Slashback: SCO, COPA, AllofMP3, Navier-Stokes, and More 144
IBM speaks about the SCO suit.. MasterOfGoingFaster brings to our attention Groklaw's detailed analysis and complete transcript of IBM's 10-point response to SCO's claims that Unix code showed up in Linux. From the article: "We've listened to SCO for more than three years tell its side of the story, and the media printed its every word. IBM, when asked to comment, invariably said nothing. Now it tells the court in detail how truly wronged it has been by The SCO Group, and why the court should bring this wrong to an end by granting IBM's motion for summary judgment on SCO's contract claims."
Another angle on COPA. segphault writes to point out an Ars Technica article that discusses in depth the ACLU-vs.-DoD COPA case. The article includes an interview with plaintiff Aaron Peckham, a free speech advocate and the creator of the popular Urban Dictionary web site. Peckham says that if the Internet censorship law were to go into effect, Urban Dictionary might have to shut down or move overseas.
AllofMP3 followups. Two pieces of news after Visa shut off AllofMP3.com. ColinPL writes, "According to Ars Technica, the IFPI lobbied Visa to reject payments from AllofMP3.com. The plan worked, and an IFPI spokesperson said the plug was pulled in early September. AllofMP3.com has resumed its public relations blitz, claiming Visa and MasterCard's decision to discontinue its relationship has no legal justification." And bjoeg writes, "Today Tele2 (a large Danish telco and ISP) received judgment from civil court to block their customers' access to AllofMP3.com. Tele2 has appealed the verdict, and for now access to the site is still open."
Navier-Stokes solution withdrawn. nherm writes, "So I finally decided to take a look at the solution of the millennium problem on the Navier-Stokes equation (previously discussed on Slashdot) and found that the entry on arXiv.org says 'This paper is being withdrawn by the author due to a serious flaw.' So I suppose that the rest of us still have a chance on it? From the arXiv.org page I found this interesting weblog entry with some comments on the issue, pointing to another weblog entry: 'I would not be surprised to learn later that her work, even if flawed, has led the way to helping solve this long-standing problem.'"
A librarian's guided tour of Wikipedia. tiltowait writes, "With the potential rise of Citizendium and the continued media circus surrounding Wikipedia's foibles, it's a good time to review the current state of Wikimania and consider what these disruptive technologies mean for the future of 'authoritative' information sources. If you've ever wanted for a general overview of Wikipedia or needed something to point to when asked, 'Wikipedia? Isn't that just a bunch of lies?' then the 1-hour screencast titled 'Why Wiki?' is for you. The online video is my perspective on the pros and cons of Wikipedia and how it stacks up to traditional publication formats."
The iPod's 5th anniversary. This one should perhaps be filed under "SlashWAYback." buddhaunderthetree writes, "Five years ago today Slashdot was introduced to the iPod and the reviews were mixed to say the least. CmdrTaco set the tone when he opined, 'No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.' Many of the 1044 comments that followed weren't much more enthusiastic. If anyone had dared to predict that in 5 years the iPod would have 70% of the mp3 player market, they would have been derided as an Apple zombie. Here's the original thread: Apple Introduces iPod."
Re:You know what would be nice? (Score:5, Interesting)
"Agree with the article poster - Lame. Not only is this a lackluster MP3 unit (which by virtue of being firewire will be limited to Apple Mac owners), but it has virtually no UI wizardry that might define it as an Apple product.
A total waste of time."
"Unfortunately, Apple's ultimate goal is to get people to buy more Apple hardware. So it's not likely that Apple will be developing a PC version of iTunes. They want to keep their so-called advantages to Mac-only. Maybe, in the future, they will get one program on Windows to definitely support the iPod and release an SDK for other Mac and Windows apps to optionally support it. Remember, Apple makes more money on hardware sales, than on FireWire licenses. "
"The LCD display is too small, it remains to be seen what the power consumption or usability of the backlight is, the four buttons (five, actually, I suspect) are likely insufficient, and probably rather modal. I dare not imagine how badly they've ginnied up the volume control. Apple's support for ID3 is woefully insufficient on iTunes and on iPod."
"But it certainly isn't "groundbreaking" in any real sense.
Remember, due to the rumors people were expecting something more like an apple PDA/mp3 player.
Besides these devices will soon be illegal anyway with the SSSCA (or its offspring), and cds won't be rippable either. And we all know that therefore there will be no mp3s. Just look at how the RIAA managed to kill file-sharing by taking out Napster
Re:AllofMP3 (Score:3, Interesting)
Distributor tax is paid (Score:3, Interesting)
No, all the money doesn't stay in AllOfMp3's pocket.
