Firefox Uses Creative Commons Search Engine
"There are probably not many that are familiar with the new search engine for finding material online that can be used without paying royalty or clearing copyright issues. Finding this kind of material is naturally of great interest to e.g. people in the media who need to know if they can use a given text, photo or stream etc. without risking a lawsuit.
"Since September a beta version of a Creative Commons search engine has been available that lets you search for just this kind of thing.
"This new search engine has not been launched in a big way, but in the new web browser FireFox 1.0 from Mozilla, it has high visibility: In the search box in the upper right corner, the Creative Commons search engine is right there among Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, Ebay and Dictionary.com!"
Lars Vage. Creative Commons Search Engine in the New FireFox. Pandia. Dec. 2, 2004.
See also:
Creative Commons. Creative Commons Unique Search Tool Now Integrated into Firefox 1.0. (Press Release) Nov. 22, 2004.
SNTReport.com™ The Online Journal for Social Software, Digital Collaboration & Information Policy. A Seso Group™ Venture.
Record Companies Befriend Napster Creator
"As a teenager, Shawn Fanning brought free music to the masses, creating the Napster file-swapping program and unleashing a technological genie that granted the wishes of fans seeking virtually any song at any time – gratis. Now, the recording industry is turning to the college dropout turned cult hero, with dreams of putting the genie back in its bottle.
"The major record corporations, who accused Mr. Fanning’s Napster of ravaging CD sales and weakening the underpinnings of the industry, now say that a licensed file-sharing system could bolster their position in their legal fight against piracy as well as increase digital music sales.
"Mr. Fanning, now 24 and part of a new venture called Snocap, has lately written software that would recognize songs being made available on a peer-to-peer network and let copyright holders set terms for its price and its use by consumers who wish to download them."
Jeff Leeds. Music Industry Turns to Napster Creator for Help. The New York Times. Dec. 3, 2004.
See also:
John Borland. Napster Founder Unveils Funding, Label Support. News.com. Dec. 2, 2004.
John Borland. Music Rebels Seek to Tame P2P. News.com. Nov. 16, 2004.
John Borland and Stefanie Olsen. Napster’s Fanning Has Snocap-ped Vision. News.com. Jan. 2, 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™ Covering the Intersection of Collaboration and Technology. A Seso Group™ Venture.
BT Launches Entertainment Division
"BT is to offer its punters oodles of TV, films, music and games as it beefs up the content available for its broadband users. The UK’s dominant fixed line telco says it is responding to customer demands and their eagerness for more broadband content.
"Said departing BT Retail chief exec Pierre Danon: ‘A focus on Entertainment Service is the natural next step for BT in driving further value for new and existing broadband customers.’
"BT is creating a new division called ‘BT Entertainment’ which will be part of its Retail consumer business."
Tim Richardson. BT Gets Into Film, TV and Music. The Register. Nov. 30, 2004.
SNTReport.com™ The Online Journal for Social Software, Digital Collaboration & Information Policy. A Seso Group™ Venture.
Ringtones Drop Like They’re Hot
"Why are ringtones taking off now? Because, whether they are irritating or funny or odd, they satisfy something that iPods and other MP3 players cannot. With an iPod, no one knows what you are listening to. But with a ringtone, the anti-iPod, everyone within earshot hears what you hear.
"And, sure enough, phones that play ringtones and music are now chasing down the iPod market.
"Already a number of countries have found ways to make ringtones sound more musical. Some have learned to embrace the irritation, turning it into a kind of art."
Sarah Boxer. Hip-Hop’s New World to Conquer: Your Phone. The New York Times. Nov. 30, 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™ Covering the Intersection of Collaboration and Technology. A Seso Group™ Venture.
Music Companies Support P2P File-Sharing
"Three major recording companies have agreed to make their music available to be shared and sold over a new online file-swapping service that aims to lure music fans away from rival services where trading of music and movies remains unfettered.
"Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group – three of the four major recording companies – have licensed their catalog of music to Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based Wurld Media, the firm said Wednesday.
"Wurld Media plans to launch its file-sharing software, dubbed Peer Impact, early next year.
"The company said it would allow consumers to buy and share music, video and other content, while ensuring ‘that artists and rights holders receive their due compensation for each file shared on the network.’ The company added that the service would only distribute media that is licensed or in the public domain."
Alex Veiga. 3 Giants Create New Online Music Service. WashingtonPost.com. Nov. 26, 2004.
See also:
Katie Dean. P2P Tilts Toward Legitimacy. Wired News. Nov. 24, 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.
Kahle Loses Copyright Term Limit Lawsuit
"A lawsuit brought by a group of Internet archivists against recent congressional actions expanding copyright protections has been dismissed by a federal judge.
"The case was led by Net pioneer Brewster Kahle, whose most recent Internet Archive project aims to make a huge digital archive of Web sites and other media. The court’s ruling, issued late last week, marks another setback for a movement of activists and scholars against expanding legal protections for artistic works.
"The court relied primarily on last year’s Supreme Court ruling (.pdf) that said Congress had the power to extend the term of copyright."
John Borland. Court Nixes Lawsuit Fighting Copyright Law. News.com. Nov. 24, 2004.
SNTReport.com™ Covering the Intersection of Collaboration and Technology. A Seso Group™ Venture.
Recording Industry Battles Kazaa in Australia
"The next chapter in the global legal battle between the recording industry and file-sharing services began in Sydney, Australia on Monday when the owners of the hugely popular Kazaa software went to trial to defend against civil copyright infringement charges.
"The entertainment industry already has sued file-sharing services in the United States. Two federal courts in California have cleared Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. of liability, though the industry has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, said the U.S. cases should not directly affect the outcome of the Australian lawsuit, but all share the principle that a software developer is not directly responsible for the activities of its users, just as Xerox cannot be blamed for copying done on its machines."
Mike Cooper. Recording Industry, File-Share Face Off. WashingtonPost.com. Nov. 26, 2004.
See also:
Reuters. Kazaa Heads to Court for File-Swap Trial. News.com. Nov. 28, 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.
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