Music piracy - archive for May 2005

Music piracy ('muziekpiraterij' in dutch) is a very complex phenomenon to comprehend. These pages wishes to address all of you who are interested in music piracy in a broad sense. You'll find articles related to music and video piracy (with special attention to articles from Belgium and the Netherlands).

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Archive

Sony onderzoekt 'steriel branden'

Het platenlabel Sony BMG bekijkt of cd-branders kunnen worden aangepast, zodat gebruikers niet langer kopieën van kopieën kunnen maken. Sony BMG noemt het idee 'steriel branden'. In de voorgestelde beveiliging mag een duplicaat maken van een originele cd nog wel, maar laat de backup zich niet nogmaals kopiëren. Sony BMG hoopt daarmee gewone gebruikers te ontmoedigen kopietjes te maken.

Date: 2005, May 30 | Source (NL): Zdnet

Terrorist link to copyright piracy alleged

That's what the Senate Homeland Security committee heard Wednesday from John Stedman, a lieutenant in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who's responsible for an eight-person team of intellectual property (IPR) investigators. "Some associates of terrorist groups may be involved in IPR crime," Stedman said. "During the course of our investigations, we have encountered suspects who have shown great affinity for Hezbollah and its leadership."

Date: 2005, May 27 | Source (EN): Cnet

Two more RIT students sued for music piracy

Three more Rochester Institute of Technology students have been sued by the recording industry for music piracy. The Recording Industry Association of America this week filed 91 lawsuits against college students at institutions ranging from Harvard and Columbia universities to State universities of New York at Buffalo and Binghamton.

Date: 2005, May 27 | Source (EN): Rochester Democrat And Chronicle

RIAA takes new shots at Internet2 swappers

The Recording Industry Association of America filed lawsuits against people at 33 university campuses accused of using the high-speed Internet2 network to swap music files, the group said Thursday. The actions follow a first set of lawsuits focusing on this network last month.

Date: 2005, May 26 | Source (EN): Cnet

iPod gegeerde buit

De populariteit van de nieuwste mobieltjes en iPod-muziekspelers heeft in Groot-Brittannië in april geleid tot een scherpe toename van het aantal straatroven, zegt hoofd van politie sir Ian Blair.

Date: 2005, May 26 | Source (NL): De Standaard

[VIDEO] Amerikaanse overheid sluit torrentsite

De FBI en ICE hebben de bewuste server in beslag genomen en in de Verenigde Staten tien dagvaardingen verstuurd aan beheerders van het Elite Torrents-netwerk. Volgens ICE beschikte de site over 17.800 titels (software en films) en werden deze 2,1 miljoen keer gedownload. Of het nog tot verdere dagvaardingen komt, is onbekend.

Date: 2005, May 26 | Source (NL): Zdnet

Metallica Vault closing

Since it started in June 2003 (with the release of "St. Anger"), the Vault has been a unique haven for us (as well as you) to offer live shows from throughout Metallica's history for download to anyone who had an access code (provided inside copies of the "St. Anger" CD). In that time, 18 shows were posted, and over 250,000 fans checked out the site and over 20 million free downloads flowed through cyberspace. However, the expenses of hosting and maintaining the site for two years didn't quite add up to the returns they were hoping for -unfortunately the internet isn't free to those who make it possible.

Date: 2005, May 26 | Source (EN): Metallica

Illegal downloaders to face damages claims

Sweden on Wednesday passed a law banning the sharing of copyrighted material on the Internet without payment of royalties, in a bid to crack down on free downloading of music, films and computer games. The law, which was approved by a large majority in parliament, will go into effect on July 1st. Those who violate the law will be ordered to pay damages. (...) at least 500,000 of Sweden's nine million inhabitants use file-sharing programs to download and post illegal copies of films, music and computer games on the Internet.

