Mon, 29th November

Copyright infringers make a grab for sporting gold
Simon Kurs reports on the increasing sophistication of copyright infringing transmissions of live sports coverage.

Sources: thesundaytimes.co.uk

Mon, 29th November

Video On Demand powered by Qriocity
Sony Europe has announced the European launch of “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity”. Available in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, it’s a pay-per-view movie streaming service that allows viewers to rent hundreds of movies, including the latest releases and films, straight to their Sony BRAVIA TV, Blu-ray Disc player, or Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre system.

Sources: easier.com

Mon, 29th November

DVD industry in crisis as sales slump
Adam Sherwin reports that a fall in sales in the DVD market has implications for the funding of broadcasters’ productions: the deficit funding model, which entails investment secured against future DVD sales, could be at risk.

Sources: guardian.co.uk

Fri, 26th November

TalkTalk Defends URL-Tracking Anti-Malware Service
TalkTalk is going ahead with tests of a network-based anti-malware service which logs all the URLs visited by its customers, despite fears that it will breach users’ privacy.

Sources: eweekeurope.co.uk

Fri, 26th November

3D TV is here to stay - and it's down to piracy
Studios like 3D films for one simple reason – they are much difficult to fake than 2D films which can be filmed using a hand camera in a cinema.

Copyright is a big issue for movie-makers - and anything that makes movies harder to forge will make executives jump for joy.

Sources: telegraph.co.uk

Fri, 26th November

Europe close to enacting Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
Members of the European Parliament have approved the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), overcoming yet another hurdle and making its progress into law an increasing certainty. The members welcomed the proposals as a "step in the right direction" in dealing with copyright theft and infringement, but warned that the agreement may still need some work.

Sources: v3.co.uk

Thu, 25th November

Protecting youngsters online
A CORONATION Street star and set decorator have lent their backing to a new guide to help protect young people online.

Sources: halifaxcourier.co.uk

Thu, 25th November

SeeSaw 'puts users in control' with Ad Selector
SeeSaw, the video on demand service, has launched Ad Selector in the UK, which enables users to choose the ad they watch before streaming a programme.  In what the online TV service from Arqiva is claiming as "a landmark first for the UK," consumers will have the opportunity to choose from three separate ads by an individual brand before watching a programme online.  Ben Williams, head of advertising at SeeSaw, said: "The Ad Selector puts the user in control of the advertising experience and therefore increases their engagement and purchase intent.”  The service has been launched in partnership with interactive video company Brainient. The production process is said to be "straight forward," combining traditional video formats with flash-based overlays.

Sources: brandrepublic.com

Thu, 25th November

Kids reveal their very expensive must-have Christmas technology gift lists
Kids aged from just six years old are requesting their stockings be filled with iPads, computers, MP3 players and mobile phones this Christmas while their bigger siblings say TVs, smartphones, Blu-Ray players and game consoles are what they want.  "With Black Friday rapidly approaching, parents may want to get up early Friday morning to find deals, as a recent survey shows their kids are eyeing some wallet-stretching electronics this holiday season," said Nielsen.  According to the survey Apple's iPad is the most desirable technology product with American kids aged from 6 to 12.  31 percent of kids surveyed said they are interested in buying an iPad within the next six months.  Sony's PlayStation 3 is the most requested game console, beating Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii.

Sources: independent.co.uk

Thu, 25th November

Web-capable, time-shifting devices and social TV connecting more TV watchers to more content
As the definition of "TV" evolves and expands from a fixed time, one-screen lounge-room only experience into a multifaceted, multi-device medium at people's beckoned call, consumers are changing their TV viewing habits.  The latest figures from market researcher Nielsen's State of the Media report show these changes in technology are having a significant impact on the way consumers watch TV in the US.   More people are watching TV in the US on more platforms.   The number of hours watched in the second quarter of the year remain fairly constant - the average person watched around 143 hours of TV per month - however, more and more viewers are supplementing their TV-watching habits with timeshifted TV.

Viewers in the 25-34-year-old age bracket watched an average of 29 and a half hours of DVR playback per month in the second quarter of 2010.

Sources: independent.co.uk

Wed, 24th November

Anti-Piracy, IPTV Keynotes Draw Strong Attendance At 2010 SMPTE Conference
Executives from Paramount Studios and Microsoft drew standing-room only audiences to discuss anti piracy and leading work on IPTV at the 2010 annual conference and exposition produced by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the world leader in motion-imaging standards.

