Category: media

“The makers of Kazaa, the world’s most popular computer file-sharing program, cannot be held liable for copyright infringement of music or movies swapped on its free software, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled Friday. The decision upheld a 2002 appellate-court verdict… In the United States, a federal judge already has dismissed the entertainment industry’s lawsuits against two rival file-sharing services, Grokster and StreamCast Networks, saying they could not be held liable for what their users do with the software. That ruling has been appealed, with a decision expected in February.”

Presidential contender Howard Dean apparently sees some political hay to be made in the recent backlash against the FCC’s attempt to further deregulate the American media industry. Dean “is making the message of the media reform movement part of his campaign–not just calling for overturning the FCC rules but also calling for breaking up existing media conglomerates.” Whether a president would actually have the ability to implement such a sweeping anti-corporate agenda is an open question, of course, but at the momentm Dean is the only candidate even talking about the issue.

Movies are getting longer every day, and it seems like every time you set foot in the multiplex, they’ve added another gallon or so to your “cup” of pop. And no, there are still no intermissions at your favorite Hollywood blockbuster. You see where we’re going with this. When, exactly, are America’s movie lovers supposed to take a bathroom break?

When a Nova Scotia-based TV production company was shut down by its corporate parent last week, it sparked renewed fears that Canadian drama is in severe trouble, and unable to compete with the influx of American programming. Now, a coalition of union activists are calling for new federal regulations designed to protect and encourage Canadian programming.

Hey, look! It’s a movie critic who doesn’t like the Lord of the Rings movies! Why, the nerve of that guy! Everyone loves LoTR! Where does he get off? What did he just say? It’s too long?! “Every time you think the final credits are about to roll, another scene lurches in, adding another chance to look at your watch in awe and wonderment at how much sheer footage the film has.” Grrrrrr…

A historical drama which isn’t even in theaters yet is the runaway leader in the nominations for the Golden Globes, Hollywood’s bizarre and inexplicably important awards show. Cold Mountain earned nominations in every major category, and a few minor ones as well. Other films nominated for top awards are Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Seabiscuit, Mystic River, and the animated feature, Finding Nemo.

Online music piracy is a problem worldwide, but the heavyhanded tactics being employed in the U.S. to make file-swapping less tempting are controversial, and not every country is following suit. In Argentina, the recording industry is using dialogue, education, and partnerships with corporations whose employees use company computers for their piracy to stem the flow of illegal music.

For 12 years a lawsuit has dragged on about who owns the rights to merchandising Winnie the Pooh. For Disney, which has been selling Pooh stuff for years, the stakes are huge. “The company earns about a billion dollars a year in Pooh-related revenues, and if the Slesingers win the case Disney estimates that it may be liable for several hundred million dollars.”

TV ratings are down this fall. And where did many viewers go? Computer games. So “top cable networks like Spike TV, MTV and Game Show Network are focusing on original programming that revolves around video games in an effort to regain the loyalty of an audience segment coveted by advertisers.”