p2pnet news roundup #1: October 6, 2008
p2pnet news view | P2P:- Today is Day 1 of p2pnet’s Canada elections 2008 special and although I won’t be doing the usual posts (with one or two exceptions) , I promised I’d run headline roundups two or three times a day.
Cheers!
Jon
»»»
Hollywood Illegally Demands Money From Kindergartens – TorrentFreak
A company collecting royalties on behalf of Hollywood studios has illegally demanded payments from kindergartens in Ireland. The MPLC requested 10 Euros ($14.00) per child per annum, so that they can watch DVDs legally. However, by doing so they breached the 2000 Copyright Act since MPLC failed to register with the Patent Office.We have recently reported on the situation in the UK where charities and even police forces are threatened with legal action for playing music within earshot of the general public. Hollywood is no stranger to strict royalty collection activities either, and has stooped to a new low. The Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC), which is charged with collecting royalties for the big studios, recently wrote to 2,500 kindergartens (or playschools as they are known in Ireland), informing them that it is illegal for the kids there to watch DVDs without an appropriate license. According to The Times, the letter was sent with the knowledge of the Irish Preschool Play Association (IPPA), which represents many schools populated by around 50,000 kids between 3 and 5 years of age. The IPPA had worked out a deal with the Hollywood representatives, and eventually managed to get the royalties down to 3 euros per child.
»»»
Company’s Lawsuit Over Free Scholarly Organization Tool Generates Buzz – Wired Campus
Plenty of education bloggers are up in arms this week over Thomson Reuters Inc.’s lawsuit against George Mason University over the university`s free software tool designed to make scholars` lives easier. But the company also has some defenders online — including a few free-software advocates — who agree that the company should defend against a free tool that piggy-backs on its software development. [2pnet - EndNote sues George Mason U over Zoter]
Guitars down, comrades: rock stars launch union to stand up for their rights – The Guardian
Millionaire rock stars are traditionally more synonymous with conspicuous consumption than the workers’ struggle. But artists including Robbie Williams, Radiohead and The Verve are among those who might be about to swap sex, drugs and rock’n'roll for banners, braziers and manifestos – having formed a new organisation to stand up for their rights. Among the dozens of founder members of the Featured Artists’ Coalition are Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Red Wedge veteran Billy Bragg, – who did after all record There is Power in a Union – but also former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, The Klaxons, DJ Paul Oakenfold, Craig David, Iron Maiden and the Kaiser Chiefs. All argue that the new organisation, to be launched tomorrow at the In the City conference in Manchester, is vital to represent their interests as the music industry is turned on its head by digital distribution. Damon Gough, of Badly Drawn Boy, said: “I think with the digital age and record companies dispersing and disbanding, young bands need a governing voice that will support them and help protect their work.”
»»»
CNN’s Citizen Journalism Goes ‘Awry’ With False Report on Jobs – Bloomberg News
CNN’s plunge into online citizen- journalism backfired yesterday when the cable-news outlet posted what turned out to be a bogus report claiming that Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack. Apple shares fell as much as 5.4 percent after the post on CNN’s iReport.com and rebounded after the Cupertino, California- based company said the story was false. Atlanta-based CNN, owned by Time Warner Inc., disabled the user’s account and said it tried unsuccessfully to contact the individual. The event underscores the need for news organizations to verify content generated by users before it is published, William Grueskin, dean of academic affairs at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, said in an interview from New York.
More later. Stay tuned.
he blogs – Copyright Pledge Gains Momentum – Green Party and NDP Candidates On Board, October 2, 2008
Use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. It`s really easy!Subscribe to p2pnet.net | | rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php
Net access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details.
