New Weapon in Web War Over Piracy
As media companies struggle to reclaim control over their movies, television shows and music in a world of online file-sharing software, they have found an ally in software of another kind ( Read more... )

Saw that the Feral Cities article from the Naval War College is making the rounds again. Can't say I'm surprised, watching and reading the news. We're seeing more and more places around the globe descending into warlord-run city-states. Coups, juntas, insurgents, lawlessness, might making right... so much of it was laid out in black and white years ( Read more... )

First the bad:

Stanford prof sues James Joyce estate for right to study Joyce
A prof at Stanford University is suing the estate of James Joyce over the estate's long practice of destroying documents vital to Joyce scholarship, and of intimidating academics and creators who want to study and extend the works of Joyce. Carol Shloss, a Joyce scholar ( Read more... )

WIPO meets to screw up podcasting, Barcelona, June 21
The United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization has called a last-minute meeting on June 21 in Barcelona, out of the normal diplomatic venues to try to ram through the Broadcasting Treaty. This treaty gives broadcasters (not creators or copyright holders) the right to tie up the use ( Read more... )

This is only going to become a bigger issue as time goes on. I am firmly convinced that the things going on now will set the groundwork for much of our future--and much of our future freedom.

Podcasting saved from the UN -- for now
The US had pushed hard to get this new right applied to the web, even though virtually every country in the world had ( Read more... )

You all know I'm a bit of a media hound. I create content. I like content. I've worked as a reporter and as a layout person. I've more or less had my fingers in every type of content in every stage of production at one point or another. Concepts like copyright and freedom of speech are big deals to me ( Read more... )

Or you reading pleasure, or your listening pleasure ( Read more... )

Justice Dept. Proposes Tougher Copyright Laws
WASHINGTON (Reuters)-People who attempt to copy music or movies without permission could face jail time under legislation proposed by the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday ( Read more... )