April 2002

BROADBAND
Free-Space Optics Offer Fast Data Option

BROADCAST
FCC Statement and Order on NBC's Proposed Acquisition of Telemundo
Communications Group

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Professor Says Disney, Other Firms Typify What's Wrong With
Copyrights

INTERNET
Connectivity Kings: Oh Canada
Minnesota Poised to Clamp Down on Internet Privacy
Copyright Office Threatens Internet Radio Privacy

RADIO
Radio Close To Increased Digital Transmissions

BROADBAND

FREE-SPACE OPTICS OFFER FAST DATA OPTION
In the 1990s, telecom industries laid fiber-optic lines across the country
leaving an estimated 75% of U.S. businesses within one mile of a fiber-optic
artery. Unfortunately, only 5% of those businesses can access the high-speed
lines, and it is becoming clear that the costs to extend the cables the
"last mile" are prohibitive for telecom companies. A new technology, called
free-space optics (FSO) is becoming one way to remove this bottleneck and
reduce the need to lay more cable. Instead of waiting months to get
high-speed service, FSO technology allows companies to get access in just
weeks. Companies use laser beams to relay data from building to building.
Drawbacks to the technology are that it requires a clear line of sight
between buildings, and bad weather and obstructions can interfere with data
transmission. Nonetheless, according to Lindsay Schroth, an analyst at the
Yankee Group, "...it is cheap, easy to deploy and offers extremely high
capacity. It will be another viable option in the broadband portfolio."
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Brian Acohido]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/04/11/terabeam.htm)

BROADCAST

FCC Statement and order on NBC's Proposed Acquisition of Telemundo
Communications Group
In a memorandum opinion and order released yesterday, the FCC granted
transfer of Telemundo Communications Group stations to the National
Broadcasting Company (NBC). In November, 2001, NBC filed applications
seeking consent to acquire the licenses of Telemundo's 11 full power
television stations and 17 low-power and translator stations. The
acquisition was challenged by a coalition of Hispanic Groups and by Paxson
Communication Corporation for, respectively, not being in the public
interest and for violating the FCC local multiple ownership rules. The FCC,
however, has found NBC's pledge to continue Spanish-language programming
satisfactory fulfillment of public interest concerns. The FCC has also given
NBC 12 months to comply with the television duopoly rule, which limits the
number of stations any single party may own in a single market. The complete
FCC memorandum and a statement by Commissioner Michael J. Copps may be found
at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-113A1.txt.
[SOURCE: FCC]

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

PROFESSOR SAYS DISNEY, OTHER FIRMS TYPIFY WHAT'S WRONG WITH COPYRIGHTS
Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford law professor who was named one of the 25 most
influential people in electronic business by Business Week, is fighting to
alter copyright laws and challenge the rights of Congress to extend
copyright terms. In the year 1790, copyrights lasted 14 years, but in 1988
the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act passed and copyright terms were
extended to 70 years after the creator's death and 95 years for works owned
by corporations. Lessig contends that extending copyrights gives
corporations too much power over new film works, computers code, and music
distribution. As an example he points to a public television documentary
that was stalled by attorneys who demanded a large licensing fee for two
seconds of "The Simpsons" appearing in a background shot. Lessig believes
that copyrights should exist and artists deserve compensation, but extending
copyrights will damage society. "If copyright is perpetual and there are
perpetual copyright controls, the creative process dramatically decreases."
He points out that Disney built its empire on the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
after they entered the public domain and stresses that without copyright
reform, "there will never be anyone who can do what Disney did, ever again."
[SOURCE: Dallas Morning News, AUTHOR: Doug Bedell]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3034892.htm)

INTERNET

CONNECTIVITY KINGS: OH CANADA
Fast Forward 3.0, a report from the Canadian E-Business Opportunities
Roundtable, has revealed that Canadians are leading the U.S. in wired homes,
with 60% of Canadians online compared to 52% of Americans. In other
comparisons, funding from the Canadian venture capital community dropped
only 27%, while in the U.S. disbursements dropped 65%. Despite the large
online population, only 17% of Canadians shop online, compared to 27% in the
United States. Analysts point to several reasons for the disparity,
including population diversity, cultural differences, and problems shopping
online at U.S.-based companies. According to Shirley-Ann George, government
program executive with IBM Canada and a member of the roundtable support
team, "There are a lot of obstacles to purchasing over the Internet in
Canada that don't apply to Americans."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Charles Mandel]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,51678,00.html)

