Friday, 26th February 2010

Odeon ends Alice in Wonderland boycott
The UK's biggest cinema chain has reached an agreement with Disney to show Tim Burton's 3D fantasia on its screens, just hours before the film's world premiere in London

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 26th February 2010

UK PM: “We Will Not Disconnect File-Sharers”
Prime Minister responds to online petition asking that he abandon plans by Lord Mandelson to ban individual file-sharers from the Internet, saying that he finds it “very hard to see how this could be deemed proportionate except in the most extreme – and therefore probably criminal – cases.”

Sources: zeropaid.com

Friday, 26th February 2010

Why everyone is so animated about Disney
The articles says that whilst there is an argument that a reduced exhibition window time will help to reduce copyright theft, but on the other hand copyright theft is a problem, but it peaks very early in a film's run; a one-month reduction in the exhibition window will have little effect.

Sources: BBC News

Friday, 26th February 2010

Virgin to roll out 100mbps broadband service
Virgin Media said it would start rolling out the 100 megabits per second broadbandservice to 12.6 million homes. All of its existing 3.8 million cable broadband customers would be able to achieve connections of up to 100 megabits per second by 2011 should they choose to subscribe to the faster service, said a spokesman.

Sources: Telegraph

Thursday, 25th February 2010

Tories and Lib Dems to oppose controversial Digital Economy Bill clause
Tory and Liberal Democrat peers will unite to oppose Clause 17 of the Digital Economy Bill which would give Lord Mandelson unprecedented powers to amend copyright laws and fast-track legislation to combat websites that host unauthorised copies of content.

Sources: Times

Thursday, 25th February 2010

UK public in the dark over copyright law
The majority of British consumers are unsure about copyright law in the UK and believe that it needs updating, according to a report published today by Consumer Focus. A survey of 2,026 people found that 73 per cent are 'never quite sure what is legal and illegal under current copyright law', while 61 per cent believe that the advent of digital technologies makes it 'impossible to enforce copyright'.

Sources: Yahoo! News

Wednesday, 24th February 2010

Consumers 'confused by copyright'
Consumers are confused by copyright laws that mean it is still illegal to copy a CD onto their computer, a watchdog says. Consumer Focus said that copyright law was outdated and millions of people were unaware they were breaking laws.

Sources: BBC News, Telegraph

Wednesday, 24th February 2010

Malice in Wonderland: Burton's film has become pawn in bitter battle between studios and cinemas
Odeon & UCI, which operates more than 107 sites in the UK, confirmed yesterday that it is boycotting Alice in Wonderland because of a row with the film's maker, Disney, over how long they will be allowed to show the movie before it is released on DVD.

Sources: Independent

Wednesday, 24th February 2010

Focus groups
Vincent Bevins in the Financial Times looks at three companies that are adjusting their strategies to exploit new trends. It is noted that company Pace is looking to develop 3D technology, encouraged by the popularity in 3D TV and hit films such as Avatar.

Sources: FT

Tueday, 23rd February 2010

Simon Cowell and Terry Pratchett sign letter urging MPs to act on net copyright theft
TV and music impresario Simon Cowell, Tim Bevan, co-chairman of Working Title Films, and Paul Greengrass, the British director of United 93 and the last two Bourne films, have written to MPs and peers urging them to vote in favour of tougher internet copyright theft measures included in the digital economy bill as "a matter of urgency".

Sources: The Guardian

Tueday, 23rd February 2010

Plans to cut off internet connections of illegal filesharers dumped
The government has backed away from its proposals in the Digital Economy Bill to cut off people who have illegally shared files online. In a response to a petition on the Number 10 website that petitioned Gordon Brown "to abandon Lord Mandelson's plans to ban individuals from the internet based on their use of 'peer to peer' file sharing", the government says: "We will not terminate the accounts of infringers – it is very hard to see how this could be deemed proportionate except in the most extreme – and therefore probably criminal – cases."

Sources: The Guardian

Tueday, 23rd February 2010

Odeon’s DVD row snub to 3D Alice
Cinema chain Odeon yesterday vowed to boycott Tim Burton's new 3D blockbuster Alice In Wonderland. It follows Disney's decision to release the DVD 12 weeks after its March 5 opening - rather than the normal 17 weeks. Odeon and UCI cinema group, which has over 100 UK cinemas, fears the new timeframe will hit cinema audiences and become a benchmark.

