Folks, I have failed to post an edition of "In The News" this time around. There are many reasons why. --Shmoo

#1. Andrea was in a bad car wreck last week. She rear-ended a rental delivery truck after dropping me off at my 7.15/hr day-job. She's thankfully alive but still severely bruised and battered. In addition to pain, her right leg (which the doctors can't decide or not if it is broken) won't hold her weight and she has to use a wheelchair or walker. Needless to say, we are hurting for time and money. (Andrea makes about three times what I do, but her health insurance promises to only pay $30 for every day she misses. Doc's say she has at least 2 more weeks of bed-rest.)

#2. Again partly due to time constraints, I want to change my tactics. For the past year or more I have been posting a ton of items "In The News" and on the front pages of Boycott-RIAA. Once upon a time that was what "worked" ...but the paradigm has shifted. The days of yore are gone. Bill Evans (RIP) lit the fire and had quite a following way back when. Tom Barger, CodeWarrior, and George Ziemann each have individual styles that surpass mine by far.

#3. I want to focus at least SOME of my free time on my own music. It may not seem like it, but (no lie) I had been spending an AVERAGE of 4 or 5 hours per day doing nothing but searching the net for relevant news articles and other items. (For everything I'd post, I'd read a hundred other items.) -- Sure, I believe in "hand/human sorted" news, but I defeatedly admit that their might be something to all this Web 2.0 stuff in certain applications (such as gathering relevant news links.) ...my ass got whooped.

#4. I used to call myself the "admin" of Boycott-RIAA, but that's really not accurate. I may be a/the "voice" of our site/movement/agenda, but I actually rarely ever mucked around with the source-code of the site. We are hosted on DMusic's servers AND it IS DMusic's back-end. Although I technically have for a long time had some of the "keys" to that kingdom, it is not my place to enter "in force" with a bunch of unskilled changes. Heck, about 2 years ago now, leflaw even gave me a new domain and CMS to manage it, but I mucky-fugged everything up by ignoring the home base's original URL. (Or, maybe that was just the time that unfortunately happened to coincide with the paradigm shift occured. I don't know.) But things didn't "take off."

I'm just gonna "lay back" for a while and hopefully YOU folk will provide suggestions on what to do to move forward. I don't know if it requires a Boycott-RIAA sight re-design or what. (Maybe it is as simple as calling for my firing/execution, lol.) But I want our visitors/readership back. We have done so many good things together over the past several years by speaking out for the musicians and fans (whom this whole thing called "music-biz" really couldn't do without.)

Somebody and EVERYBODY please step in and help. Let's "turn the world on again" to great music.

We ALL know that the RIAA labels' control of our favorite art form is NOT the way to go.

Mankind is at it's most artistically creative decade EVAR, but the RIAA is still in our way.

Help fix it! (Somebody, PLEASE!)

--Shmoo, aka "independentmusician"
of Electric Gypsy
and admin (pro tem) of Boycott-RIAA.com
Support LOCAL and INDEPENDENT music!

Oh, BTW... use THIS thread to post any links to relevant stuff you got and stay on-topic in the other threads.

lol

I don’t know if anyone has posted these yet


Where is all of that money??
INFRINGEMENT!
ARTISTS SAY THEY WANT THEIR MUSIC SITE DOUGH
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272008/business/infringement__99428.htm



RIAA Victims File Class Action Lawsuit - March 14, 2008

Includes - RICO, negligence, fraud and more

http://www.ilrweb.com/viewILRPDF.asp?filename=andersen_atlantic_080314SecondAmendedComplaint

"New York introduces anti-piracy bill to fight movie terrorists"

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iedbcc4c3ea0b470e2150a7e017f3e312?imw=Y

UPDATED: Tina Fey, Jeff Zucker on hand at unveiling
By Georg Szalai
May 5, 2008, 12:00 PM
Updated: May 5, 2008, 08:38 PM

"New York state politicians and entertainment industry leaders are coming together in an attempt to shake the state's position as the nation's film piracy capital.