Minnesota Poised to Clamp Down on Internet Privacy
Minnesota may be the first state to regulate the way Internet service
providers must handle consumers' private data. A pair of consumer
protection bills working their way through Minnesota's House and Senate
would restrict the sale of sensitive consumer information. The difference
between the two bills, is that the House sponsored bill favors an "opt-out"
measure while the Senate version supports an "opt-in" measure. The Internet
industry disagrees with the bills, arguing that the law would have such
unintended consequences as provoking massive class-action lawsuits and would
discriminate against e-commerce companies by burdening them with unwieldy
regulation. Another concern from the industry is that other states will
follow Minnesota's lead, resulting in a patchwork of dissimilar Internet
regulations around the country.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes; AUTHOR: Kevin Featherly]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/175807.htm)

COPYRIGHT OFFICE THREATENS INTERNET RADIO PRIVACY
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is asking the U.S. Copyright office to
modify proposed webcasting regulations requiring webcasters to gather and
report information about individual listeners. The new regulations would
require webcasters to collect information that would include each listener's
country of origin, local time zone, and a unique user identifier. EFF
Senior Intellectual Property Attorney Fred von Lohmann said, "The Copyright
Office's policy will drive smaller web casters off the Internet by enforcing
the expense of tracking 25 pieces of information for every song they
broadcast. The same policy establishes an unprecedented violation of
listener privacy by tracking and providing to copyright holders a 'unique
identifier' for each listener."
[SOURCE: Electronic Frontier Foundation, AUTHOR: EFF]
(http://www.eff.org/IP/Audio/20020410_joint_co_comments_pr.html)

RADIO

RADIO CLOSE TO INCREASED DIGITAL TRANSMISSIONS
A new technology will allow radio stations to supplement analog signals with
digital transmissions by the end of this year. This will allow AM stations
to achieve the same sound quality as FM, and FM stations will approach CD
clarity. iBiquity Digital CEO Bob Struble unveiled the digital radio
technology, saying "Static, hiss and pops all go away...You're talking about
a diametrical upgrade in audio quality." Radio World news editor Leslie
Stimson thinks the new technology, "...could revitalize AM radio. A lot of
AM stations have been forced into adopting talk formats." FM stations will
begin using the iBiquity technology in November. AM stations will use it
during the daytime until tests have confirmed that night use will not cause
interference.
[SOURCE: USA Today. AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2002-04-11-ibiquity.htm)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

COPYRIGHT
HDTV Advocates Join Copy-Protection Fray

BROADCAST
Murdoch's Plan for China Starts With U.S.-Type Shows

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Mississippi Schools Receive PowerUP Grant

INTERNET
UK Puts E-Voting to the Test

COPYRIGHT

HDTV ADVOCATES JOIN COPY-PROTECTION FRAY
A high-definition-TV advocacy group is forming led by HDTV publisher Dale
Cripps, editor-in-chief Howard Barton, and communications attorney Tedson
Meyers. This group represents the interests of HDTV owners who are concerned
that new copyright measures could destroy the usefulness of the expensive
sets. DigitalConsumer.org, another advocacy group formed by California
technology entrepreneurs and executives is lobbying to have Congress pass a
consumer "bill of rights." In an effort to expedite the digital TV
transition, FCC Chairman Michael Powell has proposed several voluntary
anti-copy protection measures for broadcasters and satellite operators. In
Congress, Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C. has introduced legislation requiring
the development of anti-piracy standards for all computers and home
entertainment devices. Excite.com founder, Joe Kraus has co-founded the
DigitalConsumer.org advocacy group fearing that without consumer involvement
new laws will reduce consumer options when watching TV and listening to
music. Kraus said, "We are trying to change the nature of the debate,
because Hollywood has framed it as 'You are either in the camp of the
pirates or in the camp of Hollywood'...There is a difference between copying
and piracy. Making a copy of a song from your CD to take to the gym or in
your car in not piracy."
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Mike Snider]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/04/08/digitaltv-usat.htm)

