MySpace is my place for piracy – is YouTube next?

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Saturday, 18 November 2006

With MySpace the hot destination for teens, pedophiles and all ages in between, the bad publicity for MySpace has just gotten worse with Universal deciding they’ve had enough, and have called in the lawyers.

Could buying MySpace turn out to be Rupert Murdoch’s worst ever decision? With reports that competitor FaceBook is gaining ground in the social networking war, MySpace is now under attack from the music companies and their lawyers.

Reports of MySpace being sued by Universal have flooded the Internet in the last few hours, with News Corporation calling the lawsuit ‘meritless’. Despite MySpace instigating ‘fingerprinting’ technology to ferret out unlicensed use of commercial music, negotiations between Universal Music and MySpace have failed.

It’s likely that Universal just wanted more than News Corp was willing to pay, and with Universal scoring success with payments from Microsoft for every Zune sold (which may not end up amounting to very much if people keep on buying iPods), they clearly felt emboldened enough to take on News Corporation, a company with its own vast content library, from the 20th Century Fox movie business, to TV networks, magazines, newspapers and more across the globe.

Clearly, the issue of copyright protection for content in the digital era is one that will not be resolved anytime soon.

With tens of millions of MySpace pages playing music of some kind as background music for site visitors to enjoy, News Corp clearly does not want to be responsible for paying for their customers’ infringing behaviour, especially at a time when News Corp is still trying to figure out how to have MySpace actually make them some money instead of it costing them money.

It’s an interesting parallel to Google’s troubles with YouTube, with the fortunes of YouTube and MySpace closely interlinked as huge numbers of YouTube videos are embedded into MySpace sites. After all, Universal has said that YouTube is also a massive copyright infringer.

Now that both those companies have wealthly sugar daddies of owners, the lawyers have clearly been licking their lips at the prospect of massive fees, no matter who wins or loses, for as we all know, lawyers always win no matter what.

But the loser in all of this stands to be the not-so-innocent teenage copyright infringer. MySpace would likely dearly love to have users pay for a song to appear on their MySpace page, preferably chosen from a content library of millions, iTunes style, with profits flowing to the music companies and to News Corporation.

Fees could be charged to use a song for a set period of time, or the rights to use a song on a specific MySpace page could be granted ad infinitum.

The big problem is, if MySpace starts asking its users for money, the fickleness of Internet users may see a mass defection to another site, be it FaceBook, Orkut, Friendster or an as yet relatively unknown social networking minnow.

And if that happens, what would News Corp have paid $582m for? A big pile of bits and bytes quickly evaporating into the limitless bounds of cyberspace. Rupert Murdoch clearly doesn’t like to be taken for a ride, so everything will be done to prevent this from happening.

Rupert Murdoch may be wondering why he made MySpace his place, although some say it was a bargain compared to what Google paid for YouTube. But now that he has, we’ll all get to enjoy the legal fireworks. Sit back and relax, this one’s not going to be over anytime soon!

Someday, the public, as a body politic, will get sick and tired of this bullsh*t and do something, must like he timid hero in A Christmas Story, finally breaks when he is pushed by the school bully one too many times, and beats the crap out of him.

Until then, we will watch the "SEWERS" (i.e. suers) spew their filth onto the courts in ever increasing numbers.

~Code

If a bear sh*ts in the woods would anyone read it?

geneticdefects is an RIAA agent ignore him.

Hmm... Doug Morris takes on Rupert Murdoch. Universal vs. Fox.

We can only hope that it is a long, nasty fight that costs each side a billion dollars or so and leaves them both on the brink of madness and/or death from the stress and aggravation.

Advantage goes to Murdoch, who can probably buy Universal outright, fire Morris's ass and sell it again.

MajorOldBastard

And you have evidence of this from where?

What evidence one does have is the fact I keep seeing the same names here Never anybody new All the same over the years Not so sure if anyone even has an interest in this site anymore Maybe they're still on summer vacation ah?

For fun please give me a list of where Boycottriaa are making a difference in the fight against the RIAA. Because help me if I'm wrong but I hear no mention of this website and it's battles on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, or ABC. Are you people even rising to the local level? Of course MajorIdiot may think I'm a RIAA agent but is there really anything the RIAA has hit you people with regards to a lawsuit because believe me that's the fist thing I'd do if I was them if I truly found any of you a threat or relevant.

But but maybe leflaw is super lawyer who's powers keep this website from legal harm.

Larry Feldman is my hero!

Is there anything to suggest that this site has moved beyond anything but a poorly run blog?

15 year old kids on Myspace could do better!

Enjoying yourself?

No I'm not. I think it's rather sad that this website couldn't reach the heights it should be at because of yours and leflaws incompetency.

If this was a corporation, the two of you would have been removed along time ago!

"Is there anything to suggest that this site has moved beyond anything but a poorly run
blog?
"

geneticdefects, crimean moron, crappy audio are RIAAagent. Ignore them.

