Compilation CD for Sharing
"Next month, songs by the Beastie Boys, David Byrne and 14 others will appear on a compilation CD whose contents are meant to be copied freely online, remixed or sampled by other artists for use in their own new recordings.
"’The Wired CD: Rip. Sample. Mash. Share.’ was compiled by the editors of Wired magazine, of San Francisco, as an experimental implementation of a new kind of intellectual-property license called Creative Commons.
"In this case, all 16 participants are allowing their work to be shared on the Internet. Wired Editor in Chief Chris Anderson describes Creative Commons as a way of declaring that the recordings come with ‘some rights reserved,’ as opposed to the traditional ‘all rights reserved.’"
Eathan Smith. This Compilation CD Is Meant To Be Copied and Shared. Wall Street Journal Online. Sept. 20, 2004.
See also:
Brian Braiker. Take My Music . . . Please. Newsweek. Oct. 5. 2004.
Valuable Historical Resources Restricted by Copyright
"Valuable resources are being lost to students, researchers and historians because of sweeping changes in copyright law, according to digital archivists who are suing the government.
"These resources — older books, films and music — are often out of print and considered no longer commercially viable, but are still locked up under copyright. Locating copyright owners is a formidable challenge because Congress no longer requires that owners register or renew their copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.
"Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive and Rick Prelinger, a film collector, want permission to digitize these so-called orphan works to create online libraries for free public access."
Katie Dean. Saving the Artistic Orphans. Wired News. Sept. 20, 2004.
Microsoft Checking Software Licenses
"Microsoft is trying to get to know its pirates a little better.
"The software maker has launched a pilot program in which some visitors to the main Windows download page are being asked to let the software maker check to see whether their copy of the operating system is licensed.
"Visitors do not have to partipate in the program to get their downloads. They’ll also get their downloads if they do participate and their copy of Windows turns out to be unlicensed. But Microsoft said the program is a first step in trying to provide a better experience for customers using legitimate copies of Windows."
Ina Fried. Microsoft: Can We Check Your Software License?. News.com. Sept. 17, 2004.
ALA Holds Satellite Conference on Copyright
The American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy and the Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges is co-sponsoring a free, live satellite teleconference program on the complex copyright and intellectual property issues affecting libraries and schools.
The teleconference, Making Copyright Work For Your Library, will occur Friday, September 24, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm EST. The program will feature leading copyright experts, including
Carrie Russell, copyright specialist in ALA’s Washington Office, and Kenneth Crews, professor at the Indiana University School of Law and author of Copyright Essentials for Librarians and Educators (2003).
The speakers will provide their views of the key issues facing librarians and educators, including copyright basics, an overview of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, fair use, copyright issues with electronic reserves and course management, and the TEACH Act.
To register for this free program, call toll-free at (800) 354-6587 or go to http://www.cod.edu/teleconf.
Groups Seek Public Hearings on Induce Act
“Today, EFF joined a broad coalition of public interest and industry groups in sending a strong message (.pdf) to Congress regarding the highly controversial Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (S. 2560): Slow down.”
Electronic Frontier Foundation. Broad Coalition to Congress on Induce Act: Whoa There! Not So Fast. Deep Links. Sept. 17, 2004.
See also:
Public Knowledge. Public Knowledge Joins Widespread Opposition to Copyright Legislation. Sept. 17, 2004.
Public Knowledge. Public Knowledge Statement on Copyright Office Draft Legislation. Sept. 10, 2004.
Public Knowledge. Resource Room for the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004.
Mandatory HTML Tags Would Protect Kids Online
"On the day before its summer vacation, the US Supreme Court freed Internet porn. The First Amendment, the Court held, prevents the government from regulating online speech if it can’t prove that ‘less restrictive alternatives’ – like software filters – would be less effective than regulation.
"Yet in light of other decisions affecting freedom on the Internet over the past six years, there’s something astonishing about the finding nonetheless.
"For why does the First Amendment speak so forcefully to protect pornographers yet barely whisper when librarians or film restorers complain that copyright regulates their speech, too?
Lawrence Lessig. Porn Free. Wired. September, 2004.
XM Radio to Launch Internet Radio Station
"Satellite radio operator XM Radio on Wednesday announced plans to launch an online music service.
"The Washington, D.C.-based company said the service, dubbed XM Radio Online will launch sometime in early October and operate commercial-free, just as its satellite programming does. XM will charge $7.99 per month for unlimited listening and offer a discount rate of $3.99 to subscribers of its existing radio services.
"The company’s main business is a commercial-free radio service that’s used with its portable satellite radio receivers, which are designed for use in homes and cars."
Matt Hines. XM Radio Tunes In Online Music Service. News.com. Sept. 15, 2004.
COPYCENSE 