BROADCAST

MURDOCH'S PLAN FOR CHINA STARTS WITH U.S.- TYPE SHOWS
Xing Kong Wei Shi, a 24-hour Manadarin-language channel from the Star Group
Ltd. is filling their lineup with U.S.-inspired programming such as a
courtroom drama modeled after "Judge Judy", and a Chinese version of
"America's Funniest Home videos". The Star Group is owned by Rupert
Murdoch's News Corp and beams programming to 53 Asian countries reaching
more than 300 million people. Competitor AOL Time Warner Inc's China
Entertainment Television is also planning a new lineup but they will use
dubbed versions of Korean, Japanese and American drama series for the
prime-time lineup. Xing Kong is relying on reality-based, locally produced
programming using relative unknowns as actors.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Alkman Granitsas]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1017957505594276440,00.html?mod=todays%5
Fus%5Fmarketplace%5Fhs)
(Requires subscription)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS RECEIVE POWERUP GRANT
The Mississippi Department of Education has received funds from PowerUP, a
non-profit initiative which seeks to bridge the digital divide across the
nation. The Mississippi Department of Education awarded funds from PowerUP
to 50 schools across the state. Known as PowerPALS in Mississippi, the
program provides computers, printers, software and Internet accounts for
school labs. But PowerPALS is not just for students: the labs remain open
into the early evening for those in the community who wish to further their
education or gain more computer skills. More information about PowerUP is
available at their web site (http://www.powerup.org/index.shtml).
[SOURCE: Daily Journal; AUTHOR: Holly Wright]
(http://www.djournal.com/djournal/site/articles/news/988821.htm)

INTERNET

UK PUTS E-VOTING TO THE TEST
Two of the 20 wards in St. Albans, England will test out an ambitious
electronic voting scheme during the upcoming local elections. The trial is
being conducted to see if more people vote when they have more ways to do
it. Other technologies, such as postal ballots, mobile phone text messaging
and digital television, are also being tested in other parts of the country.
In St. Albans, residents will be able to cast votes via the Internet, or at
telephone or touchscreen kiosks in supermarkets and polling stations. The
St. Albans District Council has set the modest target of raising voter
turnout by 4%. The District has also extended the voting period from one to
three days, hoping that this will increase accessibility even further.
Opponents of online voting argue that it is vulnerable to fraud and that it
discriminates against those without Internet access or who are not
computer-literate.
[SOURCE: BBCNews]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1916000/1916184.stm)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digital Divide
New Tools For School: Educators Dream Of Laptops For All Students
Technology Jones

Broadband
Tech Groups Back Baby Bells On Mandatory High-Speed Network Sharing

Ownership
Media Access Project Issues Statement Tn Television Station
Ownership Decision

Intellectual Property
An End To Digital Piracy?

Internet
Italy Pushes E-Government
Cuba Tests Online Waters
From Parking To Taxes, A Push To Get Answers Online

DIGITAL DIVIDE

NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOL: EDUCATORS DREAM OF LAPTOPS FOR ALL STUDENTS
After years of debate, many educators have become advocates for the benefits
of using laptops and handheld computers in the classroom. In Silicon Valley,
students use handheld devices to graph math problems, learn economics and
map out science experiments. Bill Richter, principal of Lynbrook High
School said, "The curriculum is the same...It's just a different way of
access that allows kids to be more creative and more in control of how they
learn." Around 15 percent of school districts nationwide have some type of
laptop initiative and proponents of the programs say that it is the next
step in giving students essential technical skills for future success in the
workforce. Critics of the laptop programs have said schools are not
discussing the hazards of handheld devices and laptops. Distribution of the
equipment and teacher training can be very expensive for schools and
students must be taught about privacy and using the tools responsibly. The
largest laptop program is San Jose's East Side high school district.
Superintendent Joe Coto is planning on giving every student in the district
a laptop to bring technology into the homes of about 100,000 people who
would not normally be able to afford it. "The digital divide has been
around a long time, and we think our kids deserve this. We believe it will
improve academic performance, increase understanding of future careers in
technology, and bring greater involvement and communication with parents.
And we think it will be an important step for our students who don't speak
English."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Katherine Corcoran]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/2994121.htm)

