Some great news stories about the music industry, radio, the Internet,
and artists' rights.
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DECEMBER 2003
Satellite Radio Goes for a Spin When it comes to variety and sound quality, satellite-radio competitors
Sirius and XM deliver the goods. Once you've heard it, you might never
listen to FM or AM radio again. A review by Lewis Wallace. Wired,
December 31, 2003
U.S. Sees No Collusion by Record Firms The Justice Department ended a 21⁄2-year antitrust probe of
the major record companies' joint online ventures Tuesday, stamping
official approval on the flourishing market for Internet music.
By Joseph Menn Los
Angeles Times, December 24, 2003
Battle Not Over for File Sharers The recent ruling preventing the Recording Industry of America from
using ISPs to go after copyright offenders opens new legal avenues to
those who have been sued. But beating the RIAA won't be easy.
By Kristen Philipkoski Wired,
December 23, 2003
Song Swappers Win a Big One The recording industry suffers a major setback when a court rules
that ISPs cannot be forced to identify alleged music pirates. The decision
makes it much more difficult and costly for the RIAA to wage war on
file traders. Wired,
December 20, 2003
Dutch Court Throws Out Kazaa Case The Dutch Supreme Court upholds a decision saying the creators of
the popular Internet file-sharing program aren't liable for copyright
claims made against them. Wired,
December 20, 2003
Is the RIAA out of the ballgame? It's been a three-strikes week for the record industry's campaign
against peer-to-peer networks. On Friday, a Washington, D.C., federal
appeals court tossed out a key part of the industry's legal strategy
for tracking down and suing music swappers. A day earlier, Holland's
supreme court said Kazaa's original owners weren't liable for copyright
infringement by people using their software. And last week, Canadian
regulators said downloading copyrighted music from peer-to-peer networks--although
not uploading--was legal in that country.
By John Borland CNET,
December 19, 2003
Record industry may not subpoena providers A federal appeals court ruled Friday the recording industry can't
force Internet providers to identify subscribers swapping music online,
dramatically setting back the industry's anti-piracy campaign.
By Ted Bridis Associated
Press, December 19, 2003
Wal-Mart Sells Songs for 88 Cents The retail giant rolls out its new online music service, which boasts
songs edited to remove offensive lyrics, and a price designed to undercut
iTunes and other competitors. Wired,
December 19, 2003
Digital Song Sales Aid U.S. Music Purchases
Music fans have purchased an estimated 15.9 million digital songs through
licensed online services since late June, research firm Nielsen SoundScan
will announce today. As a result, total U.S. music sales — including
albums and commercially released singles — are down just 2.2%
for the year through Sunday. That contrasts with a 12.9% drop reported
for the same period last year.
By Jeff Leeds Los
Angeles Times, December 18, 2003
Apple's Online Music Store Sells 25 Million Downloads
The iTunes results are encouraging to those seeking to wean fans from
free file sharing.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, December 16, 2003
Canadian Panel Says Song Downloads Are Legal
Copyright Board backs private copying but says uploading music to networks
is piracy.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times,December 13, 2003
Reaping Profit From Peer-to-Peer
A consortium of music and software companies hopes to find ways to make
money from Internet file sharing. The Content Reference Forum formed
in March to develop a universal way to distribute digital content. Wired,
December 12, 2003
Judge Approves CD Antitrust Settlement A federal judge approved a $143-million settlement of a lawsuit
that accused major record companies and large music retailers of conspiring
to set minimum music prices. Los
Angeles Times, December 5, 2003
TunA Lets Users Fish for Music
Media Lab Europe is on to the next wave of peer-to-peer music sharing.
TunA software for mobile devices turns everyone into a mobile radio
station, ready for wireless jacking on the street.
By Kari L. Dean Wired,
December 4, 2003
'Tis the Season for RIAA Lawsuits
The recording industry sues more people for sharing copyright music
on the Internet. The third round of lawsuits names 41 music fans; another
90 are being warned.
By Katie Dean Wired,
December 4, 2003
Internet royalty case lands in [Canadian] Supreme Court CBC
Canada, December 4,2003
A transcript and analysis of the arguments can be found here
Music Industry Reluctantly Yielding to Internet Reality A great summary article about the music industry and downloading
services
By Frank Ahrens
Washington Post, November 27, 2003
MPAA, RIAA seek permanent antitrust exemption By Andrew Orlowski The
Register (UK), November 27, 2003
Read Senator Hatch's floor statement on the introduction of the EnFORCE
Act here
Swappable Hebrew Music Now Online
NMC Music, an Israeli record company, launches a pay music-download
service for Hebrew tunes. It will offer MP3 music files without restrictions
on file swapping, saying its focus is to help customers get music legally. Wired,
November 27, 2003
Music group aims to charge Internet users Canada's songwriters will ask the Supreme Court of Canada next week
to force Internet service providers to pay them royalties for the millions
of digital music files downloaded each year by Canadians.
By David Akin CTV
News / The Globe and Mail, November 27, 2003
Rockers Unite Against Bush "The notion of musicians getting involved in politics is ridiculous,
Says Mike Burkett (AKA Fat Mike) lead singer of NOFX and founder of
Punkvoter.com. Everyone should be involved in politics, cabdrivers,
lawyers...everyone."
Damien Cave Rolling
Stone, November 26, 2003
Seagram's Heir Bets on Industry Rebound Media Magnate Wants to Take Company Back to 'Entrepreneurial Roots'
By Frank Ahrens Washington
Post, November 25, 2003
Will Consumers Change Copyright Law? As the music industry readies another round of lawsuits, file sharers
may challenge the claims. PC
World, November 25, 2003
Changing Keys | The Truth Is Out There "I learned more about U.S. involvement in El Salvador from
The Clash than I ever did from Tom Brokaw," says Tom Morello.
By Sam Adams Philadelphia
City Paper, November 19, 2003
Musicians Rock Miami Protests "What we see here is Big Media getting a free pass to get bigger
by government and our government getting a free pass to do whatever,
whether that means changing the media rules or changing the trade policies,"
asserts indie rocker Jenny Toomey, executive director of the Future
of Music Coalition, a musician advocacy group and a sponsor of the tour.
By Julia Scott AlterNet,
November 18, 2003
'Tell Us the Truth' tour hits South Florida ''There's a libelous rumor going around that politics is boring
and activism is a grim task,'' says Jenny Toomey, a musician and activist
who's among the 15 riders on the bus of the Tell Us the Truth tour.
