Digital-Lifestyles

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Changes to business digitisation brings

  • Sharing Copyrighted Works in Canada is Legal

    In a surprising setback to record labels, a judge in Canada has ruled that downloading copyrighted works from peer to peer networks such as Kazaa and Morpheus is legal. Recording industry bodies have enjoyed success in a variety of countries by suing individuals for downloading and uploading music files, so this ruling must have come as quite a shock.

    The ruling is specific to Canada, but will have far wider implications especially when other countries’ legislative bodies look too their peers for guidance – however, courts in Canada have yet to decide if the uploading of copyrighted files is legal.

    The decision was made when Canadian record labels began the process to sue 29 alleged file swappers – and were denied authorisation to identify them. The ruling is based on legislation in Canada that states that most copying for personal use is permitted – this is possible because there is a levy imposed on all blank tapes, CDs and MP3 players to make up for potential lost revenue.

    News.com on the story

  • International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Takes Action Against 247 Music Swappers

    The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has begun taking action against 247 alleged illegal music sharers in four counties. They are targeting individuals making a large number of files available on a range of P2P systems including Kazaa, DirectConnect, WinMX, eMule and iMesh.

    Although much of the action consists of letters threatening a legal response, individuals in Italy and Canada are already being taken to court.

    Jay Berman, Chairman and CEO of IFPI. said: “Today’s announcement should come as no surprise. Over the past year the record industry has been extremely active internationally and locally, educating the public about the huge damage being done by illegal file-sharing, explaining the laws and promoting all the sites where large catalogues of copyrighted music are available for consumers to access legitimately.”

    The IFPI is promising legal action against more illegal sharers in coming months – but is keen to stress that this first round of action comes only after an extensive attempt at educating the public. Yet, and independent survey reveals that some 45% of respondents did not know that downloading music from P2P sites like Kazaa is illegal.

    The industry is getting tough: Peter Zombik, CEO of IFPI Germany said in a statement: “The unauthorised distribution of music on the web has increased to such an extent over the last few years that it is threatening the livelihood of the German music industry. Whilst we have so far concentrated our legal actions on illegal music offers on websites – in the last two years we were able to close down more than 2000 such websites in Germany – we also carried out an extensive public information campaign in the last year in order to increase the awareness for the legal and technical dangers involved in illegal file swapping. Excuses about being unaware of the legal position are no longer acceptable. ”

    IFPI’s press release

  • Yahoo! To Acquire Kelkoo for €475 million

    Yahoo! have completed a deal to buy internet comparison shopping portal Kelkoo for €475 million (~US$575, ~UK£320), as part of a strategy to expand their services in Europe. Yahoo! will buy up all of the Kelkoo’s share capital for cash, and is expected to keep all 250 Kelkoo staff, making the company a wholly-owned subsidiary.

    Kelkoo allows users to search across 2500 internet shops for 3 million products and compare prices for the best deal. The service has been profitable since 2002, and makes its money by charging merchants for referrals. The site was founded in France in 1999 and has merged and acquired similar services across Europe ever since.

    “Commerce has emerged as a key component of search, and the combination of Web search, product search and comparison shopping will help further Yahoo!’s goal to create the most comprehensive and best user experience on the Web globally,” said Terry Semel, chairman and chief executive officer, Yahoo! Inc. “Kelkoo will add depth and breadth to Yahoo!’s integrated network of services for consumers, and adds another set of powerful tools for marketers seeking to reach them.”

    Kelkoo is currently operational in nine European states, reaches some 10% of internet users there, and claims to be the largest e-commerce service operating out of Europe.

    Kelkoo’s press release

  • British Music Industry Issues Warning to Music Sharers

    The British Phonographic Institute (BPI) has stated in a new report (linked below) that, of the 8 million people downloading music in the UK, 7.4 million of them are doing it illegally. That’s right – 92% of you out there using music services are pirates. They also claim that people who download music spend 32% less of albums and CDs, and 59% less on singles.

    To protect artists’ and record labels’ incomes they are prepared to take “serial filesharers” to court.

    Backing this up, the BPI also issued a chilling warning to filesharers: stop downloading music illegally, or we’ll send you unwanted instant messages. They are proposing an IM service that warns uploaders that they are breaking the law and advises them to disable their file sharing clients.

    BPI Report (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

  • Record Fine for Microsoft

    Did we get it right? No – we were way off, but then everyone else was caught out too, especially Microsoft. Last week we said “we predict that Microsoft will get hit up for a couple of hundred million euros”, but no-one expected a fine of this scale: €497 million (£330 million).

    Microsoft will also be required to make changes to Windows: Microsoft must supply a version of its desktop operating system that does not include Media Player and it must make it easier for other server operating systems to interoperate with Windows desktop clients. Microsoft have already made progress on this later condition, and indeed their Services for Unix product recently won a Linux award.

    Microsoft have said that they think that the size of the fine is inappropriate, given the size of their European operation and the fact that they are already being fined, or prosecuted, in other countries. “We believe it’s unprecedented and inappropriate for the Commission to impose a fine on a company’s U.S. operations when those operations are already regulated by the U.S. government and the conduct at issue has been permitted by both the Department of Justice and the U.S. courts,” said Microsoft’s counsel Horacio Gutierrez in a statement.

    Reuters

  • Two Way TV diversify to content from iTV

    Two Way TV, well know producers of interactive TV content, have announced two content deals.

    First up is an interesting and significant deal with long-standing UK commercial network ITV which moves them away from just iTV (interactive TV) content to using the interactivity to supply additional types of content. The exclusive ITV contract allows viewers to browse and buy content through their remote control, whilst watching ITV interactive content and have it delivered to mobile handsets.