These brain damaged RIAA fool l are trying to discourage those running this site.

They are fools because without boycott-Riaa contributing in a massive way to the anti RIAA cause, most
of the RIAA rats probably would have been snapped down by now.

It is only because the RIAAis losing ground every day and because there is great hope that justice will
finally be served against those that are violating our laws and trampling our institution that all these
human garbage are still standing.

I want to give a huge thanks to those running boycott-riaa. This site is having a massive impact not only
on the public but on the artist too. Sure there is many other sites doing exactly this and these sites are very
important in spreading the true to the now more informed public. But boycott-Riaa is one is the most
successful.
This is why 3 RIAA trolls are trying to converge their fire on boycott-riaa! They are wasting their time.


Concerning this """poorly run blog!"""

On the best and by far most popular search engine google boycott-riaa has the highest ranking for boycott
Riaa.

The ranking is so high in fact that this site is only second after the RIAA web-site itself for the keyword
RIAA.

Boycott-RIAA all by itself capture 1/4 of the traffic of RIAA.com Plus RIAA.com traffic is continuously
going down while boycott-RIAA traffic is continuously increasing. I know from internal source that all the
four majors are becoming desesperate for cash and that Sony is in a terminal phase. So now the question
is:
Who is out? Not bad for a ""poorly run blog!""

Genetic deffect: "No I'm not. "

Of course Not! He is just pay to be there by the RIAA!

Not fune of course!

Genetic deffect: "No I'm not. "

Of course Not! He is just pay to be there by the RIAA!

Not fune of course!

What do you bet that YouTube claims the "safe harbor" protection of the DMCA and wins? Alternatively, YouTube pays off Universal.

"poorly run blog"


...hmm, I think Boycott Riaa were pioneers in the thing which later became termed as "blog"

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

History shows that inventions get improved over time.

I dare the Wright Brothers to get up out of the grave and invent the "aero-car" and/or "jet-pack" we have all been promised since the 1940's.

Time marches on...

Corporate copyright facists are just going to have to DEAL with the fact that COMMUNITY WELFARE is more important than COMPANY PROFFIT.

No, I am NOT a "pinko-commie/socialist"

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

I believe in FAIR USE, not FREE USE!

Oh yeah, before I forget

MySpace and YouTube were all along nothing more than corporate tit-fed FADS which will now DIE in obscurity now that they think they are "popular/marketable" enough to go "mainstream"

...sigh, silly rabbits,

I already TOLD you that the war is OVER (and we, the independents WON!)

Reasons?

#1 Freedom of Speech as per the CONSTITUTION

#2 Someone invented something called the INTERNET

(We don't NEED mega-media deep pockets any more to "spread the word".)

YouTube/MySpace, enjoy the warmth from your dying embers.

(let's see if it is RIAA's last "hurrah")

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

"But boycott-Riaa is one is the most
successful."

Yeah you are all over the newspapers

"On the best and by far most popular search engine google boycott-riaa has the highest ranking for boycott
Riaa."

Wasn't Stormfront doing well too until the ADL sued google?

"No, I am NOT a "pinko-commie/socialist"

Sure you are

"I already TOLD you that the war is OVER (and we, the independents WON!)"

Now if you could only get that other website up in running in time so you can all claim credit

Where are all your host of lurkers coming to your defense? I see only the same assholes

1854, these assholes are right, your a four digit troll.
Signed
Lurker

good bit on why DRM sucks:

http://www.learnoutloud.com/content/blog/archives/2006/11/the_top_10_argu.html

1854 -- I've been reading your posts the last few days. Do you have anything specific to say? A point to make?

If you don't like it here, go somewhere else.

"Yeah you are all over the newspapers"

I can't believe this!

Crimean moron is still reading Newspapers!

What's a retard!

Curious. I know someone 101y old getting his news from
internet instead of newspapers.

I gess some RIAA trolls age prematurly.
May be this why sometime they call themselve geneticdefect?

AND This is why we call these RIAA/MPAA parasites dinosaurs.

Crimean Moron=Dinosaur.

I threw him/her/it out of here.

Thank you!

I'm neither particularly anti nor pro the RIAA and therefore have no axe to grind. There are problems in all areas of the music industry. But I'll say this...

DMusic is STILL here and will continue to be here for a long time to come. More than can be said for many music websites who have been squeezed out by the music industry.

DMusic will survive because this site is pioneering, genuine and doesn't need to resort to lame publicity stunts just to get its name in the press. We are truly independent here and our objectives are not to make ourselves into short-term celebrities.

I would always continue to support this site whether or not some of my material came under the restrictions of the RIAA. At least on this site we recognise freedom of choice and have a genuine community rather than a media-led bubble that could burst at any moment.

I know the whole situation with what GeneticJack dude is probably over, but I still feel like I should add my own 2 cents to what he said up there.