'I can tell you they're not. Rock 'n' roll has a similar fun quality.
It's an incredibly frightening time for those of us who care about issues
and want to raise our voices. There's a gratefulness and joy to be in
the majority on the tour bus.''
By Evelyn McDonnell Miami
Herald, November 16, 2003
The media octopus loses a tentacle
... at the structural problems of the June 2 vote, which is cross-ownership,"
says Michael Bracy, director of government relations for the Future
of Music Coalition ... Salon.com.
November 22, 2003
Record Label Sings New Tune A small record label in Great Britain wants to foster artistic freedom
and creativity by publishing music free of the usual copyright restrictions,
so anyone can remix and sample the work.
By Katie Dean Wired,
November 20, 2003
Microsoft to Give Music a Whirl
The software giant plans to unleash a song-downloading service that
will go head-to-head with iTunes, Napster and others in the increasingly
crowded online music market. Wired,
November 18, 2003
Hungover CNET wakes up next to MP3.com
By Andrew Orlowski The
Register (UK), November 15, 2003
Lowering the Boom on Copycats
A bill pending in the Senate would impose a prison sentence of up to
five years for anyone caught distributing movies or music ahead of their
official release dates. Wired,
November 15, 2003
Chic drummer Tony Thompson dies Thompson, who was also one of the world's most famous session musicians,
died of renal cancer. A fund was set up to help Thompson with medical
bills last week, as the drummer had no medical insurance. Contributions
can still be made to help the late drummer’s family. NME,
November 14, 2003
Rock Band Rails Against E-Vote The aptly named group Railer kicks off a nationwide tour to blow
the whistle about the perils of electronic voting machines.
By Kim Zetter Wired,
November 14, 2003
Bill Targets Illicit File Sharing Anyone who uses the Internet to distribute music or movies before
they are officially released could face five years in prison under a
bipartisan bill introduced Thursday by several U.S. senators, including
Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California. Los
Angeles Times, November 14, 2003
Senate Bill Targets Internet Pirates By David McGuire Washington
Post, November 12, 2003
Now on Tour . . . the Political Animals ? By Judy Sarasohn Washington
Post, November 13, 2003
Teaching Music Traders a Lesson The Berklee College of Music is encouraging anyone to grab and trade
clips of the school's music lessons on P2P networks. The school also
wants to stimulate debate about the future of the music industry in
the digital world.
By Katie Dean Wired,
November 12, 2003
ITunes Undermines Social Security Although perusing other folks' digital music libraries using iTunes
can broaden musical horizons, there can be drawbacks. Like being judged
for your taste in music.
By Leander Kahney Wired,
November 12, 2003
License Could Ease Webcaster Woes
The music industry unveils a one-stop global licensing plan designed
to eliminate the red tape that bedevils online radio broadcasters. The
move could boost legal Web music services.
Reuters Wired,
November 12, 2003
Sony's User-Friendly Copy Block
Sony's new CD technology would prevent copying songs to file-sharing
sites -- the music industry's worst nightmare -- while still letting
customers make copies for their own use. Wired,
November 11, 2003
Sony, BMG seek to combine Amid tectonic shifts in the industry, major labels looking to consolidate
By Scott Bernard Nelson Boston
Globe, November 7, 2003
Penn State, Napster Ink Pact Penn State students will receive a free subscription to Napster
2.0 as a way of curtailing illegal music downloads on campus. The deal
could pave the way for similar services at other schools.
By Katie Dean Wired,
November 7, 2003
Penn State Will Pay to Allow Students to Download Music By Amy Harmon
New York Times, November 7, 2003
MusicNow Offers Songs for a Buck
MusicNow, previously a subscription-only music service, now offers a
la carte downloads for 99 cents. The company is working with Best Buy
to promote the service.
By Katie Dean
Wired, November 10, 2003
Get a download of these music sites
The retooled Napster and similar online services let you be your own
DJ -- almost.
David Colker Los
Angeles Times, November 6, 2003
New Napster Off to a Solid Start Napster 2.0 has a sleek design and makes exploring new music a pleasure.
The most nagging problem? The confusing licensing issues.
By Katie Dean Wired,
November 3, 2003
Music-Sharing Service at M.I.T. Is Shut Down
It was hailed as ingenious: a way to listen to music on demand while
avoiding the legal battleground of file sharing. Best of all, the music
was fully licensed, so there would be no legal trouble. But it was not,
and there is. On Friday, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced
that it would temporarily shut down its groundbreaking Library Access
to Music System until the licensing rights can be worked out.
By John Schwartz New
York Times, November 3, 2003
Media companies quietly using P2P networks
Even as entertainment companies remain locked in legal battles against
file-sharing services, some are quietly experimenting with ways to use
the networks to their advantage. Reuters/CNET,
November 3, 2003
RIAA Sues 80 More Swappers
Another round of lawsuits, with warnings beforehand this time, is filed
by the music industry against people it says have been sharing songs
illegally on the Internet.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 31, 2003
New Ways to Skirt DMCA ... Legally! The U.S. Copyright Office gives consumers the right to work around
certain provisions of the controversial law. Digital-rights advocates
worry the exemptions don't go far enough.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 29, 2003
Own globally, act locally?
The FCC's Michael Powell says a shortage of local and community affairs
programming has nothing to do with media conglomeration. But at a North
Carolina hearing, he heard from his critics.
By Eric Boehlert Salon.com,
October 24, 2003
FCC examines broadcasters
Charlotte hearing looks at how TV stations serve communities The
Associated Press, October 23, 2003
FCC Localism Hearing Draws Large, Vocal Crowd
Citizens, Broadcasters Discuss Local Media Ownership Issues WRAL, October
22, 2003
Internet Radio Royalties Affirmed
An appeals court agrees with the U.S. Copyright Office, which compels
radio stations to pay royalties to recording companies when music is
streamed over the Internet. Reuters/Wired,
October 22, 2003
Court: Royalties Must Be Paid for Web Music
In a blow to Internet "simulcasting," the 3rd District Court
of Appeals has ruled that over-the-air broadcasters must pay royalties
to recording artists and labels for the songs they play over the Internet.
Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, October 21, 2003
Apple PC iTunes hits 1 million downloads
Apple Computer Inc. said that computer users had downloaded more than
one million copies of its iTunes digital jukebox software for Windows
since its launch Thursday, and that a total of one million digital songs
had been purchased at 99 cents in that time. Reuters,
October 21, 2003
Buck a Song, or Buccaneer?