TECHNOLOGY JONES
An ex-AT&T executive, Alicia Jones, has founded Youthlinks USA, a nonprofit
computer training center in Detroit targeted at teaching computer skills to
the working poor, school dropouts, senior citizens, and the learning
disabled. Jones is hoping to provide the training and support these groups
need to increase their earning potential and succeed in today's workplace.
While several computer programs teach similar skills in the Detroit area,
none are as large as Youthlinks USA. Jones hopes to partner with other
organizations around the country to bring the program to community centers,
churches, and after-school programs. In describing the structure of the
program Jones said, "We demystify technology for them. It doesn't make sense
to sit a child in front of a computer and teach him technology and they
can't read. This isn't just a technology program, we target the whole
child."
[SOURCE: The Detroit News, AUTHOR: Tenisha Mercer]
(http://www.detnews.com/2002/detroit/0204/03/s04-454614.htm)

BROADBAND

TECH GROUPS BACK BABY BELLS ON MANDATORY HIGH-SPEED NETWORK SHARING
Six leading trade organizations have formed the High Tech Broadband
Coalition to support the Baby Bell telephone companies fight regulations
forcing them to share their high-speed networks with competitors. Many
groups are lobbying to make high-speed Internet access a national priority,
but this is the first group to support the Baby Bells in their quest to ease
existing regulations. The coalition believes that removing the restrictions
would encourage the phone companies to build more high-speed networks
resulting in increased sales of networking gear and software. Grant
Seiffert, vice president of external affairs and global policy at the
Telecommunications Industry Association, a member of the new coalition said,
"We are the value chain of the broadband space-the arms merchants...and
right now we're not selling any product." Many other industry associations
such as the Information Technology Association of America are supporting the
local exchange carriers and argue that lifting the regulations would create
an anti-competitive environment.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Joelle Tessler]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/2993942.htm)

OWNERSHIP

MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT ISSUES STATEMENT ON TELEVISION STATION OWNERSHIP
DECISION
Media Access Project (MAP) published an issue statement on April 2, 2002
about the U.S. Court of Appeals' decision in Sinclair Broadcast Group v.
Federal Communications Commission. Sinclair challenged the FCC's rules
limiting the number of television stations a single owner may possess in a
local area. The Court did not agree with Sinclair's argument that the rules
violate the First Amendment, the Telecommunications Act and the Fifth
Amendment's takings clause. The Court also found that the FCC did not
adequately define the terms under which multiple station ownership was
allowable. MAP stated that this is only a temporary setback and that, the
Court has upheld the authority and power of the FCC to promote viewpoint
diversity through ownership regulation.
[SOURCE: Media Access Project]
(http://www.mediaaccess.org/press/sinclair4202.pdf)
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view this document.)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

AN END TO DIGITAL PIRACY?
Jack Valenti, chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America,
has offered dire predictions about how peer-to-peer software allows the
piracy of films. Valenti feels that file swappers are "terrorizing" his
industry. CNET News interviews Valenti about the legislation proposed by
Senator Hollings that would force both producers and hardware manufacturers
to use anti-piracy technology. Valenti supports the bill, but says that the
focus needs to be narrowed and that all stakeholders need to participate in
"good-faith negotiations" about solving digital piracy issues.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: John Borland]
(http://news.com.com/2008-1082-875394.html)

INTERNET

ITALY PUSHES E-GOVERNMENT
Since last summer former IBM executive, Lucio Stanca, has been the Italian
minister for technology and innovation, tasked with transforming a
paper-heavy bureaucracy into a streamlined system of online databases to
bring transparency to the public sector. Italy will be leading the Group of
Seven nations e-government initiative to create aid for developing
countries. As head of the project Stanca will bring together a group of
600 officials and executives to review Italy's commitment of more than $100
million of e-government assistance to launch e-government programs in
Jordan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Albania and Tunisia. In response to skeptics
who question the validity of spending money on e-government programs when
many people need food and medicine, Stanca has stated the program targets
countries that have burgeoning economic development. "Our vision is that if
we help countries to make their public administration more reliable, more
transparent and accessible, then this will increase the confidence of
government donors and the private sector to respectively give them financial
resources, aid and investments to support their economic growth."
[SOURCE: International Herald Tribune, AUTHOR: Alan Friedman]
(http://www.iht.com/articles/53307.html)

