October 2003 Articles

    • RIAA launches second wave of file-swapper suits

      31 Oct 2003

      The Recording Industry Association of America yesterday filed 80 lawsuits in the latest round of its battle against those using file-sharing services to exchange "a substantial amount of copyrighted music", according to media reports.

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    • Database to give dossier on everyone in UK?

      31 Oct 2003

      A plan to build an electronic database of life events – births, deaths and marriages – could result in a compulsory dossier on every citizen, warned the Foundation for Information Policy Research yesterday in its response to Government proposals....

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    • Copyright law changes today in the UK

      31 Oct 2003

      A new copyright regime is in force today in the UK, implementing a European Directive that, among other things, adds new protections for anti-copying technologies and digital rights management.

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    • Blogger sacked by Microsoft - a lesson for employers

      31 Oct 2003

      Microsoft fired a worked in the US this week after he posted a picture of Mac computers being delivered to Microsoft offices in his daily web log, or blog. The company "let go" of Michael Hanscom four days after the picture went on-line, according to...

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    • BMX star settles racy game dispute

      30 Oct 2003

      Top BMX rider Dave Mirra has settled a $21 million lawsuit against a games publisher that used his name in its adult-themed 'BMX XXX'. Mirra, famous for his pedal-powered stunts, was upset at being associated with a game that featured strippers on bikes....

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    • Napster 2.0 goes live in the US

      30 Oct 2003

      Napster, the original peer-to-peer music sharing service, is back. Re-launched yesterday, the best-known brand in music downloading is now an authorised music service. But that means it's no longer free, and it's no longer a peer-to-peer service.

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    • W3C complains about browser patent

      30 Oct 2003

      The World Wide Web Consortium is supporting Microsoft in a battle against a web browser patent that the standards-setting body says could damage the web. It has this week called upon the US Patent Office to declare the patent invalid.

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    • Exemptions added to US digital copyright law

      30 Oct 2003

      The US Library of Congress on Tuesday announced new exemptions to the controversial Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), an Act which prohibits people from using or distributing devices that can bypass copyrights and copy prevention measures.

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    • Broadband is poorly marketed, says report

      29 Oct 2003

      ISPs are failing to explain the benefits of broadband to consumers – and this throttles its adoption, according to a new report by British think-tank The Work Foundation. To the average person, broadband is not about speed, it argues.

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    • Banning camera phones in the workplace

      29 Oct 2003

      As the number of camera phones increases, so does concern over their effect on privacy and security. Companies should take steps now to create a "no camera phone" policy within the workplace, says analyst firm META Group.

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