Now that it is open to Windows customers, Apple's iTunes Music Store
will spell doom for file-sharing networks -- at least, that's how Apple
tells it. Others are more skeptical.
By Leander Kahney. Wired,
October 18, 2003
PC User Whistles a Happy ITunes
Apple crosses over to the PC world with an iTunes music-sharing program
for Windows. Katie Dean gives the new software an audition. Wired,
October 18, 2003
RIAA Croons a New Warning Tune
The recording industry group says from now on it will send out warning
letters to suspected music-file traders before taking them to court,
allowing them to negotiate a settlement. Those who do not respond within
10 days will be sued. Reuters/Wired,
October 18, 2003
Steve Jobs leads Microsoft users to the promised land
The iTunes music store is open for business on Windows. Let the rejoicing
begin.
By Farhad Manjoo Salon
[premium], October 17, 2003
ITunes, Now for the Rest of Us
With his usual razzmatazz, Apple's Steve Jobs introduces the iTunes
music download service for Windows PCs. He also announces marketing
campaigns with Pepsi and AOL that could wean people off the illegal
stuff.
Leander Kahney Wired,
October 17, 2003
Private Intellectual Property: Keep Out! It used to be that most artists were doomed to labor in obscurity.
But lately the work of a growing number of painters, filmmakers, photographers
and musicians has been attracting the attention of major corporations.
Love for art has nothing to do with it.
By Eils Lotozo Philadelphia
Inquirer, October 15, 2003
Will It Fly? Apple Tunes on PCs
Apple unveils iTunes for Windows, but some say it's too late for success
in the broader market. Windows users may not embrace the iTunes service
like Mac fans have done with several music-download options and more
entering the market. Reuters,
October 13, 2003
Shift-Key Case Rouses DMCA Foes A student finds he can disable copy protection on CDs by pressing
the Shift key. The company that makes the software threatens to sue
for revealing the fact. Critics say this is exactly why the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act should be rewritten.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 11, 2003
Napster Returns -- Not Free but Legal
Three years ago, it was ludicrous to think that Napster would win the
backing of the record labels that were suing it for piracy.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, October 10, 2003
File-Sharing Services Have Plan to Pay Group Says It Can Protect Music Industry
By Frank Ahrens Washington
Post, October 9, 2003
New Napster, IPod Don't Play Nice
Napster is back, if only in name. But don't expect fans of Apple's popular
iPod music player to flock to the new service. The two run on different
file formats.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 9, 2003
Music Label Cashes in by Sharing
Magnatune is trying to turn the music industry on its ear by encouraging
file sharing and giving artists a large chunk of the proceeds. It seems
to be working.
By Chris Ulbrich Wired,
October 8, 2003
Charter: Hands Off Song Swappers
Broadband service provider Charter Communications sues the Recording
Industry Association of America to block it from getting names of about
150 of Charter's customers suspected of file trading. Wired,
October 8, 2003
Press 'Shift' and Copy Away
MediaMax CD3 is supposed to prevent the copying of music CDs onto computers.
That it does, but as one grad student discovered it's also easily disabled.
Music industry execs say they're unconcerned. Wired,
October 8, 2003
CD copy protection trumped by Shift key A Princeton graduate student said Monday that he has figured out
a way to defeat new software intended to keep music CDs from being copied
on a computer -- simply by pressing the Shift-key. CNN.com,
October 8, 2003
New Napster to Play by Music Industry's Rules The fee-based version faces tough competition from online stores
and free networks.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, October 7, 2003
Trying to Sell CD's by Adding Extras
Bundling a album with a raft of value-added extras - while charging
just a dollar more than the standard price for a CD - may sound like
a costly move for P.O.D.'s label, Atlantic Records, part of AOL Time
Warner. But it is a testament to just how desperate music companies
are to stoke consumer interest and reverse a three-year sales slump
by pulling fans away from making free downloads of music from Internet
file-trading sites.
By Chris Nelson New
York Times, October 6, 2003
Song swappers flock to invitation-only Internet
Just as Prohibition drove drinkers underground in the roaring '20s,
the music industry's crackdown is pushing many song swappers away from
the open Internet and into what amount to cyberspace speakeasies. CNN/Associated
PRess, October 6, 2003
Health Care for Recording Artists?
On September 29, AFTRA national board of directors unanimously approved
a tentative agreement with the music industry's "Big Five"
(BMG, EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and
Warner Music Group) and sent it on to the union's Health & Retirement
Funds board of trustees and to the general membership for ratification.
The agreement would make available health care insurance to all union-affiliated
performing artists under exclusive contract to a recording label, for
the duration of their contracts.
By Barry Willis Stereophile,
October 6, 2003
Also see AFTRA's
press release
Florida Dorms Lock Out P2P Users A program designed to nab file swappers at the University of Florida
appears to be successful, much to the chagrin of students. The pilot
project is a model for other schools coping with peer-to-peer sharing
on campus networks.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 3, 2003
The Incredible Shrinking Studio Musicians are no longer tied to the studio when they want to make
recordings. Now that laptops are so powerful, music can be made anywhere,
freeing musicians and changing the music landscape.
By Mark McClusky Wired,
October 2, 2003
Lawsuits Damp Down P2P Audience
Activity on the more popular peer-to-peer networks has dropped 41 percent
in three months, according to a new poll. The RIAA's no-download message,
delivered through lawsuits against individuals, seemsto be getting through.
Wired,
October 1, 2003
Rappers in Disharmony on P2P
At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, rappers Chuck D and LL Cool
J offer different points of view on the song-swapping
issue. One wants his rights protected, the other sees an opportunity.
By Katie Dean Wired,
October 1, 2003
SEPTEMBER 2003
P2P Networks Want to Play Nice Several peer-to-peer networks announce a file-sharers' code of conduct
and invite record companies to negotiate a payment plan. The RIAA, which
has settled with about a quarter of the individuals it sued earlier
in September, is not impressed. Wired,
September 30, 2003
MusicMatch to Sell Downloadable Music The online store, which opens today, imposes the fewest limits on
copying and portability among legitimate outlets.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, September 29, 2003
Dell Jumps on Music Bandwagon The personal computer maker says it will start a music service and
sell new consumer electronics, including a digital music player and
flat-panel television, before the holidays. Wired,
September 26, 2003
Librarians to P2P critics: Shhh! The five major U.S. library associations are planning to file a
legal brief Friday siding with Streamcast Networks and Grokster in the
California suit, brought by the major record labels and Hollywood studios.
