OWNERSHIP
Radio: Where's the Diversity?
INTERNET
UK: ISPs Asked to Make the Net Kid-Friendly
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Same Old Song, Different Meaning for P2P
Cleveland Library to Launch eBook System
OWNERSHIP
RADIO: WHERE'S THE DIVERSITY?
Deregulation in the radio industry has led to rampant payola schemes and
reduced diversity across formats. This was the theme of this week's Future
of Music Coalition policy summit, which attracted sympathetic regulators and
members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)
indicated that he would introduce legislation to prevent media conglomerates
that own both radio stations and concert promoters from using their leverage
to manipulate artists, as well as strengthen the FCC's radio merger review
process. Feingold indicated that he and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman
John McCain (R-AZ) would hold hearings on the issue. The National
Association of Broadcasters was invited to the summit but declined to
attend, maintaining that deregulation has led to more variety.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Michael Grebb]
(http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,57121,00.html)
INTERNET
UK: ISPs ASKED TO MAKE THE NET KID-FRIENDLY
The UK government has issued guidelines to Internet Service Providers aimed
at preventing pedophiles from making contact with children online. The
action comes in response to several attacks against children resulting from
such contacts in the last few years. ISPs should take care in how they use
and store children's personal information, the government advises, and
should ensure a separation between adult content and children, perhaps
through a child-friendly search engine. The government also recommends the
adoption of real-time human monitoring of chat rooms and an easy-to-use
mechanism for children to report inappropriate chat.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2632197.stm)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
SAME OLD SONG, DIFFERENT MEANING FOR P2P
Differences between US and European copyright laws have proved a wrinkle in
the recording industry's attempt to protect its intellectual property.
Unlike the United States' 95-year protection for sound recordings, European
artist enjoy only a 50-year grace period before the piece enters the public
domain. Thus, works created in the 1950s are becoming freely available to
European citizens despite the fact that Americans are still restricted. This
poses problems for record companies seeking to curtail the activities of
users of peer-to-peer file-sharing systems such as KaZaa and Gnutella, since
they would be unable to prevent Europeans from uploading files and already
face difficulty in tracking those who download copyrighted files.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: John Borland]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-979532.html?tag=fd_top)
CLEVELAND LIBRARY TO LAUNCH EBOOK SYSTEM
The Cleveland Public Library will unveil a new eBook system this March,
believed to be the first of its kind in a public library. The system will
operate the same as traditional checkouts -- patrons must have a library
card to download a book from the system to their handheld device or laptop,
and after a prescribed time limit the reader is locked out of the book so
that another patron can check it out. Such projects have been slow to take
off due to a lack of demand for reading devices and fears from the
publishing industry that works will be copied and distributed for free.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Lisa M. Bowman]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-979337.html)
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