Sources: The Sun

Tueday, 23rd February 2010

35 countries could be monitored for copyright theft
Copyright holders in the US have called for 35 countries to be put on a watch list for copyright theft and counterfeit activities and have singled out 10 for priority action.

Sources: Computerweekly.com

Monday, 22nd February 2010

Powerful figures from the film and literary world call on MPs to push through anti-piracy measures
Simon Cowell, alongside several other powerful figures from the film and literary world, has put his name to a strongly worded letter, seen by The Telegraph, which MPs and the Lords will receive today, to get the anti-piracy measures in the bill pushed through, which could see repeat offenders’ internet connections cut off.
The letter says that the Digital Economy Bill, “will ensure that British creators, entertainment companies and the 1.8 million people who work in and around the cultural sector are respected and rewarded in the future as they have been in the past, and that they are fairly paid when they put their work online.”

Sources: Telegraph

Monday, 22nd February 2010

UK Music complains to BBC over report on Digital Economy Bill
UK Music has filed a formal complaint to the BBC over an edition of The Culture Show broadcast on BBC2 on 4 February, 2010, which featured a segment on the Digital Economy Bill (DEB), which includes measures on clamping down on illegal filesharing. The umbrella organisation that promotes the interests of Britain's music industry claimed the programme-makers misrepresented certain facts relating to the bill that had been presented to them in advance. In a letter to the editor of the show, UK Music stated that this resulted in a broadcast it believes was not only grossly misleading and inaccurate, but also misinformed the audience in a biased and prejudicial manner.

Sources: The Guardian

Monday, 22nd February 2010

Behind the music: Mark Thomas is wrong to oppose the digital economy bill
In his recent Culture Show feature, the campaigning comedian seemed more concerned with pushing his own agenda rather than listening to alternative viewpoints.

Sources: The Guardian

Monday, 22nd February 2010

Online TV is good for the industry
On-demand TV increases viewer loyalty to television channels and programmes, and thus growth, rather than being a threat.

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 19th February 2010

Who's afraid of digital book piracy?
With the iPad and e-readers on the rise, will pirated books become as common as illegal music and films?

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 19th February 2010

Google books plan still in limbo as judge delays ruling
Google's efforts to create the world's largest digital library remain in limbo after a US judge declined to rule on the case immediately.

Sources: BBC News

Thursday, 18th February 2010

Daniel Ek profile: 'Spotify will be worth tens of billions'
Daniel Ek believes his current company, the music streaming service Spotify, could soon be worth "tens of billions" for solving the illegal downloading problem. "The music industry is currently worth $17bn (£10.8bn); it's going to be $40bn or $50bn soon. There will only be four or five players left in a few years," he says. "If that's the case, we will end up with a company worth tens of billions."

Sources: Telegraph

Thursday, 18th February 2010

SeeSaw: your questions answered
From programmes to programmers, everything you need to know about SeeSaw, the new free online TV catchup service.

Sources: The Guardian

Thursday, 18th February 2010

BBC to provide free sport, radio and news applications for mobiles
Mobile phone owners will soon be able to watch live BBC news reports and World Cup football, listen to radio and catch up on iPlayer shows thanks to a fresh set of BBC phone applications. BBC news and sport apps will first be available for the iPhone, with more later in the year for BlackBerry, Android and Nokia devices. All the apps will be available free of charge to licence-fee payers, with advertising for smartphone owners abroad.

Sources: BBC News

Thursday, 18th February 2010

Couch potatoes can relax because television is not yet dead
In Britain, average online viewing is 61 minutes a week, compared with about 26 hours of watching it live. Deloitte argues that live viewing may even increase this year, encouraged in part by catch-up-services. You seen an episode online, enjoy it and make sure that you are safely on the sofa when the next edition comes around.

Thursday, 18th February 2010

Jay-Z: 'Music labels must streamline to survive'
When quizzed on the plight of the UK's music industry, which has struggled to cope with illegal downloading, Jay-Z said "people have to be smarter about how they A and R, and what they put out". He added: "Record companies need to catch up to that, someone needs to send them the memo."

Sources: BBC News

Wednesday, 17th February 2010

Free online TV unites broadcasters
Television streaming service SeeSaw launches online today, bringing together shows from the BBC, Channel 4 and Five on a single site.

Sources: The Independent

Wednesday, 17th February 2010

Warner release deal with Redbox
Warner Brothers has taken a step towards protecting sales of its DVDs at a time when the home entertainment format is in decline after striking a deal with Redbox, the DVD kiosk operator that rents discs for $1 a day.

