Make money online by selling pirated content? These sites do — File lockers and linking sites on their own are difficult to hold liable for the rampant infringement they facilitate. But together? “The combination of these two types of sites is like a one-two punch resulting in a knockout. They are both essential for one another to function in such a profitable manner, and man, oh, man, do they ever make a lot of money doing what they do.”
Gone Elvis Production Diary, Part 2 — The Copyright Alliance has been following indie filmmaker David Newhoff as he works on his latest project. In this part, they talk primarily about funding and costs. “So, without paying any fees for labor, equipment, or locations, my 30-minute short cost a little more than $8,000 to get in the can. And that was a four-day shoot with a very small cast and crew. If gone Elvis makes money and I want to repay those who worked on it, I’ll have about a $30,000 check to write. So, the next time you hear ‘feature film made for $5,000,’ take it with a healthy dollop of salt — and tequila!”
Why 2011 Is the Year Digital Music Broke, by the Numbers — Billboard’s Glen Peoples notes several reasons: digital sales are up substantially from last year, streaming services like Pandora and Spotify have had good years, music startups like Turntable.fm have shown early promise.
The Sims Social Facebook game promotes questionable blogging ethics — You can get 5 points if you “Steal pictures from other websites to make your blog look professional.” Wait, what?
Students shouldn’t download music illegally— Another great article from the younger generation. Like previous articles from the Harvard Crimson and the Arbiter Online, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, the student newspaper of Colorado State University, points out that there’s nothing hip about stealing music. “Now you might think you are taking money from powerful record companies, which take advantage of artists –– and this is kind of true. “Think about a young band that just got signed by a record label. If all of the band’s fans steal the album and its record sales tank, what incentive does the company have to keep a contract with the band? Do yourself a favor, support bands (especially local ones). Support the failing music industry. Support our failing economy, and don’t steal music.”
A2IM Call To Action: Write Congress, Help Get PROTECT IP Passed — The American Association of Independent Music calls on independent musicians and labels to add their voices of support for rogue sites legislation.
7 Things I Wish I Knew about Content Theft 10 Years Ago — PlagiarismToday’s Jonathan Bailey shares the lessons he’s learned over the past decade from blogging and consulting with others to detect and stop online content theft. Very good info.
Copyright Office Rulemaking on Designation of DMCA Agents — The US Copyright Office is seeking comments to upgrade its system for keeping track of registered DMCA agents. It is specifically looking to migrate from its current paper system to an online system; it is also looking for input on how to make the system more up-to-date and efficient.
Will Google Submit “The Power of Google Adsense” to Voluntary Oversight? — Probably not, but they should, writes Chris Castle. “Not because of the moral hazard—because of the criminal hazard. This is the group that failed seven different sting operations by the Department of Justice. This is the group that does business with rogue sites and suckles pirates around the world.”
This Week in Law — Every Friday at 2pm, host Denise Howell talks with special guests on news and developments in the world of law and tech (the shows are archived for later viewing as well). I will be one of those guests next week, October 7th. Tune in to see why I have the perfect voice for blogging.