"For fun please give me a list of where Boycottriaa are making a difference in the fight against the RIAA."
from what I see, Boycottriaa makes a difference by educating the public about the wrong doings of the music industry, and what to look out for is you are ever a victim of the RIAA Lawsuits or of you ever get offered a record deal.

"help me if I'm wrong but I hear no mention of this website and it's battles on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, or ABC. Are you people even rising to the local level?"
Boycottriaa, fights battles simply by educating the public, so I'm not surprised that they aren't on the news. Besides, we all know how the media likes to dictate what is news and what is not, and if you don't believe me, read 'Bad News : The Decline of Reporting, the Business of News, and the Danger to Us All' by Tom Fenton. The book explains how the media dictates news by how much ratings their stories will get. The author, a retired news anchor, also partially blames the media for not making the public aware of the puzzle piece news stories that could have predicted and possibly prevented the 9/11 tragedy from happening. None of those stories even reached even a local level either. In order to get this kind of news, you have to research.

"is there really anything the RIAA has hit you people with regards to a lawsuit because believe me that's the fist thing I'd do if I was them if I truly found any of you a threat or relevant."
I hope Boycottriaa or Dmusic are never in the position where they may be at the industry's mercy. But if they were ever sued, I would have all faith in the sites and their owners that they would prevail. Plus I honestly don't know if they would want to do that for if they did, wouldn't it make both sites more popular?

One more thing:
"If this was a corporation, the two of you would have been removed along time ago!"
That's true, except that this ISN'T a corporation isn't it. These two are not greedy, money hungry, backstabbing, blood sucking, corporate scum. and These site are not a corporation like myspace or whatnot. We've become something more important and closer;
Family.

(I guess you two keep doing what you're doing, people are starting to feel threatened)

Damn this is a long one! Glad it's over, I'ma stop type right ....
NOW!

Back to the subject at hand...

"News Corp clearly does not want to be responsible for paying for their customers’ infringing behaviour"

Funny, Kazaa paid, like, $150 million for their customers' behavior, yet the RIAA is still suing the customers.

"but I hear no mention of this website and it's battles on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, or ABC"
who owns CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and ABC? of course they don't want to give Dmusic free advertising.
read up on the boycott against Kmart... no one wants to publicly admit there was one so we can not say it did not work...
did you that the Army Ranger Training Manual is a public book that anyone can own? Now... find a copy
SyOps is rather easily done and most sheeple dont see it coming. Having "bloggers" for whatever cause is easy enough, some PETA members dont even relise that theyre pawns. Many dont understand the game.
As far as the same old posters at the news articles.... well some are more vocal then others and Ive been politically aware since watching live on TV the last 'copter leave Veitnam and having the meaning of MIA explained to me. People here simply for musical reasons prob'ly dont post at the news much... I didnt know Dmusic was simply a "blog site", I thought this was where I can post my crappy music (recorded in my dining room), legally DL some DRM-Free mp3s, buy a CD, maybe sell a CD, get my music copyrighted (if I ever have music worth selling), pick up groupies, and smoke pot with George

YouTube and MySpace are RIAA victims, if the cartel can not have complete control over what you read, hear and dance to then they will sue the living shit outta it. Sueing YouTube and MySpace is akin to sueing a school for a shooting. When a site allows users to upload content the site can only do so little to see to it the content isnt copyrighted. I think there ought to be a law that before a lawsuit is brought against a site for copyright infringement there should be proof that the copyright holder attempted to inform the site of the infringement. I easily found the link at YouTube...
Frist the cartel used their ownership in the "news media" to make MySpace famous, now theyre using lawsuits to own it.
I have to honestly wonder whois at the IP of the uploads of riaa music here? Some kid who can't understand the copyright warnings or riaa agents trying to get Dmusic into court?

When I start popping caps into the asses of riaa members dont blame me - sue the gun company!

Maybe we should all chip in and send 1854 some of these:

http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?productID=285

Ordered mine today!

Damn! So many posts....

Sorry I haven't been around much, BugHunter has almost turned into a fulltime job for me... For those who haven't seen it, it's my... gift to the computing community; A free malware removal tool. *shrug*

http://bughunter.it-mate.co.uk ; shameless plug! Go me!

hey, that's really super

i read the list of known malware it removes;
impressive

Raid, does it do more than Spybot/AVG/Avast/Adaware/Rootkitrevealer?

i'd be curious too

but how many of those are free like Raid's

all of them.

hmm, o.k.
then i'll be wondering the same thing that you've asked Raid
(if Bughunter does more than the ones you mentioned)

Doh, Sorry it took me forever to respond to you guys...

BugHunter likely does not detect as many malware executables as adaware and spybot. On the other hand, BugHunter only targets executables and various script files, not cookies or registry entries. So... My numbers are not inflated.

The only thing that really sets bughunter apart from the others besides it's speed (I'd like to think it's scanning engine is much much faster, if I'm wrong, I'd like to know) is the fact it doesn't require windows to be working to be used. Your system can be totally hosed, so long as you can boot from a bootdisk, BugHunter can potentially save you.