Sources: cgw.com

Wed, 24th November

Witcher 2 Developer gets Tough on Pirates
Those who intend to illegally download the upcoming PC title, The Witcher 2: Assasins of Kings, could see themselves on the receiving end of a fine or legal action, according to the game's developer.

Sources: spong.com

Wed, 24th November

Pakistan's Bollywood affair marred by piracy
People in Pakistan swoon over Shah Rukh Khan's dimples and love the melodrama of a Karan Johar movie but like a typical Hindi film there's also a villain in the script - piracy.

Sources: ibnlive.in.com

Mon, 22nd November

Ricky Investigates: movie copyright infringement
Ricky from Newsround looks into the problem of film copyright infringement and how cinemas are tackling it.

Sources: bbc.co.uk

Mon, 22nd November

Now PS3 to add Five streaming service
Sony is in talks with Channel Five to add the UK broadcasters on-demand content to PS3.

Sources: mcvuk.com

Mon, 22nd November

Studio investigates Harry Potter and the Violation of Copyright
Film bosses have launched a battle to track down the person responsible for leaking a 36-minute extract from the new Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, online.

Sources: thisislondon.co.uk

Mon, 22nd November

VOD impact on Pay TV to hit UK, says Crozier
The growth of Video On Demand in the United States has begun to affect the Pay TV business as subscribers depart in what is termed “cord cutting” and the same trend will hit the UK, ITV CEO Adam Crozier told a conference in Barcelona.

Sources: cueentertainment.com

Mon, 22nd November

Japan's first 3D TV drama to air next year
Japan's first 3-D television series - an airport drama called "Tokyo Control" - will air from January on a satellite television channel, Fuji Television Network Inc. has said.

Sources: independent.co.uk

Fri, 19th November

PS3 video game consoles getting Vudu films
Vudu, a six-year-old Internet firm recently bought by retail colossus Walmart, will launch an on-demand movie service on PlayStation Network in the United States on November 23, according to Sony. Vudu will stream films on demand and has a vast library of high-definition movies. An "enormous collection" of titles will be available for rental at a cost of two dollars each for two nights.

Sources: independent.co.uk

Fri, 19th November

Let's hope the net neutrality campaigners are wrong
We're about to find out whether tiered internet services really do hinder innovation, says Milo Yiannopoulos. Yesterday, communications minister Ed Vaizey effectively gave the green light to internet service providers to "shape" traffic as they see fit, meaning that premium services like high-quality video streaming could be increasingly prioritised over, say, file-sharing.

Sources: telegraph.co.uk

Thu, 18th November

"Harry Potter" hits Web before big box office debut
Reuters, Yahoo news and The Independent report that Warner Bros studio is working to remove a 36-minute Internet leak of the new "Harry Potter" film.  36 minutes of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" turned up on a file-sharing website Tuesday night ahead of the movie's premiere in numerous countries around the globe.  Warner Bros said in a statement that the excerpt was "stolen and illegally posted on the Internet. This constitutes a serious breach of copyright violation and theft of Warner Bros. property.  We are working actively to restrict and/or remove copies that may be available. Also, we are vigorously investigating this matter and will prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law".

Sources: news.yahoo.com, independent.co.uk

Thu, 18th November

Government refuses to back net neutrality
The Telegraph, Metro, Guardian and V3 have reported that Ed Vaizey, the communications minister, has given the green light to internet service providers to favour some internet traffic over other content – as long as they inform customers.  Ed Vaizey has given ISPs the green light to start managing the way in which they deliver certain kinds of content over their networks  He told the Financial Times World Telecoms Conference in London that the Government should try to avoid imposing a regulatory framework on the web.

Jim Killock, executive director of Open Rights Group, today warned: "Removing net neutrality is likely to reduce innovation and reduce people's ability to exercise their freedom of speech.  ORG will campaign against any market abuse, if companies like BT, Sky and Virgin restrict customer's internet access for market advantage."

Sources: guardian.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, V3.co.uk

Thu, 18th November

Evening Standard names most influential new media figures
BBC Future Media & Technology director Eric Huggers, Google UK director of operations Matt Brittin and digital advisor to the Government Martha Lane-Fox are among the new media figures named in the Evening Standard’s Most Influential People list.  New entries on the list include Apple iTunes European director Oliver Schusser and Facebook European sales president Joanna Shields, while Daniel Ek, founder of music streaming service Spotify is credited with revolutionising the ailing music industry.  The Evening Standard has also included BSkyB director of product design Brian Lenz, crediting him with giving the public 3D TV, while acknowledging Ajaz Ahad, founder of digital agency AKQA, for being the subject of a global bidding war with a £400m price tag.