The development could complicate the Recording Industry Association
of America's efforts to portray file-swapping services as rife with
spam and illegal pornography.
By Declan McCullagh CNET, September
25, 2003
RIAA Goes After the Wrong Gal The music biz withdraws a lawsuit against a 66-year-old sculptor
who claims never to have even downloaded file-trading software. Some
say similar cases may emerge, given the difficulties of tying IP addresses
to particular individuals. Wired,
September 25, 2003
Music Fans Starting to Tune In to Fee-Based Sites Ex-file sharers like the bigger, more reliable libraries. But the
labels have a long way to go.
By Jon Healey Los
Angeles Times, September 21, 2003
Senator Takes a Swing at RIAA
A new bill in Congress mandates more privacy protections for Internet
users in response to the recording industry's avalanche of subpoenas.
The Brownback bill also calls on companies to label products like copy-protected
CDs.
By Katie Dean Wired,
September 17, 2003
RIAA Tactics Under Scrutiny
Is forcing an Internet service provider to turn over the names of suspected
music pirates constitutional? An appeals court is challenging the RIAA
to demonstrate that it is. Wired,
September 17, 2003
Senate Votes to Block Media Rules
Fearing a wave of mega-mergers that could silence alternative views
and homogenize the 'marketplace of ideas,' lawmakers move to undo recent
changes to FCC media-ownership regulations. The White House threatens
a veto. Wired,
September 17, 2003
Rude Awakening for File Sharers
Many people who download from Kazaa and other applications say they're
shocked that sharing music files isn't legal. After all, they paid$29.95
for premium versions of file-sharing apps, so how could they not be
legit?
By Michelle Delio Wired,
September 11, 2003
BigChampagne is Watching You
In fact, it tracks every download and sells the data to the music industry.
How one company is turning file-sharing networks into the world's biggest
focus group.
By Jeff Howe Wired,
September 10, 2003
Universal Music Was Boxed In on CD Prices by Big Retail Chains Discounting by Best Buy and others may have forced the cuts.
More labels may follow along.
By Jeff Leeds Los
Angeles Times, September 5, 2003
Top Label Cuts CD Prices to Fight Net Downloads Universal Music's move to increase sales could benefit consumers
but squeeze retailers.
By Jeff Leeds Los
Angeles Times, September 4, 2003
Giving price cuts a spin No. 1 record firm Universal Music looks to get sales back in
groove
By Chris Gaither Boston
Globe, September 4, 2003
Peace Offering for File Traders?
The recording industry plans to announce an amnesty for people who admit
to music file sharing and promise to stop. But lawyers say it's a deal
with the devil.
By Katie Dean Wired,
September 4, 2003
I'll Take My Music a la Carte Music industry statistics show a dramatic increase in shipments
of CD singles to retailers. Some analysts believe the change reflects
the growing influence of online music services, while others shrug it
off as a fluke.
By Katie Dean Wired,
September 4, 2003
UMG Forced to Face the Music
Stung by declining sales, the world's biggest recording company says
it will cut the cost of CDs. Although the recording industry blames
online music 'pirates' for slumping sales, critics say that grossly
inflated prices and generally crappy music are the real culprits. Wired,
September 4, 2003
Court Blocks FCC Media Regs
U.S. federal court judges grant a stay order that prevents the new Federal
Communications Commission media ownership rules from taking effect.
The ruling marks the latest skirmish in the battle over media market
reforms. Reuters,
September 3, 2003
Was Computer Search Illegal?
The recording industry violated a New York woman's constitutional rights
by searching her computer for illegal music, the woman's lawyers say.
The RIAA's lawyers disagree, setting the stage for a lot of lawyers
to make a lot of money.
Associated Press
Wired, September 3, 2003
Tone Deaf to a Moral Dilemma? Millions download songs illegally but don't feel guilty. The
industry wants to shake up their consciences. Targeting parents is one
tactic. by Jon Healey and Jeff Leeds Los
Angeles Times, September 2, 2003
Defiance propels music trading: Web means 'free' to file sharers Online file sharing gave San Francisco band Ten Mile Tide its
start and a fan following. The folk rock band has a partnership on file-sharing
site Kazaa.com and on Cornerband.com which lets people search for and
rate new artists and download songs or buy albums.
By Jennifer Beauprez Denver
Post, September 1, 2003
Ticketmaster Auction Will Let Highest Bidder Set Concert Prices As ticketing giant announces that it will auction off the best
event seats on eBay, consumers are skeptical. "The band's biggest
fans ought to have the best seats, not the band's richest fans,"
said Tim Todd, 47, of Kansas City, Mo., who used ticketFast recently
to buy tickets for a concert by the rock group Phish.
By Chris Nelson New
York Times, September 1, 2003 Pollstar,
September 6, 2003
AUGUST 2003
FCC Radio Rules Under New Scrutiny Any effort to rewrite the latest federal rules for radio must
include a broad investigation into such issues as "pay-for-play"
and artist intimidation, according to music and artists' groups.
By Sean Ross and Bill Holland Billboard/Reuters,
August 30, 2003
RIAA Foes Know How to Sue, Too The recording industry, zealously suing everyone it thinks
is violating its copyrights, is suddenly the target of a suit itself.
An alliance of small music broadcasters claims the RIAA's policies amount
to a monopoly. Wired,
August 28, 2003
RIAA Reveals Method to Madness In its demand for the name of an alleged copyright 'infringer,'
the RIAA reveals a few tricks of its investigative trade. New court
papers disclose its fingerprinting, hashing and other forensic tactics.
Associated Press Wired,
August 28, 2003
Vague Limits Vex Music Traders The RIAA's recent letter to Sen. Norm Coleman stated it would
sue only 'substantial' music-file sharers rather than 'de minimis users.'
Despite the ambiguity, the industry appears to have achieved a major
goal: Some file sharers are calling it quits.
By Elisa Batista and Kari L. Dean Wired,
August 20, 2003
RIAA: We'll Spare the Small Fry Facing mounting criticism and a Senate probe for its heavy-handed
legal tactics against people who download music illegally, the RIAA
decides not to guillotine petty offenders after all. Instead, it will
concentrate on what it calls 'substantial' abusers.
