Victor Hardy Attorney
Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy Discusses Internet Streaming Law: Is Streaming Movies To Friends Through Zoom and Discord Illegal?

Is Streaming Movies To Friends Through Zoom and Discord Illegal? Victor Hardy Discusses Internet Streaming Law

AUSTIN, TX, USA

The COVID-19 lock-down means more people than ever are stuck inside and that means the TV is on, says Victor Hardy, IP attorney and specialist in internet search and streaming.

Watching movies with friends via zoom or Skype may seem like a creative, fun workaround for social distancing – but is streaming movies for your friends through video platforms like Zoom and Discord legal? We ask Victor Hardy for his take.

“It’s complicated,” says Victor Hardy. “In a very narrow analysis of copyright law, any ‘transmission’ of a copyrighted movie could be considered a ‘public performance’.” However, in 1976, the “Transmit Clause” added to US copyright law failed to consider the possibility of “private transmitted performances” like streaming a movie with friends and family.

“The internet wasn’t publicly available at that time and streaming movies probably sounded like science fiction,” laughs Victor Hardy, Esq. “But unfortunately the precedent is there to call this an illegal ‘transmission’”.

In 2014, the company Aereo was basically capturing cable television broadcasts and transmitting them to its own subscribers online. The company argued that these were not ‘public performance transmissions’ because they were using a private antenna to stream to individual users rather than having one large stream that anyone could jump into and watch.

“The courts decided to shut them down and ruled that they were engaged in public performance. So technically, you could be charged with the same thing for streaming a movie to your friends through a video conference platform,” warns Victor Hardy.

When asked about possible defenses, Victor Hardy replies, “I think simple fair use doctrine is the most compelling defense in this case. So long as the person streaming the movie has legal access to it and is sharing with a small group of family members, I would think of it – personally – as reasonable, normal consumer use.”

But the fair use defense only holds up under certain circumstances. “The higher the quality of the stream, the longer the piece of media being streamed, the larger and less related the group of people that are watching on the other end…the less solid a fair use defense becomes,” warns Victor Hardy.

“These are unprecedented times. I don’t think that anyone is going to pursue litigation because you watched The Lion King with your nieces and nephews over Zoom. But that may not always be the case.” Victor Hardy advises, “Discord, for instance, forbids the transmission of copyrighted material across its channels.” So while Netflix and movie studios may not be coming after you now, that doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

“As I said, it’s complicated,” says Victor Hardy. “For now there’s a lot of slack because of the pandemic. But if this is the new normal, we’re going to have to think collectively about how we renegotiate copyright law for the new world.”

Victor Hardy · Is Streaming Movies To Friends Through Zoom And Discord Illegal

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy’s Thoughts On Media In A Post Covid-19 World

In the midst of the pandemic situation, it can be hard to keep on a straight mind and look into the crystal ball and see what the future holds. This is especially hard when we are concerned about deaths, unemployment checks, and how our leadership is reacting to the crisis. Toss in a few fears on conspiracy theories and it’s surprising to see that anybody is truly thinking clearly anymore. But some obviously are. keeping a clear head amongst all the craziness.

Victor Hardy, a lawyer who has had all kinds of experience with the emergence of the media and technology landscape.

“The experience points towards a more digitized world,” Victory Hardy says. And it makes sense as working from home has seen a great uptick since the beginning of the pandemic for most corporate employees. “For me, I have been in a work-from-home like set up for the past few years, but I expect that to shift into another, even higher gear.” Victor Hardy continues.

When asked about how he sees the media landscape changing, Victory Hardy has even more lucid insights. “We are already seeing productions being stalled and new line items coming through the new contracts so it will definitely be interesting what the future holds for us legally speaking.” Victor Hardy continues. “You’ll see new line items like ‘we do not take responsibility for anything that might occur as a result of a COVID-19 infection.” Victory Hardy says. “This is incredibly important to note as movie and studio sets are not generated in a vacuum and typically have large amounts of density within the production hubs.”

