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Mar 2
CONSUMER RIGHTS REPORT CARD UPDATE
This month's events:
- RIAA: Stays its take no prisoners course. Enlists the FBI. Sues more users. Raids Kazaa. Refuses to consider flat downloading fee. Grade – F.
- TECH: General innovation continues. Darknets become more popular. Slowed by RIAA lawsuits. Grade – B
- CONSUMERS: P2P usage rising again as hardcore users dig in despite lawsuits. Consumer activism grows. Grade – B.
- COURTS: Slams consumer rights to backup media (321 Studios). Grade – D.
- FINAL GRADE: D+
THE RISE OF THE DARKNET: INNOVATION RIAA-STYLE
RIAA and others seeking online IDs for people and files create an inevitable backlash from both consumers and tech developers. Secure P2P networks are only the beginning.
... SEE YOU ON THE DARKNET
http://slate.msn.com
... RIAA HURTS ITSELF BY DRIVING FILE SHARERS TO MORE SECURE NETS
This is an old story that's only now moving into more popular media. It's an even older trend. RIAA kills Napster. Kazaa grows in its place, even larger. Surely the next P2P giant will be even bigger. Old dogs truly never learn new tricks.
http://www.businessweek.com
WHOSE REBELLION, WHOSE INNOVATION?
Dynamic pricing and music conversion innovation
essay-marc-whose-rebellion.htm
RECEIVE YOUR $13.86 YET? DONATE IT TO THE EFF.
Donate your CD Price Fixing Settlement Check to DonateMyMusicCheck.com to support consumer rights.
http://www.DonateMyMusicCheck.com/
REPRISE RECORDS GETS IT WITH SECRET MACHINES ALBUM
Releases digital 3 months before CD to drive CD sales. Bundles digital sample with purchase. Web site buyers also get free CD to burn music to that include band artwork.
http://www.mi2n.com
PORN AND P2P
Content is so cheap, it's not worth suing users. Free nude photos are used to promote pay web sites.
http://www.nytimes.com
COPYRIGHT GESTAPO RAIDS KAZAA DEVELOPER'S HQ AND HOMES IN AUSTRALIA
http://news.zdnet.co.uk
ORWELL'S POLICE STATE EDGES CLOSER: RIAA ENLISTS THE FBI
http://news.com.com
WHAT THE APPLE-PEPSI ITUNES COMMERCIAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ...
http://nmc.siu.edu
RESPECTBOOTLEGGERS.COM
A satire on the MPAA's Respect Copyrights.org
http://www.wired.com
http://www.respectbootleggers.org/
LEGAL DOWNLOADS OUTSELL PHYSICAL MEDIA IN UK
http://www.mi2n.com
ARTEMIS RECORDS TO LICENSE SONGS TO ALTNET OVER KAZAA NETWORK
http://www.latimes.com
EXTREMETECH SAYS APPLE ITUNES BAD, MICROSOFT WMA GOOD
http://www.extremetech.com
RIAA SUES 531 MORE MUSIC DOWNLOADERS
http://www.siliconvalley.com
NEW JERSEY MOM MICHELE SCIMECA SUES RIAA MEMBERS FOR RACKETEERING
http://www.vnunet.com
DON HENLEY: THE PROBLEM IS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ITSELF
It's "controlled by just a handful of unregulated, multinational corporations".
http://www.dallasnews.com
JUDGE RULES AGAINST 321 STUDIOS, DVD COPYING SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
http://news.com.com
COOKED KITTY: NAPSTER 2.0, THE PAY SERVICE, IN MAJOR TROUBLE
http://www.siliconvalley.com
... BUT HAS SOLD 5M SONGS FOR $20M ANNUAL SALES RATE
http://www.theregister.co.uk
300 WEB SITES DEFY RIAA AND OFFER "THE GREY ALBUM"
http://www.nytimes.com
COMPOSER-SINGER PAUL KORDA SAYS RIAA MUST ADAPT TO SOCIAL CHANGES
"As organized religion must change with the times, so must the traditional record industry and its representative, the RIAA."
http://www.linuxinsider.com
A HOST OF PEOPLE JUMP ON THE FLAT $5/MONTH FEE FILE SHARING BANDWAGON
Music industry sales would be the same as now. Unfortunately this makes too much sense for RIAA to adopt.
... EFF PROPOSAL
http://www.siliconvalley.com
... HARVARD PROFESSOR, $6/MO INCLUDES UNLIMITED P2P MOVIES AND MUSIC
http://www.theregister.co.uk
... BRITISH COLUMBIA BUSINESS PROFESSOR
http://www.siliconvalley.com
RIAA LAWSUITS: THE WIRELESS DEFENSE
http://www.canada.com
FAST WIRELESS WILL DOOM TECHNICAL RESTRICTIONS TO DOWNLOADING
http://www.theregister.co.uk
GLOBAL MUSIC PROJECT
Artists can upload their music for exposure AND help raise money for world causes through donations.
http://www.globalmusicproject.org/
REPORT SAYS STRICT COPYRIGHT LAWS ARE BAD FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Committee for Economic Development advocates balance between the rights of content creators and the public.
http://www.nytimes.com
Feb 4
75% OF AMERICANS THINK DOWNLOADING SONGS FOR PERSONAL USE IS OK
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/
RIPDIGITAL: CONVERT YOUR CD'S INTO MP3'S
100 CDs for $129. Cheaper than buying it again online, more convenient for a large collection, and legal.
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62027,00.html
http://www.ripdigital.com
LINDOWS OFFERS OS SOFTWARE FOR FREE OVER P2P
http://www.zdnet.com.au
"THE TYRANNY OF COPYRIGHT?"
Is copyright law curbing our freedoms and making it harder to create anything new?
http://www.nytimes.com
WHILE AMERICA OBSESSES OVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, THE REST OF
THE WORLD INNOVATES.
http://www.wired.com
KAZAA CLEARED TO SUE RECORD LABELS
Claims RIAA infringes and damages the file sharing network
http://www.latimes.com
THE STATE OF P2P:
... AN INTERVIEW WITH STREAMCAST CEO MICHAEL WEISS
http://www.technewsworld.com
... AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARMAN NETWORKS (KAZAA) CTO PHIL MORLE
http://www.linuxinsider.com
EXTREMETECH’S DIGITAL AUDIO PRIMER
http://www.extremetech.com
EMI TO OFFER THEIR SONGS ON WIPPIT SUBSCRIPTION P2P SERVICE
http://www.siliconvalley.com
Jan 29
We've updated our Consumer Rights rating. It's now the Consumer Rights Report Card. Support your rights and put our Report Card on your site.
- RIAA: Same ol' tricks. Tried to unsuccessfully co-opt ISPs. Launched a new round of lawsuits. NO CHANGE.
- COURT: NO CHANGE.
- TECH: ISP's ignored RIAA. But electronics companies are designing in content restrictions. WEAKENING SUPPORT FOR CONSUMER RIGHTS.
- INNOVATION: Nothing interesting. NO CHANGE - LIMITED INNOVATION.
- CONSUMERS: The initial wave of RIAA lawsuits may have suppressed casual users in the short term. But it only drove consumers to more secure and diverse networks. P2P usage continues to grow. CONSUMERS CONTINUE TO DEFY RIAA.
- FINAL GRADE: D+ based on mixed tech support.
Marc Freedman
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