Category: media

“SOPA’s sponsors aspire to grant absolute control to copyright holders, and would trample free speech and a thriving remix culture on their way to that singular aim. But control is only one route to compensation. The recording industry itself has repeatedly (and successfully) lobbied to force composers and lyricists to accept a governmentally set compulsory license.”

“The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) says delays to the Digital Economy Act mean levels of piracy are still high. It says the UK lags behind France, where anti-piracy laws have apparently led to a 26% drop in illegal downloads. However, 28% of all internet users still access unlicensed sites that contain copyrighted music every month.”

William Randolph Hearst did all he could to torpedo Orson Welles’ epic movie. Welles triumphed then, and triumphs more now: “Seventy-one years after Hearst’s effort to derail it, ‘Citizen Kane’ will be shown at Hearst Castle’s visitors center, with the blessings of the Hearst family.”

Probably not. But the Oscar picks for best documentary could be getting better … maybe.

Five men, five directors: “Even if the specifics of their process vary, they approach filmmaking similarly — responding emotionally to material; sweating over casting more than any other choice; persevering to create an on-set atmosphere where accidents, the good kind, can happen.”

Swinton says her character is “living this life that is so isolated and so self-determined within which you get the sense that there is no place for chaos. This is a recipe for disaster. If you’re going to encounter becoming a parent, if you’re not up for a bit of chaos, let alone a lot of chaos – and I speak as the mother of twins – then you are riding a kind of really dangerous horse.”

“Hitting people over the head with overt expressions of faith is every bit as irritating, and potentially limiting, as insulting believers.”

“Megaupload, one of the most popular so-called locker services on the Internet, allowed users to transfer large files like movies and music anonymously. Media companies have long accused it of abetting copyright infringement on a vast scale. In a grand jury indictment, Megaupload is accused of causing $500 million in damages to copyright owners and of making $175 million by selling ads and premium subscriptions.”

“YouTube’s aggressive effort to leave its low-rent entertainment reputation behind continues: On Thursday the Google-owned video hub plans to announce a partnership with the Venice Film Festival and Ridley Scott’s production company to create what it’s calling an online film festival.”

“Suitable long-term preservation and access mechanisms for digital motion picture materials have not yet been developed.”