Sources: nma.co.uk

Wed, 17th November

Internet blow for Google and BBC
Internet service providers should be free to favour traffic from one content provider over another as long as they inform customers, the communications minister will say on Wednesday.

Source: ft.com

Wed, 17th November

The Beatles and Apple finally come together, right now … on iTunes
After a decade of wrangling the Beatles, their heirs and their record company EMI finally came together to agree to appear on Apple's iTunes today.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Wed, 17th November

Pope in HD for Xmas TV
The Pope will be available in High Definition TV in time for Christmas.

Source: mirror.co.uk

Tue, 16th November

Court grants fourth ground for Digital Economy review
The Digital Economy Act will be reviewed on grounds of proportionality, a High Court judge has ruled. The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) issued a statement on Friday entitled "Who actually makes the law — the Government or the Judiciary?".

Source: zdnet.co.uk

Tue, 16th November

Pre-Christmas campaign to stamp out fake goods
Crimestoppers have launched a campaign targeting the black market trade in counterfeit goods. Over the course of the next month, Crimestoppers and Trading Standards will be urging shoppers to report incidents where they see fake goods.

Source: scotsman.com

Tue, 16th November

Copyright infringement hotspot Bangladesh bootlegged to bankruptcy
Bangladeshi pop icon Azam Khan has amassed legions of fans and dozens of hits over a 40-year career -- but he's always flat broke because of rampant music copyright infringement.

Source: google.com

Mon, 15th November

Sainsbury's takes on iTunes in Christmas download battle
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s is launching its own digital download service in time for Christmas, taking on online services, such as iTunes and Amazon, by offering music and films for download, with ebooks to follow in the new year.

Source: pocket-lint.com

Mon, 15th November

Eros International to launch Bollywood film download service
Kishore Lulla, the chief executive of Eros International, has said that plans are in development to create a download service aimed at Bollywood's global fan base that would offer a combination of free and paid-for films.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Mon, 15th November

Christmas campaign launched to tackle fake goods
A Crimestoppers campaign is being launched to warn shoppers against buying counterfeit goods, the sale of which can help finance serious organised crime. Shoppers are more likely to buy fake DVDs, cigarettes and clothes over the Christmas period, according to Crimestoppers.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Mon, 15th November

BT and TalkTalk win judicial review of Digital Economy Act on all four grounds
BT and TalkTalk have won the right to a judicial review of the Digital Economy Act on all four of the contested legal grounds, the high court has ruled.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 15th November

BBC and BT bring iPlayer to BT Vision
The BBC iPlayer will be available on BT Vision, which is now in just over half a million homes in the United Kingdom. The BBC iPlayer is being rolled out over five months, to replace the BBC Replay offering on BT Vision, just in time for the planned launch of YouView, in which the BBC and BT are both partners.

Source: informitv.com

Thu, 11th November

Internet piracy Act put on hold
The Independent reports that judges granted a judicial review of the Digital Economy Act after a complaint was made by BT and Talk Talk, two of the largest internet providers.

Source: independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, wsj.com, cityam.com

Mon, 8th November

Applause for PM’s major IP review
British Video Association Director General Lavinia Carey has welcomed a major independent intellectual property review announced by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Source: cueentertainment.com

Mon, 8th November

BBC aims to gain from global iPlayer
Jonathan Wynne-Jones reports that an international version of the iPlayer will be launched next year after receiving the approval of the BBC Trust.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Mon, 8th November

Hollywood looks to apps to offset costs
Matthew Garrahan reports that Hollywood studios are turning towards mobile applications and casual online games to increase the effectiveness of their blockbuster movie marketing campaigns.

Source: ft.com

Fri, 5th November

UK Copyright laws to be reviewed, announces Cameron
Britain's intellectual property laws are to be reviewed to "make them fit for the internet age," prime minister David Cameron has announced. He said the law could be relaxed to allow greater use of copyright material without the owner's permission. The announcement was welcomed by internet campaigners who say it will boost small business. But any changes could be resisted by the music and film industries who have campaigned against copyright reform.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Fri, 5th November

UK Ministry of Sound Drops Illegal File Sharing Case Against UK ISP PlusNet and BT
The Ministry of Sound (MoS) has officially abandoned its Norwich Pharmacal Order (NPO) against broadband ISP BT  and sibling PlusNet  UK. The NPO would have forced BT to disclose the personal details for 25,000 customers, specifically those that MoS suspected of having been involved with unlawful P2P music file sharing.