While the important thing right now is to get out of the current situation we are in with as little harm as possible, the economical detriment is easy to predict as a result of the millions currently on unemployment. “This should probably even point to a bigger clue towards the digitization of the economy. Those individuals can’t stay on Uncle Sam’s bill forever and you will start to see more job creators looking to and developing digital tools to get people working in,” Victor Hardy chimes in. “It’s only a matter of time before you see the exponential curve of digital really taking off that will affect all walks of life in this country.”

In terms of the legal situation regarding this new digital age, Victory Hardy is quite interested to see what will happen when the rubber hits the road and the legal battles start to pop up. “My firm is quite prepared, but I am expecting a heavy caseload once things are set up and get up and running.” Victory Hardy mentions. “It will be very interesting to see what happens next in the brave new world.”

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy Takes Miniature Painting to New Heights with His Award-Winning Art

Attorney Victor Hardy has been passionate about painting miniatures since his days in law school; credits popular Warhammer game with inspiration.

AUSTIN, TX / April 14, 2020 / Award-winning fine art may not be the first thing you think of when you picture your average legal professional, but Texas attorney Victor Hardy may be the one that changes your mind. Hardy is as dedicated to his artistic creations as he is to his successful Austin legal practice, and he’s got the accolades to prove it.

At the time of this posting, Hardy’s earned honors include a much sought-after Slayer Sword Award for “Best Warhammer Monster” at the prestigious Golden Demon Awards. His Blood Thirster Champion piece earned him that particular honor and remains one of his most popular works. However, many other pieces – including one called Golgotha, which took him roughly 500 hours over two years to complete – are frequently listed as favorites among fans of Victor Hardy and his work.

His art has been described by fans and fellow miniature enthusiasts as “brilliant” and “sublime”, seamlessly marrying beautiful freehand work with painstaking attention to detail. Many miniature painters work strictly by the book as far as how they bring their creations to life, but Victor Hardy has originality on his side, and never seems to run out of fresh ideas to put what he does in a class by itself.

Victor Hardy discovered his passion at Texas Con while still in law school

Every miniature painting enthusiast has a personal story as to how they came to discover their passion, and Victor Hardy is no exception. According to Hardy, he discovered Warhammer, the gaming inspiration behind much of his work, at Texas Con when he was still in law school during the early ’90s. It wasn’t long before he was bringing his ideas to life, marking the start of a passion that’s made Victor Hardy a living legend over the past 30 years and counting.

So, what exactly inspires artists like Victor Hardy to take up miniature painting in the first place, as well as continue to grow with it through the years? Miniature art enthusiasts form tight-knit communities of intelligent, highly creative people, so there’s a beneficial social benefit to it. The act of painting miniatures is also praised as relaxing, affordable, and terrific for stress reduction.

All things considered, it’s not hard to understand why such a hobby would appeal to an attorney who’s as driven and successful as Victor Hardy is. Hardy’s practice specializes in high-stakes law as related to areas like civil rights, intellectual property, and patent infringement. His portfolio of high-profile cases involved such memorable names as Google, Netflix, and Xbox.

Victor Hardy currently has recently expressed plans to delve back into painting with a vengeance very shortly, much to the delight of fans and colleagues alike. According to him, it’s “simply a matter of finding the time”.

Victor Hardy

Why Intellectual Property Laws Are Important and How They’re Used by Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy is an attorney out of the Austin Texas area. His specialty practice is in the field of intellectual property rights and laws.

Attorney Victor Hardy is practicing attorney in Intellectual Property Law

You may not have a clear idea of what intellectual property means. Intellectual property is creative work such as works of writing, visual art such as original paintings and drawings, music, and films among other things. There are laws at the state and federal levels that have been created and are enforced in order to protect the creative works of an individual, group, or company.