Under a bill that has bipartisan support and could be passed before the State Legislature's current session ends next month, the state would expand and boost penalties for multimedia pirates and enhance enforcement.

Actress Tina Fey, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker and MPAA chairman Dan Glickman joined New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, New York State legislators, SAG and DGA members and New York State film commissioner Pat Kaufman on Monday in unveiling the proposal for what is dubbed the "Piracy Protection Act," designed to combat the creation, distribution and sale of illegally recorded movies.

Zucker and Glickman expressed hope that once the New York bill passes, its supporters can push the federal government to follow suit with enhanced anti-piracy laws. "This act of leadership is a model for modern law enforcement nationwide," Zucker said.

The state attorney general's office cited recent industry reports that found that more than 50% of all illegally recorded movies are taped in New York and then distributed around the nation.

An MPAA study in 2006 also showed that the state economy loses on several fronts from piracy. Besides losing total annual output to the tune of $3.72 billion, motion picture and retail companies missed out on $1.49 billion in revenue, according to the MPAA. The state also lost 22,986 jobs and at least $50 million in tax revenue, the study found.

Nonetheless, New York only prosecutes people who illegally record films, and only with a small violation fee of $250. Cuomo said this makes the penalty comparable to a parking ticket. The state doesn't go after people involved throughout other parts of the piracy process.

"It's widespread, it's growing, it's organized," Cuomo said. To press his point, he held up a pirate DVD of "Iron Man," which opened Thursday in theaters but is already available on the streets of Manhattan.

Under the proposed bill, first-time offenders would face up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Offenses would be elevated from violation status to a Class A misdemeanor. Repeat offenders would be charged with a felony.

To ensure smooth enforcement, Cuomo will create a new Special Assistant Attorney General position to coordinate local and state efforts.

"Especially in these difficult economic times, New York depends on a vibrant and flourishing entertainment industry," Cuomo said.

For the proposal to become law, it must get approval from both houses of the State Legislature. The Republican-controlled State Senate has passed a similar bill twice during the past year, but it was blocked in the Democratic-controlled Assembly.

"We're going to get it done this session," vowed assemblyman Joseph Lentol, who represents a part of Brooklyn that is home to the Steiner Studios.

State Senator Frank Padavan also argued that money from piracy has flown from organized crime syndicates to purposes threatening national security. "A lot of this is going to terrorism," he said, citing Islamic group Hezbollah as one beneficiary.

In a moment that drew laughs, Lentol urged citizens to stop supporting film piracy even though some stars make $20 million and more per film, then turned to Fey to ask: "Is that what you make?" The reply was loud and clear: "Nooo!"

"It's not about studio executives, it isn't about movie stars or anyone else who rides in limousines," Lentol said. "It's about the assistant make-up artist" and other hard-working entertainment folks who may lose their jobs if piracy continues at current levels.

Zucker made it up to Fey later, calling the "30 Rock" star and writer "one of our most important creative (people) at NBC Universal." He added: "She's our Iron Man."

"It's not about studio executives, it isn't about movie stars or anyone else who rides in limousines," Lentol said. "It's about the assistant make-up artist"

REALLY? This now surpasses "the check's in the mail" as the BIGGEST LIE on the planet!!! The biggest reason these people want this piracy law passed is TO PROTECT THEIR OWN PROFITS! What a bunch a crap...

While I don't object to TRUE copyright infringement (I won't call it piracy, since being on the high seas isn't usually involved) being stopped (meaning stopping people that SELL other peoples copyrighted works for their own profit), what happens if they start to apply these laws to people that want to copy DVD's FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY (like to prevent destruction by one's own children)? This is NOTHING to do about protecting the assistant make-up artist and everything to do about GREED.

By the time they pass laws like this, people will get substantial MORE prison time than rapists, murders and other criminals. Where's the justice? Where is the balance?

I used to be a HUGE fan of Tina Fey. But if she continues this kind of stand, I'm sure my attraction to her and her work will disappear. Quickly.