Date: 2005, May 26 | Source (EN): The Local (sweden)

Apple to integrate podcasting technology in next iTunes

Computer giant Apple is apparently planning to incorporate a program into the next version of its iTunes music system that enables users to download podcasts. (...) Some speculation has suggested that the move may encourage the sale of podcasts, which are currently free to everyone with an internet connection. Traditional radio shows are also trying to compete with the service by going with the flow and making their shows available in MP3 format.

Date: 2005, May 25 | Source (EN): Computer Business Review

Big Mac, fries and an MP3?

'Would you like a ring tone with that?' This may become the new customer service catchphrase as McDonald's hopes to reel in the young and tech-savvy with Blaze Net, which allows customers to buy music mobile-phone ring tones, print digital photographs and surf the Internet, according to a report published Wednesday. The fast-food chain began pilot testing the new ATM-style device May 16 at its new flagship restaurant near the Oakbrook Center shopping mall in Oak Brook, Ill., the Chicago Tribune said. But a spokesman wouldn't say how many restaurants will add Blaze Net.

Date: 2005, May 25 | Source (EN): Cnn

Justice minister threatens to ban CD "copy protection"

Sweden's justice minister, Thomas Bodström, has called for record companies to stop copy-protecting CDs. In a move which will stoke up the country's increasingly heated copyright protection debate, Bodström has said that if the industry continues to put blocking technology on new music CDs, the government will make it illegal.

Date: 2005, May 25 | Source (EN): The Local (sweden)

Kids get a lesson: Don't steal online

Sixth-graders at Legacy Elementary on Tuesday got an early education on the dark side of piracy from one of the nation's top experts. Using the new "Star Wars" flick as bait, U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce Jon Dudas told the school's graduating class how to use the forces of the Internet for good. (...) Dudas, who is the lead policy adviser on intellectual property to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, worked in his stop to Legacy Elementary during a two-day seminar in Salt Lake City. Utah is his first stop on a nationwide tour aimed at educating small businesses about the problems of piracy and counterfeiting.

Date: 2005, May 25 | Source (EN): Salt Lake Tribune

How piracy is jeopardising the future of Scottish music

Scotland can be proud of its contribution to popular music. Lulu to Jack Bruce; the Bay City Rollers to Wet Wet Wet; and Franz Ferdinand to Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Scotland has made music which has had a lasting impact in the UK and the world at large. Scotland is a leader in music, but it is sadly also a leader in the crime which is threatening the livelihoods of Scottish musicians and the record companies that invest in them - piracy.

Date: 2005, May 25 | Source (EN): Scotsman

BitTorrent creator to launch search site

The creator of the popular online file-sharing program BitTorrent said Monday he is preparing to launch a Web-based search engine that will comb the Internet for sites hosting files for downloading movies, music and other data.

Date: 2005, May 24 | Source (EN): Kentucky Mercury News

Never too young for a copyright lesson

Think schools are just scaring kids about drugs, sex and poor study habits these days? Now you can put illegal file trading on the list. Sixth-graders in American Fork, Utah, will start their journey to middle school on Tuesday with a warning from the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office about the ills of illegally downloading music, movies and games from the Web.

Date: 2005, May 24 | Source (EN): Cnet

US threatens China with WTO action over piracy

The US film industry on Monday threatened to push for action against China in the World Trade Organisation as illegal DVD copies of the latest Star Wars movie went on sale on Beijing's streets just a few days after its opening. (...) Mr Glickman said he had tried to convince Beijing that enforcing intellectual property rights was in China's interest, allowing it to build vibrant local movie and music industries, which are also crippled by piracy.

Date: 2005, May 23 | Source (EN): Financial Times

[VIDEO] BitTorrent draagt schuld voor Star Wars-diefstal

Het verschijnen van Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, zowel in de bioscoop als op het internet, vormt voor de organisatie een goede aanleiding om downloaders duidelijk te maken dat het menens is. De strijd tegen p2p-netwerken als BitTorrent loopt echter niet zo soepel als Hollywood zou willen.

