Archive for July 2004
Publishers’ Cry Wolf About Amazon.com “Problem”
"Is Amazon.com becoming the Napster of the book business?
"The analogy may not be far off, say some observers of the used-book industry. Publishers, particularly textbook publishers, have long countered used-book sales by churning out new editions every couple of years. But the Web, particularly sites like Amazon and eBay, have given millions of consumers an easy way to find cheap books – often for under $1 – without paying royalty fees to publishers or authors."
Ladies and gentleman, this is a story without an issue. Neither a problem nor an emergency exists here; the publishing industry simply is not making as much money as it used to, and therefore it is asking the public to focus on a red-herring issue (the effect of online used book sales on profits) while trying to figure out how to protect the margins for its new, full-priced product.
Preserve Innovation, Overturn Patents
"A coalition of lawyers, researchers and software experts formed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation will try to overturn 10 Internet and software-related patents that the group says are so sweeping they threaten innovation.
"Two industry leaders have been named: Clear Channel, which has patented a way to distribute recordings of concerts within minutes after they end, and Nintendo, whose patents include some concerning platform software for hand-held games.
"The list of targets was drawn from 200 submissions solicited through the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It includes patents covering telephone calls over the Internet, streaming audio and video, and online testing."
Ian Austen. Claiming a Threat to Innovation, Group Seeks to Overturn 10 Patents. The New York Times. July 5, 2004.
(Editor�s Note: The Times allows free access to their stories on the Web for seven days before sending the stories to the paper�s fee-based Archive.)
Digital Companion For Concerts
"The New York Philharmonic and other orchestras are testing a PDA program that explains music being performed.
"In an attempt to draw patrons and enhance the concertgoers’ experience, several symphony orchestras are testing a PDA-based program called the Concert Companion which provides real-time commentary about the piece being performed.
The product is the brainchild of Roland Valliere who led a venture to explore how technology can be used to draw new people to classical music concerts."
Juan Carlos Perez. PDAs Take a Seat at the Symphony. PC World. July 5, 2004.
Editor’s note: See also SNTReport.com‘s prior story on Coco.
New Chief at MPAA
"Dan Glickman will replace Jack Valenti as the head of the Motion Picture Association of America – Hollywood’s powerful lobbying organization and the shaper of laws that critics say may stifle technology in the name of preventing piracy.
"Valenti officially stepped down after nearly 40 years on the job. He will continue as chief executive until Glickman takes over.
Glickman, a moderate Democrat who served in Congress for 18 years and then served as the Secretary of Agriculture during the Clinton administration, will begin his tenure Sept. 1. During much of his tenure in Congress, he was both a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Copyright and Intellectual Property Subcommittee."
Katie Dean. Movie Lobby Group in New Hands. Wired News. July 1, 2004.
See also:
Brooks Boliek. Glickman Relishes Role as Hollywood Mouthpiece. Reuters, July 1, 2004.
Lisa Friedman. Ex-agriculture Secretary Succeeding Valenti. Los Angeles Daily News. July 1, 2004.
Art Brodsky. Public Knowledge Reacts to Selection of Dan Glickman as New MPAA president. Public Knowledge. July 1, 2004.
John Borland. Jack Valenti’s Curtain Call. News.com. June 21, 2004.
Whither Kazaa?
"When a federal judge shut down Napster in 2001, Kazaa parent Sharman Networks quickly stepped in as the replacement of choice, signing up millions of users and even surpassing its predecessor in some respects. Since then, however, newcomers such as eDonkey and BitTorrent have been coming on strong amid reports that millions of people are logging off Sharman’s network.
"Although it’s too early to draw broad conclusions about Sharman‘s future, experts said many people appear to be shopping more intently than ever for file-swapping alternatives that incorporate improvements in peer-to-peer technology that have not yet made it onto Kazaa."
John Borland. Does Kazaa Matter?. News.com. June 30, 2004.
Canada Shelters ISPs from Copyright Infringement
"Internet service providers cannot be held liable for the copyright infringement of their subscribers, even when a cached copy of a work is held on local servers, a Canadian court has ruled.
"The decision on Wednesday marked an important victory for the country’s ISPs, which were worried about being held legally or financially responsible for subscribers’ use of peer-to-peer and other music downloading services."
John Borland. Canadian ISPs Win on Copyright Ruling. News.com. June 30, 2004.
Record Industry Fighting the Future
"Having all your tunes at your fingertips isn’t just fun — it makes you a more avid consumer of music. So why are the recording companies fighting (.pdf) the future?
"By their every indication, record executives appear to be unhappy that people are more engaged with popular music. They are busy cooking up half-baked copy protection schemes that will prevent the ripping of newly purchased CDs.
"They are pushing legislation intended to criminalize all kinds of behavior and technology. Rather than make it easier for folks to spend money, they would rather return to the neolithic times when people heard a song on the radio they liked, they would have to trudge to the record store and spend $18 on bloated filler."
Andrew Leonard. The Digital Music Renaissance. Salon. July 1, 2004.
(Editor�s Note: Salon.com normally requires a paid subscription, but you can view articles if you register for a free day pass.)
COPYCENSE 