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{ Monthly Archives } April 2007

DNC PR head is an RIAA shill

Let Boing Boing take you through a few choice quotes from Jenni Engebretsen, the RIAA’s Director of Communications who is now the head of public relations for the Democratic National Convention. Also, Boing Boing has more on the shill’s avoidance of difficult issues including:
The liberal blogosophere is united on many fronts — not just [...]

More corporations instead of fewer?

In its latest letter, FreePress.net tells us
The controversy over Don Imus’ racist remarks goes far beyond one bigoted commentator. But getting rid of Imus won’t fix the media problem.
Most of our TV and radio stations are owned by giant corporate conglomerates. They don’t represent the views of most Americans — and they make huge profits [...]

What does your town and University say about protests?

Students at the University of Southern California are protesting sweatshop-made school merchandise. Boing Boing has a good take on this:
The students from SCALE — the anti-sweatshop group — tell me that the last time they protested, they were thrown out of the “free speech zone” by a security guard who told them they had [...]

DRM is merely a foot in the door

I’m not convinced that any of the large publishers want to stop unauthorized copying, really. I think digital restrictions management (a far more honest expansion for DRM as it focuses on the effect for the largest group of people–the users) is merely the latest means to an end: getting more power and money from [...]

Who benefits from your support for “online music”?

FreePress.net claims that “[o]nline music is in danger”:
Online music is in danger. A recent ruling by an obscure regulatory board threatens to put independent and public radio on the Internet out of business.
The “Copyright Royalty Board” is dramatically increasing the royalties “webcasters” must pay every time they stream a song online. Public Internet radio like [...]

Why is the University of Illinois stumping for the RIAA’s interests?

Nate first pointed me to the latest University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign mass mailing. Since then, the letter has been posted online in a publicly-accessible fashion. In case you wondered why doing business with the RIAA is troublesome, check out what their supporters in the University of Illinois have sent to everyone in [...]