Date: 2005, May 23 | Source (NL): Zdnet

Want the Sith DVD? Go to Usenet

Usenet newsgroups dedicated to piracy are seeing a resurgence in activity as file sharers seek less-policed areas of the internet to trade illegal data. Some pirated movies are now even appearing in newsgroups before being released worldwide across popular P2P systems like BitTorrent. The alt.binaries newsgroups -- which mostly carry pirated software, ripped movies and MP3s -- have logged a steady and substantial rise in traffic over the last few years.

Date: 2005, May 23 | Source (EN): Wired News

BitTorrent drops its trackers

Faced with the growing threat of legal action from copyright holders, the creater of the BitTorrent P2P application has dispensed with the need for centralised file-hosting. (...) BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen has eliminated the need for Web site hosting of centralised files, known as trackers, in the latest beta of the peer-to-peer software. These easily located files have been a key resource for anti-piracy units in identifying people downloading and sharing copyrighted material.

Date: 2005, May 23 | Source (EN): Zdnet

Professor claims he was fired for supporting P2P

A professor at a Spanish University claims he was fired for conducting a lecture in favour of the legal use of P2P. Jorge Cortell, who was invited to give a conference about the legality of P2P networks, says that the Spanish Recording Industry Association, leaned on the Design Engineering Superior College. He said they threatened the school with software audits, if the lecture was not called off.

Date: 2005, May 23 | Source (EN): Inquirer

Ook artiesten hebben vragen bij werking auteursvereniging

De Belgische auteursvereniging Sabam wordt met steeds luidere stem over de hekel gehaald. 'Gestapo', 'inhalige gieren', 'bedriegers'. Moet de grove borstel erdoor? Ook artiesten hebben vragen bij de werking van Sabam. 'Bij elke afrekening zit er een fout. Sabam is geen transparante onderneming', oordeelt Tom Declercq, manager van de Belgische rockbands Absynthe Minded en Sioen. (...) Het was Kamerlid Bart Tommelein die de kat de bel aanbond. Hij wil af van het monopolie van Sabam. Daarom riep hij alle organisatoren en dj's op om niet langer de Sabamfacturen te aanvaarden. Volgens de VLD'er blijkt uit steekproeven dat meer dan 15 procent van de gebruikte muziek op feestjes niet in het Sabamrepertoire zit. En toch int ze dat geld.

Date: 2005, May 20 | Source (NL): De Morgen

[VIDEO] Final 'Star Wars' film leaked to the Internet

At least two copies of the film, which was first shown in theaters in the early hours of Thursday, have been posted to the BitTorrent file-sharing network--a new and increasingly popular technology that allows users to download large video files much more quickly than in the past. According to the Web site Waxy.org, one print was leaked on Wednesday before the film was even released in theaters.

Date: 2005, May 20 | Source (EN): Cnet

[VIDEO] Nieuwe Star Wars al op het net

Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, is nu al illegaal te downloaden via uitwisselingsprogramma's op het internet. Ongeveer 16.000 mensen zouden inmiddels al zijn begonnen met het downloaden van de film. Het gaat om een kopie van het origineel en niet om een opname die in de bioscoop is gemaakt met behulp van een videocamera.

Date: 2005, May 20 | Source (NL): De Standaard

Candian Appeals Court denies P2P subpoenas

According to Canadian Cyberprof Michael Geist, the Candian Federal Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower decision denying the Candian Recording Industry Association the right to subpoena the identities of 29 alleged file-sharers: The court focused much of its discussion on the privacy concerns associated with disclosing the identities of the file sharers.

Date: 2005, May 19 | Source (EN): Corante

Brein en providers oneens over gevolgen Duits vonnis

Een uitspraak van een Duits gerechtshof kan gevolgen hebben voor de rechtszaak die Brein heeft aangespannen tegen vijf Nederlandse providers. Dat is althans de mening van Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm, advocaat van de gedaagde vijf internetaanbieders. "In Duitsland is dezelfde wetgeving van kracht als hier. Die is gebaseerd op de Europese e-commercerichtlijn die zowel in Duitsland als in Nederland in wetgeving is omgezet." Brein is het oneens met de zienswijze van Alberdingk Thijm. (...) Kuik wijst erop dat de Duitse zaak ging over iemand die via een ftp-server muziek aanbood, terwijl Brein zijn pijlen richt op mensen die via peer-to-peer-diensten muziek aanbieden.

