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MPAA admits it overstated the effects of college piracy, times it made a beer run
The MPAA has never been too high on college kids -- remember the dishonor roll? -- but it looks like Hollywood set is bummed about not being invited to that last kegger, because the MPAA is now admitting that it drastically overstated the effect of college downloading in previous studies. Back in 2005, the MPAA claimed that a whopping 44 percent of revenue losses came directly at the hands of carefree coeds nationwide, and used that number to pressure colleges into enforcing harsher downloading policies and even propose legislation currently before Congress that would tie federal education funds to copyright enforcement requirements. We're not sure why the industry is now backing off that 44 percent number, but it's now saying that "human error" resulted in a miscalculation, and the revenue loss from college piracy is more like 15 percent -- a number which is further disputed by campus IT groups, who say it should be more like three percent. Of course, while it's good to see the MPAA take an upfront stance on this, simply admitting you're sleazy doesn't actually wipe the slime off, so let's see how the industry approaches future studies, shall we?
EFF claims that Comcast is still meddling with data
According to a report released by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Comcast has yet to relinquish its data discriminating habits, and users attempting to share content via P2P could still face slowdowns and unexpected delays. Of course, Comcast's Charlie Douglas proclaimed that the firm "does not, has not, and will not block any web site or online application, including peer-to-peer services," but followed up by stating that it did engage in "reasonable network management to serve all of its customers with a good internet experience." The EFF, however, saw things differently. During its own tests, it was reportedly able to confirm conclusions drawn earlier this year by the AP, and it also exclaimed that Comcast was "essentially deploying against its own customers techniques more typically used by malicious hackers." Pretty strong words, to say the least, but we're curious to know if the continued Comcast bashing is indeed legitimate. So, dear readers / Comcast users, are you still (or have you ever, for that matter) experiencing sketchy P2P performance, or is this all just one overblown mess?
Coalition urges FCC to halt Comcast's data tampering
Just a fortnight after the AP called Comcast out for tampering with some users' ability to swap files over P2P networks, a coalition has formally asked the FCC to stop the operator from interfering with such activity. The petition reportedly asks the Commission to "immediately declare that Comcast is violating the FCC's policy," and it's being supported by the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Media Access Project and professors at the internet practices of the Yale, Harvard and Stanford law schools (among others). Separately, Free Press and Public Knowledge are filing a complaint that asks the FCC to demand a "forfeiture from Comcast of $195,000 per affected subscriber." It's also said that this will be the "first real test of the FCC's stance on Net Neutrality," but there's no telling how long the Commission will wait before acting on the filings.
Comcast fesses up to traffic delays
Following AP reports published last week that painted Comcast in a less-than-positive light for apparently stifling BitTorrent uploads, the company has come clean (somewhat, that is). Reportedly, the firm did admit to "delaying" some subscriber internet traffic, but stated that any hiccups were "temporary and intended to improve surfing for other users." More specifically, Mitch Bowling, senior vice president of Comcast Online Services, was quoted as saying that Comcast utilized "several network management technologies that, when necessary, enabled it to delay -- not block -- some peer-to-peer traffic," but that doesn't exactly jive with the AP's findings. Nevertheless, Mr. Bowling also stated that the problem was "unintentional and due to a software bug [saywha?] that had been fixed." So with that being said, are any of the afflicted users out there still seeing issues, or has all this negative attention really resulted in a change of heart?