How Intellectual Property Laws Work According to Victor Hardy

Intellectual property laws deal primarily with the following:

  • Trademark: Brand names like Apple, along with slogans, logos, and other identifying features of companies are protected under the state and federal trademark laws. There different degrees of protection based on numerous variables, such as the geographic area where the trademark is used and the product or service the trademark is tied to.
  • Copyright: The federal copyright laws deal with creative works and offer protection if specific minimum requirements are met. The length of time the work will be protected depends on when it was published or created.
  • Trade Secrets: These laws protect any sensitive business information. This includes secret recipes or confidential marketing plans. The extent of this protection is based on whether it’s not known by competitors, gives the company an advantage over its competitors, and it’s completely kept secret.
  • Right of Publicity: These state laws protect an individual’s name and image. No one can use their image or name for commercial purposes if the use has not been authorized.

Victor Hardy deals with these matters and more on a frequent basis in his legal practice. Victor Hardy has achieved a great deal of success in representing clients in Austin Texas and Nationwide. Attorney Victor Hardy has a specialty in enforcing search technology and multimedia streaming rights.  He also was successful at forming a pioneering patent acquisition private equity fund.

The Importance of Intellectual Property Rights and Laws for Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy has made it a source of pride to evaluate a great number of patents for investment purposes. He guides businesses to make investment decisions and to enforce these patents for Intellectual Property institutions.

If you have any questions about Intellectual Property matters and if you may have a solid case in this area, you can reach out to Victor Hardy on his website. Attorney Victor Hardy welcomes inquiries about patent acquisition, copyright laws, trademark matters and more in this field of law.

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy looks at plans for Warhammer 40K television series

Artist and decades-long fan of the game, Victor Hardy looks at new plans for a Warhammer 40K-inspired television show.

In an effort to match the success of shows such as Netflix’s The Witcher, and to compete with the platform’s planned Magic: The Gathering series, Games Workshop looks set to bring its own Warhammer 40K television series to the small screen. An award-winning artist and decades-long fan of the game, Victor Hardy, from Austin, Texas, takes a closer look at the plans.

Last week, Netflix announced that its fantasy show, The Witcher, based on the book series of the same name, had drawn in viewers on more than 75 million accounts in its first four weeks of streaming on the platform.

It comes as little surprise, then, says artist and decades-long Warhammer 40K enthusiast Victor Hardy, that the game’s makers are now in talks to create their own television series. “The show, it’s believed, will follow the Warhammer 40K Eisenhorn novels,” suggests Hardy, “in which an Imperial Inquisitor known as Gregor Eisenhorn, the novel series’ main character, sets out to seek and destroy demons and heretics.”

Published between May 2001 and February 2018, the Eisenhorn series’ four novels, he goes on to explain, are titled Xenos, Malleus, Hereticus, and The Magos. “Authored by Dan Abnett, it seems to be the general consensus that these four books will form the basis of Games Workshop’s planned Warhammer 40K TV show,” adds Hardy, speaking from his office in the Texas state capital of Austin.

Games Workshop is the brand behind the global phenomenon which is Warhammer 40K, an internationally renowned tabletop or miniature wargame first launched in 1987. Austin-based artist Victor Hardy is one of just many millions of Warhammer 40K players around the world, many of whom, he suggests, are likely to be eagerly anticipating further news of Games Workshop’s planned television series.

Victor Hardy first encountered the game in the early 1990s when he and his university friends attended an event called Texas Con. Buying a copy of the game there and then, Hardy and his friends soon began playing on their dorm room floor. “The rest,” he says, “is history.”

While it’s understood that no production contracts have yet been signed, progress on Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40K TV show is thought to be gathering pace. Games Workshop’s external partners have, it’s believed, already taken steps to ensure that the series will remain true to its IP.

“It’s all sounding very promising,” adds Hardy, wrapping up, “and, particularly based on the Eisenhorn novels, set within the dystopian 41st millennium, the series should represent a commercial success for all involved upon it’s hopeful, eventual release.”

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy shares favorite quotes from famous philosophers

Award-winning artist Victor Hardy shares his favorite quotes from philosophers, including Socrates, Descartes, Friedrich, Kant, and more.

 

From Socrates and Descartes to Friedrich Nietzsche and Immanuel Kant, Victor Hardy, an award-winning artist from Austin, Texas, shares a number of his favorite quotes from some of the world’s most famous philosophers.