Sources: FT

Wednesday, 17th February 2010

Artists can seize the business initiative
Luke Johnson argues that the answer to copyright theft and the digital revolution is “for artists of every kind to cut out the intermediaries and become entrepreneurs”.

Sources: FT

Tueday, 16th February 2010

Online adverts know where you shop – and where you live
BSkyB is experimenting with more targeted online advertising on its Sky Player video website. From the start of this month, it is giving advertisers the chance to target consumers by age, postcode and even the newspaper they read. Sky first sought the permission of every Sky Player user by email, asking them to opt into the tailored advertising.

Sources: Evening Standard

Tueday, 16th February 2010

Online adverts know where you shop – and where you live
BSkyB is experimenting with more targeted online advertising on its Sky Player video website. From the start of this month, it is giving advertisers the chance to target consumers by age, postcode and even the newspaper they read. Sky first sought the permission of every Sky Player user by email, asking them to opt into the tailored advertising.

Sources: Evening Standard

Tueday, 16th February 2010

U.S. announces intellectual property watchdog
The U.S. Justice Department is forming an intellectual property task force because of what some estimate to be billions of dollars in losses from copyright theft.

Sources: Reuters

Monday, 15th February 2010

SeeSaw chief executive looks forward to launch
The latest online TV aggregation service, SeeSaw, is going online next Wednesday, reports Emma Barnett. Owned by the transmission company Arqiva, the service has content partnerships with BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, Five and several major independent UK production companies.

Sources: Telegraph

Monday, 15th February 2010

Harry Potter and the great Google onslaught
Robert McCrum discusses the Google Library Project and argues that intellectual property battles are nothing new.

Sources: The Guardian

Monday, 15th February 2010

Pirate Bay boss to make the web pay
One of the founders of the Pirate Bay is starting a venture that aims to help websites generate cash. Called Flattr, the micropayments system revolves around members paying a fixed monthly fee. At the end of each month that cash will be divided among participating sites a Flattr member wants to reward.

Sources: BBC News

Friday, 12th February 2010

UK cinema chains may boycott Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
The UK's biggest cinema chains are set to boycott Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, due out on 5 March, because of a dispute with Disney over the release window. Disney wants to cut the gap between the theatrical opening and the DVD release to just 12 weeks, down from the standard 17 weeks. This is part of a global strategy by Disney CEO Bob Iger to shorten some of its theatrical releases, in a bid to maximise its home entertainment revenues, combat copyright theft and minimise its marketing costs.

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 12th February 2010

Act against the digital economy bill
Jim Killock argues that the government's plans to punish copyright infringers are a disproportionate modern-day equivalent of banishment.

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 12th February 2010

Sony To Offer Blu-ray 3D
Sony plans to offer a firmware upgrade this summer that will make several of its disc players capable of playing Blu-ray 3-D movies in time for the release of the company's 3-D televisions.

Sources: TechWeb

Thursday, 11th February 2010

Copyright theft is not victimless, just ask any actor
Roy Billing, an Australian actor, argues that copyright theft is not a victimless crime, as the film and television industries, like all business enterprises, require that costs be recovered, and wages be paid.

Sources: smh.com.au

Thursday, 11th February 2010

"Avatar" leaked online — but not in 3D
TorrentFreak reports that a leaked "Avatar" DVD screener appeared online only hours after the movie was named as a Best Picture contender for the Oscars. But while the leaked DVD screener of "Avatar" is reportedly of a much higher quality than the camcorder versions that had been circulating online previously, it's still missing one key element: it's not in 3D.

Sources: Yahoo! Tech

Thursday, 11th February 2010

Pursuit of illegal downloaders questioned
People who illegally download music or films for personal consumption from the Internet should not be subject to legal sanctions, a Labour Party MEP has said. "Individuals who carry out a small level of downloading of illegal material should not be the subject of any legal sanctions", Alan Kelly told the EU's Internal Market Committee. The Munster MEP said that to pursue such individuals would be akin to "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

Sources: irishtimes.com

Wednesday, 10th February 2010

'Web 2.0 is utterly pathetic'
Interview with Jaron Lanier, who pioneered virtual reality and is a leading light in digital culture. So why does he believe that the internet is killing creativity? His book You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto, takes a swipe at Web 2.0, accusing it of destroying individuality, destroying creativity and destroying middle-class professions. A couple of weeks ago, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) warned that countries like Spain could become cultural deserts because of rampant online file-sharing. Sales by Spain's local artists have fallen by an estimated 65 per cent between 2004 and 2009. "Musicians and journalists are the canaries in the coalmine," says Lanier, "but, eventually, as computers get more and more powerful, it will kill off all middle-class professions."

