p2pnet World Headlines – June 16, 2009
HADOPI Copyright Law To Get New Set Of Teeth With Additional Law IP-watch
The Sarkozy government will implement a law aimed at promoting legal online downloading in the coming months despite being prevented from cutting off the internet access of alleged three-time offenders, according to official sources. Meanwhile, the government has already begun preparing a new law that would restore penalties this time decided by a judge rather than by the newly created HADOPI commission. This would conform to a constitutional ruling on the HADOPI law.
Google to delete Street View source images The Register
European privacy watchdogs have demanded that Google delete the original images behind its Street View service. The company has said it will comply with the demand in the “long term”… The Working Party also asked Google to publicise where and when it will collect images. “They have asked us to continue to provide advance notice to the public about the project before we start driving in a new country,” said Fleischer. [See Google SnoopMobile invades p2pnet turf.]
Media Analyst Calls Hulu ‘Anti-American’ For Providing Free Content TechDirt
We see all sorts of confused analysis when it comes to how “free” works in economics — which goes back to our assertion that the human brain tends to run into a mental block when it encounters a zero and rather than recognize the rest of the economic equation, it just pops out an error message. That’s the only explanation I can find for the so-called analysis by Media Metrics’ Laura Martin of how Hulu is “anti-consumer, anti-media employees, and even anti-America” and supposedly putting $300 billion worth of market value “at risk”…
Blu-Ray To Allow Users To Make ‘Copies’ — With Lots Of Strings Attached TechDirt
“Beginning next year, studios and other content holders will be required to give consumers the ability to make one copy of any Blu-ray Disc they buy,” says the article (via Engadget). Sounds great — movie studios and others finally realizing that people should be able to freely back up DVDs they legitimately purchase. The devil, of course, is in the details. While discs will have to support this “managed copy” feature, it will require new hardware, and there’s no mandate that DVD player manufacturers include support for it at all. The copy, as you’d expect, is all DRM’ed up, and in order to make the copy, the Blu-ray player will have to connect to an “authorization server”.
Playing Music In A Nightclub Just Got Ridiculously More Expensive In Australia TechDirt
The latest — sent in by a bunch of you — is that the various collections societies in Australia are looking for massive increases in what they can collect. Apparently, the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia is gleeful after the Australian Copyright Tribunal allowed somewhat insane increases to yearly fees. The new fees will almost certainly put some nightclubs out of business while making sure some restaurants no longer play any music at all: Buoyed by the nightclub ruling, the PPCA is now targeting eateries. It wants to increase licensing fees in a 120-seat restaurant to $19,344 a year — up from $125. Small cafes would be slugged with a 4729 per cent yearly increase from $124 to $5860. Just look at those numbers for a second. And then try not to laugh as the PPCA defends the numbers by claiming “we are looking to establish a fair return.”
US lawmakers call for Apple AT&T probe The Register
A quartet of US senators has asked the acting chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review whether mobile phone manufacturers should be allowed to continue to enter into exclusive contracts with wireless service providers. In a letter signed by four lawmakers – including Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate’s Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet – acting chairman Michael Copps is asked to “act expeditiously should you find that exclusivity agreements unfairly restrict consumer choice or adversely impact competition in the commercial wireless marketplace.”
118800 embroiled in mobile privacy concerns The Register
A controversial new service in the UK is raising eyebrows as 118800.co.uk has announced it will list millions of people’s phone numbers on a database that will let any lunatic, serial killer – or worse, telemarketer – get hold of them for just £1.
ACCC says industry structure limits consumers benefits from telecoms competition and investment IT Wire
The ACCC has used the tabling in Parliament of its annual telecommunications reports to reinforce its calls for Telstra to be structurally separated into wholesale and retail units. [refer to: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/877087]
Rogers/Fido iPhone 3G S contract-free price gets leaked Cell-Phones
Based on what was leaked from Best Buy, the 32GB iPhone 3G S will retail for $799.99 while the 16GB variant is a $100 cheaper at $699.99. The pricing is the same for both Fido and Rogers. So, armed with this new info, are you still interested in getting a contract-free iPhone 3G S…
Japan Strengthens Copyright Law Billboard
The Japanese parliament has passed an amendment to the existing Copyright Law that extends further protections to copyright holders and, for the first time, makes it illegal for private users to download copyrighted material that has been uploaded without the rights holders’ permission. The new statute will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2010 but contains several caveats that raise the question of how it will be enforced. The user must be aware that the files were illegally uploaded and the new law does not stipulate any fine or jail term for contravening it. The music industry, however, welcomed the amendment, which does leave the door open for civil suits claiming damages.