Date: 2005, May 19 | Source (NL): Webwereld

[VIDEO] Europa vuurt strijd tegen filmpiraten aan

De 25 ministers van Cultuur van de Europese Unie hebben op het filmfestival van Cannes een tekst goedgekeurd die filmfanaten moet sensibiliseren voor auteursrechten. De ministers werden er samengeroepen door de eurocommissaris voor Media Viviane Reding naar aanleiding van de Europese Dag op het filmfestival. (...) Maar ook de jongeren die denken dat gratis kijkplezier normaal is, moeten worden gesensibiliseerd, menen de ministers. ,,Zonder auteursrechten heb je immers geen auteurs'', zo verduidelijkte Reding.

Date: 2005, May 19 | Source (NL): De Standaard

Packard Bell presenteert eerste Nederlandse MP3-speler onderzoek

De markt voor MP3-spelers is inmiddels een vervangingsmarkt, waarin jongeren een belangrijke rol spelen. En het downloaden van muziek is vele malen populairder dan het kopen van een cd in een winkel. Dit blijkt uit een Nederlands onderzoek naar het gebruik van MP3-spelers en –bestanden in opdracht van Packard Bell. Voor het onderzoek werden 272 respondenten tussen de 8 en 35 jaar ondervraagd in Nederland.

Date: 2005, May 18 | Source (NL): Packard Bell

Napster wil geen prijzenoorlog met Yahoo

BRUSSEL - De internetmuziekwinkel Napster zal geen prijzenslag beginnen met Yahoo. De Amerikaanse portaalsite lanceerde vorige week haar eigen muziekdienst op het internet en verkoopt haar muziek veel goedkoper dan de concurrenten.

Date: 2005, May 18 | Source (NL): De Standaard

[Software] Piraterij stagneert in België

Hoewel piraterij in de Europese Unie langzaam maar zeker inkrimpt, blijft België steken op één illegaal stukje software voor elke twee legale versies. Erger is dat de geschatte waarde van de gepirateerde software stijgt van 240 tot 309 miljoen dollar, zegt een IDC-studie dat door de Business Software Alliance (BSA) werd besteld. Uit het IDC-cijfermateriaal blijkt dat België niet de slechtste leerling van de EU is. Met een 'bescheiden' piraterijniveau van 29 procent blijft ons land ver achter op buurland Frankrijk (45 procent) en een rits landen rond de Middellandse Zee, zoals Italië (50 procent) en Griekenland (62 procent).

Date: 2005, May 18 | Source (NL): Zdnet

Helft van 8 tot 12-jarigen heeft mp3-speler

Het downloaden van muziek, al dan niet legaal, blijkt nog steeds veel populairder als een cd kopen in de winkel. Als gevolg is de markt MP3-spelers inmiddels een vervangingsmarkt geworden, waarin jongeren een grote rol spelen, zo blijkt een onderzoek bij Nederlanders tussen acht en 35 jaar oud.

Date: 2005, May 18 | Source (NL): Het Laatste Nieuws

Record labels have no legal right to demand customer data from providers

Suspicions of illegal copying of tracks and possible dissemination of such via FTP servers notwithstanding access providers are not legally obliged to divulge customer data. This the Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Hamburg has found, thereby annulling a contrary decision by the District Court (LG) in Hamburg. (...) The Hamburg case in question involved an FTP server from which, according to the music label, the tracks "Zwitter" and "Rein Raus" from the album "Mutter" by the band Rammstein could be downloaded for free.

