampling modder, has decried those who pirated his most recent mod.

PureDark is a modder that is known for adding supersampling into games that didn’t previously have it. This makes them compatible with advanced options in current graphics cards, enabling higher frame rates and better graphics.

However, his most recent Starfield mod, which enabled DLSS 3 for the game, was locked behind a paywall, namely his Patreon. However, users quickly began to pirate that mod prompting him to decry the piracy. Though he said he did get enough Patreon subscribers to justify the project, he said that, in future products, he plans to place hidden “mines” to thwart pirates. This created outrage in the modding community, which has a culture of both offering free and DRM-free products to the public.

The 3 Count Logo was created by Justin Goff and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.