This Week in News

Insiders talk free music at MidemNet
Music industry and technology insiders met in Cannes to discuss the future of free music at the annual MidemNet forum. Many of the participants said “they believe that subscription-based or advertiser-based business models are the answer.”

Author: Ray Bennett
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, January 27th

McGuinness Speech Brings Dismay, Confusion and Little (Online) Support
Also in Cannes, U2 manager Paul McGuinness gave an impassioned, controversial speech calling for ISPs to crack down on downloaders. The speech served as a rallying cry for music industry folks, but has been widely derided by others.

Source: Coolfer, January 30th

More music dealers offering downloads with sound quality that rivals a CD's
Popular music downloading services like iTunes sell music files in compressed form that reduces sound quality. As a result, audiophiles shy away from downloading and prefer to buy CD’s, which sound better through expensive speakers. Now, new websites are starting up that allow high-quality downloads, but they tend to be more expensive and take longer to download.

Author: Hiawatha Bray
Source: The Boston Globe, January 28th

US Presidential Candidates Reveal Positions On Some IP Issues
With major primaries coming up for both parties in the Presidential election, it’s worth seeing where the candidates stand. Intellectual Property Watch compiled the candidates’ positions on intellectual property issues, copyright infringement, and Internet neutrality.

Author: Kaitlin Mara
Source: Intellectual Property Watch, January 28th

Copy a CD, owe $1.5 million under "gluttonous" PRO-IP Act
Congress is currently considering the PRO-IP Act, which would, among other things, instate a $1.5 million fine for copying a single CD. The RIAA apparently has been pushing for the change because current $9,000 per song fines are insufficient.

Author: Nate Anderson
Source: arstechnica, January 29th

Quality doesn't equal popularity
A study by former Columbia University researcher Duncan Watts indicates that the popularity of a given song or artist is based on luck as much as quality. The study found that popularity breeds more popularity, but “objective quality” plays a much smaller role.

Author: Matt Rosof
Source: CNet News, January 31st