Sources: The independent

Wednesday, 10th February 2010

3-D movies are harder to illegally copy — for now
James Cameron's 3-D epic "Avatar" wowed audiences with its immersive special effects, but Hollywood is hoping the technology can do something more: give film studios breathing room in the fight against movie copyright theft. "There is going to be a good period where 3-D has got a little more value, because it can't be purloined from the theater," said Michael Peyser, a University of Southern California (USC) professor of production and executive producer of 2007's "U2 3D." "There's no commodity to it, nor can the files, even if they're copied, be viewed."

Sources: msnbc.com

Wednesday, 10th February 2010

Super Mario copyright theft is no longer a game for James Burt
A MAN who bragged about illegally uploading a Super Mario Bros computer game to the internet yesterday agreed to pay manufacturer Nintendo $1.6 million in a landmark anti-copyright theft court settlement. James Burt, 24, agreed to pay $1.5 million in damages plus $100,000 in court costs to the gaming giant behind the hugely popular Wii game.

Sources: Daily Telegraph

Tuesday, 9th February 2010

Music industry 'under threat from downloading'
The rise of illegal filesharing is threatening the whole music industry, it has been claimed. Alex Jacob, a spokesman for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), pointed out that the vast majority of music downloads are illegal, which prevents artists, songwriters and producers from receiving royalties. "That inevitably affects the health of the industry. It is more difficult for artists to generate the income needed to help sustain a long-term career in music".

Sources: Tourdates.co.uk

Tuesday, 9th February 2010

Government's plans to disconnect illegal downloaders are justifiable, say MPs
Government's plans to disconnect illegal downloaders are justifiable, say MPs Measures to reduce illegal downloading have been reviewed by a committee of MPs and found to be 'justifiable' this week, despite complaints from campaigners and ISPs.

Sources: BroadbandGenie

Tuesday, 9th February 2010

YouTube's first movie rental service generates low revenues
YouTube only generated $10,709.16 (£6,792.85) from its new movie rental service, but remains committed to expanding the product.

Sources: Telegraph

Monday, 8th February 2010

Digital Economy Bill bill could 'breach rights'
An influential group of MPs and peers has said the government's approach to illegal file-sharing could breach the rights of internet users. The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights said the government's Digital Economy Bill needed clarification. It said that technical measures - which include cutting off persistent pirates - were not "sufficiently specified".

Sources: BBC News

Monday, 8th February 2010

Digital Economy Bill rubbished on BBC
BBC2's Culture Show took a look at the Digital Economy Bill. Featured comment from Treasury minister Stephen Timms, Feargal Sharkey, Anita Coles of civil rights group Liberty and Billy Bragg. In the end, BBC reporter-comedian Mark Thomas, said the pirates would continue to pirate and the creatives would continue to create. The bill, if it became an act, would be just one more thing for both to work around.

Sources: ComputerWeekly.com

Monday, 8th February 2010

England's three-dimensional rugby is just the ticket for fans
Review of the first 3D screening of an international rugby match: It turned out to be a spectacular experience, and certainly the most high spec and breathlessly, pointlessly contemporary means of watching a semi-decent game of rugby yet conceived.

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 5th February 2010

Project Canvas triggers industry alarm
A broad consortium of broadcasters, technology providers and set-top box manufacturers has voiced its disquiet at Project Canvas, even though the BBC Trust has said it is "minded" to approve the next-generation TV venture. The Digital TV Group (DTG) said in its submission to the BBC Trust's consultation that there remained "widespread concern in the industry" in regard to Canvas. The body - whose members include BSkyB and Virgin Media - said a "significant number" of its members had sought greater clarification of what it calls "ambiguous wording" in the consultation and also the reassurance that Canvas would continue to work with the rest of the industry.

Sources: FT

Friday, 5th February 2010

UK internet firms welcome Australian file-sharing verdict
An Australian court has ruled that the country's third-largest broadband operator cannot be held responsible for the actions of illegal file-sharers, in a landmark case that has been warmly welcomed by British internet companies fighting government plans to make them police the web on behalf of film and TV firms. Broadband and home phone company TalkTalk, one of the fiercest critics of the UK government's proposals to clamp down on unlawful file-sharing by severing broadband connections, expressed its "delight" at the victory of iiNet over a group of some of Hollywood's largest film studios.