CUBA TESTS ONLINE WATERS
The first in a three-part series, this article explores how the ordinary
Cuban citizen gets online. Citizens are hungry for the Internet and find
ways to get around the government restrictions on Internet access. While
Cuba's communist government has sought to teach citizens computer skills, it
restricts full access to the Internet. Instead, the government provides
state-run computer clubs where citizens may access a network that uses the
same protocols as the Internet, but is not connected to the Internet. The
computers are linked instead to an island-wide network. Carlos Mas Zabala,
director of Cuba's Center for Informatics and Applied Systems of Culture,
states that "Cuba is extremely confident of the future, we can manage any
kind of technology." Curiously enough, while it tightly restricts Internet
access, the Cuban government is seeking to create a computer-literate
generation to rival software programmers in the West - an issue that will be
covered in the next article in this series.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1905000/1905236.stm)

FROM PARKING TO TAXES, A PUSH TO GET ANSWERS ONLINE
At all levels of government, officials are transforming government Web sites
into virtual service counters. But the change is happening slowly. Professor
Darrell West of Brown University found that last year, 25 percent of state
and federal Web sites offered transactions, and increase of only 3 percent
from the previous year. A study being released today by the Pew Internet and
American Life Project (PIP) estimates that 68 million Americans have used
government Web sites. The study also shows that 60 percent of those who used
such sites said the process improved the way they interacted with
government. "It's hard to think of any other single step that a government
agency could take to improve its standing with constituents," said Lee
Rainie, director of the Pew project. But barriers to delivering e-government
services are substantial as the "right mix" of legislative approval, funding
and inter-agency cooperation are often difficult to achieve. The Pew study
also points out the perils of poorly executed government sites which led to
user inability to find information or services they required. Among the top
government sites are FirstGov (Federal government portal) and the Web site
for New York City.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Rebecca Fairley Raney]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/04/technology/circuits/04GOVE.html)
(Registration required.)
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BROADBAND
California PUC Claims Jurisdiction Over DSL Services
Rethinking Access to Public Lands and Rights-of Way

INTERNET
Second-Level Digital Divide: Differences in People's Online Skills
Recycled PCs Head for African Schools
Sex Loses Net Appeal
Basement Bands See Digital Light

COPYRIGHT
The Kazaa Ruling: What it Means

BROADBAND

CALIFORNIA PUC CLAIMS JURISDICTION OVER DSL SERVICES
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has claimed regulatory
power over DSL, the first time any state has done so. The ruling stems from
a complaint filed against Pacific Bell, charging that it discriminates
against independent ISP providers. Mike Jackman, executive director for the
California Internet Service Provider Association, said that "What's
ultimately at stake here is not just competition in broadband access, but
whether Internet users will have a choice in the content and applications
that will become available in the future." Although PacBell's parent company
has argued that the FCC has oversight in DSL transport, the CPUC ruled that
"the FCC has not explicitly barred all state regulation." The CPUC will
limit the case to service issues cited in the complaint and will not DSL
rates and operating speeds.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes; AUTHOR: Dick Kelsey]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/media/15943-1.html)

RETHINKING ACCESS TO PUBLIC LANDS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY
At the end of March, NTIA Assistant Secretary Nancy J. Victory gave an
address at the third annual James H. Quello Communications Policy and Law
Symposium. She discusses the various issues the Administration has been
focused on in their desire to increase broadband access. Four areas were
identified as places where rights-of-way regulation could impede the
construction of broadband facilities. They included lengthy application
processes, unreasonable fees, duplicative regulations, and discriminatory
treatment. It was also pointed out that local officials have voiced concern
that decreasing regulation could create an anticompetitive environment.
Victory calls for a collaborative effort amongst federal, state, and local
officials to remove impediments to delivering competitive voice, two-way,
high-speed data and video services. She states that the FCC is working with
its Local State Government Advisory Committee to find solutions for
rights-of way access issues. Additionally, the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has established a committee to
provide recommendations on the rights-of-way issue.
[SOURCE: NTIA, AUTHOR: Nancy J. Victory]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2002/quello32602.htm)

