This looks like an interesting new book - I havent read it but it looks like it might be worth checking out - it is available for free download under a Creative Commons License. It is broken down into the following topics:
Part One. Locating the Networked Self
Part Two. Copyright and the Play of Culture
Part Three. Privacy and the Play of Subjectivity
Part Four. Code, Control, and the Play of Material Practice
Part Five. Human Flourishing in a Networked World
Check out the book here:
Julie Cohen, Configuring the Networked Self: Law, Code, and the Play of Everyday Practice (2012) < http://www.juliecohen.com/page5.php > at 13 March 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tribler
I came across an article recently about Tribler - I have been following its development for a few years and thought it worth raising on this site as it appears to be a new generation of file sharing software.
Tribler is a decentralised file sharing system that uses the BitTorrent protocol to scan the internet for downloadable files - alleviating the need for indexing and tracker sites. The developers of Tribler suggest that it is impossible to stop file sharing now with the entire internet needing to be shut down to prevent it from happening.
Mark Gregory, Senior Lecturer Electrical and Computer Engineering at RMIT in Melbourne argues however that it will still be possible for the content industry to upload spoof files and for downloads to be tracked using watermark technology, still allowing for the prosecution of copyright infringement. Filtering and site blocking would also work as a means to prevent file sharing and graduated response systems would still make it possible to disconnect users of Tribler.
Further Information
The Conversation, An invincible file-sharing platform? You can’t be serious (6 March 2012) < http://theconversation.edu.au/an-invincible-file-sharing-platform-you-cant-be-serious-5343 > at 13 March 2012
p2pnet.net, Tribler 3.6.0: 4th gen file sharing (23 March 2007) <http://p2pnet.net/story/11746> at 27 March 2007
The Register, Tribler takes P2P to the ' Web 2.0 generation' (5 June 2007) <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/05/tribler_bittorrent_client_mimics_youtube/> at 16 June 2007
Tribler is a decentralised file sharing system that uses the BitTorrent protocol to scan the internet for downloadable files - alleviating the need for indexing and tracker sites. The developers of Tribler suggest that it is impossible to stop file sharing now with the entire internet needing to be shut down to prevent it from happening.
Mark Gregory, Senior Lecturer Electrical and Computer Engineering at RMIT in Melbourne argues however that it will still be possible for the content industry to upload spoof files and for downloads to be tracked using watermark technology, still allowing for the prosecution of copyright infringement. Filtering and site blocking would also work as a means to prevent file sharing and graduated response systems would still make it possible to disconnect users of Tribler.
Further Information
The Conversation, An invincible file-sharing platform? You can’t be serious (6 March 2012) < http://theconversation.edu.au/an-invincible-file-sharing-platform-you-cant-be-serious-5343 > at 13 March 2012
p2pnet.net, Tribler 3.6.0: 4th gen file sharing (23 March 2007) <http://p2pnet.net/story/11746> at 27 March 2007
The Register, Tribler takes P2P to the ' Web 2.0 generation' (5 June 2007) <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/05/tribler_bittorrent_client_mimics_youtube/> at 16 June 2007
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Music Freedom Day March 3
This Saturday March 3rd is Music Freedom Day - coordinated by FreeMuse. Events have been organised in 22 countries around the world with events such as open discussions, workshops, exhibitions, film shows and concerts. Freemuse invites musicians, music promoters as well as musicians’ unions and music journalists to join in.
Music Freedom Day 2012 calendar event page on Facebook:
facebook.com/freemusesec#!/events/213220972066127/
Freemuse’s page on Facebook:
facebook.com/freemusesec
ARIA 2011 Sales Stats
ARIA recently released its Wholesale Sales Figures for 2011. Digital Sales now account for 36.7% of all music sales in Australia demonstrating that despite the near 10% growth in digital purchases, most consumers still prefer CDs.
While there was an overall increase in the number of units purchased (20% higher than 2010) there was an overall drop in amount of money spent with annual sales of $382.7 million, down $2 million from 2010. This probably reflects a drop in the purchase price of music as well as perhaps the move to digital singles away from albums.
Further Reading
ARIA, ARIA wholesale figures for 2011 (28 February 2012) < http://www.aria.com.au/documents/2011wholesalefigures.pdf > at 2 March 2012
While there was an overall increase in the number of units purchased (20% higher than 2010) there was an overall drop in amount of money spent with annual sales of $382.7 million, down $2 million from 2010. This probably reflects a drop in the purchase price of music as well as perhaps the move to digital singles away from albums.
Further Reading
ARIA, ARIA wholesale figures for 2011 (28 February 2012) < http://www.aria.com.au/documents/2011wholesalefigures.pdf > at 2 March 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
ABS: Arts and Culture in Australia Statistical Overview 2011
Recently the Australian Bureau of Statistics released their statistical over view of arts and culture in Australia for 2011 which actually covers the period of 2009 to 2010. Some interesting points from the report include:
- Overall Australian households spent 4% of their overall expenditure on cultural goods and services
- In total $402.9 million was spent on recorded music
- In total $827.6 million was spent on concert fees and charges
- Exports of cultural goods in 2009-10 totalled $539.8m, or 0.3% of all goods exported from Australia, while cultural imports totalled $2,436.6m, or 1.2% of all goods imported into Australia
- Total music sales in Australia for the year ending 31st December 2009 were $446,112,000. $366,868,000 was made on physical products and just $79,244,000 was made on digital products.