Sources: The Guardian

Friday, 5th February 2010

Digital Economy Bill has serious consequences for hotels, warns BHA
The Digital Economy Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords, will have serious consequences for hotels providing internet services if it is passed in its present form, warns the British Hospitality Association.

Sources: Caterersearch

Friday, 5th February 2010

EMI's future in doubt after it records £1.75 billion losses
The future of EMI, the British record label behind Robbie Williams, Madonna, Coldplay and Lily Allen, was plunged into doubt today when it admitted to making massive losses. The 113-year-old company slumped to a pre-tax loss of £1.75 billion in the last financial year and is struggling to repay bank loans. Like other record labels it has been fighting a battle against illegal downloading. Over the past five years the recorded music industry's global revenues have fallen 30 per cent, and in 2009 they dropped by 10 per cent to $15.8 billion. It is estimated that 95 per cent of music downloads worldwide are illegal, according to trade body the IFPI.

Sources: Evening Standard

Thursday, 4th February 2010

Resignation deals blow to digital bill
The government's flagship digital economy bill is facing fresh obstacles after one of the ministers charged with pushing it through parliament before the election announced he would quit next week. Sion Simon, junior minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will leave the government at the February recess and stand down as an MP at the time of the election.

Sources: FT, New Media Age, Music Week, Computing.co.uk, Broadcast

Thursday, 4th February 2010

Crozier faces steep learning curve at ITV
Gideon Spanier comments on Adam Crozier's appointment as the new CEO of ITV. He comments that Video on demand and online is a key issue for Crozier who was praised by ITV's new chairman Archie Norman for developing a "fast-growing online business" at the Royal Mail. ITV has struggled with online as hopes of raising £150 million a year in revenue by 2010 were abandoned. ITV.com, which benefited from X-Factor, does not charge for any video footage at present.

Sources: Evening Standard

Thursday, 4th February 2010

Film industry loses landmark copyright theft case
Internet service provider iiNet has won a major legal battle over whether it should be held responsible for its customers downloading content illegally. If the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft had won, providers would likely have been forced to penalise or disconnect users who illegally downloaded copyrighted material such as movies and songs. However Federal Court judge Justice Dennis Cowdroy today found iiNet was not responsible for the infringements of its users.

Sources: News.com.au

Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

Virgin Media on demand view figures rise by 50%
Virgin's video on demand (VoD) service had 750 million requests for programming, driven by programmes including X Factor and Eastenders, up by half on 2008. Almost 60 per cent of the group's 3.7 million TV customers now use the service regularly as more shows and movies have become available, and as the public's awareness of the service has risen. VoD is one of the few areas that Virgin stole a march on rival Sky in pay TV, primarily because of technology limitations on its rival's satellite platform. Sky will launch an equivalent service using the broadband connection to its HD boxes later this year.

Sources: The Independent

Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

Compelling attraction of a thing of beauty
Interview with Virgin Media's CEO Neil Berkett, who reveals that the cable firm is targeting more deals with content providers, adding that an agreement that VM has signed with TiVo, the US set-top box maker and software group, is the key to the growth strategy.

Sources: FT

Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

Keith Urban – Urban Clarifies Illegal Downloading Comments
KEITH URBAN has apologised for appearing to encourage fans to illegally download his music, insisting he misspoke during a recent awards acceptance speech. He says, "I didn't mean I want people to steal music but a lot of people end up buying albums and turning their friends on to it. It came out wrong and I apologise."

Sources: Contactmusic.com

Monday, 1st February 2010

'Super-fast broadband' in UK homes by 2017 - Tories
The Conservatives have unveiled plans to deliver a "nationwide super-fast broadband", part of which could be funded from the BBC licence fee. Shadow chancellor George Osborne said a Tory government would deliver speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to the "majority" of homes by 2017.

Sources: BBC News

Monday, 1st February 2010

'Super-fast broadband' in UK homes by 2017 - Tories
The Conservatives have unveiled plans to deliver a "nationwide super-fast broadband", part of which could be funded from the BBC licence fee. Shadow chancellor George Osborne said a Tory government would deliver speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to the "majority" of homes by 2017.

Sources: BBC News

Monday, 1st February 2010

Future’s so bright we need shades
TV entered a new era yesterday with the world's first live sports 3D broadcast. In advance of the launch of Sky 3D, Europe's first dedicated 3D TV channel, in April, Sky beamed 3D footage of the Arsenal-Manchester United game to nine pubs around the United Kingdom.

Sources: DailyMail