Rocker Posts Tips to Disable DRM
"The bassist of Switchfoot is teaching fans how to disable the
copy protection measures in the San Diego rock band’s own CDs,
presumably upsetting Sony and perhaps unwittingly testing the
anti-circumvention rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act.
"Tim
Foreman, brother of lead singer Jon, has taken exception to the
Digital Rights Management software that appears on the
platinum-selling Christian band’s latest release, Nothing Is
Sound.
Out-Law.com. Christian Rockers Risk Wrath of DMCA with DRM Tips. Sept. 20, 2005.
Groups Urge Congress to Bypass Broadcast Flag
“Consumer groups are urging lawmakers to resist lobbying from Hollywood to include anti-piracy legislation in larger budget bills.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) wants Congress to give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the power to require use of anti-piracy software known as a broadcast flag in digital recorders and receivers.”
Jim Snyder. Hollywood, Consumer Groups Fight Over Anti-Piracy Mandate. The Hill. Sept. 21, 2005.
See also:
CNet Politics Blog. Groups Call for Broadcast Flag Hearings. Sept. 19, 2005.
Public Knowledge. Congress Should Slow Broadcast Flag Consideration, Consumer Groups Say. Sept. 19, 2005.
Michael Grebb. Court Nixes ‘Broadcast Flag. Wired News. May 6, 2005.
Berkman Center Advocates Open Standards
“In a report (.pdf) presented at the World Bank on Friday, a group that includes senior government officials from 13 countries urged nations to adopt open information technology standards as a vital step to accelerate economic growth, efficiency and innovation.
“The group’s work was coordinated by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School, and the report is called a ‘road map’ for helping develop national policies on open technology standards.”
Steve Lohr. Nations Urged to Embrace Open Technology Standards. TechNewsWold. Sept. 14, 2005.
See also:
Open ePolicy Group. Roadmap for Open ICT Ecosystems. (.pdf) Sept. 9, 2005.
OpenWyre.com™ Covering the Intersection of Collaboration and Technology. A Seso Group™ Venture.
Labels Discuss Buying P2P Companies
“At least five online file-sharing companies have started trying to reach an accord with the music industry to convert the free trading of copyrighted music on their networks to paid services, according to several recording industry and file-sharing executives.
“The most advanced discussions are between the recording industry and Grokster, a small California company that has been sued by the entertainment industry, recording industry executives said.”
Saul Hansell. File-Sharing Services Seek Pact With Record Studios. The New York Times. Sept. 20, 2005.
See also:
David M. Halbfinger. Hollywood Unites in the Battle to Wipe Out Movie Pirates. The New York Times. Sept. 19, 2005.
(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.)
Publishers Seeks Sit Down with Google
“Sally Morris, chief executive of the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), has warned Google that its ‘temporary concession’ not to scan copyright protected texts held in libraries was ‘still not enough’ and has called on the giant search engine to hold an ‘urgent meeting’ with representatives of all major publishing organisations, in order to work out a ‘realistic–and legal–way forward’, reports the Bookseller.”
Philip Jones. ALPSP Calls for ‘Urgent’ Google Meeting. Information World Review. Sept. 16, 2005.
See also:
Sally Morris. Google Print for Libraries: a Trade Association’s View. EPS Market Intelligence and Advisory Service. Sept. 9, 2005.
Search & Text Mining Report™ K. Matthew Dames & Stephen E. Arnold on the business, technology, and law of search.
China Market Faces Copyright Challenges
“Signs of China embracing global market rules abound, from Beijing’s decision to loosen its currency’s peg to the dollar to the willingness of Chinese companies to pursue acquisitions abroad.
“But one thing never seems to change. In 1999, when “Star Wars Episode 1–The Phantom Menace” debuted, it was quickly pirated on DVDs that sold throughout China for next to nothing. Four years after, China joined the World Trade Organization and embraced its stringent rules on intellectual property rights but counterfeit DVDs of “Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith” retailed for about 75 cents each.”
K.C. Swanson. The Copyright Challenge in China. News.com. Sept. 18, 2005.
Bill Seeks to Change Patent Awards
“The legal standard that has been applied in patent cases awards patents to the person who invented a concept first, and it has long been a unique feature of the U.S. patent system. This year, however, Congress is about to consider a controversial proposal from Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, that would grant a patent to the first person to submit the paperwork –a standard that’s common outside the United States.
“The legislation suddenly has become a flash point about everything that’s right with the U.S. patent system–and everything that’s wrong with it.”
Declan McCullagh. Patent Bill Would Make Sweeping Changes. News.com. Sept. 13, 2005.
See also:
Michael Kanellos. Patent System’s Problems Defy Easy Solutions. News.com. Aug. 4, 2005.
Michael Kanellos. Companies Trying to Cash in Via Licenses, Lawsuits. News.com. July 20, 2005.
COPYCENSE 