 

“‘The unexamined life is not worth living,’ said Socrates,” begins Hardy, speaking from his office in Austin, Texas, and touching first and foremost on one of his favorite quotes. 

 

Another of Hardy’s favorite quotes from a famed philosopher is ‘I think therefore I am,’ courtesy of René Descartes. “‘Cogito, ergo sum,’ said Descartes,” he explains, “or, ‘I think therefore I am.'” 

 

Victor Hardy’s other favorite philosophers include, he says, Friedrich Nietzsche, Heraclitus, and Immanuel Kant.

 

Friedrich Nietzsche is credited with the famous ‘God is dead!’ quote. “‘God is dead!’ said Nietzsche,” Hardy explains, “‘He remains dead! And we have killed him,'” adds the award-winning artist, completing the famous quote from the German philosopher, composer, poet, cultural critic, philologist, and Latin and Greek scholar. 

 

Touching on another of his favorite quotes, Hardy turns to Kant. “‘Happiness,’ said Immanuel Kant,” he explains, “‘is not an ideal of reason but of imagination.'”

 

Other favorite philosophers of Hardy include Jean-Paul Sartre, Epicurus, Aristotle, and Plato, plus Seneca the Younger, Voltaire, and, again, Socrates, with the latter two responsible for the quotes ‘If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him,’ and ‘There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance,’ respectively. 

 

Socrates was a Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of philosophy in the West, while Voltaire was a French philosopher, writer, and historian famed for his wit. 

 

“‘Even while they teach,’ said Seneca the Younger, meanwhile,” adds Hardy, turning to the words of the Roman Stoic philosopher, wrapping up, “‘men learn,’ – a quote, and indeed a philosophy, which, I believe, we should all strive to live by.”

 

Texas native Victor Hardy is an award-winning artist from the Texas state capital of Austin. Famed for his skills in miniature painting honed over the course of almost 30 years, Hardy has spoken at length about his background in art and the Roman Catholic iconography and imagery utilized in much of his work. The Austin-based artist also maintains a long-held passion for philosophy, the millennia-old field of study originating from an ancient Greek love of wisdom, loosely defined as the exploration of fundamental questions surrounding existence, knowledge, reason, language, values, and the mind.

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy Reveals Leading Basis For His Famous Artwork

Artist and attorney Victor Hardy reveals the basis for much of his award-winning artwork.

 

Famed for his miniature painting masterpieces, largely centered around the world-famous wargame, Warhammer 40,000, award-winning artist and attorney Victor Hardy’s artwork takes inspiration from a variety of sources. Here, Hardy provides a personal insight into the primary basis for much of the iconography and imagery used in his work – Roman Catholicism.

 

“Although I use a variety of iconography in my art, much of what I do is inspired by Roman Catholic imagery,” reveals Hardy, an award-winning artist and attorney from Austin, Texas. Specializing in multimedia and online patent infringement litigation, due diligence, liquidation proceedings, and intellectual property law, lawyer Victor Hardy is, in his free time, also a highly talented and multi-award-winning artist.

 

A fan of the internationally renowned wargame Warhammer 40,000 for almost three decades, Victor Hardy’s passion for art largely stems from his interest in the game. “In turn, most of my artwork, inspired by Warhammer, is, in itself, inspired by—and largely based upon—Roman Catholic iconography,” he explains. 

 

This, Hardy says, is no coincidence, however, as he believes that much of Warhammer 40,000 itself is inspired by the same Roman Catholic iconography and imagery which drives the majority of his own artwork. “Within Warhammer, there are undoubtedly many, many allegories of the historical Roman Catholic Church,” suggests the award-winning artist and attorney. 

 

“Aspects of the game, I believe, are modeled on the historical Knights Templar, for example, that were connected to the church, and various Saints, very much in the Roman Catholic Church sense,” explains Victor. “There is, I further believe, as another example, also a direct historical allegory for a well-known German monk, priest, and seminal figure ordained to the priesthood in 1507,” he goes on to reveal. 

