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Biting the hand that feeds IT

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:22:44 +0200

.::Yahoo! shoots DRM servers, swallows keys to tunes::.

Music Unlimited

Like Micro, like Hoo. Following in the footsteps of Steve Ballmer and company, Yahoo! plans to destroy the DRM servers propping up all those people misguided enough to purchase tunes from its failed music store.…

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:02:03 +0200

.::Who killed Three Strikes for filesharing?::.

National Freetard Register cancelled - but freetards don't notice

Rejoice! "Three strikes and you're out" is dead in the UK. Music file sharers will no longer face the threat of seeing the household broadband connection severed. The plague that is currently endemic in France won't be jumping the English Channel.…

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:02:04 +0200

.::Dead author's estate snatches child's domain::.

Nar-nar-nar-nar-nar(nia)

A British couple has lost the battle to keep the narnia.mobi domain name which they claimed was only registered so that their son could have a Narnia-related email address. The address will transfer to a company representing CS Lewis's estate.…

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:43:49 +0200

.::How government will save you from P2P deviance::.

It's stealing, you know...

Thousands - or to be more precise, six thousands - of lucky alleged infringers a week are to be informed of the error of their ways, according to the terms of the deal struck this week between the British government and six major ISPs. They will in the first instance be "informed when their accounts are being used unlawfully to share copyright material and pointed towards legal alternatives."…

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:03:03 +0200

.::Apple is Fisher-Price of sound quality, says Neil Young::.

The revolution will not be podcast

Over five decades Neil Young has played a variety of roles including sixties protester, folk singer, Ronald Reagan supporter, grunge rocker and film maker. Now he's donning a new hat: Apple basher.…

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:16:32 +0200

.::Feargal Sharkey on the ISP filesharer MoU::.

Three Strikes RIP?

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ISPs and the music business will lead to radically new "legal P2P" services, British Music Rights' Feargal Sharkey told us this morning. Licensing deals have already been signed, we reported recently.…

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:20 +0200

.::UK ISPs agree to menace their filesharing users::.

But menace them with what?

Six UK ISPs are to start sending out menacing letters to hundreds of thousands of suspected music pirates as part of a government plan to tackle illegal filesharing, the BBC reports. The deal and the names of the six are due to be unveiled on Thursday, and the ISPs are also said to have committed "to develop legal music services."…

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:50:11 +0200

.::Sky preps broadband music downloads with Universal::.

Is it too little, too late?

Sky is launching a new music retail company in partnership with the world's biggest record company, Universal.…

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:05:58 +0200

.::Google eats Russkie ad firm::.

Begin the Begun

As it plays catch-up in the Russian search market, Google will acquire a seasoned Russian ad firm for $140m in cash.…

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:16:02 +0200

.::Amazon opens video on demand shop::.

Boxing Unbox

After failing to change the world with its Unbox video download service, Amazon has unveiled a new online storefront that serves up videos on demand.…

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:01:44 +0200

.::Blinkx bestows video search on world+dog::.

White Red label play

Blinkx is now offering a white label version of its transatlantic video search engine. But it prefers the name Red Label. "The Blinkx 'B' has always been red," CEO and founder Suranga Chandratillake tells The Reg.…

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:49:19 +0200

.::Sensitive Wii maker snubs developers::.

Nintendo keeps development kit to itself

Nintendo may have announced a new enhancement to the Wii controller, but don't expect many titles to take advantage of the new accuracy.…

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:37:53 +0200

.::Copyright gets 'Use It Or Lose It' clause::.

EC ties strings to term extension

The European Commission today approved an extension to the life of sound recording copyright, from 50 to 90 years - but with a twist.…

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:02:05 +0200

.::Falling pound brings iTunes UK into line with Europe::.

Apple UK escapes price cuts

Apple no longer needs to lower the price of songs on iTunes UK in order to achieve pricing parity with the rest of Europe - fluctuating exchange rates have done the job for it.…

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:38:25 +0200

.::Netflix will stream movies on Xbox 360::.

Microsoft stretches, puts arm around distributor

Microsoft is now flirting with making its Xbox 360 movie download service very nearly interesting thank to a new deal announced today with Netflix.…

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:59:57 +0200

.::Cnet blogger squadron discovers long lines at Apple retail stores::.

The brick and mortar cult

Early this morning, three different Cnet reporters blogged from three different retail stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. And two others blogged from more retail stores in New York City.…

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:54:58 +0200

.::Gadgets safe from global airport anti-piracy plan::.

Conspiracy theory not conspiracy fact

Alarming headlines claiming that our laptop hard drives and iPod libraries could soon be scanned at airports for illegal copies of content are unfounded.…

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:02:57 +0200

.::Reg readers kickstart WiReD UK recovery::.

