“The music industry’s methods of tracking down suspected music pirates have been revealed for the first time. Using digital fingerprints, or ‘hashes’, investigators say they can tell if an MP3 file was downloaded from an unauthorised service. The industry also tracks ‘metadata’ tags, which provide hidden clues about how files were created.” The methods of detection were revealed in the proceedings of an industry lawsuit against a file-trader known by her screenname, ‘Nycfashiongirl,’ who is accused of offering over 900 copyrighted and illegally obtained songs for free download.
Month: August 2003
Let Americans In The Booker?
There have been objections to opening up competition for the Booker Prize to Americans. Elena Lappin argues Americans ought to be there: “It is crucial to open this very important literary award to all the best writing in the English language—including the United States. The Booker Prize would then cease to be a tacit celebration of the former British Empire and would come alive with the most powerful and exciting contemporary voices.”
An Instrumental Loan
The Canada Council holds a competition for musicians to borrow one of 11 string instruments the Council owns. Every three years, the council runs a competition to loan the instruments – collectively worth $21 million. “Musicians must audition before a jury that decides who will be granted one of the instruments. Halifax cellist Denise Djokic won the use of the ‘Bonjour’ Stradivarius cello three years ago and, next week, she will compete to keep it for another three because she feels the Strad has changed both her playing and her life.”
Is This The Device That Will Replace Books?
“Researchers at Hewlett Packard have developed a prototype electronic book which can hold a whole library on a device no bigger than a paperback. The brushed metal device is about one centimetre thick and looks like an oversized handheld computer.”
History’s Great Art Thefts
The theft of a Leonardo painting this week adds to a list of famous art heists in history. Here’s a list of some of the most notorius… “If you’re going to allow public access, particularly to a location of this sort, which is not in the centre of a major city, it is difficult to guard against this type of attack.”
Gluck Chosen As New US Poet Laureate
Louise Gluck has been chosen as the next US Poet Laureate. “The selection will be officially announced Friday by the Librarian of Congress, who said in a statement that Gluck (rhymes with pick) will bring to the office “a strong, vivid, deep poetic voice.” She is a professor of English at Williams College.
Broadway’s Back
After a dropoff in audience because of the blackout a few weeks ago, Broadway has rebounded with a robust end of summer…
Is Mark Morris Overrated?
Mark Morris is a choreographic master. But has he lost a step or two? “There’s a good reason the press can’t stop talking about Morris’s musicality: When dance is a bastard of music and motion, it makes the spirit flesh, like God did.”
San Jose Considers Privatizing City Theatres
San Jose is considering privatizing the management of the city’s public theatres. The city’s arts groups are concerned. “In light of a $4 million loss at the city-run McEnery Convention Center in 2002, the mayor’s office sees privatization as a possible way to run the buildings more efficiently. However, the Mayor’s Budget Message Task Force, an ad hoc advisory committee of representatives from local arts groups, has urged the city to consider the impact on local groups as well the bottom line when determining who will manage the facilities.”
BBC For Free – Is It Possible?
The BBC says it will digitize all its content and make it available for free. Is this even technically possible? “Giving away the BBC’s content online is an eye-popping proposal, in part because it’s such an ambitious project. The BBC produces eight TV channels and 10 radio networks, and it broadcasts the news in 43 languages worldwide. It’s been doing television since 1936, and radio since 1922. How much of the Beeb’s voluminous output could it really put online? With today’s production software, digitizing the Beeb’s shows to disk as they air or uploading a copy of each segment separately as it’s produced would be easy. But what about the old shows?”