    Initially video clips, ring tones, logos, wallpaper and Java games, will be offered to ITV viewers through an interactive service behind ITV1 and ITV2 on Sky Satellite. It will also be available through ITV’s 24:7 interactive services menu.

    The first service to launch will be based around ITV’s football programming. Football fans will be able to buy classic terrace tunes, download pictures of their favourite players and buy video clips of classic football moments. They will also be able to get football related Java games.

    TwoWayTV will also be offering a pop-themed service to provide chart ring-tones, celebrity logos and Java games.

    Jane Marshall, the controller if ITV Interactive, said about the deal: “Interactivity is all about providing extra value for viewers and giving them more of what they want. This is a great way for us to broaden our relationship with our viewers, as well as creating new revenue streams for us.”

    The ITV mobile content service will launch during the second quarter of this year. Two Way TV will also launch similar services on NTL and Telewest in the walled garden under the Two Way TV brand. Viewers will be able to buy games and ring tones from these services.

    Secondly, Two Way TV is renewing its partnership with the Israeli broadcaster Connect-TV and is licensing of a new set of games to the company. Connect-TV has been broadcasting Two Way TV’s games services on the MATAV and TEVEL cable networks in Israel for the last two years.

    “Two Way TV’s games have proved very popular in Israel and we are delighted that they have agreed to renew our games licenses. Their innovative games have carved out a strong niche in the marketplace.” says Tammy Friedman, the chief operating officer of Connect-TV.

    Two Way TV

  • New Zealand Government Makes Transferring Music Files “Fair Use”

    Long since regarded as progressive, New Zealand’s copyright laws are about to have a small revision: format shifting (transferring content from one media to another, or to another device) is to be defined as fair use. Record companies are howling that this will make everyone pirates – and is a good indicator, that secretly, they don’t want you moving media at all – they want consumers to buy a version for each device they want to play it on.

    It’s already legal to sell or give away a piece of media you have a license for – so you could sell that music track you bought off iTunes without any trouble.

    Under current legislation, all copying, even for personal listening is illegal – but the Economic Development Ministry want to make it legal to make a copy for personal use. The change will possibly be implemented in the middle of the year.

    The recording industry claims that 10 million CDs are pirated every year in the country – quite a bold estimate given that the entire country only has 3.7 million inhabitants. We think they might be a little on the high side.

    Slashdot debates

    New Zealand Copyright Law

  • EU/Microsoft Talks Collapse

    It has not been possible for the European Commission to reach an agreement with Micorsoft over the bundling of Windows Media Player in versions of its desktop operating system.

    Commissioner Mario Monti said in his statement a few minutes ago: “I would like to stress the constructive and co-operative spirit displayed by Microsoft in the last few weeks. I also want to acknowledge the high degree of professionalism of the members of the Microsoft team at all levels.”

    The Commission is expected to meet next Wednesday to discuss next steps – it looks for certain that there’s a heft fine on the way to Microsoft’s European headquarters.

    Commissioner Monti’s statement

    Discussion over at Slashdot

  • CeBIT 2004: 18th – 24th March 2004, Hannover

    Digital Lifestyles will be covering CeBIT 2004, and we’ll publish the relevant key stories and news throughout each day.

    ICT World Forum 2004

    This year the forum will feature 32 speakers from 9 countries, and the theme across the three days is achieving business profitability through technology.

    Highlights for us include Brian Kardon (CSO, Forrester Research Inc.), Andy Green (CEO, BT Global Services), Pekka Ala-Pietilä (President, Nokia Corporation) and Justin Lindsey (CTO, US Department of Justice).

    With an emphasis on the technology trends of 2004 and CRM, there’s going to be a lot of discussion of the future of the mobile market place – for the consumer, the devices and for the service providers themselves.

    Key Events at CeBIT

    There will be 260 corporate lectures at CeBIT this year, we like the look of:

    • Mobile processes, services and mobile content – efficient design and security, mobile CRM
    • e-Government with Web Services
    • Mobile applications: navigation, tracking, RFID and mobile payment
    • Digital photography and IP-video security

    Exhibitors

    Amongst the 6400 companies exhibiting, look out for important announcements from Sony, Nokia, Micorsoft and all the usual suspects.

    New Facilities at CeBIT

    With over 200 802.11b access points installed all around the venue, delegates will have access to Wireless LAN in every area at the exhibition centre.

    For the first time, the fair organisers are providing an SMS guide to the fair. If you get lost (perhaps on the way back from the bar, or you’ve left your fair catalogue under a heavy pile of carrier bags and promotional mouse mats), just text +3777-4-CEBIT with the name of the exhibiting company (your own, for example) and the location and stand number will be sent directly to your phone (so you can stagger back to check what happened whilst you were away, without too much embarrassment).

    CeBIT Homepage

  • Streaming Patent Claims Thicken as Playboy Licenses Technology

    Acacia Media Technologies Group, part of Acacia Research Corporation, has found a new licensee for it patent claim on transmitting media over the web: Playboy.com.

    Acacia acquires patents based on broad definitions – and then pursues companies using technologies in similar areas. The company claims to own the patents relating to transmitting compressed video and audio online – a fairly basic component of the internet these days. Acacia don’t actually provide a product for streaming media, or a service – they just claim the patent and will license the right to you.

    Playboy.com have been granted the 118th license to use streaming technology – analysts estimate that Acacia are looking to take about 1 or 2% of the income that licensees make from streaming.

    The company had recently started action on 39 “adult entertainment” sites, and it seems these businesses seem to be their preferred targets rather than, say, Micorsoft, RealNetworks or Apple. Their reasoning is that content providers have billing systems in place with consumers and so it’s an easier revenue stream to tap into.

    Acacia Research

    Yahoo Finance