Tired of your crappy sounding old Beatles CDs? There's a remaster. From vinyl.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20200609/page/20

Personally, I thought the original CDs were not too bad, but Abbey Road was awful compared to the MFSL vinyl. And the first four albums (in mono) don't sound great, either. The ones in the middle are best. What happened to Abbey Road, though? It just sounds strangely lifeless.

Lou Reed gives keynote address as SXSW. http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/03/sxsw-lou-reed-1.html

This is old news, but I don't remember seeing it on this site. Reed complains about the sound quality of MP3s, praises the use of computers in music-making, and warns musicians never to sign away their publishing rights to sign with a label.

RIAA: DRM not dead and likely will make comeback

Comeback? Did it ever really die..I think not.

RIAA Pursues State-Level Anti-Piracy Bills

Tennessee has caved in...

~~"It requires any higher education institution in the state, whether public or private, to develop and enforce a policy that prohibits its students, staff, and faculty from committing copyright infringement. It also requires schools to make "reasonable" attempts to prevent copyright infringement on their networks if they receive 50 or more infringement notices during a preceding year, but it does not explicitly define what those steps are. "~~

Project Playlist Hires Former RIAA Head as Consultant

Does this fall under the "If you can't beat em, join 'em department?" or is that wishful thinking?

IFPI pulls a boner:

http://torrentfreak.com/ifpi-advises-kids-to-use-limewire-and-kazaa/


Why can't they think of the children?

http://www.futuresonic.com/08/art/cdrecycled/

Take part in a social music sharing event with a difference - in CD-Recycled 45rpm Aleks Kolkowski uses his vintage record cutter to 'overwrite' existing data and cut grooves on CDs/DVDs so they can be played on a turntable. Bring unwanted CDs/DVDs and a sound file and receive a recycled disc in return.

Awsome!

Even more awsomeness!

The Get Out Clause, an unsigned Manchester band who could not afford a camera crew for their video, 'performed' in front of a load of CCTV cameras, requested the footage from the camera operators under the Freedom of Information Act Data Protection Act and then stitched the results together for their music video."

RIAA/MPAA "wins":
http://www.roguegovernment.com/news.php?id=8997

Nothing else matters now. I know, you said "it can't happen here". Martial Law is around the corner, I knew they would do this 4 years ago, go look at my early posts here and tell me if I knew what was going to happen. High Treason is supposed to equal the death penalty, who's going to "enforce" it? Not dumbed down America.

"(1) prioritize intellectual property protection to the highest level of our government;"

HIGHEST LEVEL!?! 'Code, can you believe it?
The fact that Conyers and 400-plus misguided legislators voted in alignment with this incredible crap just shows how far our government has deteriorated on the road to tyranny. Our Constitution has been eroded and abridged for years, and, eventually, at a timing arranged by the Illuminati elite, what yet remains of America's liberties will also be taken away ("temporarily" under martial law") through activation of the existing draconian executive orders that are awaiting their use for that fateful day. All it will take is another contrived catastrophe; the government can be expected to be complicit in the second 9/11 too. All for the ordained purpose of melding national sovereignties such as the U.S. into a new world order.
Some people don't know that "Order" is just a disguising word for "government." Thus, new world GOVERNMENT!
That's what's coming within a few tumultuous years from now.

Perilous times ahead.
Are you spiritually ready?

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080515-jammie-thomas-likely-to-get-new-trial.html

Judge Davis,
I want to personally thank you for your courage and honesty. Your actions give me hope that justice is actually being served in these times. Bravo Sir.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/03/sxsw-lou-reed-1.html

Lou Reed to new artists re label contract publishing rights handover:
"You must always say no"

Lou has a clue.

No, the RIAA Cannot Take Your House

by George Ziemann -- May 14, 2008

There's a rumor going around right now involving a bill that passed the US House of Representatives (HR4279) which several sources (some of them otherwise credible) are warning means that if the RIAA finds an "illegal" mp3 on your hard drive, they can take your computer, your house, your dog and naming rights to your first-born male child. Not exactly.