 

Many of Warhammer 40,000’s characters are, Victor says, at least loosely modeled off of real religious icons. “I could narrow down the parallels all day long,” notes the artist. “For me, there’s no stronger influence on Warhammer imagery than that of the Roman Catholic Church,” he adds. 

 

Much the same is true of Hardy’s own work. “My own work contains various pieces of imagery that are often slightly twisted versions of well-known Catholic iconography,” he reveals. “Within my artwork, I quite often depict various events, and clearly so, from the history of the Catholic Church,” adds the artist. 

 

“In doing so, I like to think,” he suggests, wrapping up, “that my art is pushing the boundaries, via Roman Catholic iconography, of theme, imagery, technical proficiency, and more, all of which is extremely satisfying for me personally as an artist.”

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy Demonstrates Miniature Painting Fans’ Love of His Artwork

Award-winning artist Victor Hardy, from Austin, Texas, showcases some of the comments received in response to his now-famous artwork.

An award-winning artist and renowned attorney from Austin, Texas, Victor Hardy’s work is adored by fans of miniature painting from around the world. After decades in the hobby, Hardy shines a spotlight on some of the comments received in response to his miniature painting masterpieces.

“Gorgeous, brilliant, an inspiration,” says miniature painting fan Sanjay in response to one of Victor’s most famous works. “I think Victor Hardy is astounding, and with his busy job and such, his artwork is a testament to his patience and skill,” he adds.

Another fan of the artist and attorney’s work calls it sublime. “It’s sublime,” they suggest. “A two-dimensional picture won’t adequately display how Victor’s freehand blends together as you view pieces from different angles,” adds the commenter. “His work,” they go on, “without being melodramatic, represents a pinnacle reached by a true artist.”

“Marvelous!” suggests another commenter, echoing a similar sentiment to those expressed by hundreds of other fans of Victor’s work. “There’s nothing else I can say!” they add, seemingly unable to more accurately capture the wonder of Hardy’s miniature painting masterpieces.

Victor Hardy continues to hold the title for the most popular piece of miniature painting on the web’s largest gallery of painted miniatures. The highest-ranked miniature of all time on the hobby’s biggest and most well-established website, the artist and attorney couldn’t be more proud. “It’s an accolade of which I remain immensely proud,” he explains, “especially having now held the title for more than a decade.”

An award-winning artist and seasoned attorney specializing in patent infringement litigation and investment, due diligence, and intellectual property law, in his spare time, Victor Hardy remains dedicated to the creation of his miniature painting masterpieces, exhibiting his work both online and in-person. “It all started in the early 1990s,” he explains, “while I was completing my studies at university.”

“The rest, as they say,” adds Hardy, wrapping up, “is history!”

Attorney Victor Hardy is highly skilled in online and multimedia patent infringement litigation, liquidation proceedings, due diligence, intellectual property law, civil rights matters, class action discrimination lawsuits, and more. A Harvard Law School, University of Houston, and University of Texas Law School graduate from Austin, Texas, he today has more than 20 years of experience in high-stakes law. To learn more about the award-winning artist and renowned attorney, head to https://victorhardyattorney.com/.

Victor Hardy

Victor Hardy Takes a Fond Look Back at Warhammer 40k’s More Than 30-Year History

A miniature wargame now more than three decades in the making, Victor Hardy looks back and shares a brief history of Warhammer 40k, produced by Games Workshop.

 

First surfacing in 1987 when the primary edition of its rulebook was published, globally popular miniature wargame Warhammer 40k is currently more than 32 years in the making. Now the most popular miniature wargame in the world, decades-long Warhammer 40k fan Victor Hardy takes a fond look back at the game’s history. 

 

“Launched in September 1987 and now 32 years in the making, the story of Warhammer 40k really begins in 1982 when Rick Priestley, the miniature wargame’s creator, joined a subsidiary of Games Workshop responsible for producing the figures used in Dungeons and Dragons,” reveals Hardy, a fan of Warhammer 40k since the early 1990s. 

 

Just a year later, Warhammer Fantasy Battle was born. “It was from Warhammer Fantasy Battle,” Hardy explains, “that Warhammer 40k would eventually evolve some four years later.” 

