Canada to tax legal digital music downloads
,----[ Quote ]
| The surcharge would help compensate artists for piracy, according to SOCAN's
| reasoning. The publishing group draws similarities between this and a 21-cent
| fee already applied to blank CDs in the country; the right to copy a song
| from an online store demands the same sort of levy applied to copying a
| retail CD, SOCAN argues.
`----
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/10/19/canada.taxing.music.sales/
So, people already pay 'piracy tax' for media players (thank you, Microsoft,
but no thanks for making this a reality) and blank CDs, but that's not enough.
What will they charge for next? Verbal face-to-face communication? Because
some people might be talking about criminal lives they plot to engage in?
And now some similar concepts to net neutrality come to luggage:
United chief chases change
,----[ Quote ]
| Believing that his airline needs deep, wrenching changes to remain
| competitive, United Airlines Chief Executive Glenn Tilton wants to pursue
| everything, from a merger to charging passengers who want their luggage to
| come first off the plane, as part of a major overhaul of the nation's
| second-largest airline.
`----
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_united_1019oct19,0,6673281.story
Maybe they can later censor the 'little people' and give the 'truth' instead.
Presidential Cabinet members start blogs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071022/ap_on_hi_te/cabinet_bloggers
How quickly the Web changes. Microsoft uses its bloggers as marketers (see
below). Politicians want to do the same thing.
Related:
A Legitimate Reason to Hate the Zune (And Microsoft Too)
,----[ Quote ]
| Here's the situation: Microsoft has agreed to pay a portion of
| the profits from the sales of the Zune to a record company
| (Universal) because the Zune will undoubtedly be used to
| store unpurchased songs.
|
| [...]
|
| Here it is important to remember a few simple things. The
| money goes to the Universal, not to the artists.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft's move sets a bad precedent and turns all consumers into
| thieves without evidence.
`----
http://www.applematters.com/index.php/section/comments/a-legitimate-reason-to-hate-the-zune-and-microsoft-too/
Universal to seek money for each iPod sold
,----[ Quote ]
| "It would be a nice idea. We have a negotiation coming up not too
| far. I don't see why we wouldn't do that... but maybe not in the
| same way," Morris said. His "same way" comment is a reference tot
| he Zune, which Universal already gets $1 from after signing a deal
| with Microsoft.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061128-8309.html
Microsoft says Zune executive will leave company
,----[ Quote ]
| Bryan Lee, corporate vice president at Microsoft's entertainment
| and devices division, also played a key role in shaping the Xbox
| game console business and the introduction of its Internet
| Protocol television software.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6155200.html
Free Radiohead music pirated
,----[ Quote ]
| Big Champagne, a Los-Angeles-based company that tracks illegal downloading on
| the Internet said that while 1.2 million people legitimately downloaded the
| album online, 500,000 picked it up from torrent sites.
|
| [....]
|
| It has also had more copies sold. Radiohead's previous album sold only
| 300,000 copies in the first week.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/18/free-radiohead-music-pirated
Radiohead album bets on fast release, open pricing
,----[ Quote ]
| The release of popular rock group Radiohead's new album next week is the
| latest wake-up call for a music industry still struggling to deal with the
| advent of digital music, experts say.
`----
http://www.news.com/Radiohead-album-bets-on-fast-release%2C-open-pricing/2100-1025_3-6212107.html?tag=nefd.top
Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper's free Prince CD
.----
| The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free
| CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn
| widespread criticism from music retailers.
