boycott-riaa.com - Article: In The News

In The News - July 2007

Posted by Mike (Shmoo) on July 1, 2007 at 11:28 PM (printer friendly)

Last month's edition of "In The News" can be found at: http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/24680

Folks, this monthy feature is here for me AND you to post links in. (Don't make me do ALL the work by myself!)

:)

As always, please save any lengthy comments for the other front-page articles or forums.

Want a particular story's link to be on the front page? Go ahead and put it here in this thread but ALSO Hit the "submit" button (then do the required C&P ...don't forget to provide the source-link's url !!!)

--Shmoo

User Comments (These do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this site)


independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:09 PM iPhone - Defective By Design The iPhone hype hides a basic problem � Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) inside the iPhone means that it wont be under your control. Apple also want you to switch your cell phone service to AT&T � who collaborated with the National Security Agency (NSA) in a massive, illegal program to wiretap and data� mine Americans' communications.

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:13 PM RIAA Opposes Ms. Lindor's Request for Discovery into Agreements Among RIAA Members to Pursue Cases Collectively RIAA Opposes Boston University Student's Motion to Vacate and to Quash Lava v. Amurao Docket Entry Corrected; Declaratory Judgment Counterclaim Dismissed; Copyright Misuse Counterclaim Stands Best regards. Ray http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com http://info.riaalawsuits.us

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:23 PM Cryptography to be used to fight customers of printers from refilling ink jet cartridges (The orginal title says something about "piracy" ...but I don't see how even the RIAA's definition could apply.)

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:31 PM FTC Says 'Slow Down' on Net Neutrality: The Washington Post reports that the Federal Trade Commission has fumbled the Network Neutrality Act, again FTC urges "caution" With the stalling tactics now being employed how long will it be before opponents (our enemy) draft their own legislation to counter Net Neutrality?

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:39 PM Mizled called the Apple support line and the rep said he needed to downgrade his computer from a 64-bit operating system. Posts about this in the Apple forums were deleted. Neither XP 64-bit nor Vista works with the iPhone

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:46 PM See y'all Thursday or Friday! (I'm done with my weekend dayjob and am going home to my currently Internet-less abode where we hope to finish a VIDEO for our newest cover-tune, Summer Breeze in time for the 4th of July celebrations (assuming terrorists don't cause our Govt to put them on hold.)

gdZiemann	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:47 PM Wait a freakin' minute. "Cryptography to be used to fight customers of printers from refilling ink jet cartridges"????? Their current price of $1,250 a gallon for ink isn't profitable enough??? How do they intend to do this? Are they going to check all my outgoing mail? Come in the house and look at printouts? Demand monthly samples from every purchaser? This is so incredibly unrealistic. "fight customers of printers..." Just makes you want to run right out and buy one doesn't it? I know that if I were thinking about buying a printer, "manufacturer puts up a tough fight" might not be on my list of features I'm looking for. What's next? Can't put air in your tires? Can't refill empty water bottles?

independentm...	Date: July 1, 2007 @ 3:48 PM did I say "Govt" ? ...I meant "chicken-sh*t Govt"

Alwex	Date: July 2, 2007 @ 1:14 PM Just keeps pissing me off all the time, and the government are surprised that people break the "law" and hate the government. They keep fucking us up... "The only difference between dictatorship and democracy is that in a democracy, you have to vote for your dictator(s)"

ChillinBuzz	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 8:38 AM just like with disks, cartridges will be breakable and it won't matter whether it generates a random key. think of the mod chips for PlayStations and imagine one of those for a printer, that will automatically allow any ink cartridge to work... i bet they spent months devising a way to make this work, it'll take coders and hackers a fraction of the time to break it.... and along will come the DMCA... what will happen if they can't get their own way? force us all back to pen and paper? :s

Alwex	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 12:21 PM ITs Sick, its fucking Sick, and the most sick part is that we allow this to happen! Revolution may not be the way, but a bloody NO! might just do the trick, "best way to crush the state is by not paying any taxes"

pepe512000	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 8:25 PM Music labels win fight to close Russian download site Another one bites the dust...

pessimist	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 9:58 PM But that won't stop the sharing of music.

pepe512000	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 10:07 PM No, likely 20 more new ones started up...that's the humor in this whole thing...

pessimist	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 11:11 PM Yep, plus the fact that people are sharing CDs and even hard drives containing music at private swap parties. And then, of course, many used CDs manage to sell well, too. Also, there are a number of surreptitious file sharing networks online, some fairly sophisticated in regard to security � accessible by invitation only, using encryption techniques and auxillary random servers. No way the RIAA will be able to defeat those, short of getting a law passed to control the internet's structure. I'm really wondering just how long the cartel will last. About their only hope would be to begin promoting the recording of good music, revamp their outdated business model, and start being fair to artists and consumers. I don't have to tell you the odds against that all happening. So, they're just about the living dead as far as I can see.

pessimist	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 11:14 PM It goes without saying that almost all of us at these websites are waiting for that glorious day when the major labels go into bankrupty reorganization. We really want indies to get their fair shake without being even partly impeded by the cartel.

TrueAudio	Date: July 3, 2007 @ 11:40 PM Some older news you might have missed: MPAA Kills Anti-Pretexting Bill http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/12/72214 US ruling makes server RAM a 'document'? http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/US-ruling-makes-server-RAM-a-document-/0,130061733,339278641,00.htm Let's just get it over with and confiscate all PC's in the US at gunpoint, after all the RIAA/MPAA refer to PC's as "piracy machines" that have no business being in the hands of the masses and have no legitimate use (kind of how like the FBI considers people with PC's being in possession of "illegal hacking tools"). Combine this with traitor Gonzales's "attempted copyright infringement bill'--you do the math. Here's my suggestion: Get a hold of the following videos even if you've already seen them and watch them consecutively. "fictional" 1) Red Dawn 2) Swordfish 3) Enemy of the State 4) V for Vendetta 5) Shooter non-fictional 1) Terrorstorm (can watch for free on google video) 2) Aaron Russo's Freedom to Fascism 3) Truth and Lies of 9/11 by Mike Ruppert P.S. Boycott all Airlines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M-lLVzFO4c Boycott ALL mainstream media except possibly CSPAN

TrueAudio	Date: July 4, 2007 @ 8:42 PM Audio Watermarking DRM set for HD DVD & Blu-ray http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/Audio-Watermarking-DRM-set-for-HD-DVD--Blu-ray.html Whoever works on developing new DRM anti-technologies seriously needs to get a life.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:12 PM Although AllofMP3.com was shut down by the Russian Government this week, customers from the site who have existing credit can still purchase songs through its downloadable windows desktop and smartphone client, allTunes.com.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:13 PM Belgian copyright watchdog SABAM has forced an ISP to begin filtering P2P traffic (PDF)

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:15 PM A simple way to defeat dumb patents? The big thing that defeats a patent is prior art.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:17 PM History of the CD Rom

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:18 PM Google looses case over Gmail name.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:23 PM MPAA caught setting up fake websites to catch downloaders But that's not all; MiiVi also offered client software to speed up the downloading process. The only catch is, after it was installed, it searched your computer for other copyrighted files and reported back.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:28 PM BBC warning of a 'ticking time-bomb' where data is going to be lost because of incompatibility in newer versions of software, and software not existing at all.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:30 PM Mike Godwin (known for Godwin's law) has been hired as legal councel for Wikipedia

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:34 PM Steve Wozniak v Stephen Colbert

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:36 PM For those of you who don't want AT&T on it: DVD Jon has released information on unbricking an iPhone. You sacrifice all cel phone functionality of course, but you have an iPDA that will work on your WiFi. Currently the hack is windows only but it doesn't look very complicated.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:37 PM Bill Gates no longer the world's richest

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:43 PM AzOz reports: Granny Sues RIAA Over Unlicensed Investigator