Date: 2005, May 17 | Source (EN): Heise Online

Muziekpiraterij via internet tiert welig

Vorig jaar heeft de Belgische afdeling van de International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) 26 klachten ingediend wegens muziekpiraterij. Het aantal dossiers met betrekking tot inbeslagnames door de douanediensten daalde in vergelijking met 2003, maar het illegaal verspreiden van muziekopnames via het internet steeg fors.

Date: 2005, May 17 | Source (NL): Het Laatste Nieuws

Court rules for German ISPs in P2P identities case

ISPs in the state of Hamburg can't be forced to provide customer data to record companies, even when illegal copying is suspected, at least for now. (...) The developments in Germany are closely watched by experts in the Netherlands. There the Dutch Protection Rights Entertainment Industry Netherlands (BREIN) has just launched its largest round of lawsuits yet targeting 42 individuals suspected of illegally swapping copyrighted music.

Date: 2005, May 17 | Source (EN): The Register

Online music services need to meet demand

(...) iTunes offers only about one-fifth to one-sixth of all the music sold commercially in the United States during the past 50 years. That's an urgent problem for the recording industry, which desperately wants to pull people away from pirate services that illegally offer much bigger libraries. If piracy doesn't stop, the recording industry could implode.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Seattle Times

UK threatened with iPod tax

Members of the UK music business are said to have given support to an iPod tax – a copyright levy that would be added to the price of every MP3 player sold, based on the assumption that some music on the device has not been paid for. (...) Some criticise the move, suggesting that this means music purchased legally is being bought twice. There is also a suggestion that by adding the tax to MP3 players, the music industry would be monetizing P2P trading and legitimizing the piracy. The UK is not the first country to consider such a move. Legislators in Holland recently authorized a similar levy that could add as much as €180 to the price of Apple's 60GB iPod.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Mac World Uk

Justices poised for piracy ruling

Every time a CD sells with a Jerry Vandiver song on it, he makes 8.5 cents. But Google a Jerry Vandiver song and you'll find it's out there for free. He guesses illegal downloads cost him $100,000 in lost royalties over the last five years. "I just want my 8.5 cents a song," said the 57-year-old songwriter. So when the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in next month in the landmark copyright infringement case that pits file-swapping software companies opposite the movie and music industries, Vandiver hopes the justices clobber Grokster. But others say the court should not thump Grokster. They compare holding Grokster responsible for the theft of intellectual property to holding crowbar manufacturers liable for burglaries.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Monterey County Herald

Music: Digital medium on the up

An increasing number of people are turning to computers or portable players for music, even though traditional radio still leads the competition, a recent market study has indicated. In March 2005, approximately 77.2 million customers listened to music stored on a computer, up 22 per cent from 63.2 million during the same month last year, according to a report from market researcher NPD Group. (...) According to the NPD survey, the number of consumers who rip music onto their computers has more than doubled since March 2004. Also, there was a substantial, 127 per cent, increase in transfer of music to MP3 players since last year. A 93 per cent increase in paid music downloads during the same period indicates an increasing acceptance of the online medium, NPD said.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Silicon

Tuning In To Yahoo Music

For as little as $5 a month, Yahoo Music gives subscribers access to a library of more than a million songs. The service is very similar to those offered by Napster and Real Networks except for two important differences: price and reach.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Cbs News

Wisconsin man plans to fight music downloading lawsuit

Racine motorcycle salesman Dave Bink says he will fight a lawsuit against him by the recording industry concerning music he says his daughter downloaded to his computer off the Internet. "I'm going to take it to court, even though I can't afford a lawyer,'' Bink,48, said. "I'll probably get chewed up and spit out. But I just don't think it's fair.'' (...) The lawsuit calls for Bink to either pay $3,750 to settle or go to court, where he may be ordered to pay at least $750 per song for more than 600 songs.

Date: 2005, May 16 | Source (EN): Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gates ziet geen toekomst voor de iPod

(...) volgens Gates gaat de iPod voor lang van zijn troon gestoten worden door de mobiele telefoon. Consumenten zouden immers niet met meerdere apparaten willen rondlopen en verkiezen eigenlijk een convergentietoestel. Een standpunt dat u ook hoort verkondigen door pakweg Sony Ericsson of Nokia.

