Copyhype

Rhapsody adds liner notes, but how detailed is the information it holds? — As Helienne Lindvall points out, this is a welcome announcement, as the scores of individuals who lend their talents to the production of recorded music deserve recognition. The problem? Rhapsody will likely need to add this information itself, as it is not readily available.

New ways to support great content on YouTube — The long-awaited announcement from YouTube about paid subscription channels. “Starting today, we’re launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC’s new channel.”

Permission, Privacy and Piracy: Where Creators and Consumers Meet — The Trichordist examines the intersection between privacy and piracy: “How are privacy and piracy related? It’s simple, both privacy and piracy revolve around how we view the importance of the individuals right to grant consent. An individual should have the right to grant the specific permissions to access information about us and how that information can be used.”

Kim Dotcom’s Truth = Nothing but Lies — Indie filmmaker Ellen Seidler takes on Kim Dotcom and his recent “white paper” defending Megaupload. Says Seidler, “Kim Dotcom is not Robin Hood and he’s not a hero. He’s a (wealthy) thief who, thanks to technical know-how and a black market business acumen, was able to exploit the work of content creators across the globe for his own, personal gain. Dotcom’s lies cloaked as ‘truth’ may gain him sympathy from his acolytes, but it won’t change the fact that stealing from others isn’t sharing, it’s theft.”

Why is Video Piracy Still Called A “Censorship” Problem? — “When we talk about video piracy, we’re talking about accessing someone’s creative property for free. It is true that you cannot copyright ideas but once those ideas are set down and given life as a recording, book, film, etc. they become the creator’s intellectual property. One may have issues with how long the protection should last, but that protection serves several important purposes: 1) It compensates the content providers and enables them to make a living; 2) It encourages people to continue producing content in hopes that they will be able to make a living.”