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:45 PM iPhone root password already hacked ...took 'em all of 3 days.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:47 PM EU antitrust regulators are turning up the heat on the Blu-ray and HD-DVD format consortiums.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 4:50 PM Apple's iPhone might run afoul of the GPL Steve Jobs and Apple release a product crippled with proprietary software and digital restrictions: crippled, because a device that isn't under the control of its owner works against the interests of its owner. We know that Apple has built its operating system, OS X, and its web browser Safari, using GPL-covered work � it will be interesting to see to what extent the iPhone uses GPLed software.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:12 PM Media Rights Technologies Petitions Librarian of Congress to Revoke Statutory Broadcasting Licenses

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:19 PM Terra Firma extends offer period for EMI

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:19 PM U.S. Mayors Pass Piracy-Prevention Resolution

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:21 PM Hollywood hates pirates, but can it use them? Duh, Hollywood and the RIAA have been already been using them all along.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:25 PM The Pirate Bay Wants MediaDefender to Walk the Plank to Bankruptcy

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:31 PM Many many lawsuit news items at RecordingIndustryVsPeople

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:32 PM RIAA sued for using illegal investigatory practices (George is also already covering it over at AzOz.com)

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 5:53 PM Privatunes 0.9 Does Not Anonymize iTunes Plus Files On Wednesday, Slashdot and Wired Compiler ran posts about Privatunes, a program that claims to remove personally identifying information from iTunes Plus files (the current version is closed source and Windows only, though the site says that this will change in the future.) Privatunes 0.9 overwrites the user's name and address. Unfortunately, the Privatunes coders didn't read our last post about iTunes tracking data -- aside from the name and email address, there are other fields that Apple, or a litigant that subpoenas Apple, could use to identify the purchasers of iTunes Plus files, even if they've been run through Privatunes 0.9.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:04 PM Germany's Federal Ministry of Justice has circulated a controversial draft bill that is bad news for online privacy. From preliminary reports, it seems that the bill attempts to outlaw the ability to send anonymous email by ordering ISPs to retain data traceable to individuals, and requiring a passport from anyone attempting to set up a webmail account.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:06 PM How Vista Harvests Personal Data A total of 47 Windows Vista features and services collect user data.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:07 PM Can Google be held liable for linking to defamatory comments under UK law?

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:16 PM Just how green is Live Earth? Live Earth organizers have gone to considerable lengths to marry the global event's methods with its message, but they've been called hypocrites by critics as varied as a Congressman and one of the Who.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:17 PM Jazz violinist Johnny Frigo dies at 90

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:25 PM Bill Pinkney, Last of the original Drifters dies at 81

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:36 PM CD sales drop, digital music jumps in 1st half '07 U.S. sales of digital music albums grew by 60 percent in the first six months of 2007 but failed to offset the rapid sales decline of compact discs, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan.

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:38 PM Music biz sales off for a seventh year: study

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:41 PM British jazz singer George Melly dies

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:42 PM Will Schaefer, TV show composer, dies music accompanied hit television shows such as "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Flintstones,"

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:43 PM Boy Band Impresario Indicted

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 6:44 PM Album sales down, Downloads up by %50

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 7:00 PM U.K. company says it's close to unlocking iPhones

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 7:03 PM Baidu Signs Ad-Supported Music Partnership

independentm...	Date: July 5, 2007 @ 7:06 PM In Pictures: Warning Signs of an Internet Attack Internet Threat Protection GuideInternet attacks have become a business. And as with any business, the product must be ever-changing in attempting to entice you. But where a slick legit ad campaign might sway you into buying a gadget you don't really need, these social engineering techniques try to trick you into infecting your computer with malware you surely don't want. Look through these images of some of the latest tricks from malware pushers and phishers so that you can keep your most important security tool--you--up-to-date.

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:02 PM Apple's Next Big Thing: tiny prices for iTunes albums

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:19 PM Cory on CBC, talking Universal v. iTunes

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:20 PM Frith: Canadian law will drive pirates to U.K.

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:21 PM `Inappropriate downloads' acknowledged by SAP CEO

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:24 PM Second Life Biz sues for copyright infringement

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:25 PM Artificial Scarcity and Open Source

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:26 PM P2p traffic shifting from music to movies

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:27 PM That fake MPAA vid download site goes offline

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:31 PM A team of researchers dedicated to finding means to fully control and interact with the new Apple iPhone claim to have successfully gained an interactive shell on the device.

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:37 PM Man caught with a camcorder at the Transformers movie

independentm...	Date: July 6, 2007 @ 11:56 PM Apple has released what it will cost to replace the battery in the iPhone, and consumers might be a bit put off. Replacement is a tricky ordeal, as the battery is apparently soldered into the device. The service will cost $79, plus $6.95 for shipping, plus an optional $29 'loaner iPhone' rental.

pessimist	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 12:01 PM From the San Francisco Chronicle: "Federal agents do not need a search warrant to monitor a suspect's computer use and determine the e-mail addresses and Web pages the suspect is contacting, a federal appeals court ruled Friday." "In yesterday's ruling, the court said computer users should know that they lose privacy protections with e-mail and Web site addresses when they are communicated to the company whose equipment carries the messages." "The search is no more intrusive than officers' examination of a list of phone numbers or the outside of a mailed package," the panel of judges remarked. "This ruling further erodes our privacy," a California defense attorney said. "The great political marketplace of ideas is the Internet, and the government has unbridled access to it!" I agree with the defense attorney about this issue, and I'm actually quite stewed over the judges' decision.

pessimist	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 12:05 PM It's yet another of a long string of intrusions into the privacy of individuals. Why should the govenment have the right to snoop into people's e-mails and surfing habits without the probably cause necessity of a search warrant? LIbertarian individuals would like to know.

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 9:40 PM Crazed lefty liberals like me would like to know as well. Folks, we ALWAYS must be on guard against our own government's errosion of basic civil liberties and privacy!

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 9:42 PM The Blame Game: Artists and Ticket Prices George Ziemann really has a great set of articles up over at AzOz about this issue. HIGHLY recommended reading!

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 9:55 PM http://slyck.com/story1528_ShareConnector_Trial_Finally_Resumes Legality of linking to be addressed says Slyck.

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:03 PM "No, I�m not saying the Neo 1973 will blow the iPhone out of the water; perhaps it won�t come even close � Apple�s mojo is far too powerful for that. But the Neo1973 will offer something the iPhone won�t: freedom." --Jack Kapica Open Moko1973 cellphone It is doing what all open-source people are doing: asking the world code-cutting community to come up with applications for it instead of locking you into corporate revenue schemes. [i](Sound's like a plan! Didn't really ever want a gadget filled cellphone due to all the scams attatched, but someone out there can buy me one of these if they wanna.)[/url]

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:05 PM oops! the closing tag above was supposed to be [/i] instead of [/url] Oh well. No biggie.

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:13 PM The Rubinoos sue Avril Lavigne over 'Girlfriend' Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music Group claims the songs are not similar at all, but says he may settle anyways. "You are forced to consider doing this because American lawyers can do these cases on contingency. If I defend and win, it costs me $300,000 U.S. If I go to get my costs back, the other party declares bankruptcy. You end up footing the bill." ----------- ...Hmm, I wonder. Anyone out there familiar with the tunes? Were the Rubinoos ripped off?

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:14 PM YouTube Guitar Lessons Pulled in Copyright Spat

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:15 PM EFF Files Amicus Brief in Support of Dawnell Leadbetter's Attorneys Fee Motion in Seattle

gdZiemann	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:15 PM Wow, Shmoo, you're doing a great job! Evil Empire Strikes Out at Guitar Teachers

gdZiemann	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:16 PM You posted while I was coding the link.

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:19 PM More on that (alleged?) MPAA video download entrapment site... Ars Technica covers the response from MediaDefender, which basically states the entire thing was a mistake and was only an internal site they forgot to password protect, and that they were not using this with the MPAA. The article asks: 'If this is true, why did MediaDefender immediately remove all contact information from the whois registry for the domain? [i]They is trying to deny it! lol[/url]

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:20 PM DRAT! [/url] = [/i] again!!!

