COPYCENSE

"Several lobbying camps from different industries and ideologies are joining forces to fight an overhaul of copyright law, which they say would radically shift in favor of Hollywood and the record companies and which Congress might try to push through during a lame-duck session that begins this week.

The Senate might vote on HR2391 (.pdf), the Intellectual Property Protection Act, a comprehensive bill that opponents charge could make many users of peer-to-peer networks, digital-music players and other products criminally liable for copyright infringement. The bill would also undo centuries of ‘fair use’ — the principle that gives Americans the right to use small samples of the works of others without having to ask permission or pay.

"The bill lumps together several pending copyright bills including HR4077, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act, which would criminally punish a person who ‘infringes a copyright by … offering for distribution to the public by electronic means, with reckless disregard of the risk of further infringement.’ Critics charge the vague language could apply to a person who uses the popular Apple iTunes music-sharing application."

Michael Grebb. Senate May Ram Copyright Bill. Wired News. Nov. 16, 2004.

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"The Microsoft Corporation announced on Monday that it was significantly expanding its software development operations in India as it opened a new campus near Hyderabad, its second-largest campus after its headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

"Microsoft’s chief executive, Steven A. Ballmer, formally opened the 28-acre campus in the suburbs of Hyderabad, which is 250 miles north of Bangalore, a rival technology center. The campus thus far has only one building, with capacity for 1,600 workers."

Saritha Rai. Microsoft Expands Operations in India. The New York Times. Nov. 16, 2004.

See also:
Andy McCue. Ballmer Opens Microsoft’s Indian Campus. Silicon.com. Nov. 15, 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.)

SNTReport.com™ The Online Journal for Social Software, Digital Collaboration & Information Policy. A Seso Group™ Venture.

"The trade group that represents movie studios filed its first round of lawsuits Tuesday against people who allegedly share copyright films on the internet. The Motion Picture Association of America declined to say where the lawsuits were filed or how many people were targeted.

"The civil lawsuits ask for damages. Individuals may be liable for up to $150,000 per film traded on the net.

"The MPAA said it hopes to give studio-supported companies like CinemaNow and Movielink, which sell movie downloads, a better chance to survive without free peer-to-peer services hampering their businesses."

Katie Dean. Movie Studios Sue File Traders. Wired News. Nov. 16, 2004.

See also:
Gary Gentile. Film Trade Group Files Anti-Piracy Suits. San Jose Mercury News. Nov. 17, 2004.

Cynthia L. Webb. Hollywood’s One Strike Policy. WashingtonPost.com. Nov. 17, 2004.

(Editor�s Note: The Post allows free access to their stories on the Web for 14 days before sending the stories to the paper�s fee-based Archives.)

SNTReport.com™ Covering the Intersection of Collaboration and Technology. A Seso Group™ Venture.

"Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chairman, boasted that the iPod has become the ‘Walkman of the 21st century.’

"It dominates its market in a way that no Apple product has done in a generation, raising the possibility that the company is becoming more than just a purveyor of computers with high design and low market share. If Apple continues to ride the wave of digital consumer electronics products, it may become the Sony of the 21st century.

"For that to happen, however, Mr. Jobs must do what he failed to do last time: prevail over his old nemesis, Bill Gates, who sees entertainment as Microsoft’s next great frontier. Microsoft is working hard to make sure that the iPod is less like the Walkman and more like the Betamax, Sony’s videocassette format that was defeated in the marketplace by VHS."

Saul Hansell. Gates vs. Jobs: The Rematch. News.com. Nov. 14, 2004.

SNTReport.com™ The Online Journal for Social Software, Digital Collaboration & Information Policy. A Seso Group™ Venture.

"File-swapping company Grokster is teaming up with newcomer Mercora to distribute an advanced streaming radio service to the peer-to-peer crowd.

"Beginning immediately, Grokster will offer its users a co-branded version of Mercora which allows people to search for and listen to music by specific artists.

"The service, called Grokster Radio, does not allow people to download tunes, but it lets users stream and listen to high-quality versions of specific songs–even music that is not available through download software like Apple Computer’s iTunes."

John Borland. Grokster Teams With P2P Radio. News.com. Nov. 15, 2004.

See also:
Tony Smith. Grokster Touts ‘Legal, Licensed’ P2P Music Share System. The Register. Nov. 15, 2004.

SNTReport.com™ The Online Journal for Social Software, Digital Collaboration & Information Policy. A Seso Group™ Venture.