“The European Parliament has approved a controversial piracy law that would allow local police to raid the homes and offices of suspected intellectual-property pirates, search their financial records and even freeze suspects’ bank accounts. The European Union’s directive covers selling everything from pirated CDs and counterfeit toys to fake Chanel and Viagra.”
Tag: 03.16.04
Downloaders Aren’t Pirates, Court Told
People who share digital files of music and movies aren’t pirates, an internet advocacy group tells a Canadian judge. “The music industry’s “war against file sharing,” if successful, will mean “significant collateral damage” to the rights and interests of Internet users, a federal court was told Monday.”
Renaissance Painter Composed Music For His Painting
A Renaissance scholar has discovered that the musical notes painted by Filippino Lippi in a famous 15th Century painting “Madonna and Child with Singing Angels is original music probably composed by the painter himself. “The first several notes of the composition are exactly the beginning notes of a popular Renaissance song, ‘Fortuna Desperata.’ After the first few notes, however, the piece does not resemble Fortuna.”
Out, Damn Obscenity!
America’s morality police are on the warpath again. “The threat of tougher punishment for those who outrage public decency has the broadcast industry in a semi-panic. The National Assn. of Broadcasters issued a statement last week that, somewhat nervously, said, ‘We hear the call of legislators and are committed to taking voluntary action to address this issue.’ One wonders exactly what that portends.”
Movie Directors Vy For The TV Screen
“In a remarkable crossing of media, 23 feature directors, including Rob Reiner, Ivan Reitman, Barry Sonnenfeld and Bryan Singer, are preparing pilots for shows vying for placement on all six broadcast networks. At most, only a few will be picked up. But the effort shows an important swing in the entertainment pendulum: the acceptance of television as a creative and thriving medium that no longer stands as the stepchild to the big screen.”
Tsing Loh Offered Job Back, Refuses
A week after firing commentator Sandra Tsing Loh for uttering an obscenity in a commentary, the Santa Monica public radio station KCRW offered her her job back. “Late last week, station General Manager Ruth Seymour apologized to Loh and reversed her decision to terminate the commentator for using a four-letter obscenity on KCRW-FM (89.9). But Loh turned down the station’s offer Monday, citing what she called a “toxic” environment there.”
Are Public Broadcasters Wimping Out?
Why do public broadcasters seem even more afraid of an FCC crackdown than commercial broadcasters? “That no broadcaster has ever lost its license for obscenity or indecency, however, seems entirely lost on public broadcasters. Although they preen over their intellectually superior, cutting-edge programming, they have devolved into some of the most timid and conformist contributors to the programming mix. In this environment, the government need never take any real action to accomplish a chilling effect on an already jittery broadcast community. The head of the FCC or an influential congressional committee chairman need only clear his throat, and industry ‘leaders’ are set scrambling to shoot their wounded.”
Another Cuban Artist Denied Visa To US
The US continues its puzzling policy of denying visas to artists wanting to visit the United States. Latest victim, reports a gallery in Washington DC, is Cuban artist Sandra Ramos, whose work is in the permanent collection of American museums including The Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She’s visited the US many times, but her visa was denied to attend the opening of her new show at DC’s Fraser Gallery.
Larsen: Women Composers Making Progress
When composer Libby Larsen started out, there weren’t many women composers successfully making careers writing music. “After 30 years, it’s ‘like night and day.’ The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers has 900 entries. There is now community, history, a consistent body of professional work and generations upon which to build. ‘I can see the next one coming,’ says Larsen knowingly. ‘You need seven generations to make a big change. We can now, at least, find five’.”
Tower Records’ New Lease On Life
Tower Records emerged from bankruptcy court Monday. “Tower leaves bankruptcy protection with a far lighter debt load and a sunnier outlook. The music business seems to be coming back – CD sales nationwide are up 14 percent this year, according to Nielsen/SoundScan market research – and Tower’s revenue has inched up since August, reversing a multiyear decline. Tower says 90 of its 93 stores make money.”