 

Warhammer 40k, initially marketed as ‘Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader,’ received its first full preview in the magazine White Dwarf, dedicated to the miniature wargames produced by Games Workshop, just prior to launch in 1987. “It was an instant success,” reveals Hardy. Warhammer 40k, he says, very quickly became Games Workshop’s biggest, best-selling, and most important product. “It was colossal, stupendous, and spectacular!” he adds. 

 

Much like other miniature wargames, Warhammer 40k involves enacting a battle upon a tabletop battlefield or playing area. Set in the distant future, models in the game—which are essential and central to Warhammer 40k—include a mix of humans, aliens, and monsters, often boasting magical powers and wielding futuristic weapons, according to Victor Hardy. 

 

The second edition of Warhammer 40k’s rulebook was published in 1993. The third edition came six years later, in 1998, with a fourth edition in 2004. 

 

Editions five, six, and seven were released in 2008, 2012, and 2014, respectively. “The most recent edition of the Warhammer 40k rulebook, and the eighth to be released, meanwhile,reveals Hardy, “was published a little over two years ago now, back in June 2017.”

 

“Since its launch in 1987, Warhammer 40k has gone on to spawn numerous video games,” he adds, wrapping up, “as well as a large body of comic books and novels which have helped to further develop the fictional setting, and in great detail.”

 

To learn more about Warhammer 40k, visit https://warhammer40000.com/. Alternatively, to find out more about Victor Hardy, an award-winning artist and renowned attorney from Austin, Texas, head to https://victorhardyattorney.com/.

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Victor Hardy Basks in Continued Recognition for Miniature Artwork Skills

Renowned artist Victor Hardy continues to bask in recognition of his now-famous skills in the art of miniature painting

Stemming from a decades-long interest in the popular wargame Warhammer 40k, artist Victor Hardy is today responsible for some of the internet’s most famous and revered pieces of miniature painting. Holding the title for the highest-ranked miniature ever on one of the hobby’s most well-established websites, Hardy reveals more about his continued fame and recognition among those in the field.

“I’m proud to say that, even after ten years, I continue to be responsible for the most popular piece on the internet’s largest gallery of painted miniatures,” reveals Hardy, an artist and renowned attorney based in Austin, Texas. Outside of his passion and talent for art, Hardy also boasts more than 20 years of experience in high-stakes intellectual property law, patent infringement and media industry litigation, due diligence, civil rights matters, and more.

Victor Hardy first entered the art and painting field almost 30 years ago while at university. Rooted in a love of the wargame Warhammer 40k, Hardy, to this day, remains passionate about both interests. It’s the overlapping miniature painting aspect of both hobbies-Warhammer 40k, and art-which, however, has seen the attorney and artist make a name for himself on an international level, with fans in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere alike.

His most famous piece of miniature painting, Golgotha, took Hardy more than two years to complete. All in all, the artist and attorney estimates that he spent upwards of 500 hours on the project.

Multi-award-winning artist Hardy is also recognized for a wealth of other pieces, including his so-called BloodThirster Champion and his Khornate Army. “The latter two pieces of work, in particular,” he reveals, “attracted the attention of Bobby Wong, author of popular publication Miniature-Art.”

“Victor Hardy’s BloodThirster Champion marks an impressive centerpiece for his Khornate Army,” says Wong in a past publication, “and, unlike other painters, his interpretation often takes on a new twist.”

Hardy’s BloodThirster Champion would ultimately take first place for Best Warhammer Monster at a Golden Demon Awards event several years ago, earning him one of a number of coveted Slayer Sword Awards.

“To think, it all started on my university dorm room floor,” the now highly successful attorney reminisces, explaining how he and his university friends first happened upon Warhammer 40k at an event called Texas Con in the early 1990s. “The rest, however,” he adds, wrapping up, “as they say, is history.”

To find out more about Austin, Texas-based attorney and multi-award-winning artist Victor Hardy, visit https://victorhardyattorney.com/.