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:28 PM Swedish Police going after Pirate Bay ...again!

independentm...	Date: July 7, 2007 @ 10:31 PM Sprint drops customers who "complain too much" about their bill.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:00 AM Nashville sax player Boots Randolph dead at 80

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:01 AM Are oldies the new Jack on NYC radio? Everything oldies is new again. WCBS-FM, the nation's No. 1 oldies station for more than three decades until a 2005 switch, is ready to shift from its current "Jack" format and re-embrace the classic sounds of its past, according to online reports. George over at AzOz had a great story about "Jack" a couple weeks ago.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:14 AM MTV service seeks revenue from fan remixes Oh no. PLEASE avoid it folks.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:17 AM Arctic Monkeys sitting out Live Earth They say it would be "hypocritical" ...and they sorta have a point. I'm all for Al Gore's intent and all that, but I fear the Recording Industry has hi-jacked the message of the event and turned it into a huge marketing ploy for its' own artists.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:21 AM ...and furthermore, FOX News and the Oil/Energy cartel's talking heads are of course really spinning the fact that the Live Earth event is itself alleged to be energy intensive.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:25 AM More on the Denial by MediaDefender on ownership of that MPAA "pirate" trap site

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:26 AM Live Earth may set new stage for Web viewing

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:27 AM Filesharing ruling against ISP hailed as precedent Copyright groups have hailed a Belgian court decision making an Internet service provider responsible for illegal file-sharing on its network as a European first that could help the music industry. boo hiss

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:28 AM Samsung, MusicNet Partner Against Apple The new service will offer portable music subscriptions for unlimited downloads for a flat monthly fee, or the purchase of individual tracks or albums. Expect the usual DRM and RIAA infestation.

independentm...	Date: July 8, 2007 @ 2:31 AM Live Earth Internet streaming sets record: MSN

banshee2x	Date: July 9, 2007 @ 7:01 AM Hello! I am David a boy of Barcelona, Spain. And I have a big debt with the SGAE (spanish association like RIAA), I have been fined to download four songs, exactly 26,400 $. I need your aid to be able to pay the debt. You can help me making a donation or buying a postcard of my city that costs 3 $, my benefit by each postcard is of 1.5 $, I only need to sell 17,000 postal to be saved. Sorry for my level of english, I am using a automatic translator to translate in english and arrive at more people. http://savedavid.freehostia.com

gdZiemann	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 4:44 PM [url="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/filter?wid=379&func=viewSubmission&sid=2802

gdZiemann	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 4:46 PM Aw, crap. [url="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/filter?wid=379&func=viewSubmission&sid=2802"] Universities to RIAA: Take a Hike

gdZiemann	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 4:47 PM I give up.

pepe512000	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 6:30 PM Universities to RIAA: Take a Hike by Charles Nesson & John Palfrey Is this what you were trying for George? :)

gdZiemann	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 6:47 PM Well, yeah. Thanks, pepe. Funny, I knew how to make links yesterday...

pepe512000	Date: July 10, 2007 @ 7:57 PM No problem, love to help out. I think the quotations? were the problem, or just one extra space tends to yuk it up....I'm sure you've seen some of my tries...yipes!

independentm...	Date: July 12, 2007 @ 11:49 PM Watchdog says pirate attacks are increasing worldwide ...I assume these are REAL pirates.

independentm...	Date: July 12, 2007 @ 11:50 PM Record labels look to tween market Nothing new. They have always been after our kids.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:17 AM Another story about Prince angering music industry with CD "give-away"

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:19 AM Evel Knievel, Kanye West seek deal over copyright suit

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:23 AM George Michael fined $250,000 for playing too long at Wembley

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:25 AM Metallica frontman James Hetfield was stopped by security officials at London's Luton Airport for allegedly having a "Taliban-like" beard.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:28 AM Beyonce sets fire to her fans (literally!)

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 12:32 AM Avril Lavigne responds to plagiarism claims Suing Songwriters Don't Like Avril's "Girlfriend" Songwriter retracts comments against Lavigne - Chantal Kreviazuk, the fellow Canadian singer-songwriter who dismissed collaborator Avril Lavigne's writing skills in an interview in the June issue of Performing Songwriter magazine, has retracted her comments. "Circle the wagons!"

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:17 AM Holy cow! Big Blue might return from the dead: Under a pledge issued by the company Wednesday, IBM is granting universal and perpetual access to intellectual property that might be necessary to implement standards designed to make software interoperable. IBM will not assert any patent rights to its technologies featured in these standards. The company believes its move in this space is the largest of its kind.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:29 AM Michael Geist has produced Putting Canadian 'Piracy' in Perspective, a video that demonstrates how the claims of the MPAA are hugely exaggerated.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:31 AM According to a survey reported at the NY Times, very few people actually have and use DVD copying software.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:39 AM Former Surgeon General claims repeated censorship by Bush Administration.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:41 AM Games Workshop Forbids Warhammer Fan Films

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:46 AM Appel patent indicates wireless music sharing and purchase plans

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:49 AM ISPs stand firm after p2p ruling The Internet Service Providers' Association has repeated its assertion that ISPs should not be responsible for any illegal file sharing that takes place over their networks.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:49 AM The Pirate Bay Interview (Video)

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:51 AM Porn Industries Forms Anti-Piracy Group Who gives a crap about Hollywood style porn?

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:52 AM Media Defender Buys P2P.net: Preparing for their Next Scam?

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 1:54 AM ( BTW, it is NOT the same as Jon Newton's p2pnet.net )

pessimist	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 3:18 AM Re: "The Internet Service Providers' Association has repeated its assertion that ISPs should not be responsible for illegal file sharing that takes place over their networks." That's because ISPs shouldn't have to shoulder a role as gatekeeper of the internet! The people responsible for unlawful content going up on the web are the ones who put it there in the first place, not the conduit i.s.p. That's akin to trying to hold a roadway responsible for an overweight truck traveling on it. Let's get this straight right from the start: This whole misguided idea is about the music and film cartels trying to get ISPs to play policemen for them. Let the damn cartels tend to their own affairs, and fight their own battles with their own devices (i.e., MediaSentry and bots and whatever); that ought to be the limit on the issue!

pessimist	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 9:10 AM iPhone - Defective By Design "The iPhone hype hides a basic problem � Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) inside the iPhone means that it wont be under your control. Apple also want you to switch your cell phone service to AT&T � who collaborated with the National Security Agency (NSA) in a massive, illegal program to wiretap and data� mine Americans' communications." �The problem with the iPhone being bundled with AT&T is kind of like a �Hotel California� service,� Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey said during a hearing. �You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.�

TrueAudio	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 5:20 PM FBI lied to get ISPs to turn over data http://www.infowars.com/articles/bb/fbi_lied_to_get_isps_turn_over_data.htm Ron Paul: U.S. In "Great Danger" Of Staged Terror http://www.infowars.com/articles/terror/ron_paul_us_in_great_danger_of_staged_terror.htm

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 8:24 PM Ron Paul might be wearing a tin-foil hat, but I too am begining to see the possibility of (for example - the current administration) faking a terrorist attack. Hell, the Bush regime and many pundits (of BOTH partys) ALREADY use the previous actions of the "terrorist boogiemen" to try and get their way (or, elected.) Folks, we not only need be vigilant against Bin-Laden & crew, we need to watch out for our own government and the military industrial complex using the terrorist threat to mind-f**k us citizens.

pessimist	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 8:46 PM Yep, as they were complicit with 9/11.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 9:58 PM Don't know if I'd go so far as to say that, (requires a bigger tin-foil hat than I own) but they sure as hell have used 9/11 as an excuse to bend and warp our laws and constitution.

independentm...	Date: July 13, 2007 @ 9:59 PM Woman settles out of court with RIAA for $300

pepe512000	Date: July 14, 2007 @ 10:36 AM Also on the good news front.. RIAA Ex Parte Discovery Application Against University of New Mexico Denied!!! this is the second judge to rule against the riaa's universities campus reign of terror...three strikes your out? We can only hope

PerilousTimes	Date: July 14, 2007 @ 6:59 PM Regarding 9/11/01, there are a number of reasons to consider complicity.

independentm...	Date: July 14, 2007 @ 11:33 PM When Microsoft tells you 'try-before-you-buy,' the 'buy' part is not meant to be an option. Once you 'try' a Microsoft 'upgrade' you can not easily go back, because your files will be replaced by new versions that you need the new software to read.[/url]

independentm...	Date: July 14, 2007 @ 11:36 PM oops! Forget that last [/url] tag. It is superfluous. (Yawn, I'm sleepy. Just did a wedding after very shut-eye the night before and now gotta work all night.)