Comcast engaging in data discrimination, claims AP
ISPs throttling or downright banning access is certainly not unheard of outside of America, but for Comcast customers fully expecting an unadulterated portal to the intarwebs, the AP's latest findings may cause some serious kvetching. Reportedly, the Associated Press has "confirmed through nationwide tests" that Comcast is indeed "actively interfering with attempts by some of its high-speed internet subscribers to share files online." Deemed the "most drastic example yet of data discrimination by a US internet service provider," the outfit seems to be stifling BitTorrent uploads (but not downloads), and spokesman Charlie Douglas even went so far as to confirm that the company utilizes "sophisticated methods to keep web connections running smoothly." Granted, we're not shocked at all that Comcast is engaging in traffic shaping, but as of now, it has yet to come clean about its apparent involvement in hindering P2P uploads. So, dear Comcast users, have any of you noticed any such shenanigans going on?[Thanks, Jerry]
High school study shows love for Apple, P2P music sharing
In today's episode of "no surprises here," we look at a recent study published by Piper Jaffray & Company which attempts to take an intimate look inside the minds of high schoolers across the US. As you'd probably expect, none of the results were all that shocking. When asked about MP3 players, some 82-percent of those that already owned some form of DAP stated that it was an iPod, which was slightly up from last fall. Additionally, 64-percent of those surveyed admitted to downloading music illegally, which may actually be an (ever-so-slightly) positive figure considering that the percentage actually dropped from 72-percent in 2006. As for the iPhone, just 3-percent of students claimed that they owned one, but nearly 10-percent stated that they were looking to pick one up "within the next six months." [Via CNET, image courtesy of MSN]
Popcorn Hour's Networked Media Tank seen early
If you're scouting a decent media server that just so happens to double as a NAS drive and BitTorrent server, we'd probably wait out this weekend. Apparently, the Popcorn Hour website is set to go live in T-minus two days, but an eagle-eyed individual manged to pull down what appears to be a screenshot of the firm's forthcoming Networked Media Tank. The NMT reportedly enables users to "watch, store and share digital content on your home network," and it also allows for "seamless integration between your digital media and your entertainment system." Best of all, buyers can toss in a hard drive of their choosing, and the 1080p output is sure to please the HD buffs. According to the capture (shown in full after the jump), all this functionality will only run you $179 (sans an HDD), but we'll out find out for certain in a matter of hours.UPDATE: Seems this could be a rebadge of another product -- guess we'll wait and see, eh? Thanks for the update, Gabriel M.[Thanks, Johan W.]
Jammie Thomas to appeal $222,000 RIAA file-sharing suit
Nothing's been filed yet, but Jammie Thomas and her lawyer were on CNN today discussing that ridiculous $222,000 damage award for sharing songs on Kazaa and confirmed that they will, in fact, appeal. The exact nature of the appeal is still up in the air, but Thomas' lawyer says it'll have to do with whether or not Thomas actually transferred a song to another Kazaa user or just made it available on the network. That's a pretty unsettled part of the law and a fairly weak part of the RIAA's case, but we'll have to wait and see what the actual appeal says before we'll have an idea of how this will play out. Peep the full interview on CNN at the read link.[Via TG Daily]
RIAA wins first-ever file-sharing case to go to trial, awarded $222,000
The first RIAA file-sharing case to go to trial just wrapped, and sadly, the outcome isn't a positive one. Regardless of the incredibly asinine and consumer-hostile comments made by Sony BMG's head of litigation the other day, the jury found Jammie Thomas, a single mother from Minnesota, liable for willful copyright infringement and awarded the RIAA plaintiffs $222,000 -- that's $9,250 for each of the 24 songs she was alleged to have made available on Kazaa, for those of you keeping track at home, and probably something like, oh, say, $222,000 more than she should have had to pay, since the RIAA plaintiffs weren't required to show that Thomas had a file-sharing program installed on her machine or that she was even the person using the Kazaa account in question. Of course, this is just one case and there's always the possibility of appeal, but anything that emboldens the RIAA's litigation team is never good for the general public.Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, it is not meant as legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such.
HD internet video portal Vuze sees 'unprecedented' growth
Azureus announced today that its HD internet video portal, dubbed Vuze, is experiencing "unprecedented growth," and celebrated reaching seven million users in its first six months of operation. Additionally, July saw content downloads "grow well over 100-percent compared to June," and now the company is offering up the complete two seasons of The Office UK (plus its specials) right here in the United States. Better still, the first episode is being made available completely free of charge. So, dear readers, how many of you have dipped into Vuze to check out, say, the vast array of BBC programming?