`----
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html
Defendant: RIAA abusing courts to shore up "failing business model"
,----[ Quote ]
| After the lawsuit was filed, Njuguna said she boxed up the PC reportedly used
| for infringement and purchased a new one. She then filed a series of
| counterclaims to the RIAA's lawsuit in an attempt to have the lawsuit
| dismissed and her name cleared. One of those accuses the record labels of
| failing to negotiate in good faith.
|
| [...]
|
| Njugana also accuses the RIAA of engaging in deceptive and unfair trade
| practices, arguing that the record labels have demonstrated repeated behavior
| that has an "adverse effect on the public interest." She also cites former
| RIAA defendant Tanya Andersen's lawsuit (which seeks class-action status) as
| evidence that, unless the courts step in at some point, the RIAA will
| continue its campaign.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070913-defendant-riaa-abusing-courts-to-shore-up-failing-business-model.html
The RIAA will come to regret its court win
,----[ Quote ]
| And, he told his blog readers: "If [the industry tries to] keep up the
| strategy of 'you need us badly and therefore we make the rules' you will lose
| the artists, their managers... and the audience. Another 12 months for this
| Radiohead experiment to become the default approach. Get engaged or get
| outmoded. And do it soon."
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/08/0810_riaa_comment/
Mom Sues Universal Music for DMCA Abuse
,----[ Quote ]
| The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit today against Universal
| Music Publishing Group (UMPG), asking a federal court to protect the fair use
| and free speech rights of a mother who posted a short video of her toddler
| son dancing to a Prince song on the Internet.
`----
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/general/10869/mom-sues-universal-music-dmca-abuse
Bloggers meet Mr. Bill (Gates)
,----[ Quote ]
| That meeting is to help Web developers understand how to "unlock new
| revenue opportunities" through technology and content, which could
| include podcasts and blogs. The Microsoft sessions wraps up with a
| one-hour q-and-a up with Bill Gates.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BD18F3BC9%2DF59E%2D4DB4%2DB978%2DD4651079E274%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo
http://tinyurl.com/yjaseg
Bribing Bloggers
,----[ Quote ]
| This is the most frustrating thing about the practice of giving
| bloggers free stuff: it pisses in the well, reducing the credibility
| of all blogs. I'm upset that people trust me less because of the
| behavior of other bloggers. Don't even get me started about PayPerPost.
|
| [...]
|
| Do not, under any circumstances, consider upgrading an XP system to
| Vista... even if it's fairly new and even if it's Vista Supremo
| Premium Ultra-Capable.
`----
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/12/28.html
Recidivist M$ Up to New Tricks
,----[ Quote ]
| Unleash the Astro-Turfers!
|
| Already on Apple oriented developer mailing lists one can see the
| astro-turfing has begun. A really amateurish attempt by 'Mac Developer' (no
| one uses a stupid handle like that) turned up today.
`----
http://rixstep.com/1/20071004,00.shtml
Meet Thomas Brooks. He's a viral marketer for Microsoft.
,----[ Quote ]
| It's unfortunate that paid blogging is becoming all the more prevalent in
| communities like 1UP. And it's not just the blogs or reviews, it's also the
| message boards. Microsoft, for instance, also has a person (or people?) who
| is paid to post on some of the popular gaming boards (and no, Jeff Bell
| wasn't part of that plan). But it's not just Microsoft -- I know of a few
| other game publishers who pay users to blog. They don't necessarily require
| bloggers to say positive things about their products, but it's certainly
| implied with the paychecks.
|
| What bums me out about all this viral stuff is that, to some extent, you
| don't know who to trust anymore. There was a time when, if you no longer
| believed in what the professional editors where saying, you could at least
| count on your fellow gamers for honest opinions. Not anymore. In a sense,
| perhaps that helps elevate the importance of the professional word once
| again, which I suppose is a good thing for us. But I'm still not happy about
| it.
`----
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8281416&publicUserId=4561231
Malik, Arrington and Battelle: X-22, come in [to Microsoft]
,----[ Quote ]
| What would possess a collection of online publishers and venture capitalists
| to pimp a Microsoft advertising slogan?
|
| Valleywag today reported about a site tied to a Microsoft ad campaign
| where the likes of Michael Arrington, Om Malik and others seemingly
| lend their support to the "people-ready" catchphrase.
|
| I sent e-mails both to Arrington and Malik and--surprise,
| surprise--heard nothing back. (Obviously, they are not yet
| sufficiently "Coop-ready.") Microsoft was still checking for me into
| whether money exchanged hands. But even if not a single shekel exchanged
| hands, I must wonder about the absence of common sense. Why would
| ostensibly independent voices come across as Microsoft shills? If
| they were hoping for a free dinner with Bill Gates, there are
| smarter ways to go about it.