Associated PRess Wired,
August 19, 2003
RIAA Methods Under Scrutiny Concerned by the heavy-handed way in which the music industry
is going after file traders, a Senate subcommittee will hold hearings
into the tactics used. Wired,
August 15, 2003
Sour Note to Microsoft Deal Microsoft's latest deal would let Europeans download music
on the cheap, but it also buttresses the EU's contention that the American
monolith is attempting to dominate the audiovisual field by bundling
its own player with its dominant desktop system. Wired,
August 14, 2003
Microsoft, OD2 Launch Europe Online Music Service Microsoft Corp. announced on Thursday a pact with Europe's
biggest digital music outfit, OD2, to form the continent's first major
a la carte online download service.
By Bernhard Warner Reuters,
August 13, 2003
Ticketmaster Rebuts String Cheese Lawsuit The Ticketmaster representative said the company plans to file
a countersuit against SCI Ticketing and the band for "intentionally
interfering with contracts and relationships in which Ticketmaster has
made great investments." Billboard,
August 12, 2003
Industry could embrace, not fight, technology
With reports of further declines in CD sales and news of lawsuits against
illegal downloading, it's gotten so that music technology has become
a kind of all-purpose, amorphous villain. If you believe the hype, the
genie is now out of the bottle and on a campaign of mass destruction.
Yet no matter what the label lawyers say, technology itself isn't the
problem. The problem is how the technology is used, and how copyrights
are protected with those new uses.
By Tom Moon Philadelphia
Inquirer, August 10, 2003
String Cheese Incident Sues Ticketmaster In the lawsuit, SCI Ticketing, a company formed by a partnership
between the band and Madison House, a booking agency, charge Ticketmaster
had used its "monopoly power" and "a web of long-term"
contracts to cut off its supply of concert tickets. The suit asks for
damages and a court order barring Ticketmaster from the alleged anti-competitive
practices. Billboard,
August 7, 2003
Senator Wants Answers From RIAA
A Minnesota lawmaker calls on the music industry group to clarify just
whom it is subpoenaing and why. Republican Norm Coleman is worried that
innocent people might be sued for copyright infringement by the music
industry.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
August 1, 2003
One ISP Refuses to Yield
While other ISPs have buckled under music industry pressure to hand
over suspected file-swappers, SBC is ready to fight. The company files
a suit questioning the RIAA's legal right to invade customer privacy.
Wired.com,
August 1, 2003
Napster, But in Name Only The fabled name is resurfacing on a new online music service.
But this time Napster has the blessings of the Big Five record companies,
giving it little in common with its beloved, ill-starred predecessor. Wired.com,
July 29, 2003
RIAA, Colleges Seek Piracy Fix Universities are collaborating with the music and movie industries
to bring entertainment to college dorms legally. Both sides realize
it may be their best hope.
By Katie Dean Wired,
July 25, 2003
RIAA Leaning on Kids' Parents Zealous in protecting its profits, the Recording Industry Association
of America steps up the pressure on kids who swap music online. Now,
RIAA lawyers aren't just after them, but their parents as well. Wired,
July 25, 2003
Schools Rebuke Music Biz Demands The RIAA's recent flood of subpoenas seeking the identities
of music traders has met some resistance on campus. Two colleges have
moved to kill the subpoenas due to procedural nuances.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
July 23, 2003
Lawmakers Defend Uploader Bill ...The bill would levy steep fines and jail time to those who
upload unauthorized music files to peer-to-peer networks. Billboard,
July 22, 2003
Lots of Music, and One Big Flaw
A new download site for PC users makes its debut, offering more than
300,000 songs from the five major record labels. But its licensing agreements
leave it at a disadvantage to its Apple rival, iTunes. Wired.com,
July 22, 2003
Last.fm: Music to Listeners' Ears An Internet radio station out of London is experimenting with
a technique that automatically tailors the music it plays to individual
listeners' tastes. Some say the approach, which uses collaborative filtering,
could prove revolutionary.
By Leander Kahney Wired.com,
July 7, 2003
What a Difference 20 Cents Makes Listen.com says its recent price cut -- from 99 cents to 79
cents per song -- has almost doubled the number of tracks burned by
subscribers to its Rhapsody online music service. Wired.com,
July 2, 2003
Ain't that America? Denounced as un-American after he blasted Bush on his 21st
album, John Mellencamp talks about the rise of Fox News, pay-for-play,
what's wrong with the Rolling Stones and why most Republicans aren't
rich enough to be Republicans.
By Eric Boehlert Salon.com,
June 30, 2003 [premium subscription required]
Are You in RIAA's Cross Hairs? The Recording Industry Association of America warned it will
aggressively pursue big-time music file sharers in court. The question
is, just who qualifies? Are you one, punk?
By Katie Dean Wired,
June 26, 2003
Top Artists Balking At A La Carte Downloads Despite the major labels' success in clearing hundreds of thousands
of tracks for purchase online through services like Apple's iTunes Music
Store, some top artists continue to resist authorizing the dismantling
of their albums for Internet consumption as a la carte singles.
Brian Garrity Billboard,
June 21, 2003
Senate Panel Votes to Change FCC Decision Senate Committee Approves Bill to Roll Back FCC Changes in
Media Ownership Rules Associated
Press, June 19, 2003
Where Have All the CDs Gone? The record industry blames piracy and downloading for sagging
sales — here's the whole story.
By James K. Willcox Sound
and Vision Magazine, June 2003
IPod Muzak Isn't Same Old Song Apple's iPod is changing the market for canned music in business
establishments. Entrepreneurs are using the device to play cutting-edge
electronica where they once might have turned to bland elevator fare.
By Leander Kahney Wired.com,
June 18, 2003
Hatch on illegal downloading: Destroy their computers
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday he favors
developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of people
who illegally download music from the Internet. The surprise remarks
by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during a hearing on copyright abuses represent
a dramatic escalation in the frustrating battle by industry executives
and lawmakers in Washington against illegal music downloads.
Ted Bridis Associated
Press, June 17, 2003
Mary Bono's Raring to Run RIAA Rep. Mary Bono says that replacing the departing executive of the
Recording Industry Association of America would be her 'ideal job,'
although she isn't actively pursuing the position. Meanwhile, the congresswoman
is forming a caucus on piracy and copyright issues. Wired.com,
June 17, 2003
The music biz in a Pearl Jam Internet road to independence:Will the band’s exit from Epic
stampede the dinosaur labels?
COMMENTARY By Eric Olsen MSNBC.com.