Further Reading
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2011 (19 December 2012) < http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/E8C6AA6F556D72EBCA257968000CB1E0?opendocument> at 22 February 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Australian Political Satire
Here is a fantastic new clip about leadership tensions in Australian politics. A great parody of the Gotye song 'Somebody I Used to Know' - and worth remembering that parody and satire have only been legal in this country for less than a decade - pure gold, check it out!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
ALRC Copyright Review
News this week that Professor Jill McKeough, the Dean of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney, has been appointed as the head of the Australian Law Reform Commission review on copyright law. The Australian Copyright Council advise that the review is to examine copyright in the digital environment with a particular focus on exceptions to copyright infringement.
The press release from the ALRC states:
"The ALRC expects to receive final Terms of Reference once the Government’s process of stakeholder consultation on the draft Terms is completed by the end of March. The ALRC will publish a regular e-newsletter with news and updates throughout the inquiry and people can subscribe to this newsletter or find further information about the Copyright Inquiry on the ALRC website. The ALRC also uses Twitter to update followers about the ALRC’s work."
Further Reading
Australian Copyright Council, UTS Dean of Law appointed head of ALRC review into copyright in the digital environment (8 February 2012) < http://www.copyright.org.au/news-and-policy/details/id/2034/ > at 9 February 2012
Australian Law Reform Commission, Professor Jill McKeough appointed as ALRC Commissioner for the Copyright Inquiry (8 February 2012) < http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/media-release/professor-jill-mckeough-appointed-alrc-commissioner-copyright-inquiry > at 9 February 2012
The press release from the ALRC states:
"The ALRC expects to receive final Terms of Reference once the Government’s process of stakeholder consultation on the draft Terms is completed by the end of March. The ALRC will publish a regular e-newsletter with news and updates throughout the inquiry and people can subscribe to this newsletter or find further information about the Copyright Inquiry on the ALRC website. The ALRC also uses Twitter to update followers about the ALRC’s work."
Further Reading
Australian Copyright Council, UTS Dean of Law appointed head of ALRC review into copyright in the digital environment (8 February 2012) < http://www.copyright.org.au/news-and-policy/details/id/2034/ > at 9 February 2012
Australian Law Reform Commission, Professor Jill McKeough appointed as ALRC Commissioner for the Copyright Inquiry (8 February 2012) < http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/media-release/professor-jill-mckeough-appointed-alrc-commissioner-copyright-inquiry > at 9 February 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
SOPA/PIPA/ACTA/TPP
Well hasnt it been an interesting few weeks in the realm of copyright/internet law! I've been following the fall of SOPA/PIPA in the USA and for those that havent there is a list of articles at the bottom of this post if you want to catch up. Needless to say grassroots protesting has, it seems at least for now, killed off both of these Bills and while they may yet reemerge under a different name for now let me say - A JOB WELL DONE! There were many sites that blacked out in protest, including of course Wikipedia and a massive online movement formed to prepare and sign petitions and contact local Government representatives to express concerns about the proposed laws. I also recommend the TechDirt Archives for those keen to read up on what happened.
Now it seems that global attention has been drawn to these issues - isnt it amazing when something you have followed for so long, seemingly in isolation, becomes a main stream issue! Now many are gearing up to try to stop the EU from signing ACTA. ACTA was drafted many moons ago and is no where near as bad as it first was when the negotiations began, indeed it will mean little changes to the law in both Australia and the United States but there are still some concerning points to it. For those looking to read up on ACTA and why there is now a response developing to it, I recommend this TechDirt article which simplifies some of the issues associated with it.
Disturbing news this week that there is now a move to globalise SOPA/PIPA through a new agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement- STAY TUNED - negotiations have only just begun and already it looks terrible. More as I find out about it.