Date: 2005, May 13 | Source (NL): Zdnet

[VIDEO] TV piracy: Lawsuits filed against net show swappers

Continuing its war on internet file-swapping sites, the Motion Picture Association of America has announced it has filed lawsuits against a half-dozen hubs for TV show trading. The trade association said piracy of TV programming is growing quickly online, and that shows are as important to protect as big-budget films. This is the first legal action from the group that has focused most heavily on TV content. (...) The six sites sued include Bragginrights, Btefnet, CDDVDHeaven, Scifi-Classics, ShunTV and Zonatracker.

Date: 2005, May 13 | Source (EN): Silicon

Weblogs willen zand in machine Brein strooien

GeenStijl, Retecool en VKmag (voorheen Volkomen Kut) roepen hun lezers op 'administratieve overlast' te veroorzaken bij de Stichting Brein. Op de site van GeenStijl staat een modelbrief die lezers van de weblogs naar Brein kunnen sturen. Via de brief kunnen internetgebruikers aan Brein vragen of de organisatie beschikt over persoonlijke gegevens van de afzender.

Date: 2005, May 12 | Source (NL): Webwereld

Providers willen onafhankelijke geschillencommissie

De providers die door Stichting Brein voor de rechter zijn gedaagd, spannen nu een bodemprocedure tegen de auteursrechtenorganisatie aan. (...) Chello is één van de providers die door Brein is gedaagd. Daarnaast moeten ook Planet Internet, @Home, Tiscali en Wanadoo zich in de rechtszaal tegen Brein verweren. De advocaat van de vijf providers is Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm, in het verleden onder meer advocaat van Kazaa.

Date: 2005, May 12 | Source (NL): Webwereld

Yahoo lanceert goedkope on line muziekshop

De populaire Amerikaanse internetportaal Yahoo gaat zich op de markt voor muziek via internet storten. Het internetbedrijf wil een on line muziekwinkel beginnen waar gebruikers per opgehaald nummer minder dan de helft moeten betalen van wat andere bedrijven aanrekenen. Voor de eerste versie van Music Unlimited zou een abonnee per maand 6,99 dollar (per jaar bijna 60 dollar) kwijt zijn. Voor dat geld kan de abonnee ongelimiteerd nummers downloaden uit de catalogus die meer dan een miljoen titels bevat.

Date: 2005, May 12 | Source (NL): De Standaard

Brein daagt providers om adresgegevens

Kans om te schikken is verkeken Vijf grote Nederlandse internetaanbieders zijn door Stichting Brein voor de rechter gedaagd. De stichting eist van de providers de adresgegevens van 42 klanten die illegaal muziek zouden aanbieden. (...) Eerder schikten al zeven door Brein aangeklaagde internetters voor elk gemiddeld 2100 euro.

Date: 2005, May 11 | Source (NL): Zdnet

Get ready for corporate P2P apps

As corporate terminal-mainframe centralized networking evolved into client/server distributed networking, so shall all forms of corporate networking eventually evolve into P2P. Complexity is the norm, with today's clients and servers becoming next-generation IT peer nodes. All edge nodes will become highly intelligent.

Date: 2005, May 11 | Source (EN): Computer World

iTunes: Now it does video

The all-conquering iTunes Music Store looks to be morphing into a multimedia download shop. The latest update, released earlier this week, reveals that the song shop has now turned video vendor. The new iteration of iTunes comes complete with "new features" for the music store and updated QuickTime video support, leading to speculation that the update is paving the way for Apple to sell music video or longer film downloads alongside its traditional single and album business.

Date: 2005, May 10 | Source (EN): Silicon

Apple launches four new European iTunes stores

Apple Computer (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has expanded the European reach of its market-leading iTunes online music store, launching in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland on Tuesday.