INTERNET

SECOND-LEVEL DIGITAL DIVIDE: DIFFERENCES IN PEOPLE'S ONLINE SKILLS
The digital divide has been defined as the gap between those people and
communities with access to information technology and those without it. The
author of this paper, Eszter Hargittai, argues that it is necessary to
expand on this definition by looking at the differences in online skills
among Internet users, not simply whether people do or do not have access.
Using data obtained via in-person observations and interviews with a random
sample of 54 Internet users, the author discusses the differences in how
often people could successfully perform online search tasks. The conclusion
of Hargittai's paper states that while increasing access is important, there
is a second-level digital divide that will require investment in education
and training to ensure those with access understand how to use it.
[SOURCE: First Monday, AUTHOR: Eszter Hargittai]
(http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue7_4/hargittai/index.html)

RECYCLED PCS HEAD FOR AFRICAN SCHOOLS
Dr. Morris Agaba, a researcher at a Scottish university, is setting up a
scheme to collect surplus computers and send them to schools in his native
Uganda. "Most of the computers have been decommissioned because the
institutions which were using them are upgrading," said Dr. Agaba. The first
shipment of computers is destined for a school northeast of the capital,
Kampala. Currently, the school only has one computer which is used for
administrative purposes. The machines will have some basic software, but the
real goal is Internet access. "...if they can get connected to the
Internet,...they will have a door open to the vast amount of information
available there," hopes Dr. Agaba.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1896000/1896552.stm)

SEX LOSING NET APPEAL
A study by Penn State University's School of Information Technology has
found that interest in sex and entertainment sites is waning. Conducted over
five years, the research found that in 1997 approximately one in six web
queries to the Excite search engine was about sex. By 2001 only one in 12
surfers was searching for sex. During the same period, researchers note an
increase of commercial content coinciding with increased user interest in
commerce and travel. Some analysts believe that interest may not actually
have gone down, rather, surfers do not need to use search engines to find
sites. Then again, it could simply be a case of the novelty wearing off.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1906000/1906817.stm)

BASEMENT BANDS SEE DIGITAL LIGHT
Inexpensive digital recording software is allowing anyone with technology
skills to produce near-professional quality CDs. The result has been
dramatic growth in the online presence of independent music. Cakewalk is one
of several companies producing products for this less visible but
nonetheless booming piece of the music industry. "The tools are coming out
of the ivory tower and are being put into the hands of the masses, said
Cakewalk's Chris Rice. The company creates products for "high-end
professional musicians to...people who never had any musical training but
wish to express themselves creatively though music." Web sites like MP3.com
act as distribution channels for a lot of homegrown music. Nearly 95% of the
200,000 artists on MP3.com do not have major record label backing.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Anthony DeBarros]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2002/2002-04-02-music-tech.htm)

COPYRIGHT

THE KAZAA RULING: WHAT IT MEANS
Kazaa BV, a Dutch company that licenses file-trading software, was recently
exonerated from charges that the company was liable for copyright
infringement occurring through use of Kazaa file-trading software. The
decision of the Dutch appellate court marks the first time a court has sided
with a file-sharing company, setting off a wave of excitement among American
technology companies. But the reality is that the Dutch ruling will not help
American companies much. The Dutch ruling is based on the fact that there
are plenty of non-infringing uses for the software, but American cases have
a different focus, says Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president for the
Recording Industry of America, "...everyone knows that by far the
predominant use of the system is for illegal copying of music and movies.
Obviously, this ruling has no precendent on our case and it's not even
persuasive here." While the Dutch ruling could weaken the overall structure
of international copyright law if other countries follow the Dutch court,
the decision may be irrelevant in the near future by two digital copyright
treaties ratified this year by the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO). For further information about the treaties, see Wired News story CAN
THE WORLD BE COPYRIGHTED? at
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50658,00.html).
[SOURCE: Wired News; AUTHOR: Brad King]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51457,00.html)

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