In the wake of MegaUpload, another file sharing service bites the dust
When agents of the United States federal government began an international operation to raid MegaUpload, they were targeting after an organization that was allegedly engaged in a highly-illegal and highly-profitable piracy business.
But their actions have had a ripple effect across the internet, with other 'file locker' and 'file sharing' services questioning their own futures.
Angry Birds maker doesn't sweat piracy
While Hollywood pushes to have Washington D.C. take over the internet in the name of fighting piracy, some of the most successful purveyors of digital content are heading in the opposite direction.
Take for instance Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds.
SOPA blackouts to go on, even if bill is dead (for now)
Parts of the internet will go black tomorrow. From Wikipedia and Reddit to the Cheezburger network and Major League Gaming, numerous highly-trafficked web properties say they'll shut down to protest the SOPA legislation that would make the internet far less free in the name of fighting piracy.
Even Google is going to be making a statement using its homepage.
The blackouts are going on despite the fact that SOPA is effectively dead -- for the time being.
SOPA: the sad but honest truth
The fight against SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, may be one of the most important fights ever waged on the internet. It threatens to change the course of the web's development, and not for the better.
Given the impact this dark and misguided legislation would have on the internet economy, it's no surprise that many are coming together to do what they can to ensure it doesn't become law.
The media is starting to pay attention, and SOPA supporters like GoDaddy are seeing that such support comes at a cost. These things provide some hope that SOPA will be defeated.
Unfortunately, however, the discussion about SOPA is incomplete.
Six things to learn from the Louis CK experiment
Can a prominent comedian shake up the comedy business by producing his own event and selling it to consumers online in digital format DRM-free? Thanks to Louis CK's experiment, we now know the answer is yes.
More than 100,000 comedy fans have snapped up 'Louis CK: Live at the Beacon Theater' for $5, earning the comedian a healthy profit and sparking a discussion about digital content, business models and pricing.
Here's what you can learn from Louis CK's experiment.
Will book publishers follow in the footsteps of the RIAA?
In its effort to defend the record labels, musicians and the recording industry at large, the RIAA became perhaps one of the most disliked organizations in the world.
Yes, most people will agree that piracy is wrong and that laws protecting content creators and rights holders are sensible, but the RIAA's tactics in fighting piracy, which infamously included widely-publicized lawsuits against grandmothers (dead or alive), didn't win it many fans.
Forget grandma, the RIAA's next target is politicians
Enforcing copyright online has proven to be quite difficult. More than a decade after Napster brought the subject of digital piracy into the mainstream, content owners are still struggling to protect their rights on the internet. They have finally learned one thing though: suing grandmothers (and dead grandmothers) doesn't work.
So what are content owners doing? It appears they are turning their attention to a more receptive audience: politicians.
Supreme Court: eBay not liable for counterfeit goods
Should eBay be liable for trademark infringement when its vendors offer counterfeit goods for sale? Famous jeweler Tiffany & Co. has been arguing since 2004 that it should.
The case finally reached the Supreme Court, which rejected Tiffany & Co.'s appear on Monday. That leaves a lower court ruling, which went in eBay's favor, as the final word on the matter in the United States.
ACTA one step closer to reality with EU Parliament approval
Last November, I suggested that ACTA, the not-so-secret-anymore Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that governments have been negotiating for more than a year, could be "the worst thing for the internet - ever."
And with a 331-294 approval in the EU Parliament, it's one step closer to reality.
The adult entertainment biz takes a page from the RIAA, MPAA playbooks
Downloading a hit song or Hollywood movie from BitTorrent might become an expensive mistake if you find yourself targeted in a lawsuit, but downloading an adult video might become an expensive and embarrassing mistake.
That, at least, is what Third World Media is hoping. As CNET News.com has reported, the California-based adult entertainment studio is filing suits around the country against John Doe defendants who the studio alleges illegally downloaded its content through file sharing networks like BitTorrent. If the courts permit, those John Does will be unmasked by their ISPs, subjecting them to more than just legal headaches.