If anyone actually read the bill, they should realize that this is not at all what it says. Remembering that I am not a lawyer, here is my translation of the bill into plain English.

TITLE I--ENHANCEMENTS TO CIVIL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS

SEC. 101. REGISTRATION OF CLAIM.

If you intentionally lied on your copyright registration and "the inaccuracy of the information, if known, would have caused the Register of Copyrights to refuse registration," you can't sue someone for infringing upon it.

SEC. 102. REGISTRATION AND INFRINGEMENT ACTIONS.

Wording changes to current law to enable Sec. 101

SEC. 103. CIVIL REMEDIES FOR INFRINGEMENT.

Changes the wording concerning "plates," and adding a section about "records documenting the manufacture, sale, or receipt of things involved in such violation" and the court's responsibility to "assure that confidential information contained in such records is not improperly disclosed."

SEC. 104. TREBLE DAMAGES IN COUNTERFEITING CASES.

SEC. 105. STATUTORY DAMAGES IN COUNTERFEITING CASES.

SEC. 106. EXPORTATION OF GOODS BEARING INFRINGING MARKS.

SEC. 107. IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION.

The astute reader may notice that this is the extent of the changes to the laws concerning civil lawsuits, such as those being filed in record numbers by the RIAA. There is nothing in there that applies to the RIAA lawsuits, unless you count bogus registrations.

Ironically, what I find most interesting is that there is nothing in there that applies to the RIAA lawsuits. Think about that. The House of Representatives sat down and made "enhancements" to the "civil intellectual property laws," without addressing one single issue of contention being litigated in each and every case, like the validity of the "making available" theory.

The copyright law still does not mention downloading, filesharing or mp3 files.

All of the stuff about impounding property is in the criminal section. File-sharing is not criminal activity. The RIAA cannot seize your house if they find an "illegal" mp3 file. Don't panic.

http://azoz.com/newsarchive/2008dash05/rumors.html

Don't panic, BUT...

DON'T be downloading (and especially don't be sharing) the RIAA's sound recordings.

If more folks would simply just BOYCOTT the RIAA (for EVER) ...then, a whole schlew of problems would go away.

P2p users, STOP acting like crack addicts!

Go Tanya!

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/05/beaverton_woman_wins_108000_ag.html

gfmlcka, maybe you should peruse the past links for the month before posting a rerun. The Lou Reed story was posted 10 entries above yours (by me) with the same URL. Ah well, anyone can make a mistake.

objection noted.
sorry if I have better things to do.
it won't happen again.

Is the government compiling a secret list of citizens to detain under martial law?

According to a senior government official who served with high-level security clearances in five administrations, "There exists a database of Americans, who, often for the slightest and most trivial reason, are considered unfriendly, and who, in a time of panic, might be incarcerated. The database can identify and locate perceived 'enemies of the state' almost instantaneously." He and other sources tell Radar that the database is sometimes referred to by the code name Main Core. One knowledgeable source claims that 8 million Americans are now listed in Main Core as potentially suspect. In the event of a national emergency, these people could be subject to everything from heightened surveillance and tracking to direct questioning and possibly even detention.

If I'm not on the list, my feewings is gonna be hurted.

Comcast starting its' own p2p network for video applications called GridNetworks.

Wonder if they will equally throttle the bandwidth on it like they do the other p2p apps and YouTube?

Kenny Chesney tells Academy of Country Music Awards to 'stick it' while accepting a fan-voted reward from them.

He said his complaint is directed at the industry, not the fans - and that the method amounted to "complete disrespect" of the artists, saying the academy turned the award "into a sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet."

PC World picks top 50 tech visionaries.

Encryption chip will end piracy, open markets, says Nolan Bushnell

*snicker*

Same blub from Google/YouTube is all over the net byteme. (I even got off my ass and posted it here.)

But, agree or not,

It don't seem like anyone is paying much attention to it.


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

ho hum, I got the dol-drums

(good gravy goodness gracious golly gee we need NEW BLOOD!)

Music and film industry to get police force

Something to make ones blood boil!