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:03 AM False copyright notices appear on modern reprints of Shakespeare's plays, Beethoven's piano scores, greeting card versions of Monet's Water Lilies, and even the US Constitution. Archives claim blanket copyright in everything in their collections. Vendors of microfilmed versions of historical newspapers assert copyright ownership. These false copyright claims, which are often accompanied by threatened litigation for reproducing a work without the owner's permission, result in users seeking licenses and paying fees to reproduce works that are free for everyone to use...'" http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=787244#PaperDownload (pdf file?)

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:34 AM Showstash.com - Another streaming video site bites the dust.

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:35 AM Warner Music To Stream All Its Music Online For Free

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:52 AM Belgacom urged to block illegal music file sharing Belgian music copyright group SABAM has written to Belgium's dominant telecoms group Belgacom, urging it to commit to blocking or filtering illegal music file sharing, Belgian daily Le Soir reported on Saturday.

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:57 AM Google, Viacom face off over YouTube ...during a weeklong retreat at a mountain resort that hosts for top CEOs every year, but this week a marketplace clash between Viacom Inc. and Google Inc. just couldn't be kept down.

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 12:59 AM Google takes a swipe at Viacom Different source on the above story.

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 1:02 AM MTV Founder Bob Pittman Backs Online Video Hub WeShow

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 1:09 AM iPod filled with (legal but) still yet DRM infected RIAA tunes angers God and draws lightning The bolt threw the 37-year-old man 8 feet, according to witnesses.

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 1:14 AM lol. Get this, another bolt victem was listening to Metallica! So says the Register

independentm...	Date: July 15, 2007 @ 1:34 AM NOTE TO leflaw/tracy, I will not be able to log into DMusic's admin section in the morning. There's a couple of articles in the inbox that need approval. See ya folks next weekend! (Hopefully I will have that "Summer Breeze" video finished and ready to upload by then.) In the meantime, you can always download the .mp3 at our Dmusic page

pessimist	Date: July 17, 2007 @ 12:00 AM http://story.news.ask.com//article/20070717/D8QE1K8G1.html Microsoft Copy Protection Cracked Again! Jul 16, 9:22 PM (ET) By JESSICA MINTZ SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corporation is once again on the defensive against hackers after the launch of a new program that gives average PC users tools to unlock copy-protected digital music and movies. The latest version of the FairUse4M program, which can crack Microsoft's digital rights management system for Windows Media audio and video files, was published online late Friday. In the past year, Microsoft plugged holes exploited by two earlier versions of the program and filed a federal lawsuit against its anonymous authors. Microsoft dropped the lawsuit after failing to identify them. The third version of FairUse4M has a simple drag-and-drop interface. PC users can turn the protected music files they bought online - either a la carte or as part of a subscription service like Napster - and turn them into DRM-free tunes that can be copied and shared at will, or turned into MP3 files that can play on any type of digital music player. "We knew at the start that no digital rights management technology is going to be impervious to circumvention," said Jonathan Usher, a director in Microsoft's consumer media technology group, in a phone interview today. . . . . . . . . .[snip] --------------------------

pessimist	Date: July 17, 2007 @ 1:11 AM Hey, Mr. Usher, I wonder if your comment reflects the best damage control that your company (Microsoft) has. Note he says, "We knew at the start that no digital rights management (DRM) technology is going to be imperious to circumvention." Well, I guess that's about par for a company which, in general, functions from patchday to patchday anyhow. . .

pessimist	Date: July 18, 2007 @ 4:20 PM http://story.news.ask.com//article/20070718/D8QF6ADO0.html EU File Sharers Protected in Civil Cases Jul 18, 3:07 PM (ET) By AOIFE WHITE BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Copyright groups may not be able to demand that telecom companies hand over the names and addresses of people suspected of swapping music illegally online, a senior legal adviser to the EU's highest court said. Advocate General Juliane Kokott, advising the European Court of Justice, said Wednesday that EU law directs governments to resist the disclosure of personal data on Internet traffic in civil cases - unlike criminal cases, where compliance would be required. Promusicae, a nonprofit group of Spanish music producers, made a legal complaint against Spain's largest Internet provider, Telefonica, for not handing over the names and addresses linked to computers the group believes used the peer-to-peer file-sharing tool Kazaa to distribute copyrighted songs. A Spanish court hearing that case had asked the EU court for guidance on what EU law allows. Kokott's legal opinion is meant to help judges at the EU court come up with a recommendation, which the Spanish court can use to rule on the case. The EU court decision could then be cited by other national courts throughout the 27-nation bloc. Telefonica says the law only allows it to share personal data for criminal prosecutions or matters of public security and national defense. Separately, a Belgian court ruled last month that a local Internet provider, Scarlet, must filter or block file-sharing software to prevent users downloading music owned by Belgian copyright owners. It has six months to comply or faces daily fines. Copyright 2007 Associated Press.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:07 AM Canada's Copyright Board has given the go-ahead for a new copyright tax on iPods ...the levy could conceivably be applied to cellphones and personal computers.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:22 AM Net radio negotiations hit snag over DRM

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:26 AM RIAA v. Santangelo Default Judgment Vacated

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:30 AM By executive order, the Secretary of the Treasury may now seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq. The Secretary may make his determination in secret and after the fact. The new authority "will only be used against terrorists" Bye bye 5th amendment.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:44 AM NPR is running a story on a safe way to reproduce sound from ancient phonographs that would otherwise be unplayable. The system, called IRENE, was installed in the Library of Congress last year. It can be used to replay records that are scratched, worn, broken, or just too fragile to play with a needle. It scans the groves optically and processes them into a sound file at speeds approaching real time.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:46 AM Companies are utilizing the decision in Leegin Creative Leater Products v. PSKS to force the take-down of auctions on eBay because auctions are priced too low or even stating the auction itself is an infringement of their intellectual property rights.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:52 AM A new kind of record company, Tailored Music Group, is selling user-customizable songs. Each song is distributed in its 'default' (generic) form, and the customer can change any (or all) of the lyrics. For a few hundred bucks, the original indie musician will re-work the song with the custom lyrics.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 1:59 AM The Open Library Project The goal of the project is to produce the world's greatest library on the Internet free for anyone to use.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:02 AM Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, is being investigated in a federal corruption probe that has implicated his son Ben. Cross your fingers folks! (Let's hope he looses his office.)

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:04 AM ISP may not be required to hand over identities after all.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:08 AM How to spot fake DVD's (Wikihow)

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:10 AM House Panel approves Patent Reform

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:13 AM MPAA complains about Net Neutrality Claims it would kill a cornicopia of content. (Total BS!)

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:14 AM Is Internet Radio and SoundExchange Deal Enough? - Mp3Newswire

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:14 AM Music Industry vs eDonkey

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:15 AM FairUse4WM v1.3 Fix 2 promises Vista, Zune DRM stripping

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:16 AM AllofMP3 and AllTunes Claim Win in Russian Courts

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:16 AM Could YouTube drag Apple into copyright fight?