Date: 2005, May 10 | Source (EN): Reuters

PalmOne hard-drive-based handheld on horizon

PalmOne is aiming to establish a new line of multimedia players featuring software for playing music and displaying pictures. LifeDrive will be a new line for PalmOne, but the hard drive may find its way into other products while carrying over the LifeDrive name, according to sources. Plans for such a move are still tentative.

Date: 2005, May 09 | Source (EN): Cnet

Napster opens ring-tone download store

Created in partnership with Dwango Wireless, the Napstertones service offers most ring-tone downloads for prices between $1.99 and $2.99. For now, the service is available to Cingular and T-Mobile subscribers, but the companies hope to make it more easily accessible through phone carriers' networks later this year. (...) The service is Napster's first step away from ordinary music downloads, although executives have hinted they are interested in video services as well.

Date: 2005, May 09 | Source (EN): Cnet

Piracy talk is just spin

The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) -- representing the "big four" multinational music companies that dominate the global music industry -- has been vocal both inside the courtroom and out, Graham Henderson's article, "A senseless war over downloading," (...). However, CRIA's media spin addresses neither Canadians' privacy interests nor Canada's actual music copyright policies. Instead, CRIA offers mostly inflammatory and misleading rhetoric. In February, 2004, CRIA sued 29 unnamed Canadians using peer-to-peer networks to share sound recordings, claiming this activity infringes copyright. CRIA asked the court to order several Internet service providers to reveal their identities. Without getting ISPs to name names, CRIA couldn't initiate its lawsuit. Fair enough: the anonymity that the Internet sometimes allows shouldn't shield wrongdoers from liability. In appropriate cases, courts should compel ISPs to disclose the identities of its customers. But -- what is an appropriate case?

Date: 2005, May 09 | Source (EN): Canada National Post

[VIDEO] Hollywood loses key anti-piracy battle

A US court has unanimously rejected an attempt by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and major Hollywood studios to have compulsory anti-piracy technology built into all digital electronic devices. (...) The system, backed by the FCC, would only allow programmes to be recorded on hardware containing copy protection devices, and all devices built after 1 July would have to include the technology.

Date: 2005, May 09 | Source (EN): Vnunet

Record Labels Find a Way To Work with P2P

The news last week that a major record company, SonyBMG, is in advanced talks to offer its content on peer-to-peer services caused major ripples through the music and Internet industries. (...) Mashboxx won't be the first attempt at a legal P2P network. The first in the UK was launched by music download service Wippit. Ironically, Wippit founder Paul Myers says that his company took down its P2P service last month, after nearly three years, due to the costs of running both a centralized and decentralized network.

Date: 2005, May 09 | Source (EN): Newsfactor

[OPINION] Mp3 sharing is not a crime

So whom are you really hurting when you download or swap mp3s? Only the record company executives and/or dollar-grabbing gluttons preying on young minds that don't yet know what artistic integrity is. I say download and swap mp3s 'til your memory banks are full.

Date: 2005, May 06 | Source (EN): Daily Collegian

EMI signs up for 'authorized' online music sharing

The world's third-largest music company, EMI Group Plc (EMI.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , has signed a deal with Snocap, a technology firm that is working to create a legal peer-to-peer music-sharing network. Snocap, headed by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, identifies songs by their digital "fingerprints" and determines how copyright holders want them to be used. For example, a music label could authorize an up-and-coming single to be freely distributed, or to play three times before requiring payment.

Date: 2005, May 05 | Source (EN): Reuters

iPod shuffle nabs 58% of flash market

Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer has revealed that Apple's iPod shuffle now has a 58 per cent share of the flash-based digital media market in the US. (...) Oppenheimer also insisted that Apple "doesn't appear concerned" about the threat from music-playing mobile phones. (...) Milunovich expects Apple to reveal iPods with wireless and video capacity before Christmas (...)