June 5, 2003
College Radio Will Stream On
A deal between the recording industry and noncommercial webcasters will
keep more college stations online, but DJs are still limited in terms
of how they can arrange their playlists.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
June 5, 2003
Verizon Can't Protect Traders
An appeals court has refused Verizon's request to protect its customers'
identities, and the company must now reveal the names of two customers
accused of trading hundreds of songs online. The recording industry
will likely pursue legal action against the customers. Wired.com,
June 5, 2003
Mister Minister: Funny Cartoon on FCC Rulemaking by Mark Fiore June
4, 2003
MAY 2003
Microsoft, again: Apple's old nemesis In a masterstroke of technological and marketing acumen, Apple Computer
appeared to have seized the digital music industry last month by boldly
creating its own retail download service.
By Evan Hansen CNET,
May 29, 2003
Listen Up: Songs Now 79 Cents Listen.com will lower the price of its songs to 79 cents per download.
Is it a response to Apple's success with iTunes? Listen.com says no.
Regardless, analysts say it's a good sign online music retailers continue
to experiment with their pricing.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
May 28, 2003
Let Someone Else Do It: Dig Tunes Industry watchers say the decision by Sony and UMG to sell their
service Pressplay to Roxio indicates a shift that the major labels are
turning away from distributing music online. By letting someone else
'own the highway,' they can still reap some of the profits. Wired,
May 26, 2003
The Great Media Gulp [...] "We've already seen what happened when the F.C.C. allowed
the monopolization of local radio: today three companies own half the
stations in America, delivering a homogenized product that neglects
local news coverage and dictates music sales.
And the F.C.C. has abdicated enforcement of the "public interest"
requirement in issuing licenses. Time was, broadcasters had to regularly
reapply and show public-interest programming to earn continuance; now
they mail the F.C.C. a postcard every eight years that nobody reads."
[...]
By William Safire New
York Times, May 22, 2003
Singer Elvis Costello Defends Outspoken Artists "We all live in fairly dangerous times in terms of freedom
of speech and freedom of expression," Costello said. "A lot
of the songwriters that I've admired and learned from ... are people
who spoke in matters of conscience as well as matters of the heart.
I think that it's essential that we defend that right." Reuters,
May 21, 2003
Roxio buys Pressplay, to relaunch Napster Santa Clara-based Roxio bought pressplay for $12.5 million in cash
and approximately 3.9 million shares of Roxio common stock. Pressplay,
based in Los Angeles, is the joint venture of Universal Music Group
and Sony Music Entertainment, record companies that were seeking a legal
alternative to Napster. Roxio bought the Napster brand on the cheap
after the company dissolved, and appears ready to relaunch the brand
as an online music store.
Associated Press Salon.com,
May 19, 2003
A TiVo Player for the Radio Several new devices let users record programs and listen to them
whenever they want. Like digital video recorders, these digital audio
recorders let listeners fast-forward past commercials.
By Elisa Batista Wired.com,
May 12, 2003
New FCC regulations to rock media world: Critics fear dominance by a
few giants A great, comprehensive article about the issues at stake at the
FCC.
By Jim Kirk and Steve Johnson Chicago
Tribune, May 11, 2003
P2P Whipping Boy: Know the Risks Sued by the music industry trade group RIAA for running a 'Napster-like'
network on campus, Joe Nievelt agreed to pay $15,000 to settle the lawsuit.
But the Michigan Tech junior says he doubts his high-profile case will
have much impact on file trading.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
May 10, 2003
Book Excerpt: All the Rave What were the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to several
music publishers suing Bertelsmann earlier this year? In this excerpt
from All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster,
author Joseph Menn explains how the German publishing conglomerate's
alliance with Napster went wrong. Wired.com,
May 6, 2003
Music Biz Buzzing Over ITunes Apple's new online music store is a home run with customers: Opening-day
downloads rival six months' worth of legal downloads from all the competing
services. But it's still in its early days with holes in its catalog
and limitations on song sharing.
By Leander Kahney. Wired.com,
May 3, 2003
School Blocks Out File-Trading Amid growing pressure from the Recording Association of America
to stamp out illegal file-trading on university campuses, a New Jersey
school takes matters into its own hands.
By Katie Dean. Wired.com,
May 3, 2003
NOW with Bill Moyers: Interview with FCC Comissioner Copps
Copps has made a name for himself traveling around the country holding
unofficial hearings prior to the Federal Communications Commission's
June 2 vote on whether to eliminate its ban on Media cross-ownership
and to ease other ownership regulations. "I think we need to have
a real media dialogue in this country, " states Michael Copps about
the FCC's proposed changes. "We're talking here about the future
of the Internet, TV and radio. We're talking about our democracy."
PBS, May 2, 2003 at 9 p.m. E.T [show's archive pending]
Dollar Songs: Bargain or Rip-Off?
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made headlines this week when he unveiled a sleek
music download service that charges users 99 cents a song. But some
experts say that's just not cheap enough to lure away users from free
peer-to-peer file-trading networks.
By Joanna Glasner Wired.com,
May 1, 2003
Courts Back Crackdown on Traders
The Recording Industry Association of America has already made its position
on peer-to-peer file-sharing services clear. But two recent court decisions
may further embolden the organization in its pursuit of individual music
traders.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
May 1, 2003
Online Anonymity Comes Under Fire Invoking a provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the
Recording Industry Association of America subpoenaed Verizon to turn
over the name of two of its Internet service subscribers, both alleged
file-swappers.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
April 26, 2003
Verizon gets 14 days to ID file-swapper A U.S district court on Thursday ruled for a second time that Verizon
Communications must give up the identity of an anonymous Internet subscriber
accused of swapping music files online.
By John Borland CNET
News.com, April 24, 2003
Judge: File-swapping tools are legal
A federal judge in Los Angeles has handed a stunning court victory to
file-swapping services Streamcast Networks and Grokster, dismissing
much of the record industry and movie studios' lawsuit against the two
companies.
By John Borland CNET
News.com, April 25, 2003
Internet Radio Makes Bigger Waves
More than 100 million listeners have tried Web radio and the number
of regular monthly listeners has tripled in the last three years, according
to ratings agency Arbitron.
Reuters Wired.com,
April 25, 2003
Habla usted Clear Channel?
If the FCC allows the two biggest Spanish-language media companies in
the U.S. to merge, it'll create a media conglomerate that will dwarf
all competitors -- and could help GOP-friendly radio titan Clear Channel
deliver Hispanic votes for Bush in '04.
Eric Boehlert Salon.com,
April 24, 2003
Chick Hunt
When does stage banter spell doom for open country discourse? And why?
