Copyright Complicates Online Music Storage
“The digital music battle of the future may not be over where music is purchased, but where and how it is stored.
“A number of companies have created online content ‘lockers’ where users can upload their digital media files for storage that they can subsequently access from multiple devices. Examples include Oboe and MediaMax.
“While initially enticing as a media backup option, both services offer added accessibility intended to boost the value of music to users. But like anything else in the digital music industry, the concept isn’t quite as simple as those trying to sell it might like. Music wrapped in certain types of digital rights management (DRM) technology — such as Apple’s Fairplay — can’t be streamed from these lockers. Neither can tethered downloads acquired from subscription music services like Napster or Rhapsody,”
Antony Bruno. Digital Music Finds Some Locker Room. Yahoo! News. May 29, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Split Copyright Rules for Software, Songs
The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), was set up more than 20 years ago to raise awareness of software piracy and lobby the British Parliament for changes in the law to help software companies protect their business.
“FAST thinks that the police don’t take enough notice of software piracy, and it would like more forms of copyright infringement to be treated as criminal rather than civil matters, so that the police can prosecute instead of leaving it to the lawyers to sue. This serves the interests of the film and music industries, of course, since they would like to see anyone who downloads a song without permission prosecuted in the criminal courts.
“Software is not the same as books or music or film. It expresses instructions, and is more like a machine than an expression of creativity. It would be helpful if the two sides could be separated, because then the software industry might be persuaded that it is a waste of time to lock content in ways which require companies to build media players with limited functionality that can’t do things users want.”
Bill Thompson. How To Split Software and Songs. BBC News. June 2, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Attorney General Raises Heat on ISP Data Retention
“U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller last week urged telecommunications officials to record their customers’ Internet activities.
“In a private meeting with industry representatives, Gonzales, Mueller and other senior members of the Justice Department said Internet service providers should retain subscriber information and network data for two years, according to two sources familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The closed-door meeting at the Justice Department, which Gonzales had requested, according to the sources, comes as the idea of legally mandated data retention has become popular on Capitol Hill and inside the Bush administration. Supporters of the idea say it will help prosecutions of child pornography because in many cases, logs are deleted during the routine course of business.”
Declan McCullagh. Gonzales Pressures ISPs on Data Retention. News.com. May 26, 2006.
Prior CopyCense coverage:
CopyCense. Congress Considering Online Data Collection. May 18, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
International Trade, Russia & MP3 Files
“Rising consumer popularity is turning AllofMP3.com, a music downloading service based in Moscow, into a global Internet success story, except for one important detail: The site may well be illegal.
“So great is the official level of concern about AllofMP3 that U.S. trade negotiators darkly warned that the Web site could jeopardize Russia’s long- sought entry into the World Trade Organization.
“Operating through what music industry lobbyists say is a loophole in Russia’s copyright law, AllofMP3 offers a vast catalogue of music that includes artists not normally authorized for sale online — like the Beatles and Metallica — at a small fraction the cost of services like Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store. And unlike iTunes and other commercial services, songs purchased with AllofMP3’s downloading software have no restrictions on copying.”
Thomas Crampton. Allegations of Piracy Hit Popular Music Web Site. International Herald Tribune. June 2, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
International Trade, Russia & MP3 Files
“Rising consumer popularity is turning AllofMP3.com, a music downloading service based in Moscow, into a global Internet success story, except for one important detail: The site may well be illegal.
“So great is the official level of concern about AllofMP3 that U.S. trade negotiators darkly warned that the Web site could jeopardize Russia’s long- sought entry into the World Trade Organization.
“Operating through what music industry lobbyists say is a loophole in Russia’s copyright law, AllofMP3 offers a vast catalogue of music that includes artists not normally authorized for sale online — like the Beatles and Metallica — at a small fraction the cost of services like Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store. And unlike iTunes and other commercial services, songs purchased with AllofMP3’s downloading software have no restrictions on copying.”
Thomas Crampton. Allegations of Piracy Hit Popular Music Web Site. International Herald Tribune. June 2, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Microsoft to Challenge JPEG Image Format
“If it is up to Microsoft, the omnipresent JPEG image format will be replaced by Windows Media Photo.
“The software maker detailed the new image format last week at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seatlle. Windows Media Photo will be supported in Windows Vista and also be made available for Windows XP. In a presentation, the Windows Media Photo product manager showed an image with 24:1 compression that visibly contained more detail in the Windows Media Photo format than the JPEG and JPEG 2000 formats compressed at the same level.
“Still, the image in the Microsoft format was somewhat distorted because of the high compression level. Typically digital cameras today use 6:1 compression. Windows Media Photo should offer better pictures at double that level, according to Microsoft. Not only does compression save storage space, which is especially important for devices such as cell phones and digital cameras, a smaller file can also print faster, transfer faster and help conserve battery life on devices.”
Joris Evers. Microsoft Shows Off JPEG Rival. News.com. May 24, 2006.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Big Music Sets Its Political Agenda
“It must be a good time to be at the helm of the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA, the primary trade association for the American recording industry with a $27.7 million annual budget, is enjoying a string of recent political and legal victories.
“In last year’s Grokster case, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned a lower court’s ruling that favored file-swapping networks. Federal judges have been upholding stiff fines against individual file swappers, and the online marketplace for music is booming.
“Congress has enacted new laws backed by the RIAA that target peer-to-peer pirates with federal felonies, and a Republican administration is talking up the need for even stiffer ones. (Last year’s new felonies have already led to jail time for some).
“Yet obstacles remain.”
Declan McCullagh. Newsmaker: RIAA’s Next Moves in Washington. News.com. May 25, 2006.
Related Stories & Documents:
Declan McCullagh. Congress Readies Broad New Digital Copyright Bill. News.com. April 23, 2006.
Declan McCullagh. Prison Terms on Tap for ‘Prerelease’ Pirates. News.com. April 19, 2005.
Anne Broache. Justice Dept. Pushes Stiffer Antipiracy Laws. News.com. November 10, 2005.
CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
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