This Week In News

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FCC Says Comcast Illegally Interfered With Web File-Sharing Traffic
A majority of the Federal Communications Commission has concluded that cable operator Comcast unlawfully disrupted the transfer of certain digital video files, affirming the government's right to regulate how Internet companies manage Web traffic.
Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post

Yahoo Relents, Gives coupons, Refunds To Music DRM Captives
Yahoo is trying to make the best of a potentially ugly situation that would leave many of its customers stuck between a rock and a hard place come September 30. The company, which announced last week that it was shutting down the defunct Yahoo! Music Store's DRM authentication servers, now plans to offer coupons to users so that they can purchase their songs again through Yahoo's new music partner, Rhapsody. Yahoo follows in the steps of Microsoft, who only a few weeks ago announced similar plans to shut down their DRM authentication servers, but later reversed themselves and agreed to keep them on until 2011.
Jacqui Cheng, ArsTechnica

Senate, House Merge Separate, Controversial Anti-Piracy Bills into One
With the copyright reform PRO-IP and PIRATE Acts in the rearview, the United States Senate introduced a new bill designed to incorporate the best of both worlds for IP protection, dubbed the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008 (PDF).
Tom Corelis, DailyTech

Pandora Debates With SoundExchange Over Web Royalty Rates
Representatives from Pandora clashed on Tuesday with SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalties for copyright owners in the music business, over these very issues. Pandora reiterated that current royalty rates could potentially put it out of business, but SoundExchange suggested that Pandora was quite capable of paying its way given projected Internet radio advertising revenues, as well as the success of its iPhone app.
Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine

Sirius, XM tie-up gets FCC approval
Federal regulators formally approved the merger of the nation's only two satellite radio operators last Friday, ending a 16-month-long drama closely watched by Washington and Wall Street. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s $3.3 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will mean 18 million-plus subscribers will be able to receive programming from both services.
CNN