By Chris Parker Phoenix
New Times, April 2003
Clear Channel Cuts Ties with Independent Promoters
Clear Channel Communications Inc. on Wednesday said it would cut ties
with music promoters who are paid by record labels to trumpet songs
to radio stations, saying the long-standing practice gives the appearance
of "pay for play." Reuters,
April 9, 2003
Stranglehold on the airwaves is choking country music
Could it be that short play lists on country music radio has anything
to do with the declining sales and vacant space on Music Row? Could
it be that the widening gap between the quality of country songs heard
in the clubs of Nashville and the pop country on every Clear Channel
country station has anything to do with the decline of record sales?
By William Wade The
Tennesseean, April 4, 2003
Music Industry, Webcasters Agree on Royalty Rate
SoundExchange, the organization designated by the Librarian of Congress
to process royalties for music Webcasts, said in a statement Thursday
the sides had agreed on a proposal of 0.0762 cents per performance or
1.17 cents per aggregate hour tuned in for free, advertising-supported
services.
By Ben Berkowitz Reuters,
April 3, 2003
MARCH 2003
FCC gets an earful at hearing DURHAM -- Several local media owners and musicians joined about
75 concerned citizens Monday to speak out against any more federal deregulation
of media ownership. [...]
By Hunter Lewis The
Durham Herald-Sun, March 31, 2003
Ray of light The litany is by now familiar. Album sales are down the last couple
years -- off almost 11 percent from 2001, which itself was off 5 percent
from 2000 -- and file-sharing is to blame. To hear the RIAA tell it,
if something isn't done, the entire music industry is in jeopardy. But
as usual, the RIAA and the five major labels it represents aren't telling
the whole story. The problem is largely their own, because falling sales
are hitting the majors much harder than independent labels [...]
By Chris Parker Orlando
Weekly, March 27, 2003
FCC will vote in June on media ownership
Ignoring calls for more time, Federal Communications Commission Chairman
Michael Powell said Thursday that regulators probably will vote June
2 on a broad overhaul of rules limiting ownership of newspapers and
radio and television stations.
By David Ho Associated
Press, March 28, 2003
Look who's standing
up to big media Local media magnates will join activists at an FCC hearing
to oppose deregulation
By Fiona Morgan Durham
Independent,
March 26, 2003
Streaming Music to Monied Masses Full Audio releases a paid digital music service that gives subscribers
unlimited streaming and makes it easy to find the songs they want. It's
aimed at 30- to 50-year-olds who don't mind paying for the privilege.
By Katie Dean Wired.com,
March 27, 2003
Do Not Pass Go Philadelphia City Council passes a resolution against further media
consolidation. Introduced March 20, 2003, the resolution calls on the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Congress to stop
current efforts to relax or eliminate restrictions on media ownership.
By Jonathan Valania Philadelphia
Weekly, March 26, 2003 Media
Tank
MTV Is Wary of Videos on War By Neil Strauss New
York Times, March 26, 2003
Senator calls for copy-protection tags Software, music and movies that employ copy-protection schemes must
be prominently labeled with consumer warnings, according to a bill introduced
in Congress this week by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR. By Declan McCullagh CNET
News.com, March 26, 2003
Channels of Influence Op-ed about Clear Channel's support of "support our troops"
rallies and the political connections between the company and the Bush
administration.
by Paul Krugman New
York Times, March 25, 2003
Warner Rolls Out Royalty Reforms Record company says move will make it easier for acts to determine
what they are owed.
By Chuck Philips Los
Angeles Times, March 20, 2003
Media giant's rally sponsorship raises questions [...]In a move that has raised eyebrows in some legal and journalistic
circles, Clear Channel radio stations in Atlanta, Cleveland, San Antonio,
Cincinnati and other cities have sponsored rallies attended by up to
20,000 people. The events have served as a loud rebuttal to the more
numerous but generally smaller anti-war rallies.[...]
By Tim Jones Chicago
Tribune, March 19, 2003
U.S. senators seek review of media rule changes [...]Republican Sens. Wayne Allard of Colorado, Olympia Snowe of
Maine and Susan Collins of Maine sent a letter to FCC Chairman Michael
Powell seeking public and congressional review of any changes to existing
limits.
By Jeremy Pelofsky Reuters,
March 19, 2003
Bush, shame and the Dixie Chicks
The arch-conservative country music biz forced Natalie Maines to apologize
to the president. But for a moment she was the bravest American entertainer.
By Stephanie Zacharek Salon.com,
March 18, 2003
Whose Media? The Federal Communications Commission's debate over ownership rules
comes to Seattle.
by Philip Dawdy Seattle
Weekly, March 10, 2003
Media ownership needs to be watched, FCC panel says As advertised, the subject sounded dense: "public hearing on
media concentration."
But the hearing drew a boisterous crowd of several hundred people -
some from as far away as California's Bay Area - to a University of
Washington auditorium on Friday. It was only the third public hearing
the Federal Communications Commission has held on what one member has
called its most important decision in years: whether several federal
restrictions on media ownership should be lifted.
By Gene Johnson The
Associated Press, March 9, 2003
Backing, hisses for media consolidation [...]More than 250 people showed up for the Federal Communications
Commission field hearing held on the University of Washington campus.
Many people in the crowd were decidedly against media consolidation
-- some of them literally hissing whenever any large media conglomerate's
name was mentioned.
By Todd Bishop Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, March 8, 2003
Media Rules Unsexy But Important In a series of hearings, the FCC hosts public comment on its proposal
to loosen media consolidation rules. Despite sparse news coverage of
the issue, the audience has plenty to say.
By Manny Frishberg Wired,
March 8, 2003
Who's Calling? Your Favorite Band A small Los Angeles company announces a service that allows cell-phone
users to download MP3 song files and use them as ring tones. Music labels
may not be overjoyed. Wired,
March 8, 2003
FCC chief sees tough battle on media ownership U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on
Tuesday predicted a tough fight to overhaul media ownership limits,
soon after he lost a bruising battle to deregulate the telephone industry. Reuters,
March 5, 2003
A Busy Signal for FCC Chief Michael Powell vows to weather a policy setback and press his agenda
for deregulation. Critics question whether his style suits his job.
By Jube Shiver Jr. and James S. Granelli Los
Angeles Times, March 5, 2003
Labels Think Apple Has Perfect Pitch Executives of major record firms believe a speedy, simple online
music service for Mac users will be a hit.
By John Healey Los
Angeles Times, March 4, 2003
FEBRUARY 2003
Same Old Song and Dance
The recording companies are tired of paying radio to play their songs.