And the winner is...

Competition So WiReD magazine is returning to the UK next year, after an 11 year absence. The very idea of "a UK edition of WiReD" is as strange as one of those creepy medical experiments where boffins graft an ear onto the back of a mouse; but you have to admire the suicidal determination of the publisher, Conde Naste.…

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:12:01 +0200

.::Show us the money, indies tell Last.fm::.

Tightwads 2.0

Indie music site Last.fm was basking in the glow of its own moral virtue yesterday, as it expanded its trial scheme to compensate unsigned artists from advertising revenues.…

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:17:29 +0200

.::Getty dips into Flickr to beef up photo stock::.

Who you calling an amateur?

Flickr fanciers will soon be able to make cash out of the photos they post online following a secret deal inked with the world’s leading photo agency, Getty Images.…

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:24:51 +0200

.::BBC must reveal EastEnders costs::.

Right two and eight down Albert Square

The Information Commissioner's Office has ordered the BBC to release information about the salaries of the stars and other staff at soap opera EastEnders.…

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:17:20 +0200

.::Trust on the slide, Chris Moyles on the up at BBC::.

Annual report shows serious navel-gazing

iPlayer good, London bias bad, rigged phone-ins very bad. Those are just some of the (predictable) gems that emerged yesterday as the BBC published its annual report on 2007/8.…

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:57:27 +0200

.::Indies celebrate Independence Day::.

Finding the sharing button

Interview Did anyone, I wonder, ever buy just one Motown single? Or just one 2-Tone single? And while you're pondering... can you even remember what major label your favourite artist is on? Unigram, perhaps. Or Polycorpse.…

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:10:03 +0200

.::Virgin warns 800 punters for file-sharing::.

'Important. If you don't read this, your broadband could be disconnected'

The BPI has written to 800 Virgin Media customers warning them to stop sharing music files or risk losing their broadband connection.…

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:41:34 +0200

.::Italian authorities raid alleged music filesharing forum::.

Megaupload and Rapidshare link site targeted

Italy's Guardia di Finanza has shut down forum site Downrevolution.net for offering links to pirated music, video and software hosted on popular filesharing sites.…

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:20:23 +0200

.::Family Guy creator's sellout to Google almost complete::.

Two minute clips served with your ads

Google is revealing new details on the recruitment of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to attract prime-time television advertising dollars to web-only video content.…

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:08:44 +0200

.::Real researchers discover 'Music Without Limits'::.

Otherwise known as DRM-less MP3s

The DRM deathwatch continues. Today, Real Networks announced that its Rhapsody digital music service is selling DRM-free MP3s from all four major records labels, following in the footsteps of Amazon and Napster.…

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:52:52 +0200

.::Commercial iPlayer faces anti-trust shakedown::.

BBC, ITV, C4 joint venture delayed

Project Kangaroo, the commercial on-demand web TV service being developed by BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4, will be investigated by the Competition Commission amid concern that it could stifle rival online efforts.…

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:50:25 +0200

.::DOJ sinks another EliteTorrent admin::.

World safe again

Another ex-administrator of former BitTorrent tracker Elitetorrents is facing prison time for his part in the site's peer-to-peer sharing of copyright material.…

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:14:12 +0200

.::Google plugs YouTube into Playstation 3::.

Go go Gadget video

To the surprise of no one, Google is now offering software that streams video, photos, and music from your PC to your television.…

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:10:04 +0200

.::BT starts threatening music downloaders with internet cut-off::.

BPI wins another ISP ally

Updated BT, the UK's largest broadband provider, has begun threatening subscribers with disconnection from the internet if it is told they are sharing copyright music over peer-to-peer networks, The Register has learned.…

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:04:58 +0200

.::Legal, British P2P 'by end of year'::.

ISP-music talks get serious

Exclusive Legal broadband subscription services that permit file sharing may appear on the market by the year's end, according to music industry sources - after government intervention brought both music suppliers and ISPs to the table.…

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:34:45 +0200

.::Beeb's online music stations get rewind button::.

iPlayer buffed up

The BBC has launched a raft of updates to its iPlayer on demand service, including the long-awaited ability to rewind music radio stations online.…

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:57:52 +0200

.::Ofcom chairman will quit next Easter::.

Curried watchdog

Ofcom's first chairman Lord David Currie is to quit next year, the communications regulator has announced today. No replacement has been named.…

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:30:22 +0200

.::Force listeners onto DAB by killing FM::.