Like in some other "pre-DCMA" countries, in Russia, if you want to distribute music, you just have to pay a tax to the local body of governement who's in charge with TV tax and Boardcasting tax.
Once the tax is paid, the company is free to boardcast freely whatever music it wants.
The Boardcast tax institution in turn invests the money, with different proportion (depending of the country) between the nationnal institution handling copyrights, state-sponsored cultural projects and the company's pocket.
Then the money transists to the pocket of the copyright holders of that country were it usually stays unless it goes to some sports car dealer.
The problems is, in Russia, the laws and the institution are completly out-dated (back from when it mostly concerned low power emitters) and doesn't take into account for internet (wich may generate much more copie than what is covered by the tax.
Unlike other countries like Switzerland, that also have a similar boardcast tax, but were the company in charge is making project to introduce a system usable for the internet (mostly based on an internet PC tax similar to what is appearing in Germany, but also used to pay the copyright holders in Switzerland)
Per (current) Russian law, AllOfMp3 is completly legal : They're diffusing music. To do that they have to pay a (small) tax. They paid it. It's ok.
The problem are :
1. The RIAA and other equivalent are complaining they aren't receiving as much money as they should. This is partly due to :
- The current tax being outdated and not taking into account the internet - This is currently being fixed, new law are going to be introduced.
- The long chain between their pocket and AllOfMp3 : the nationnal tax institution may spend the money on other purposes (sponsoring local projects), the money transists via russian copyright holders who hold rights for the music in russia, were the website is hosted, and who keep their part of the share.
- They would prefer a more direct solution like the one used by GooTube, back when Google Video and YouTube got deals from copyrgiht holders. Not a tax-based solution that may end-up, OMG, not in exclusively in their pocket, but sponsoring real artists.
- The legendary greed of the **AAs and friends who are used to earn eleventeen gazillions of cash for royalties not only by resselling the same crap over and over, but even by just sitting and claiming money from other distribution means in which they didn't do a damn thing. This is specially significative in the case of AllOfMp3's because, as regulary pointed by
2. AllOfMp3 is claiming that it want to pay the artists. This can be considered as false claims, as :
- they aren't paying the artists directly, but paying a tax.
- maybe some local artist will get some money, but the bulk of it is lost inside russian copyright holders.
The ideal would be a solution were AllOfMp3 found a way to dirrectly pay the artists. Which is hard.
What user want is a solution that is both legal and provides hi quality music (no-DRM, lossless or high-bitrate compression). But this is unlikely to happen, because almost all company (and soon in Russia too), have to deal with music majors to negotiate rights of diffusion. And no music major is going to accept a format in which user could do whatever they want.
It's sad but I start to think that indeed, like some website like downhillbattle are arguing, the only hope is to see more small independent groups spontaneously publishing part of their work for free and hoping for monetary compensasion from concerts and such.
Denmark forbids internet. (Score:3, Interesting)
A lttle more on AllofMP3.
A court in Kopenhagen (Fogderetten) has now delivered its verdict (Oktober 25 2006) between IFPI and the Danish ISP Tele2, where IFPI wanted to force Tele2 to block AllofMP3.
This court verdict (21 pages PDF in Danish [www.dr.dk]) is quite suprising, not that it forces Tele2 to block access to Allofmp3.com, but rather how the verdict does it. Among other things the court says (transladed to english below):
The court finds .... that also the temporary fixation of the work in the form of electronic impulses, that goes on in the routers while transmitting the data packets over the internet, is covered by the 2 in copyright law.
This means that the court ruling finds that Tele2 are unlawfully making copies while routing their customers communication. So they are not directly forced to block information from Allofmp3.com, they are found to be making "pirate copies" when doing their job of directing communication on the internet, that is what a router does, and internet cannot function without it. This basicly means that this court has forbidden the internet in denmark, since an ISP can be held responsible for its customers communication. This goes also for modern mobile communication too, since a mobile phone also can be used to unlawfully communicate otherwise allredy published and not stamped with secrecy information. It is a lot like if the old telephone company had been held responsible for what its customers said on the phone. Tele2 has appealed this ruling.
Re:AllofMP3 (Score:4, Interesting)
allofmp3faq [museekster.com]
The Register [theregister.com]
Re:comment on the mathematician (Score:3, Interesting)
Looking at Lehigh University's Math department website, this woman got her PhD at, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, 1978.
While she seems to have some interesting research, it just seems odd that a mathematician on the verge of solving one of the great outstanding problems in mathematics attended such a no name school. Does anyone know something about the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn that I don't?
She was a woman getting a PhD in mathematics in 1978. It is entirely possible that the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn was a more welcoming environment than some of the big league schools. Even today some women complain about the atmosphere at some of the "big-name" schools.