Skinkers LiveStation: P2P live TV broadcasting service demoed
In the live television streaming / placeshifting realm, Sling Media is likely the first name to come to mind, but now a new competitor is gearing up to enter the market sans the use of a box. Based on the Microsoft Silverlight platform, London-based Skinkers is in the early stages of readying a new product dubbed LiveStation, which looks to provide users with live television access on their internet-connected machine via a basic P2P setup. During an interview with Matteo Berlucchi from Skinkers, he did mention that the program would remain in beta for "the next few months" as kinks were gradually worked out, but also noted that it would be Mac and PC compatible when launch day comes. Go on, hit the read link to hear it from the developers mouth.[Via TechCrunch]
QNAP TS-100 NAS handles BitTorrent downloads, media server duties
Although QNAP was indeed one of the forerunners in getting PC-less downloads into the NAS arena, it's been a tick since the firm pumped out anything new, but those looking for a multifaceted drive have found their match. The TS-100 supports SATA drives up to 750GB is extendable to 1.5TB by an eSATA and USB 2.0 port, operates as a UPnP media server, iTunes music server, remotely accessible hard drive, and "non-stop" BitTorrent / P2P client that can keep those downloads runnin' so long as it's being fed an internet connection. Furthermore, the device sports a trendy white / silver finish, a fanless design, comes pre-loaded with the company's QGet download management software. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we're guessing it'll hit around the $300 mark when it lands.
Home to get P2P file sharing?
With the Home beta starting yesterday, tiny tidbits of information have begun to appear about Sony's innovative online community platform. One of the more intriguing tidbits come from the website SonyProtectionGroup.com. They've published a rumor suggesting that Sony is integrating a P2P file sharing protocol that will help make it faster and easier for users to share media with each other. It's also been suggested that this may be an attempt by Sony to reduce their bandwidth usage, which is probably a good idea. Bandwidth can be expensive, and unlike the other guys, Sony's not charging us for it.
iTunes to get subscription service by year's end?
This rumor is just about as old as iTunes itself, and while it has remained fairly dormant due to Steve's insistence on maintaining the oh-so-lucrative existing model, the subscription-based iTunes question has somehow surfaced again. According to Les Ottolenghi, CEO of INTENT MediaWorks, Apple could be leaning towards implementing such a service "within the next six months," and even went so far as to suggest we not believe any Apple-based denials that could potentially follow. Interestingly, several analysts even suggested that subscription-based systems haven't garnered much fanfare simply because the head honcho in digital music distribution isn't playing along. Unfortunately, no hints were dropped in regard to future pricing schemes, but you'll only be waiting about half a year to find out, anyway.[Via Digg]
Neokast / MoveDigital partner for internet-based HD on-demand venture
There's nothing we enjoy more than not even leaving the comforts of our Aeron chair in order to catch a program in HD, and now we've got reason to believe that even more high-definition content could be coming down the internet pipeline in the not-so-distant future. Neokast, which "streams live broadcasts and on-demand content over the Internet via advanced P2P protocols, has formed a partnership with MoveDigital, an online digital delivery service," in order to deliver streaming HD media "to the masses." Essentially, MoveDigital is looking to provide Neokast with the extra capacity necessary to ensure that "an HBO or an NBC's HD content" is available fluidly to customers over the internet. Of course, recent BitTorrent flops attempts have been less than enthralling, but considering the outright lack of HD available through it, we still see a door left wide open for someone to seize. Unfortunately, there was no word on a timeline, nor a mention of what type(s) of media would eventually be available, but considering just how far we have to walk from the PC to the living room, this stuff can't get finalized soon enough.
SmartWeb project to use P2P networks to keep drivers informed
Intelligent roadways are nothing new, as we've seen project after project (and even countries) look at varying ways to keep drivers informed whilst cruising about, but a new rendition showcased at CeBIT is looking to utilize P2P networking in order to spread pertinent information about road hazards to drivers behind the mishap. SmartWeb, which is being coordinated by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence along with a myriad of other corporations, would allow vehicles to detect hazards (such as an oil slick or road block) and pass the information on to surrounding vehicles in order to hopefully prevent accidents and give motorists ample time to locate a detour. This doesn't mark the first time P2P has been used for the betterment of mankind, and the data would reportedly be conveyed via a "dashboard screen or through a mobile handset," potentially adding yet another distraction to overload our brains while trying to remain between the blinking yellow lines. Of course, those of you with real-time traffic updates are already on top of the game, but we could definitely see this technology being marketable to thrill-seeking cops looking to pinpoint information feeds coming from speeding criminals.