Date: 2005, May 05 | Source (EN): Macworld

Rockgroep Linkin Park heeft ruzie met platenmaatschappij

De Amerikaanse rockgroep Linkin Park wil weg bij de Warner Music Group omdat de platenfirma de groep onvoldoende promoot. De Amerikaanse groep zegt op zijn eentje goed te zijn geweest voor tien procent van de inkomsten van de platenreus Warner. Het zou gaan om 35 miljoen verkochte platen op vijf jaar tijd. (...) Meer nog, ,,de groep wil nu de Warner Music Group verlaten en onderzoekt alle opties omtrent de beste manier om de fans nieuwe muziek te bieden''. Mogelijk gaat hun muziek gratis van het Internet te halen zijn.

Date: 2005, May 05 | Source (NL): De Standaard

Scouts can earn anti-piracy merit badge

Boy scouts typically prove their mettle with fishing and camping skills, but now they can win laurels by showing their awareness of copyright laws. (...) Scouts qualify for the badge by attending seminars and other activities on the topic, the government said in a statement seen Wednesday. The program will initially target scouts between 11 and 16 years old.

Date: 2005, May 04 | Source (EN): Cnn

Music stealing all around

Cary Sherman's opinion piece on Sunday, "Mellifluous Discord: Universities' High-Speed Internet2 Used by Students to Pilfer Music," was as one-sided and illogical as the whole Recording Industry Association of America he represents, as president.

Date: 2005, May 03 | Source (EN): Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Pakistan - copyright piracy hub

In a letter to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz last year, the International Federation for Phonographic Industries (IFPI) said illegal replication facilities in Pakistan were doubling their copying capacity every 18 months. (...) What never ceases to amaze foreign visitors to Pakistan is that the country's big DVD and CD shops are full of perfectly packaged - but pirated - goods. According to the IFPI, Pakistani replication facilities are producing in excess of 230 million copies a year.

Date: 2005, May 03 | Source (EN): Bbc

Rampant piracy lands China on 'watch list'

The Bush administration has placed China on a "priority watch list" for allegedly not doing enough to protect intellectual property rights. China's skeletal copyright laws and lackluster enforcement have combined to create a free-for-all haven for piracy, the U.S. Trade Representative said in a report on Friday.

Date: 2005, May 02 | Source (EN): Cnet

Viralg says police clear it over P2P busting

FINNISH FIRM Viralg said that the country's law enforcement agency has dropped an investigation prompted by the Electronic Frontier Finland organisation.

Date: 2005, May 02 | Source (EN): Inquirer

RIAA Shrugs Off Court Ruling In Favor Of File-Sharers

A federal judge recently ruled that two North Carolina universities do not have to disclose the identities of two college students who allegedly file-swapped songs on the universities' computer systems. While the ruling might at first seem like a setback for the Recording Industry Association of America's effort to eradicate illegal file-sharing, the RIAA said the overall effect will be minimal. "This [ruling deals with] an old process that we no longer use and have not used since 2003," explained Jonathan Lamy, a spokesperson for the RIAA. (...) But starting in January 2004, the RIAA began using a different litigation process, dubbed "John Doe," to obtain the identities of illegal file-sharers. To date, the organization has issued more than 11,000 lawsuits, including 800 against university students, under the "John Doe" process.

Date: 2005, May 01 | Source (EN): Mtv

Universities' high-speed Internet2 used by students to pilfer music

America's universities are home to many of the great minds and future leaders of our nation and our world. It is on these campuses that knowledge and skills are developed and critical core values established. That is why the epidemic of music theft on our college and university campuses -- Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh included -- should concern us all. (...) What is new about these latest cases is that an advanced, high-speed network -- specifically created by participating universities for important academic research -- has been hijacked for music theft. The network is called Internet2, and because of its speed, it is increasingly becoming the network of choice for students seeking to pirate copyrighted songs and other works on a massive scale. The use of P2P applications such as i2hub on the ultrafast Internet2 network allows students to trade copyrighted works at unprecedented speed and volume.

Date: 2005, May 01 | Source (EN): Pittsburgh Post Gazette