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:18 AM Will ISPs begin to filter their networks for illicit music? IFPI hopes so.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 2:20 AM How a 'free' album makes millions... More on Prince's latest album "give-away"

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:21 AM Bon Jovi not happy with the name of Mijovi energy drink.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:22 AM The 2007 North American concert business is below last year's record pace, but business is strong, according to first-half numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:27 AM Obit - Bill Perry Blues guitarist Bill Perry, who was discovered by Woodstock folk legend Richie Havens, has died, his label Blind Pig Records reported on Wednesday.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:33 AM James Blunt in songwriting dispute The singer faces a courtroom battle in a long running dispute over the authorship of six songs from his 2005 debut album Back To Bedlam. Lukas Burton, a Los Angeles producer, claims he co-wrote the tracks with Blunt.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:39 AM Apple helps YouTube videos to TV, iPhone

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 6:40 AM Samsung preps cellphone for Net video producers Cell phone edits video

pessimist	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 7:28 AM http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-bush20jul20,1,5467389.story?coll=la-news-a_section&ctrack=1&cset=true Pres. Bush Makes His Case, City by City By James Gerstenzang, LA Times Staff Writer July 20, 2007 . . . . . . . A question about royalties for the music industry, an important topic in Nashville, TN, brought a blunt response from Bush: "Help. Maybe you've never had a president say this � I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about�. I'm totally out of my lane. I like listening to country music, if that helps."

pessimist	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 7:36 AM He's also out of his lane, if not out of his head, when it comes to reality regarding Iraq. But, he styled himself as a "war president", so what can we expect. Anyway, no reason for the music cartel to be alarmed. They know they've got some favorite, nurtured lackeys in Congress to do their bidding for them.

gdZiemann	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 7:24 PM I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about The RIAA's educational initiative at work.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 9:26 PM Thanks for finding that link about clueless Mr. Bush pessimist. I saw the clip of it on one of the cable news networks and thought it needed to be here. I'd look for it on YouTube but unfortunately that site is blocked from this 'puter (I'm at work, still no Internet at home. sigh.)

pessimist	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 9:47 PM You're welcome, Shmoo. I got access to that L.A.Times article by obtaining a functional bogus e-mail address and password from http://www.bugmenot.com/ That's because I refuse to register myself with intrusive newspapers. I can check later to see if there's a link to YouTube. President Bush: "I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about..." (gdZiemann: "The RIAA's educational initiative at work.") Good one, George.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 10:11 PM Notebooks will dominate the worldwide PC marketplace? 'One researcher predicts it will be five to seven years before only the "die-hard" desktop users are left.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 11:53 PM Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it. The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright -- to promote progress, for the benefit of the public -- then we must make changes in the other direction. This talk by Richard M. Stallman is broken into two parts: the main talk and the question and answer sessions following the talk. Both are available in only OGG/Theora format in keeping with Stallman's wishes. They are available under the Creative Commons NoDerivs 1.0 license.

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 11:58 PM Copyright Board gives go-ahead to iPod levy

independentm...	Date: July 20, 2007 @ 11:59 PM Hairdressers must pay to play music, SOCAN says

pessimist	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 12:13 AM Regarding above story . . . Probably an easy way around that: Let music play from a mellow terrestrial FM radio station.

pepe512000	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 5:21 PM In relation to the ipod story, the Canadian Copyright Board is watching the dismal flailings of the CRIA's sue em all campaign and just deciding to carry on with their taxing of all mp3 related "stuff"...nothing new here.

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:11 PM he University of Kansas has adopted a new, and very strict, copyright infringement policy for the students on the residential network ...If you are caught downloading copyrighted material, you will lose your ResNet privileges forever. No second notices, no excuses, no refunds.

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:14 PM BusinessWeek reports that a high court adviser in the EU has decided that ISPs are not required to reveal information about suspected music filesharers.

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:24 PM Patent law changes become more likely ...in favor of the BSA and already established big business.

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:27 PM 50 Cent Sues Over 'Shoot the Rapper' So, it's ok to say 'shoot the cop?'

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:29 PM RIAA admits stream-ripping is not a problem

independentm...	Date: July 21, 2007 @ 10:40 PM Japanese P2P leak cop fired

gdZiemann	Date: July 22, 2007 @ 4:07 PM If you are caught downloading copyrighted material... Downloading is not a crime. How about wait until the RIAA proves a case, with evidence, before instituting punishment based on an illusion.

pessimist	Date: July 22, 2007 @ 5:17 PM Well said, George! Also: From that article about the University of Kansas -- A factor in KU's move may be recent rumblings from Congress. In May, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) of the House Judiciary Committee issued an ominous warning to schools, telling them that they need to do something about piracy or Congress would be forced to act. "We want to know exactly what they plan to do to stop illegal downloading on their campuses," said Smith. "Universities have a moral and legal obligation to ensure students do not use campus computers for illegal filesharing." The end result may be an expensive technological arms race between schools and technologically-savvy students. KU's new policy is likely to have the desired effect of discouraging most casual P2P users, but driving the more astute towards darknets.

TrueAudio	Date: July 24, 2007 @ 2:27 PM http://infowars.net/articles/july2007/240707Schools.htm The Police State Takeover Of Schools -------------------------------------------------------- "So, let's get this straight. 1) In 1933, America's WAS declared into a state of emergency, which has never been rescinded. We ARE PRESENTLY in a declared state of emergency (and have been for nearly 75 years), 2) multiple paramilitary systems have been raised, readied, operating, and practicing � beginning in 1974, and 3) the president of the united States need only sign a piece of paper to END the constitutional government of the united States. On May 9, 2007, our president signed a National Security Presidential Directive � an unconstitutional piece of paper � which gave to himself the powers of total dictatorship over the entire nation (NSPD-51) and CONgress has no say so whatsoever. Can you say "total dictatorship?" But more to the point, the question we must ask ourselves is this: are we NOW under Martial Law? We know for a fact that our constitutional rights have been politically and bureaucratically eliminated; we know for a fact that the global government has been raised; we know for a fact that the NAU is a fast-track reality; we know for a fact that the United Nations has absconded with our traditional military (who are not coming back to the states); we know for a fact that the United Nations Agenda 21 mandates that we live, believe, think, and act according to their worldly directives; we know for a fact that the International Property Maintenance Code has silently maneuvered itself into ALL American communities � much like Eminent Domain and land trust organizations � patiently awaiting the directive to seize MOST American homes; we know for a fact that the Civilian Labor Camps are up and readied; we know for a fact that disarmament is sneaking up on us like all global-political veils; we know for a fact that a shadow dictatorship manages our 2-Party system; we know for a fact that the largest global corporations in the world buy all laws into existence, AND we know for a fact that our FEAR is translating into a completely FRACTURED resistance to all-the-above. WE are in DEEP TROUBLE, America! The whole world is in deep trouble. It is this writer's opinion that we ARE in a passive state of Martial Law RIGHT NOW. However, once the "BIG Emergency" is called into play and strategic reality, we WILL see the EXPECTED results of our 2-Party maneuvering, which is the permanent END of OUR FREEDOM AND NATION. And amidst all this, what do the American people do? They play the "bring our soldiers home" game or the "illegal immigration" game. They play "the debates" game and the "global warming" game. People! You cannot see the forest for the dialectic trees! Why, why, why can't you put the pieces together to see the FACTS BEFORE YOUR FACES??? America IS the sacrificial lamb! YOUR freedom is GONE! All the take-over/conquering systems have been raised with YOU watching and realizing nothing! And all of the red-flag wavers, who have been TRYING for decades to drop the FACTS in your laps, are on severely borrow time. When communications are taken over by the paramilitary systems, you will never again be privy to TRUTH of any kind � only dictatorship, rules, labor, lies, regional masters, brute force, and conquerors. Think, people think! What happens to the elderly, the infirmed, the "imperfect," your pets, your infants, your autistic grandchildren, your school children, your homes, your possessions, your bank accounts, your automobiles, your health � when EVERYTHING YOU NOW DO AND KNOW BECOMES ILLEGAL AND MANAGED BY PARAMILITARY GROUPS? All of written history gives you the answer! EVERY SCHOOL has lock-down policies. EVERY PERSON in the united States, according to the same man who created and handed ALL POWER in this nation TO HIMSELF via NSPD-51, says WE ALL have to be EVALUATED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS. You're a lunatic if you're a Christian. You're a lunatic if you're a patriotic American. You're a lunatic if you question the WARS. You're a lunatic if you think or live according to the laws of the Constitution. You're a lunatic if you refuse to take Big Pharma drugs. You're a lunatic if you choose to take supplements. You're a lunatic if you are straight and monogamous. You're a lunatic if you want to have children. You're a lunatic if you prefer marriage to hooking up. You're a lunatic if you question global warming. You're a lunatic if you question the mental health systems in your schools. You're a lunatic if you're overweight. And you're a lunatic criminal if you smoke cigarettes, don't wear seat belts, can't afford to get your property up to new "international codes," or drive cars. And THEN, there is biotechnology waiting in the wings to "fix" your flaws � to make you "desirable" � to and for the pathological elites in charge. Welcome to academic and DNA-based eugenics. Welcome to designer and assigned babies. Welcome to permission slips to breed. Welcome to indoor farming. Welcome, "citizens," to Martial Law. If in doubt, ask the NAU regional King in charge of it ALL and his 2-Party army. I suppose when we're mostly a homeless population, sick with designer diseases, and crazed in the streets, the labor camps will look pretty good to us. So, exactly how long are you going to deny the neon flashing lights on the walls??? What does it take for the 300 million of us to indivisibly demand that "government," as it now stands armed and against US, cease and desist?" http://www.haloscan.com/comments/sonof101/ReaderComments52