No wonder: They’ve been doing it for 80 years
by Cliff Doerksen February
28-March 6, 2003
Urban Radio Rage When Clear Channel bought KMEL, it destroyed the so-called people's
station.
Now the people want it back. By Jeff Chang San
Francisco Bay Guardian, February 28, 2003
New Federal Rules for Media Ownership: How Much Does the Public Know?
A Survey and Report published by the Project for Excellence in Journalism
[...] The great majority of Americans, 72%, have heard "nothing
at all" about it, according to new survey results released today.
Only 4% of Americans say they have heard "a lot." February
27, 2003
Congress targets P2P piracy on campus
Key politicians chided universities on Wednesday for not doing enough
to limit peer-to-peer piracy, calling unauthorized copying a federal
crime that should be punished appropriately.
By Declan McCullagh CNET
News.com, February 26, 2003
Clear Channel's big, stinking deregulation mess The sorry state of the radio industry today is sabotaging FCC chairman
Michael Powell's plans to let media conglomerates run wild.
By Eric Boehlert Salon.com,
February 19, 2003
Film, Music Groups Target Company Workplace Piracy Trade groups for the movie and music industries on Thursday took
their fight against online piracy to the workplace, asking major corporations
to curb illicit file-swapping by employees on company time.
By Sue Zeidler
Reuters, Febuary 13, 2003
Whose Song Is That, Anyway?
A new system unveiled by the music industry seeks to streamline the
way music sales are tracked on the Internet. By Katie Dean. Wired,
February 12, 2003
FCC Chiefs Clash Over Media Rules As part of the Federal Communications Commission's review of decades-old
media ownership restrictions, one of the agency's Democratic commissioners
plans to seek more public input. The FCC's Republican chairman, however,
thinks one public hearing is plenty. Wired,
February 7, 2003
Why Don't DJs Just Name That Tune?
One of the joys of radio is its potential for discovery -- a song you've
never heard before grabs you by the throat, or the heart. Then you wait,
dying to find out who and what it is. But you might die before you ever
do.
By Steve Carney Los
Angeles Times, February 1, 2003
Senators Press Clear Channel Commerce committee grills the radio firm's chairman on
claims that the company bullies artists and competitors.
By Edmund Sanders Los
Angeles Times, January 31, 2003
Urban Radio Rage When Clear Channel bought KMEL, it destroyed the so-called people's
station.
Now the people want it back. By Jeff Chang San Francisco Bay
Guardian, January 2003
6 Retailers Plan Venture to Sell Music on the Web Six of the largest music retailers plan to announce on Monday that
they are joining forces to sell music that can be downloaded from the
Web. The retailing group, called Echo, consists of Best Buy, the nation's
No. 1 electronics retailer; Tower Records; the Virgin Entertainment
Group; Wherehouse Entertainment; Hastings Entertainment; and Trans World
Entertainment, which operates the FYE store chain. The six retail companies
will each own an equity stake in Echo that together will make them majority
owners.
By Laura M. Holson New
York Times, January 26, 2003
New Service Sounds Like Phish Live Phish, a new online paid music service, delivers soundboard-quality
live Phish shows only days after the concert. Leave it to a neo-hippie
band to come up with an Internet music service that makes both the band
and its fans happy.
By Danit Lidor Wired,
January 25, 2003
The Race Is On to Kill Kazaa The servers are in Denmark. The software is in Estonia. The domain
is registered Down Under. Sixty million users are all over the world.
Pity the poor copyright cops trying to pull the plug on Kazaa.
By Todd Woody Wired
magazine, January 25, 2003
RIAA wins battle to ID Kazaa user A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Verizon Communications to disclose
the identity of an alleged peer-to-peer pirate in a legal decision that
could make it easier for the music industry to crack down on file-swapping
networks.
By Declan McCullagh CNET
News.com, January 21, 2003
Copyright truce excludes key voices The key detail about a digital-copyright agreement announced here
on Tuesday was who was not in the room at the time.
By Declan McCullagh CNET
News.com, January 15, 2003
Downside to Digital Rights Pact? Critics fear consumers may be shortchanged by an agreement between
the technology and recording industries over the future of digital copyright
policy.
By Katie Dean Wired,
January 15, 2003
'Landmark' Accord on Copyrights The music industry and the technology companies that have been torturing
it with increasingly sophisticated recording and copying devices have
reached a deal. The important thing, for both sides, is
that it keeps the government out of the picture. Wired,
January 14, 2003
After the copyright smackdown: What next? Don't despair at the Supreme Court's gift to Disney, says one expert.
The fight has really only just begun.
By Siva Vaidhyanathan Salon.com,
January 17, 2003
Supremes Uphold Longer Copyrights
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld longstanding copyrights designed
to protect the profits of songs, books and cartoon characters, a huge
victory for Disney and other companies. The 7-2 ruling, while not unexpected,
was a blow to Internet publishers and others who wanted to make old
books available online and use the likenesses of a Mickey Mouse cartoon
and other old creations without paying high royalties.
Associated Press Wired,
January 15, 2003
Also check out Larry
Lessig's blog for a lot more thought and analysis about the Supreme
Court decision in Eldred v. Ashcroft
Few Takers for CD Settlement Cash Who'd refuse free money? Lots of compact disc buyers, apparently,
who are staying away in droves rather than receive up to $20 in compensation
as part of a price-fixing settlement between 41 states and a handful
of record companies. Associated Press Wired,
January 7, 2003
Some Great Sites for News and Info on Music, Technology,
Media and Activism
TECHNOLOGY/POLICY
Politech
Run by journalist Declan McCullagh, Politech is a fantastic moderated
mailing list of politics and technology. Topics include privacy, free
speech, the role of government and corporations, antitrust, and more.
MUSIC and ADVOCACY
Music for
America is a nonprofit organization striving to get young people
involved in the political process. Using music, media, the internet and
live shows, they're reaching out to demonstrate the connection between
culture and politics.
Punkvoter's
goal is to educate, register and mobilize over 500,000 of today's youth
as one voice. They plan to use the 2004 federal election as a way to get
our fans engaged in politics and evolve into a movement that can get involved
locally to affect real change nationally.
Recording
Artists Coalition
The group started by Don Henley, Sheryl Crow and others, the RAC is working
on many legislative issues that impact recording artists.
Artist
Empowerment Coalition
AEC is a non-profit coalition of recording and performing artists as well
as music supporters formed to promote changes in the relationships between
artists and the companies that exploit, market and distribute their creative
work.
