Studios score another knockout against Pirate Bay

"The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent search engine that Hollywood has tried in vain to shut down for years, was offline Monday morning.

The blackout was presumably the result of an injunction won recently by the film studios that ordered The Pirate Bay's bandwidth provider to stop servicing the site. This is only the latest chapter in the cat-and-mouse game between Hollywood's big studios and the site's operators. "

So basically, the new tactic involves getting into bed with every ISP provider in the world. It's going to be crowded in there. And disgusting!

But this does point out the importance of the FCC's decision on net neutrality, and exactly HOW important it is that the internet be free from censorship, whether it is from telecoms or other industries.

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What the Music Industry Must Learn From Hollywood

"A couple of years ago, no one had heard of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Now it's a household name, and depending on whom you talk to, usually equated with tyrannical evil. Despite this, one of the mainstays of media sales online is digital music, and it likely will be that way for some time. "

"Most of the film industry's anti-piracy efforts have been aimed at both policy (law) and public awareness. According to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, most video piracy happens outside of the United States now, and the industry is working hard to find the "sweet spot" between free content (pirated) and paid content."

How ironic then that Venture Studios, an indie outfit, have taken the first step down the path forged by the RIAA, and actually outdone the evil empire!

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Pressure Grows on Spain to Curb Digital Piracy

"In the last decade, a surge of music and movie sharing online in Spain has thrilled fans, but it has also increased pressure from as far away as Hollywood to clamp down. Spanish lawmakers are expected to vote this year on a measure that would allow the swift closing of sites suspected of facilitating file-sharing. "

"Judges have also shown ambivalence toward the issue. In 2006, the attorney general advised that peer-to-peer downloading should be considered criminal only if done for profit. "

That last part sounds familiar, like maybe the US used to have that kind of idea.... but according to this article from the New York Times, the infection has already spread to Ireland, the UK, and France, to name a few. And now Spain is showing symptoms.

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Egypt continues piracy crackdown efforts

" According to the study, Egypt�s piracy rating was at 59 percent for the second consecutive year. The study noted that despite government promises to crackdown on piracy more needs to be done.

Across the world, Egypt remaining at their position should be seen as a positive, the study said, �as overall piracy globally continues to rise.�

It's an absolute epidemic! And corporations and governments are holding hands, working together, cooperating at a level never seen since... well, you know!

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