pessimist	Date: July 24, 2007 @ 7:21 PM Congress: P2P Networks Harm National Security http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6198585.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=zdnet By Anne Broache, CNET News.com Published on ZDNet News:�July 24, 2007, 3:09 PM PT WASHINGTON--Politicians charged on Tuesday that peer-to-peer networks can pose a "national security threat" because they enable federal employees to share sensitive or classified documents accidentally from their computers. At a hearing on the topic, Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said, without offering details, that he is considering new laws aimed at addressing the problem. He said he was troubled by the possibility that foreign governments, terrorists or organized crime could gain access to documents that reveal national secrets. Also at the hearing, Mark Gorton, the chairman of LimeWire, which makes the peer-to-peer software LimeWire, was assailed for allegedly harming national security through offering his product. The documents at risk of exposure supposedly include classified government military orders, confidential corporate-accounting documents, localized terrorist threat assessments, as well as personal information such as federal workers' credit card numbers, bank statements, tax returns and medical records, according to recent studies by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and private researchers. Evidence that sensitive information is accessible through peer-to-peer networks illustrates "the importance of strengthening the laws and rules protecting personal information held by federal agencies" and other organizations, said Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), the committee's ranking member, who has sponsored a bill that would impose new requirements on government agencies that discover security breaches. "We need to do this quickly." The politicians present Tuesday generally said they believe that there are benefits to peer-to-peer technology but that it will imperil national security, intrude on personal privacy and violate copyright law, if not properly restricted. Both Waxman and Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) dubbed P2P networks ongoing national security threats. Congressional gripes about P2P networks are hardly new, and in the past, they have reinforced concerns raised by the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. Four years ago, the same committee held a pair of hearings that condemned pornography sharing on P2P networks and also explored leaks of sensitive information. And throughout 2004, Congress considered multiple proposals that would have restricted--or effectively banned--many popular file-swapping networks. Waxman noted that he was not seeking to ban peer-to-peer networks this time around but rather to "achieve a balance that protects sensitive government, personal and corporate information and copyright laws." To be sure, the kind of information leaks that alarmed politicians at Tuesday's hearing are most likely already against the law or federal policy. It is illegal for government employees to leak certain types of classified documents without approval, either electronically or through traditional paper means. Mary Koelbel Engle, the associate director for advertising practices in the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said her agency has found in its studies of peer-to-peer network use that risks to sensitive information "stem largely from how individuals use the technology rather than being inherent in the technology itself." Some politicians nonetheless lashed out at the sole representative from a peer-to-peer software company at Tuesday's hearing: LimeWire's Gorton, who is also CEO of parent company Lime Group. The most scathing criticism came from Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), who launched into a lengthy monologue in which he deemed Gorton "one of the most naive chairmen and CEOs I've ever run across," and accused his company of making the "skeleton keys" that grant access to material harmful to U.S. national security. "I'd feel more than a shade of guilt at this point, having made the laptop a dangerous weapon against the security of the United States," Cooper said. "Mr. Gorton, you seem to lack imagination about how your product can be deliberately misused by evildoers against this country." (Cooper also, at one point, claimed that Gorton's own home computer was probably leaking sensitive documents.) Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) warned Gorton that LimeWire's practices may open the company up to serious legal liability. "Would it surprise you to have a string of lawsuits for inherent defect in your product if people like Charlie Mueller of Missouri finds out he's lost his IRS filings and feels he's been damaged?" Issa asked. Gorton repeatedly defended his company's practices, but said he wasn't aware of the extent to which national security information was being accessed through his network. LimeWire strives to make its product easier to understand and is working on a new version even more tailored to the "neophyte" user, Gorton said. The software incorporates a number of warnings intended to stave off inadvertent file sharing, he added. For instance, pop-up messages appear when users attempt to share folders, such as the all-encompassing "My Documents" folder and the root directory, which are considered likely to contain sensitive information. "A lot of the information that gets out there now is because people accidentally share directories that they wouldn't mean to share clearly," Gorton said. "Those warnings are not enough, at least in a handful of cases." That assertion drew sharp disagreement from Thomas Sydnor, an attorney-advisor in the Patent Office's copyright group. He said peer-to-peer users are being tricked into sharing files they don't intend to make public and claimed that LimeWire's warnings to that effect don't always appear as they should. In research for a report released in March, the Patent Office found it "stunning to see features that are incredibly easy to misuse," Sydnor said. "You can go to an interface in these programs that looks like you're doing nothing except choosing a place to store files, and you end up sharing recursively all the folders on your computer. It's very easy to make a catastrophic mistake." Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation experienced an incident in which an employee's daughter installed LimeWire on the home computer that her mother occasionally uses for telework--and misconfigured it in such a way that documents from the department and the National Archives were open to others using the network--including a Fox News reporter. Forensic analysis determined that some of those documents were already publicly accessible and that none of the DOT documents contained sensitive personally identifiable information about anyone other than the employee herself. The agency's chief information officer, Daniel Mintz, told the committee that his agency already has sufficient authority to combat "inadvertent" file sharing and that it already is required to take such activity into account in its annual information security reports to Congress. The key to preventing additional incidents like that one, Mintz told the politicians, is for his agency to step up oversight and "to make sure we're really pushing the policy," which requires written authorization for installation of P2P programs on government machines. That also means beefing up training for its employees and making sure that they're aware of what the limits are, he added. General Wesley Clark, who now serves on the board of a small company called Tiversa that makes applications designed to monitor peer-to-peer file-sharing activity, called for "some pretty hard-nosed policies by business and government contractors that prevent people from doing government work on computers that have anything to do with the peer-to-peer networks." "Even when people...are sophisticated with computers, they can still make a mistake, and all that material can be gone in an instant," the former Democratic presidential candidate told the committee. CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh contributed to this report.

pessimist	Date: July 24, 2007 @ 7:28 PM Well, there you have it: The two primary magic bullets that might be able to take down anything -- a threat to national security, and exposing CHILDren to pornography -- both being aimed in one article to demand restrictive laws against P2P software. You just knew this was coming. (But Democrats are supposed to champion personal freedom.)

