by certifiedbug on March 14, 2008
in News
The industry’s anti piracy efforts appear to be futile, failure to stop piracy by suing Internet users, digital rights management all but abandoned.
But wait, now the music industry is considering a file sharing surcharge, per user per month, that Internet Service Providers collect from users.
This would be used to compensate songwriters, performers, publishers and music labels. Rightly so, but… will Internet Service Providers be able to implement such a practice. There is sure to be a backlash especially from smaller providers on a tight budget. Think rural, ISP options are often sparse in the boonies, something city users may not be aware of with their countless Internet options and budget packages.
Like I have said before, piracy is not free, it costs us all. 
Discussion today at South by Southwest
Mobility, Ubiquity and Monetizing Music
Room 18ABC
Friday, March 14th
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Ars Technica
Ken Fisher writes:
Apple embeds your account information in all songs sold on the store, not just DRM-free songs. Previously it wasn’t much of a big deal, since no one could imagine users sharing encrypted, DRMed content. But now that DRM-free music from Apple is on the loose, the hidden data is more significant since it could theoretically be used to trace shared tunes back to the original owner. It must also be kept in mind that this kind of information could be spoofed.
Article
by certifiedbug on January 30, 2007
in News
Attorney General Lawrence Wasden entered into a settlement agreement with SONY BMG Music Entertainment that will allow Idaho consumers to obtain refunds of up to $175 for harm caused to their computers by SONY BMG music CDs. SONY BMG distributed more than 12 million CDs without adequately informing consumers that the CDs contained anti-copying software.
Article and links to submit a claim for reimbursement of repair expenses associated with XCP here
by certifiedbug on November 5, 2006
in Microsoft
November 14 2006 (USA) will see the release of Zune MP3 Player and MSN will cease to offer music downloads through the MSN Music store.
At the Zune Marketplace, customers will be able to buy songs individually or subscribe to a monthly music download service called Zuneâ„¢ Pass.
The songs you download on your Zune Pass are yours for as long as you hold your Zune Pass subscription. You can still purchase songs or albums individually, too.
Will Santa bring an iPOD or a Zune.
