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Used News: Guerrilla marketing, Freenet freezing, and Patriot acts
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By Jeff Foster, Section UnFairUse
Posted on Sun May 23, 2004 at 12:47:10 PM PDT
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I have no RIAA story this week, which is too bad, since it's one of my favorite subjects. To make up for it, I'll tell you my theory about the RIAA and why they do what they do.
I don't believe that the RIAA is concerned in the least about the direct financial effects of file sharing. There is no reason to think that file sharing is anything but good for the record industry, at least in the short to medium term. It provides free advertising, allows the industry to see what's popular and what's not with the record buying public, and there is no proof of file sharing affecting record sales (as evidenced by this story from last week). Furthermore, I would theorize that the record industry could come up with a way of making money from file sharing if they really wanted to. So why don't they? Why haven't they even tried? In a word: Distribution. If the RIAA where to allow file sharing, then the recording industry would no longer control what people listened to and what they didn't. The end of the RIAA as we know it would come around soon after. Of course, this idea is obvious, and I'm certainly not the first to say it. The disagreement with this theory seems to come at a more base level, with the RIAA and others arguing that file sharing is stealing, so the above theory is immaterial. To that I would say: uhhh, you're wrong. Agree? Disagree? Or is there something I missed in this weeks roundup? Tell me about it by leaving a comment below or email me at jeff@malgenic.org
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Jboss in guerrilla posting scheme
Slashdot has the details of a scandal that has erupted around a company called Jboss, self-described as the “professional open source company”. Jboss has been caught red-handed encouraging their employees to post messages anonymously on message boards to advertise their products or to defame the products of their competitors. Jboss's CEO Marc Fleury later stated without apologizing that the behavior will not continue.
iTunes makes push for Windows integration
Apple is porting their iTunes SDK to the Windows platform. This will allow developers to integrate iTunes into their applications, ala Windows Media Player. Apple is clearly set on moving from being a proprietary computer manufacturer to becoming the major player in media distribution on the Internet. Allowing Windows apps to integrate with iTunes would obviously be a big step.
Paypal Cancels, Renews Freenet's Account
Earlier this week, Freenet, an anonymous file sharing network, had it's Paypal account (which they used for donations) frozen and then discontinued for what Paypal described only as "use of an anonymous proxy". Freenet is not like most file-sharing networks in that its main goal is not distribution of entertainment but distribution of information, anonymously, so that oppressed persons can speak freely without fear of repercussions. Apparently, Paypal didn't like the idea much. They unfroze the account later in the week after a public outcry.
First Internet wiretap
In a story appearing in the Sacramento Bee, a Sacramento man has become the first person to have a real time Internet wiretap used against him, as allowed for by the PATRIOT Act. The man was implicated in a child pornography ring, and due to the wiretap more then 1400 others are now being investigated in connection with the porn ring.
SCO Bits(for all the SCO news hit up Groklaw)
Alexis de Tocqueville Institution Insinuates Linus Didn't Write Linux
IBM asks for Partial Summary Judgement in SCO case
SCO Stock Watch:Down 7% to $4.74
Other news of Note
XXXchurch Wants No More XXX
Monsanto canola patent ruling upheld
More Mac OSX security flaws
Italy approves Jail for p2p users law
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