pepe512000	Date: July 24, 2007 @ 7:32 PM TrueAudio Had you even heard about the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America? Because I sure haven't heard a word about this even though it was brought about in 2005. And ususally when the Pres. of the US of A is about to embark upon Canadian soil, we hear about it months in advance....not so much this time..in fact not at all...so IF this is coming down the pipes....howdy Brother! This was the email I received... Subject: Bye-bye Canada HEADS UP FOLKS...SEND TO ALL THE CANADIANS YOU CAN. Canadians Completely Unaware of Looming North American Union Bush and Calderon to Visit Canada by Kevin Parkinson Global Research, July 17, 2007 In just over a month's time, on August 20, the most powerful president in the world will be arriving in Montebello, Quebec for a two-day conference. President George W. Bush will be meeting with Stephen Harper and their Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. So far, the silence from the Canadian and American media has been deafening. Talk to 90% of people on the street and they won't know about this upcoming conference, and if by a slim chance they do, they won't know the purpose of the meeting or why the leaders of Canada, United States and Mexico are meeting in the dog days of summer under what amounts to a veil of secrecy. So, what's this upcoming conference all about, and why are the newspapers, radio and television keeping silent about it? The purpose of the upcoming conference is to ratify the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which was initiated by Bush, Martin and Fox in 2005 in Waco, Texas. Essentially, this so-called 'partnership' will result in what the politicians refer to as 'continental integration'-newspeak for a North American Union- and basically a harmonization of 100's of regulations, policies and laws. In layman's terms, it means that once this 'partnership' has been ratified which is a fait accompli; we will be following in the footsteps of the European Union. It will mean that Canada will become part of the North American Union by 2010, and that our resources, agricultural, health and environment issues, to name a few, will be controlled not by Canada, but by the government of the North American Union. A huge 'NAFTA' highway, one quarter of a mile wide, is already being built in Texas, where private land is being expropriated, and will eventually reach the Manitoba border. Water will be the 'issue' of this century, as more than 25 states in the U.S. are currently in desperate need. Where do you think they will get the water they need? The United States is already guaranteed 60% of our natural gas resources from NAFTA, which mean that even during emergencies when we need energy, we will have to import it, while we are forced to export gas to the U.S. This is just one example of how Canada is being shortchanged, and it's only going to get worse. Why has there been absolutely NO public consultation on the biggest issue (North American Union) facing Canadians since Confederation? Why isn't Guy Lauzon, our local MP for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry, holding town hall meetings, bringing in cabinet ministers and explaining how the emerging North American Union will affect our Canadian way of life? Ask the citizens of Canada for their feedback. Isn't that how democracy is supposed to work? Folks, I suggest that Mr. Lauzon isn't even aware of the SPP or the North American Union, which explains why the Conservative government has denied all Canadians information to which they are entitled. If he does have something to say about it, then let him raise the issue in our riding. Furthermore, the example of the North American Union illustrates that our government claims to be democratic, but in fact, does it act like one, or does it prefer to make the big decisions at committee level behind closed doors, while masking its real intentions? The ratification of the SPP, and the emergence of the North American Union have been organized entirely by government committees and private enterprise. I refer readers to my website at www.realitycheck.typepad.com for further information on the North American Union. If our citizenry allows the North American Union to come into existence, then our way of life will change drastically, for the years to come. With privatization of our resources, increased foreign ownership, and a Canadian government with less and less authority, our children and grandchildren will become 'North Americans' and our quality of life will drastically decline. The founding fathers of Canada must be rolling over in their graves. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6346 http://realitycheck.typepad.com/ Ok Shmoo...beat me up... brother :>) (this will make up for all the posts I haven't made this month) Right? ;0)

pepe512000	Date: July 24, 2007 @ 11:39 PM Here's a couple of music industry related articles to make up for my waywardness.. RIAA says its legal crusade is pointless So why they keep this up is anyones guess... Sharpton: Withhold Funds From Entertainment Industry Way to go Al.... RIAA Pushes More Anti-Privacy Legislation, Group Says That's maddening....

pessimist	Date: July 25, 2007 @ 2:48 AM Here's my assessment of the situation: 1) Some Democrats as well as Republicans are inclined to side with the RIAA and the MPAA, even though they may know in their black hearts doing so puts them in an anti-privacy camp on this issue. Why? Simple: they can't resist receiving lobbying funds from the cartel for their campaigns. 2) Basically, the music monopoly is simply trying to make up for what it considers revenue shortfall that has been incurred by its member recording labels overcharging for CDs in past years. Well, that plus its refusal to adjust its outdated business models. In other words, it is reacting as a pouting, spoiled child who is facing discipline to make it straighten up....and it refuses to modify its immature behavior. 3) Tactics by the RIAA (litigating against music fans; payola that shuns independent artists from radio, and other methods that impede a level playing field; improperly witholding money from their indentured musicians who are bound by their lopsided contracts; denying rights of fair use and portability to customers; improperly influencing legislators; etc.) are nothing short of immoral. But the final toll has yet to be tallied: 4) Soon, an incremental loss of individual liberties on the internet, as their untoward influence in Congress prepares to have them impede P2P ability. (See the article I posted above, July 24 at 7:21 pm, entitled "Congress: P2P Networks Harm National Security".) The times they be a-changing; and they are dire!

pessimist	Date: July 25, 2007 @ 3:32 AM Congress and the Feds should clean up their own act by George Ou - ZDNet http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=633 Every once in a while you�ll get a political hearing on Capitol Hill where elected Government officials will grandstand and politicize issues that should have nothing to do with politics.� Sandy Berger stole secret documents from the National Archives by shoving them in to his socks, so will Congressman Waxman propose a new law against socks? This time it�s Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman who says he is considering new laws against P2P (Peer to Peer) software citing the possibility that P2P software may compromise National Security and can be used by organized crime.� The problem is that Mr. Waxman hasn�t a clue what he�s talking about, and this new round of political grandstanding is absurd. The Federal Government should clean up their own security act because year after year they get failing or near failing grades.� Mr. Waxman is slamming LimeWire for producing software that may circumvent Federal Government security, but the real question is why are Federal Government IT departments allowing Federal employees to install LimeWire or any other piece of unauthorized software on Government computers?�The mere fact that Government Employees have administrative access to install software on their computers, let alone computers with access to sensitive information, is ludicrous.�If you can�t even keep employees from installing LimeWire, you�re sure as hell not going to prevent them from installing rootkits which are infinitely more destructive. Why pick on LimeWire?�Sandy Berger stole secret documents from the National Archives by shoving the documents into his socks, so will Congressman Waxman propose a new law against socks?� Will Congressman Waxman call the CEO of Fruit-of-the-Loom to the hearings and grill him about the inherent dangers of socks?�If we�re afraid that Federal Employees will use P2P software to divulge national secrets, shouldn�t we be afraid they�ll use the fax machine too?�Shouldn�t we be more worried about the type of employees we place in to sensitive positions?�While we�re at it, why not make Malware illegal?� (Oh yeah, they�re already illegal, but that hasn�t stopped their use.)�The onus is on the IT organization to lock down their endpoints and network resources so that malicious software doesn�t get into their infrastructure in the first place.� The onus is on the Government or any organization to lock down their infrastructure from the physical layer to the application layer to the people working for them!

pepe512000	Date: July 25, 2007 @ 6:39 PM Mom Sues Universal Music "Copyright abuse can shut down online artists, political analysts, or -- as in this case -- ordinary families who simply want to share snippets of their day-to-day lives," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Universal must stop making groundless infringement claims that trample on fair use and free speech."

DeadMan2003	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 4:06 AM UK rejects music copyright extension http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL2442476820070724?feedType=RSS LONDON (Reuters) - The British government rejected a plea to extend copyright laws for sound recordings to beyond 50 years on Tuesday, prompting the music industry to accuse it of not supporting musicians and artists. The music industry had won support from opposition politicians and a parliamentary committee in its bid for a copyright extension that would allow veterans such as Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney to carry on receiving royalties in later life. The government would have had to push the European Commission for a change in the law but said such a move did not seem appropriate as it would not benefit the majority of performers and could lead to increased costs. "The UK is a world-beating source of great music, so it is frustrating that on the issue of copyright term the government has shown scant respect for British artists and the UK recording industry," John Kennedy, head of the IFPI body which represents the international recording industry, said in a statement. "Some of the greatest works of British music will soon be taken away from the artists who performed them and the companies that invested in them." The issue of copyright has become a hot topic in Britain as early hits from ageing acts approach the cut-off point, just as downloading music sparks a revival for back catalogues. Under current rules, performers can earn royalties for 50 years from the end of the year when a sound recording was made. In comparison, novelists, playwrights and composers enjoy copyright protection for their life and 70 years afterwards. Cliff Richard, whose first hit "Move It!" from 1958 is approaching the cut-off point, has led the campaign to highlight the issue, with support from the likes of McCartney, Robbie Williams and The Who's Roger Daltrey. The parliamentary committee for culture, media and sport said in May it would support an extension, given the importance of the creative industries in Britain. The copyright protection for performers in the United States is 95 years from release and in Australia it is 70 years. The industry had called on the British government to lobby the European Commission to extend the term to at least 70 years. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, which represents the British recorded music industry, said the government had failed its test to show support for British music. "We will continue to put forward the strong case for fair copyright in Europe," he said. "It is profoundly disappointing that we are forced to do so without the backing of the British government." --- Signed! Hope it stays that way too.

pessimist	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 4:18 AM The music cartel laments about "artists and musicians", but the only thing they really care about is their bottom line with regard to sound recordings (almost all of which they control).