Pirate Bay Launches VPN Service Wired
The operators of The Pirate Bay launched a long-awaited VPN service Monday, promising to make file sharers and other internet users more anonymous online. The IPREDATOR Global Anonymity Service, at about $7 monthly, is named for Sweden’s IPRED law that went into force in April. That law empowers copyright owners to acquire data from ISPs identifying people linked to file sharing.
The Times kills off blogger anonymity The Register
The Times has overturned a court order which sought to protect the anonymity of a police blogger known as NightJack. The blog, which has now been deleted, detailed the life and views of a serving police detective. Earlier this year it won an Orwell prize for political writing. The blogger is Richard Horton a 45-year old detective constable with Lancashire Constabulary. When he was contacted by Murdoch’s organ he sought an injunction to protect his privacy. But Justice Eady ruled he had no right to anonymity.
BBC licence fee ‘could be shared’ BBC
The BBC could be made to share part of the television licence fee with commercial rivals under government plans to be announced later. The Digital Britain report will suggest ways to help companies like Channel 4 cope with the impact of the internet. It is also expected to include plans to tackle illegal file-sharing and to bring broadband to the whole country. Gordon Brown said fast internet was now “an essential service, as indispensable as electricity, gas and water”… Piracy ‘to kill off’ quality TV…
Virgin, Universal launch music download service Associated Press
Virgin Media, the cable TV operator owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, launched a new kind of music download subscription service today with Universal, the world’s largest music company. The service, described by the companies as a world first, will allow Virgin Media’s broadband customers in Britain to stream and download as many songs and albums as they like from Universal’s catalog for a fee. But entertainment lawyers said the service was unlikely to solve the global music industry’s problem of billions of dollars lost to music piracy, and would need to offer content from big-name entertainers to be attractive to consumers.
Microsoft: No iPhone reimbursements for workers CNet News
Microsoft has found a powerful incentive to get people to use Windows Mobile–at least those within its own ranks. The software maker has stopped paying for cellular data plans for those using BlackBerries, iPhones and all manner of non-Microsoft devices. Plenty of Microsoft workers still have an iPhone, but as of earlier this year, they can no longer be reimbursed for their data plan unless they switch to a Windows Mobile-based phone. Although the move took place earlier this year, it is only making headlines now, thanks to an article on Silicon Alley Insider.
Marc – p2pnet
June, 2009
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June 16th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Playing Music in a Nightclub:
Two things…
1) I’m sure SOCAN will jump all over this and try for the same in Canada, bleed people dry
2) I’m hoping others will be as pissed as I am with SOCAN’s greed and say “f–k you, I’ll write and perform my own s–t”
With 2) we should see an increase in creativity. Not all of it will be good, but not all that is a part of SOCAN is actually good either.
I suspect 2) will also bring about a lot more “that’s too similar to our artists’ music” law suits to already poor performers/club/restaurant/etc… who can’t afford SOCAN’s fees already.
But maybe this could be the start of a backlash? Maybe clubs will hire more local live talent? Restaurants too?
I’m struggling for my wedding to write the music so I don’t have to pay SOCAN for someone playing classical, even if that performer of the music is not a member of SOCAN (at least that’s how I read SOCAN’s license sites). I highly doubt Bach/Mozart/Handel are members of SOCAN either, but for some reason performing classical is covered under license by SOCAN.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
@Robert,
When I saw this I thought the same thing.
I think Jon should write up a mock-up of this and beat them to the game.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
@indeedy:
We’d find it funny, for the humour, but then SOCAN would actually figure it out and try to implement it.
As far as I know, I still can write and perform my OWN material and SOCAN (et. al.) get NOTHING! However, if ever they come looking for money for my own stuff, then we’ll have a serious problem.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:00 am
“for some reason performing classical is covered under license by SOCAN.”
Really!?!? Then that confirms it – they ARE trying to kill public domain!
http://www.free-culture.org – Download the book in HTML format! And read The Long Tail too.
And 1984 …
I’ve read about an artist here in Sweden who had a contract with STIM (probably the same type of organization as the ones you mentioned) and wanted to share his own music for free on his site – but then he had to pay for that to STIM, because all copies must be payed for…
But they ARE going to allow Creative Commons licenses now (we are talking about a commercial music organization doing that!) for the artist who want to share their music for free!