NDS announces P2P-enabled DVR solution
While peer-to-peer sharing certainly gets its fair share of critics, the sharing, caring approach to distributing media definitely has its useful (and legal) benefits, and now NDS has announced "two new product enhancements of Synamedia Metro, the NDS IPTV middleware solution," which looks to bring P2P technology to the DVR. Distributed DVR allows for any hard drive on the home's network to act as the storage device for your DVR, theoretically eliminating the need to even include an HDD in the set-top-box and giving customers the unadulterated ability to scale their storage capacity to fit their needs. Furthermore, the ShareTV system "allows IPTV subscribers to legally share their stored TV content using peer-to-peer technology running in the Jungo Residential Gateway software," essentially opening up a new realm of recorded television to access just in case your forgot to schedule a crucial recording. Of course, all of the files would be laced in DRM, and only users of NDS' system would be able to share and access the recorded content, but having a nearly endless supply of DVR'd shows at your disposal sure sounds appealing. Now, who's game to pick this system up and distribute to the people?[Via PVRWire]
The Pirate Bay eying Sealand to escape digital persecution
While Sweden (and Russia, to name a few) has long been a country of choice when it came to hosting less-than-upstanding websites, the head honchos around the globe looking out for their precious content have somehow reached The Pirate Bay, and now the popular torrent tracking site is eying the micronation of Sealand as a safe haven for its dubious hosting needs. Sealand, which is loosely claimed as a principality, features its own flag, coat of arms, currency, stamps, passports, and most importantly, a quasi-coat of armor from any nation's laws. Although the background of 5,920-square foot man-made installation off the shore of Suffolk, England is quite remarkable, TPB sees its two massive columns as a perfect place for future hosting duties. Formerly the home of HavenCo, an off-shore hosting company that housed gambling sites, money transferring liaisons, and any other operation looking for internet freedom, Sealand could be a potential sanctuary from the claws of the RIAA, MPAA, and other content "owners." Although a principality can't legally (saywha?) be "sold," the family in possession of it recently began accepting offers "upwards of eight figures" for a transfer of ownership after (quite literally) holding down the fort since 1967, and while we highly doubt a fundraiser can scrape up that kind of loot anytime soon, nor do we believe it'd stop the barrage of content guardians, we must say the location looks like an excellent place to just get away from it all (including lawyers) -- if only for awhile.[Thanks, iamsoinsane, photo courtesy Kim Gilmour]
Hands on with The Venice Project -- P2P TV from the creators of Skype
While Skype co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis might've gotten a bit more respecting of IP over the years, it looks like they still haven't lost their knack for software design and industry disruption. Om Malik over at his GigaOM pad just go his hands on the latest from that intrepid Skype duo: The Venice Project. The basic gist of the app is to act as a distribution platform for next-gen TV, with P2P underpinnings borrowed and improved from Kazaa and Skype. Resolution is near the quality of standard TV, but with bandwidth use at around 250MB per hour, ISPs aren't going to be incredibly stoked about this one. Right now Venice is still in beta, but Om had plenty of love for the simple setup, slick design and ease of use, and while there's a little bit of channel-change lag right now, kinks like that should be ironed out before launch, making for a snappy online TV experience with the already "stunning and crisp" visuals. Unfortunately, it all comes down to content in the end, and there seems to be little of that at the moment, and no major prospects have been unveiled as of yet. A functional, protected and revenue-sharing platform could be just what doctor ordered for media companies looking to break into the currently fragmented market of online TV, but it looks like Niklas and Janus will need quite the winner of an offering, along with some Skype leverage (a bundle, perhaps?) to make this new player ubiquitous enough to succeed.
BBC to go peer-to-peer in HD with Azureus
The Beeb is reporting that hundreds of episodes of "programmes" will be released for download via the Zudeo service, based on P2P client Azureus. The videos will be available in HD and will be DRM'ed, exact rights and pricing to be announced. This is certainly big news for fans of Brit TV who don't have... you know... cable.Seriously, though, HD via P2P is a big deal, especially from such an august content horde as the BBC. The presence of a Mac client (Azureus is Java-based) is also good news, although it remains to be seen if the actual videos will play for us. Will P2P challenge the video dominance of the iTunes Music Store?[via Digg]