Re: Pepe's link

Funded by our own taxes,
to be used against us, violating our personal liberties against unreasonable searches and seizures!
Fascism's big brother governments are expanding their draconian powers, and what the hell can we do about it?
The average citizen doesn't know or won't care (until it's too late, after it starts affecting them personally).

I'm pessimistic.
--The Pessimist

Has anyone here heard of the Union of South American Nations? Well neither had I, until two days ago...take a look Union of South American Nations a supranational continental union of twelve South American nations

Folks, there was no voter participation. Most people didn't even know about this, all of a sudden...it just exists. I'm fairly certain this is the way we'll end up with the North American Union...oh yeah, the South American Union is real, the North American Union is Fantasy.....riiiiggghhhhttt...

Okay, this is OT, but it's too funny to pass up:

Man fined for throwing hedgehog at teen

Considering the name of the town is Whakatane (as in Whack-a-teen), they shouldn't have fined the guy...they should have made him mayor.

Ha, maybe they should have called William Singalargh, William SlingALargh, as in Slingalargh hedgehog ....ooooooh

Poor hedgehog!

We're digressing off topic, anyway, so I'll pile on too.

In regard to gay marriage issues:
It's been postured that perverts have the right to their lifestyle.
Kind of in the sense that everyone has the privilege to pursue happiness, to the extent of not extending one's fist far enough to make contact with another person's chin.

And how about that tell-all bombshell book saying what most of us knew in our knower about the Bush administration? Hats off to Scott! He's my hero.

I'll bet we recent posters get chastised for straying off topic and bringing up controversial issues.
Oh, well, that's life.

No News in News this month, we're entitled to "off topic"

Apparently Scott knew of a lot of nasty stuff going on in your Big White House. However I have to question why his sense of outrage and betrayal didn't find expression until AFTER he left the House, long after anyone could do anything about what he was saying.

Seems his convictions are measured by the amount of money his book makes, not so much for his concern of the publics well being.

I won't say anything about the motivation behind the book. I will say this: President George W. Bush brought a lot of folks from Texas into his administration who were essentially useless, maybe worse than useless. I reluctantly voted for Bush twice, and this yo-yo of a press secretary did a horrible job of defending his president and the policies of the administration. People like myself were frustrated as all get out that Bush let a dope like this speak for him. Enter Tony Snow, who did a passable, credible job until his cancer recurred. So my long-standing view of this author is that he was incompetent. I have no desire to read the work of incompetents.

"Defending President Bush and the policies of his administration"?
amounts to a prime example of an ignominous task! (It's tough trying to be a swan in a sewer.)

I feel sorry for the poor fellows like Scott for having had to endure what they must have suspected in their hearts (while their mouths expressed on-the-same-page talking points).

Isn't interesting how most of Scott's Republican detractors seem to have various ways of attacking him, but few are able to successfully refute him on what he wrote. That leads most of the public to give Scott the benefit of the doubt, as recent polls now indicate.

And until now, I thought perhaps Bush's dismal approval rating (even worse than Nixon after Watergate, I heard) had bottomed out. Wow. How low can he go? Bring out the limbo-rock stick, heh-heh.

Oh yeah, gotta give you props for having the balls to ADMIT that you voted for GWB twice!
Can't give you credit for poor judgement, but at least for the nerve to admit.

By the way, I wonder if Scott (surely he must have) realized Bush admitting to him that Bush outed Valerie Plame... is an impeachable offense, and it could be expected that Scott might be called to appear for testimony at a congressional hearing about that revelation.
It's funny, outing a CIA agent is an impeachable offense... while misleading the American public to an unnecessary, half a trillion dollar war, over four thousand troops now corpses, many more thousands crippled, and the Middle East messed up worse, with Iran gaining from what happened in Iraq, and it ain't over yet... that may NOT be (a crime).
What pathos.

Outing a certain kind of CIA agent is a crime. But Plame was not that kind of agent.

