[Ecommerce] FYI CopyNight Reminder: Next CopyNight is Tuesday, May 23!

[Manon Ress]

From: CopyNight <info@copynight.org>
Date: May 22, 2006 6:24:18 PM EDT
Subject: CopyNight Reminder: Next CopyNight is Tuesday, May 23!
Reply-To: CopyNight <info@copynight.org>

SNIP

Dear CopyNighters,

It's spring time, birds are singing, and crazy information policies are
blooming around the world.  That means that it must be time for
CopyNight!  Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 23rd is your next chance to talk tech
and information policy with like-minded folks in cities around the
world.  We'd also like to welcome Ottawa to the CopyNight family!  If
you're in Canada's capitol city tomorrow, be sure to bring your geeky
self to their inaugural meeting.  Check to see when and where your local
CopyNight is being held, or sign up to host one if there's nothing in
your area yet: http://copynight.org/

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

* Australia (Almost) Legalizes Personal Recording

Since the dawn of time (and recording technology), it has been illegal
for Australians to rip CDs and record from television or radio
broadcasts for personal use.  The rest of the planet was happily moving
music from CDs to iPods and Tivo-ing everything within tuning distance,
but Aussies were doing it in a legal environment that officially frowned
on such activity.  That's why it made lots of sense when the government
announced changes to those laws.  But wait!  Before rational thought or
fairness could be introduced, the global content industry got their
dirty hands all over the new proposal.  If the current incarnation
passes, it will be legal for Australians to watch shows that they Tivo,
but *only if they watch it no more than once.*  That sounds a little
like replacing a Fiat with a Yugo:

BoingBoing's post with links to more details:
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/15/australia_puts_out_f.html


* RIAA v. Satellite Radio

Imagine the horror of a world where a recording device was connected to
(*gasp*) a radio.  Such an infernal machine would make it trivial to --
are you sitting down? -- record broadcast music!  The wide distribution
of these devices would surely presage the death of song, culture, and
modern society.  At least that's what the recording industry has been
saying since the 1970's, when cassette decks with tuners hit the market.
  The latest salvo in the fight against mix tapes was launched this
month
when record labels sued XM Satellite Radio for producing a personal
tuner that could also record to MP3.  Luckily, the folks at XM aren't
turning the other cheek.  From a release about the lawsuit sent to
customers:

"The music industry wants to stop your ability to choose when and where
you can listen. Their lawyers have filed a meritless lawsuit to try and
stop you from enjoying these radios. [...] They don't get it. These
devices are clearly legal. Consumers have enjoyed the right to tape off
the air for their personal use for decades, from reel-to-reel and the
cassette to the VCR and TiVo."

Fight!  Fight!  Links:

Stereophile's take on the lawsuit:
http://www.stereophile.com/news/052206xmtrials/


* Big Bad Telecom Bill Raises Flags

US Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye recently introduced the
"Communications, Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006" (CCBDA),
a massive new bill that would make the broadcast and audio flag
proposals into law.  Both flag proposals made it into the final law, as
did a provision that would basically kill analog TV within a year of its
passage.  Lots to talk about in this one:

PC Magazine with more meat on the story:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1956689,00.asp

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Eat, drink, and be merry at this month's CopyNight!

Cheers,

Ren Bucholz
CopyNight Toronto

Locations:
http://copynight.org/locations.html

Washington, DC

     * Fourth Tuesday of each month, 6:00 pm
     * RFD, 810 7th St NW (Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (green,
yellow, red)) (map)
     * Hosted by Trammell Hudson, dc (at) copynight.org
     * Join the Washington mailing list
     * View past mailing list announcem


************************************************
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel.:  +1.202.332.2670, Ext 16 Fax: +1.202.332.2673

Consumer Project on Technology
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727

Consumer Project on Technology
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Tel: +44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252 Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607