ChillinBuzz	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 3:42 PM Cliff, Paul, Robbie and Roger are millionaires already from their music... Greedy bastards. They are part of the problem with this industry too, don't forget that.

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:04 PM For The Benefit of Mr. Bush Asked about music royalties recently, President Bush responded, "I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about. I'm totally out of my lane. I like listening to country music, if that helps." George Ziemann explains with a simple chart or two.

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:24 PM ISP's are starting to turn to DPI to monitor their networks, and, more troubling, to look at how they can use it to shape, block, monitor, and prioritize traffic.

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:29 PM Malaysian government may start using tough anti-terror laws to censor bloggers

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:31 PM the University of Washington security and privacy research group has teamed with the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) to develop an online tool to help you identify if your ISP is inserting ads or otherwise modifying the web pages you request."

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:33 PM $500M Piracy Ring Busted In China

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:35 PM "UK rejects music copyright extension" Thanks for that story DeadMan2003, 'tis welcome news.

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:37 PM Michael Geist on The Canadian Telecom Complaints Commission

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:38 PM DTV transition to be a digital disaster?

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:39 PM Free Speech hosts. 11 Web Hosts who won't dump you at first sign of controversy

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:57 PM EMI agrees to DRM free music deal with VerveLife

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:58 PM Universities help overturn P2P amendment, with help from you

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 9:59 PM Universal demands takedown of homemade dancing toddler clip; EFF sues

independentm...	Date: July 26, 2007 @ 10:00 PM Copycrime Bill Raises its Ugly Head, Again ...sheesh, can't we introduce a bill making it illegal to keep introducing this bill?

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 8:39 AM Got Electric Gypsy vids up at YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GrUcQv4TtA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY2Dkl7TbjE

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 8:40 AM (Sorry it took so long!)

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 10:46 PM Apple has patented a technology for new generations of iPods that would detect when a user tries to operate the iPod on an unauthorised machine ... and will refuse to charge.

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 10:48 PM Report Warns Against "Well-Meaning" Net Censorship

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 10:49 PM U of Kansas says it will not forward RIAA letters From the Chronicle article: 'Kansas officials told the student newspaper that they will not heed the recording industry's request to pass pre-litigation notices on to 14 students accused of music piracy. Many institutions have forwarded the letters -- which offer students a chance to settle file-sharing claims out of court at discounted rates -- but some have declined to do so, citing concerns over students' privacy.' Of course, this doesn't make that 'one-strike' policy any less flawed, but it shows that they aren't simply throwing their students under the RIAA bus, as one poster put it."

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 10:57 PM Apple, Sony sued over faulty batteries

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 11:03 PM Study Finds More Adults Are Watching Web Videos Good! Maybe then a few of them will go see Summer Breeze and Not Fade Away (uploaded 'em just this morning!) ------- Shameless self promo for Electric Gypsy :) :bouncy:

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 11:07 PM Deep packet inspection meets 'Net neutrality, CALEA

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 11:56 PM Obit: Lawton Williams Writer of `Fraulein' hit dies at 85

independentm...	Date: July 27, 2007 @ 11:57 PM Imus talks with CBS continue The legal struggle between Don Imus and CBS Radio is nearing a settlement that would pre-empt the dismissed DJ's threatened $120 million breach of contract lawsuit, a person familiar with the case said Friday.

independentm...	Date: July 28, 2007 @ 12:17 AM eBay can continue to use "buy it now" A federal judge Friday denied a request from a small Virginia company to stop the online auction powerhouse eBay Inc. from using a feature that allows shoppers to purchase items at a fixed price.

independentm...	Date: July 28, 2007 @ 1:20 AM Black Hat spurs Apple to patch iPhone With security researchers set to reveal details of a critical security flaw in the iPhone at the Black Hat 2007 conference next week, Apple Inc. now has fewer than seven days to patch a critical vulnerability in the product.

independentm...	Date: July 28, 2007 @ 1:30 AM Google Plans YouTube Antipiracy Tool for September Gee, I thought the reason they paid a big bribe to the RIAA and CBS etc. not to have to fool with all that.

independentm...	Date: July 28, 2007 @ 1:52 AM McAfee sets Rootkit Detective free On July 26, McAfee will begin offering a new application called Rootkit Detective, designed to detect and remove dangerous rootkit attacks. The software will also help end-users ward off the threats, as well as funnel new intelligence into the company's ongoing research operations.

independentm...	Date: July 28, 2007 @ 11:53 PM Microsoft has a new "Secure Content Downloader" tool that sounds an awful lot like a Bittorrent clone ...will probably start using MSCD for all their large downloads. How do you feel about subsidizing Microsoft's bandwidth costs?"

independentm...	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 12:30 AM Apple co-founder backs Internet video venture Luke Thomas, a 21-year-old former UC Berkeley grad student and Hotswap chairman, said the often-fuzzy videos uploaded by amateurs onto YouTube.com and similar Web sites can be transformed by Hotswap's technology.

independentm...	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 12:45 AM Debate over whether YouTube Debate made a difference

independentm...	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 1:12 AM Today the BBC made it official�they have been corrupted by Microsoft. With today's launch of the iPlayer, the BBC Trust has failed in its most basic of duties and handed over to Microsoft sole control of the on-line distribution of BBC programming. From today, you will need to own a Microsoft operating system to view BBC programming on the web. And you must accept the Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) that the iPlayer imposes. Read the story about the corruption of the BBC.

pessimist	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 8:28 AM I hate big money and the powermongers behind it. That's what's ruined not only the U.S. and U.K., but practically the whole world. [gnashing teeth in fury]

pessimist	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 8:29 AM Oh, and while I'm at it, I hate the queen and most royalty too. For good reason.

pessimist	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 8:55 AM Aw, hell, might as well let it all hang out and see what other toes I can step on: I hate the pope too. (Just in case somebody doesn't know, the current see is favorably disposed toward the goals of The Inquisition.) There. I'm done.

pessimist	Date: July 29, 2007 @ 6:55 PM Well, except with a qualifying P.S. And it's this: Not to just single out Catholicism; I'm against ALL organized religion. Also, if you've read my word "hate" as being too strong, well, then, simply replace it with "detest" instead. Now, isn't that better for everybody? (As if I really gave a shit about pleasing people when it comes to telling it like it is!) [exhalilng]

independentm...	Date: July 30, 2007 @ 2:02 AM Contracts posted online cannot be updated without notifying users. .pdf of ruling 'Parties to a contract have no obligation to check the terms on a periodic basis to learn whether they have been changed by the other side,' the court wrote.

independentm...	Date: July 30, 2007 @ 2:59 AM Intel on EU antitrust charges: Our actions benefited consumers Intel has released a statement in response to the EC's antitrust complaint, saying that it has not engaged in any unlawful activities in Europe.

independentm...	Date: July 30, 2007 @ 3:27 AM Sound technicians at Atlanta venue pull the plug on blues legend B.B. King citing the city's noise curfew ordinance

independentm...	Date: July 30, 2007 @ 3:46 AM Song search requires you to sing in tune Australian computer scientists are developing technology that will enable fans to search for songs to download by singing into the computer.

independentm...	Date: July 30, 2007 @ 3:47 AM Well, time to fire up August's 'In The News' see ya all there!