It's the only way they'll see sense, thunders Taskforce

The Digital Radio Working Group, set up in November to work out why no-one wanted DAB, has issued an interim report that suggests FM should be switched off by 2020 if only the punters can be convinced.…

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:16:49 +0200

.::NebuAd looks to 'spyware' firm for recruits::.

'Typical of the Valley'

In Silicon Valley, the world's tech capital, the job market is tight, with sales people and engineers in short supply. So what's an ambitious startup like NebuAd to do?…

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:35:09 +0200

.::AVG fake traffic spares Google AdWords::.

You may pay. But not for clicks

Yes, AVG's LinkScanner is spewing fake traffic across the internet, messing with the log files and bandwidth budgets of web sites large and small. But there's one thing it doesn't mess with: search engine paid clicks.…

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:02:03 +0200

.::Big TV flips ad blockers the bird::.

Hulu says goodbye

At Hulu - the ad-driven streaming video site cooked up by media giants NBC and News Corp. - you can watch mainstream feature films and big-name TV shows without paying a penny. But you aren't welcome if you've installed an ad blocker.…

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:33:17 +0200

.::Zuckerberg's Google boycott reaches 32 days (and counting)::.

'Talk to our lawyers... bitch'

Supernova On the stage, there were three chairs. And just off stage, there were three men deeply obsessed with online social networking: Dave Morin of Facebook, Kevin Marks of Google, and Joseph Smarr of Plaxo.…

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:02:02 +0200

.::YouTube admits ad impasse::.

'Coke doesn't get us'

Supernova Many have argued that online video will satisfy the world's advertisers in ways that traditional television never could. With online video, the pundits proclaim, channels are infinite, and you can choose whatever you like whenever you want it. That means advertisers know exactly what you're interested in - and they can serve you the perfect ad.…

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:56:30 +0200

.::80% want legal P2P - survey::.

Physical music surprisingly perky, BMR finds

A fascinating survey of music consumption conducted for British Music Rights has good and bad news for the beleaguered music business.…

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:05:48 +0200

.::AVG scanner blasts internet with fake traffic::.

You're not that popular after all

Exclusive Early last month, webmasters here at The Reg noticed an unexpected spike in our site traffic. Suddenly, we had far more readers than ever before, and they were reading at a record clip. Visits actually doubled on certain landing pages, and more than a few ho-hum stories attracted an audience worthy of a Pulitzer Prize winner. Or so it seemed.…

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:55:48 +0200

.::MySpace hides in bathroom ahead of make-over::.

News Corp still poking around for revs

MySpace will be given a Face~~book~~lift next week – a move seen by many as News Corps’ latest attempt to force the social networking website to earn its keep.…

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:38:33 +0200

.::Canada moots tough sanctions for DRM flouters::.

Proposes fines cap for 'mere' infringement

The Canadian government today unveiled a controversial proposal to update the country's copyright laws.…

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:37:46 +0200

.::Radio's click-to-buy music service goes titsup::.

Another DAB failure

More grim news for the music business, as another potential digital retail channel withers. Radio group Unique will close down its instant music purchasing initiative, blaming the slow take up of DAB for the decision, the FT reports today.…

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:21:28 +0200

.::Country mice oppose Yahoogle::.

'A threat to the dusty back roads of the information superhighway'

Even rural America takes issue with this Yahoogle idea.…

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:15:56 +0200

.::EMI hires the Biggest Brain in Sadville::.

Why?

How desperate is EMI? Desperate enough to hire the co-founder of Sadville? Amazingly, yes. Not only is a graphics programmer joining the storied British music group as head of "digital strategy" - he cheerfully admits he doesn't know anything about the music business. And he doesn't even like music - he's only bought five albums in the past eight years and three of those are by Rush.…

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:53:03 +0200

.::Competition watchdogs urged to act on 'commercial iPlayer'::.

'snot fair

Competition watchdogs are probing Project Kangaroo, the commercial web TV venture set to carry BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programming, amid claims it could suffocate rivals.…

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:04:54 +0200

.::Virgin Media and BPI join forces to attack illegal filesharing::.

Let's make threatening music together

Virgin Media will launch a campaign against illegal downloading next week, when it’ll begin firing off warning letters to subscribers the BPI believes are sharing copyright music files.…

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:26:28 +0200

.::Gov ready to drop Gowers?::.

Music biz hopes so

Is the Government edging away from the recommendations made in the Gowers Report? The British music business seems to think so - based on perceived nudges and winks from the new Culture Secretary Andy Burnham. Burnham addressed the Annual General Meeting of the non-profit collection society the PPL yesterday - but your reporter found it hard to detect anything as concrete as a policy wiggle. Not yet, anyway.…