It was Richard Armitage who outed Valerie Plame's name to pundit Robert Novak. Additionally, Robert Novak contacted the CIA before he published the name. They didn't have a big problem with it. They asked him not to publish the name, but gave him no indication that doing so would involve him in any criminal action or investigation. Many people knew Plame worked for the CIA. It was not public, but not secret, either.

There is no crime here. Implying that there is, let alone that it is an impeachable offense (even if Bush was the "mastermind" behind the leak), simply does not fit the facts.

Sorry, this is a music site. I will not comment further in this vein, but the record should be set straight for the sake of those who have forgotten.

It's a music site, that's true, but I was kind of taking my cue from Pepe who mused about this thread being kind of different since its preface calls itself "no news month". So far, no one has objected for writing about stuff other than music (I perceive it to be a slow week about music news); but I'll shut up if they do.

What about the congressional committee that investigated Plame's outing? They, like many Americans, considered it something significant. And did the news media widely report any inappopriateness of that emphasis?
I don't recall.

Bush's cavalier response to Scott "Yeah, I did" (as if it were a baseball score) reveals either unmitaged gall or detached callousness when you think of what poor Valerie had to endure.

Also, it's not a secret that the dirty tricks mastermind (Karl Rove), not to mention Libby, had scarce scruples to deter them from pulling off underhanded stuff.
Many Americans consider them, along with Cheney and Bush, as being soiled peas in a pod... and I don't mean just tainted politicians in general.
My best guess is about 27% diehards wouldn't change their minds, though, no matter what all an insider reveals or confesses to about the repubs in power.

I still consider it a heinous breach of moral decency if not abuse of office to commit our troops to harm's way by misleading the public and Congress the way GWB did about wanting to invade Iraq and perpetrating this awful long, counter-productive, diplomatically devastating, economically squandering war. I actually think THAT should be the main thrust by Congressional leaders against George W.
How could that be less important than sex in the oval office and lying about it (which got Bill Clinton impeached by the House of Reps)?

Bob Woodward's accusation still sticks.
That's because there are substantial reports or documents since then which back him up.

Bush got us into the Iraq quagmire on false pretenses, but the White House (articulated by spokesperson Dana Perino) STILL chooses to ignore the oh-so-obvious truth.
OMG, a politician unwilling to admit the truth??? Say it isn't so!
But everything's delusionally okay within the inner circle, as long as they all feel good to be on the same page of their agreed-upon talking points, right?

I might as well come right out with it.
The Bush administration misled by utilizing "intelligence" information they knew wasn't factual, to justify the Iraq invasion. That is the definition of a lie. People who knowingly use untrue statements are liars.

Hey I'm not a big Bush fan, either. I voted on two issues: conservative Supreme Court nominees, and staunch determination in the war on terror. Iraq was not handled well, but given that most intelligence services around the world felt Saddam had WMDs, I cannot fault the people who favored and/or voted for the Iraq war. Bush did finally start taking some good advice, i.e. Petraeus.

Well, now that we've got that out of our systems (I hope), back to music.

You folks have to do your part to support non-RIAA musics.

Quote:
Wall Street Journal: WSJ: You've been releasing music independently since 1999, right before the major-label system fell into its current troubles. Do you ever feel like saying, "I told you so"?

Aimee Mann: The thing is, their demise is our demise. It's not like we fare any better with the dip in record sales. People don't discriminate and say, 'Oh, this is on a major label, so I'll burn this CD.' Our record sales are cut in half just like everyone else's.
Close Quote.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121218809825534201.html

So buy non-RIAA music, you @#%&*! smilers.

Of course, Aimee's sales decline may have to do with the songs from her previous album being a bit lame (IMO). Plus, an independent might sell fewer copies yet make more money, as the record company is not glomming on to the profits. Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead don't seem to be complaining.

Bo Diddley dies

"Bo Diddley would have been immensely rich had it been possible to copyright a rhythm."

"The music business was not as kind to Mr. Diddley. In 1994, a Los Angeles court ruled that Mr. Diddley had been cheated by his ex-manager and awarded the singer $400,000 in back payments. It's uncertain how much money, if any, was paid back to Mr. Diddley."

Sad.....