Further Reading
TechDirt, What Is ACTA And Why Is It A Problem? (24 January 2012) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/11270917527/what-is-acta-why-is-it-problem.shtml > at 31 January 2012
ArsTechnica, SOPA protest by the numbers: 162M pageviews, 7 million signatures (19 January 2012) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/sopa-protest-by-the-numbers-162m-pageviews-7-million-signatures.ars > at 24 January 2012
ArsTechnica, Internet wins: SOPA and PIPA both shelved (20 January 2012) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/internet-wins-sopa-and-pipa-both-shelved.ars > at 24 January 2012
TechDirt, Andy Samberg, Neil Gaiman, Trent Reznor, Aziz Ansari, Adam Savage & More Tell Congress: Don't Pass PIPA Or SOPA In Our Names (18 January 2012) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120116/20581217426/andy-samberg-neil-gaiman-trent-reznor-aziz-ansari-adam-savage-more-tell-congress-dont-pass-pipa-sopa-our-names.shtml > at 24 January 2012
Digital Music News, Industry | Divided: These High-Profile Artists Are Now Fighting Against SOPA... (19 January 2012) < http://digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120118sopa > at 24 January 2012
Digital Music News, 32 Music Companies Have Publicly Supported SOPA. And 2 Have Opposed It... (17 January 2012) < http://digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120113sopa > at 24 January 2012
TechDirt, Some Data On How Much The Big Media Firms Are Donating To SOPA/PIPA Sponsors (5 December 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111203/00494716961/some-data-how-much-big-media-firms-are-donating-to-sopapipa-sponsors.shtml > at 8 December 2011
TechDirt, The Definitive Post On Why SOPA And Protect IP Are Bad, Bad Ideas (22 November 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml > at 27 November 2011
ArsTechnica, The Stop Online Piracy Act: Big Content's full-on assault against the Safe Harbor (7 November 2011) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/11/the-stop-online-piracy-act-big-contents-full-on-assault-against-the-safe-harbor.ars > at 8 November 2011
Now it seems that global attention has been drawn to these issues - isnt it amazing when something you have followed for so long, seemingly in isolation, becomes a main stream issue! Now many are gearing up to try to stop the EU from signing ACTA. ACTA was drafted many moons ago and is no where near as bad as it first was when the negotiations began, indeed it will mean little changes to the law in both Australia and the United States but there are still some concerning points to it. For those looking to read up on ACTA and why there is now a response developing to it, I recommend this TechDirt article which simplifies some of the issues associated with it.
Disturbing news this week that there is now a move to globalise SOPA/PIPA through a new agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement- STAY TUNED - negotiations have only just begun and already it looks terrible. More as I find out about it.
Further Reading
TechDirt, What Is ACTA And Why Is It A Problem? (24 January 2012) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/11270917527/what-is-acta-why-is-it-problem.shtml > at 31 January 2012
ArsTechnica, SOPA protest by the numbers: 162M pageviews, 7 million signatures (19 January 2012) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/sopa-protest-by-the-numbers-162m-pageviews-7-million-signatures.ars > at 24 January 2012
ArsTechnica, Internet wins: SOPA and PIPA both shelved (20 January 2012) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/internet-wins-sopa-and-pipa-both-shelved.ars > at 24 January 2012
TechDirt, Andy Samberg, Neil Gaiman, Trent Reznor, Aziz Ansari, Adam Savage & More Tell Congress: Don't Pass PIPA Or SOPA In Our Names (18 January 2012) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120116/20581217426/andy-samberg-neil-gaiman-trent-reznor-aziz-ansari-adam-savage-more-tell-congress-dont-pass-pipa-sopa-our-names.shtml > at 24 January 2012
Digital Music News, Industry | Divided: These High-Profile Artists Are Now Fighting Against SOPA... (19 January 2012) < http://digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120118sopa > at 24 January 2012
Digital Music News, 32 Music Companies Have Publicly Supported SOPA. And 2 Have Opposed It... (17 January 2012) < http://digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120113sopa > at 24 January 2012
TechDirt, Some Data On How Much The Big Media Firms Are Donating To SOPA/PIPA Sponsors (5 December 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111203/00494716961/some-data-how-much-big-media-firms-are-donating-to-sopapipa-sponsors.shtml > at 8 December 2011
TechDirt, The Definitive Post On Why SOPA And Protect IP Are Bad, Bad Ideas (22 November 2011) < http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml > at 27 November 2011
ArsTechnica, The Stop Online Piracy Act: Big Content's full-on assault against the Safe Harbor (7 November 2011) < http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/11/the-stop-online-piracy-act-big-contents-full-on-assault-against-the-safe-harbor.ars > at 8 November 2011
Rethink Music 2012
The ReThink Music Conference is making its second appearance - this year it is due to be held in Boston from 23 - 24th April 2012. Registration is now open with early bird rates disappearing on 17th February 2012.
"Rethink Music is a solutions-focused event, with workshops, presentations, and panels designed to foster solutions for tomorrow's music industry. Our goal is to give a voice to industry executives, musicians, and academics and create a real debate about how to move the industry forward."
You can find out more about the conference from the website here and keep up to date with the announcement of new speakers. Confirmed speakers so far include Chris Kaskie - President, Pitchfork, Jim Griffin - Managing Director, OneHouse LLC and Cecily Mak - Vice President and General Counsel, Rhapsody International Inc.
Also, be sure to check out their Genesis Project where you can submit ideas for new business models and win some fantastic prizes - here.
"Rethink Music is a solutions-focused event, with workshops, presentations, and panels designed to foster solutions for tomorrow's music industry. Our goal is to give a voice to industry executives, musicians, and academics and create a real debate about how to move the industry forward."
You can find out more about the conference from the website here and keep up to date with the announcement of new speakers. Confirmed speakers so far include Chris Kaskie - President, Pitchfork, Jim Griffin - Managing Director, OneHouse LLC and Cecily Mak - Vice President and General Counsel, Rhapsody International Inc.
Also, be sure to check out their Genesis Project where you can submit ideas for new business models and win some fantastic prizes - here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
