Hi all:

I’m still feeling frayed around the edges from bronchitis with flu on top, so I’m taking the rest of the day off.

Normal service should be resumed tomorrow.

Cheers! And thanks …

Jon

__________________

MPAA boss Glickman says goodbye to Hollywood Associated Press
Dan Glickman spent his Hollywood years aiming to improve the ratings system that tells Americans what to expect in a movie — and fighting pirates. Glickman, the outgoing chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, inherited a tough job from longtime predecessor Jack Valenti to defend Hollywood against counterfeiters distributing illegal copies of movies, first on videotape and DVD, now on the Internet. For studios, “the protection of their content is the No. 1 issue. Without question, it’s piracy,” Glickman said in an interview at ShoWest, a convention for theater owners, as he prepares to take a new job April 1 as head of Refugees International. “But it’s broader than just piracy. It’s how to protect content in this digital world, particularly on the Internet. The Internet is ubiquitous. Kids can access it. It’s all available in their homes, and they feel it’s theirs. Our job has been to try to educate people that in fact it’s not theirs, unless there’s some form or system for paying for it. At the same time, it’s our responsibility to provide it in ways that are easily accessible and at reasonable prices.” As Internet speeds increase to the point where huge movie files can be downloaded easily, Hollywood has scrambled to avoid the sort of free sharing of songs that bulldozed the music industry.

Parental locks will be compulsory for digital TV news.com.au
(Australian) Manufacturers are split over plans to make parental locks mandatory on digital TVs and set top boxes. Parental locks let families control access to programs on digital TV based on their classification, such as G, PG or M. To watch a program above a certain classification requires a PIN. The Australian Communication and Media Authority says it plans to make the locks a compulsory feature of all digital TV receivers sold in Australia.

Two solicitors accused over file-sharing ‘bully tactics’ Law Society Gazette
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has referred two solicitors from London firm Davenport Lyons to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over claims that the firm sent ‘bullying’ letters accusing hundreds of people of illegal file-sharing. Consumer group Which? complained to the SRA in 2008 that Davenport Lyons partner David Gore and former partner Brian Miller had engaged in ‘bullying’ and ‘excessive’ conduct, while acting on behalf of client copyright holders. It said the firm had sent out hundreds of letters, demanding compensation and costs for copyright infringements, and threatening court action.

Ari Lobbies Obama On Illegal Downloading Deadline Hollywood
News Corp’s James Murdoch and WME’s Ari Emanuel both talked tough at the recent Abu Dhabi Media Summit about the illegal downloading of movies and TV shows. You’d have to look hard through all the James stuff to find the Ari stuff, but I thought it would be of more interest to DH readers: Emanuel said he’s been speaking to President Obama about the U.S. adopting France’s 3-strikes-and-you’re-out stance. (Last year, France introduced a rule allowing legal action once Internet users had been caught illegally downloading 3 times.) The agent, whose brother Rahm is White House chief of staff, told delegates he expects there will be a ‘fight with ISPs’ over the showbiz industry lobbying.

Pope to Address Abuse in Letter New York Times
As hundreds of new allegations of sexual abuse surface in the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that he hoped a forthcoming letter dealing with one part of the scandal in Ireland would help ‘repentance, healing and renewal.’ The pope, the former Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, was addressing his weekly general audience at the Vatican after days of disclosures concerning the German church, where one case happened on his watch before he became pope in 2005. The pope’s comments on the scandal in Ireland came a day after a top Vatican official acknowledged on Tuesday that, with only 10 people handling such cases, his office might not be adequate for the task. But the official, Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, who is effectively the Vatican’s internal prosecutor, said the church was working to bring more ‘transparency’ to the delicate and emotional process of settling allegations of abuse by priests, which have severely damaged the church’s moral standing.

PayPal says sorry to Cryptome The Register
PayPal’s chief of legal affairs has apologised to Cryptome after the eBay-owned payment service confiscated its funds without explanation. John Muller, ultimately responsible for setting PayPal’s guidelines, says the payment company made a mistake. He adds that he was a fan and former donor to Cryptome. Operator John Young says it’s not enough. Insult was added to injury when a PR contacted The Register last week, falsely claiming the account had been restored, but more importantly alleging unspecified illegal activity.

Police seize copies of Steampunk magazine and kombucha in raid Boing Boing
I’m a kombucha homebrewer and a user of nettles (for hay fever). So I was interested in this Common Dreams article about a police / Secret Service raid on a pair middle-aged housemates who were using Twitter to communicate with G20 summit protestors in Philadelphia.

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March, 2010

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