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9733995-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Microsoft really loves Bloggers !!!
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft regularly flies customers and industry experts to its
| campus in Washington to listen to the feedback given by those
| people.The company invites dozens of key customers and partners
| to the event,where they spend brainstorming as a group.But as of
| late, Microsoft has changed it's strategy and the company is
| making extensive use of blogs to get direct customer feedback.
|
| Within a year,more than 1000 Microsoft employee blogs featured
| developers and product managers talking directly to customers every
| day, instead of once a year.Microsoft employees read dozens of
| blogs every day to see how customers react to Microsoft products
| and services. In fact,Microsoft employees have taken a bigger leap
| and even contribute to other's blogs in the expanding space of
| Blogosphere.
`----
http://thoughtsprevail.blogspot.com/2007/03/microsoft-really-loves-bloggers.html
Blogging for dollars raises questions
,----[ Quote ]
| Then there was the law firm looking to find clients who had used a
| certain birth control patch. The firm told bloggers to "get creative,
| have fun with your post and help spread the word" -- the word being
| that the patch was killing and injuring young women.
`----
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-blogs0319,0,5617465.story
Microsoft Traps and Hunts for Bloggers in India !!
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has announced the "Microsoft BlogStars" contest, to Hunts
| for Developer Bloggers in India. After feeling the power and increase of
| the Bloggers community in India, Microsoft tries to trap and hunt Bloggers
| in India to buildup the blogging community, for writing blog posts
| supporting towards Microsoft Technologies.
`----
http://i5bala.blogspot.com/2006/10/microsoft-traps-and-hunts-for-bloggers.html
Seattle Area Bloggers Needed for Microsoft User Research Study
,----[ Quote ]
| For your participation, we'll give you your choice of retail
| software and hardware from our extensive list. Current titles
| include the latest Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC games, keyboards,
| Microsoft Office, Windows, productivity software and much more.
`----
http://blogs.msdn.com/usability_recruiting/archive/2007/01/05/seattle-area-bloggers-needed-for-microsoft-user-research-study.aspx
Microsoft's Laptop Giveaway Becoming PR Disaster?
,----[ Quote ]
| This thing is starting to feel like a PR disaster. Bloggers are
| starting to smell blood and this thing very well may begin to
| turn into yet another episode of bloggers gone wild.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/061228/23174_id.html?.v=1
Bribing Bloggers
,----[ Quote ]
| It's a bribe. Period. You say nice things about us, you get nice
| things from us. Heck, just say neutral things about us-we'll give
| you a killer new laptop and we know that you'll be inclined to say
| better things about us.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2077596,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000616
Getting a Vaio [with Vista, from Microsoft, even in March 2007]
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Belgium rang me yesterday (I don?t think they realised it
| was a public holiday here!).
|
| [...]
|
| The phone call yesterday was to confirm my address - the laptop (a
| Sony Vaio - dunno which model or spec yet) is en route with Vista
| Ultimate and Office Ultimate pre-installed.
`----
http://www.tomrafteryit.net/getting-a-vaio/
,----[ Quote ]
| "Some years back, Microsoft practiced a lot of dirty tricks using
| online mavens to go into forums and create Web sites extolling the virtues
| of Windows over OS/2. They were dubbed the Microsoft Munchkins, and it
| was obvious who they were and what they were up to. But their numbers
| and energy (and they way they joined forces with nonaligned dummies who
| liked to pile on) proved too much for IBM marketers, and Windows wont
| he operating-system war through fifth-column tactics"
|
| Mr Dvorak wonders if Microsoft is today using reverse-dirty-tricks
| to promote the Xbox 360: pay people to create Web sites that slam the
| gaming computer in order to provoke a barrage of defenders.
`----
http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/2005/11/2_grassroots_an.html
|
|