Source: ispreview.co.uk

Fri, 5th November

American Mother of 4 fined $1.5mn for Illegally Downloading Music
Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a Minnesota mother of four is being penalized for illegally downloading and sharing 24 songs on the peer-to-peer file-sharing network Kazaa in 2006, but how much she owes the record labels has been in question. The jury in her third trial has just ruled that Thomas-Rasset should pay Capitol Records $1.5 million. The record industry has repeatedly sought to set examples of illegal downloaders and has cracked down hard time and again. Last year a student in Boston was fined $ 675,000 and in 2003 a 12 year old was sued by a record company downloading illegally.

Source: thesundayleader.lk

Thu, 4th November

New Franchise offers music fans a great new opportunity
A new franchise is offering music fans the chance to make money out of their life-long passion.  CD Franchise was set up by Brian Keay last year and has already signed up more than 20 willing franchisees.  The concept is simple: ­franchisees sell in-demand CDs online at a profit.  “I believe that CDs still have a place in music retail, particularly when the Digital Economy Act comes into force and many people will have the choice of either paying to download albums or buying a CD,” he says.

Source: mirror.co.uk

Thu, 4th November

New hope for James Bond film with MGM deal
The Metro reports that Hollywood company has filed for bankruptcy to clear its debts, and reports when filming of the next Bond film may resume.  

Source: metro.co.uk

Thu, 4th November

Carey, BVA honoured by Intl Video Federation
The British Video Association and its Director General Lavinia Carey were presented with an International Video Federation Excellence Award Tuesday to mark the trade body’s 30th anniversary.

Source: cueentertainment.com

Wed, 3rd November

Next Big Thing – guerilla filesharing
Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl, has embedded USB sticks in walls and kerbs around New York. Calling them “Dead Drops”, he says they’re “an anonymous, offline, peer-to-peer filesharing network in public space.”

Source: stuff.tv

Wed, 3rd November

Watching TV helps family life
A YouGov survey conducted for the British Video Association has shown that 73 per cent of British people spend between one and six hours in front of the TV. BVA director general Lavinia Carey said: 'Improvements in home entertainment technology over the last few years have increased the appeal of that cinema experience in our own living room.'

Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Wed, 3rd November

Anti-piracy technology to study cinemagoers
Cinemagoers may one day be recorded for market research using 2D and 3D imaging technology.

Source: theengineer.co.uk

Mon, 1st November

YouView and on-demand TV: the battle behind the screens
The Youview consortium's video-on-demand service has been the source of debate, with broadcasters not involved with the project claiming that the project may breach competition rules. Peter Kirwan reports on the increasing competition between on-demand services.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 1st November

Tony Ageh on the BBC Archive and how to remake the internet
Tony Ageh, controller of development for the BBC archives, wants to create a 'digital public space' for publicly owned content. Mr. Ageh was pivotal in the development of BBC iPlayer.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 1st November

You Can Hide, but in Europe You Can’t Watch Hulu
Eric Pfanner argues that the media industry risks losing revenue to copyright infringers using virtual private networks as it delays licensing streaming technologies such as Hulu and Spotify to different territories across the world.

Source: nytimes.com

Mon, 1st November

Brands must seize the opportunities internet-connected TVs offer
The Digital Media Editor of Telegraph.co.uk explores the convergence of internet enabled computers and broadcast TVs which will enable the streaming and downloading of content and films.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Mon, 1st November

Watching TV 'helps family life'
A survey by the British Video Association has found that a quarter of respondents find television watching with family and friends to be an important social activity. BVA director Lavinia Carey is quoted as saying that higher quality AV equipment in living rooms has added to the 'cinema experience' of home TV use.

Source: yahoo.com

Mon, 1st November

Google TV - too buttoned up for the living room
Chris Nuttall argues that with 80 buttons, compared to three on the Apple TV, the complexity of Google TV may intimidate many consumers.

Source: ft.com

Mon, 1st November

The LimeWire party is over - but we're still not going to pay for music
Natasha Green, aged 16, argues that in an age where free downloading is the norm, paying for music is no longer an option for people of her generation.

Source: telegraph.co.uk