www.findanyfilm.com
is the UK Film Council’s new guide to help to legal downloads
Responses published in April 2010
Thursday, 28th April
Blockbuster appeal
Stuart Kemp reports that digital commoditisation such as video on demand is of increasing importance to the film industry.
Sources: mediaGen
Thursday, 28th April
Housefull free of illegal downloads
Director Sajid Khan is doing his best to trap illegal downloaders. Sajid is said to be using an anti-copyright theft software to prevent illegal downloads of the film
on internet.
Sources: oneindia.in
Thursday, 28th April
Digital Economy Act: Don’t Forget The Wi-Fi!
Tom Jowitt asks whether the Digital Economy Act will really spell the end of free public Wi-Fi.
Sources: eWeekEurope.co.uk
Thursday, 28th April
Hulu 'abandons UK plans' after broadcaster talks collapse
Hulu, the US video aggregator, has been forced to abandon plans to launch a UK version of its web TV service after talks with the major British broadcasters have collapsed.
Sources: Telegraph
Thursday, 28th April
Virgin Media sees record customer growth surge
Internet users' hunger for faster download speeds is helping Virgin Media to sign up new customers at a record rate.
Sources: Daily Mail
Thursday, 28th April
Has music lost meaning?
Quinton Dorsey argues that illegal downloading has changed the music industry.
Sources: TheDurhamNews.com
Wednesday, 28th April
Conservatives: reconsidering Digital Economy Act will lead to set-backs
Conservative leader David Cameron believes that rejecting or reconsidering the Digital Economy Act will lead to "an unacceptable setback for the important measures it contains."
Sources: PC Advisor
Wednesday, 28th April
Lib Dems want further scrutiny of Govt. Digital Economy Act
Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, says the Digital Economy Act should be subject to further scrutiny.
Sources: Macvideo.tv
Wednesday, 28th April
Can Avatar send the Blu-ray technology into a new dimension?
Tim Walker argues that the record-breaking blockbuster Avatar could prove crucial in the format sales battle.
Sources: The Independent
Wednesday, 28th April
UK music trade revenue rises in 2009
The total income from recorded music trade in the UK rose 1.4% last year to £928.8 million. According to new figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), revenues from physical formats fell by 6.1% to £739.9m, while digital income rose 47.8% to £188.9m.
Sources: Digitalspy.co.uk
Wednesday, 28th April
Election: Can Pirate Party UK emulate Sweden success?
Pirate Party UK are fielding nine candidates in the general election. Although they have fewer than 900 members, they still hope to stir mutiny among sections of the electorate unhappy with "criminalisation" of file sharing, "excessive surveillance" and what it sees as limits to free speech.
Sources: BBC News
Tuesday, 27th April
Can Avatar send the Blu-ray technology into a new dimension?
Avatar has become the fastest-selling home entertainment release of all time in North America. The blockbuster shifted 6.7million DVDs and hi-definition Blu-ray discs in only four days. And the film is on course to become the biggest selling DVD in the UK, taking the record from Mamma Mia!
Sources: Daily Mail, The independent
Tuesday, 27th April
UK launches competition to find cyber security experts
A national public competition has begun to find people with a talent for keeping computers and networks secure. Without more computer security experts the UK will not be equipped to handle rising cyber crime, say professionals.
Sources: BBC News
Tuesday, 27th April
Spotify promises 'massive' revamp
Spotify has announced big changes to its website which will allow users to share music with one another in what it claims is one of the biggest shake ups to the music streaming service since it launched in late 2008. In a move towards social networking, it's aiming to let users swap and share music tracks as well as allowing them to check out what their friends are listening to.
Sources: BBC News
Monday, 26th April
A rare victory against copyright theft
A year ago South Korea tightened copyright laws and allowed media firms to demand that warnings be sent to people who flout them. If they ignore three such warnings, their broadband connection can then be cut. This provided the model for “three strikes” laws subsequently passed in France and Britain. New figures from the South Korean branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) suggest the pioneering law has had an effect.
Sources: The Economist
Monday, 26th April
Watch a pirated film and fund terrorism
The New York-based Rand Corporation’s 182-page report, ‘Film piracy, organized crime and terrorism’ suggests that film copyright theft is increasingly becoming a way to finance terrorism.
Sources: Business Standard
Friday, 23th April
YouTube: five years on
A look at the future of video-sharing website YouTube.
Sources: The Guardian
Friday, 23th April
Why there's nothing to see on new 3D TVs
The first 3D televisions went on sale yesterday, however customers will also have to buy a 3D Blue Ray player in order to watch anything.
Sources: Evening Standard
Thursday, 22th April
Illegal File-Sharing Only Option For Some, Says EC
European Commission vice-president for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes has said that the failure of governments and content producers to agree on common standards and platforms across Europe was directly contributing to illegal file-sharing. Kroes pointed to the much larger size of the legal download market in the US as a sign that EU was behind when it comes to creating legal platforms for users to download content.
Sources: eWeekEurope.co.uk
Thursday, 22th April
Changing Canada’s tune on copyright law
Debate over copyright law and the issue of illegal downloading is being revived in Canada, as musicians seek to ensure that they get paid in the digital age. The Canadian federal government has promised to unveil a new copyright bill this spring.
Sources: The Globe and Mail
Thursday, 22th April
Neil Berkett: The man who led Virgin Media into the light
Neil Berkett, the chief executive of Virgin Media, is positioning Virgin to be at the forefront of the digital revolution in the UK. Virgin wants to be more than just a "dumb pipe" that carries data, instead seeing itself as "the intermediary of choice in the digital world".
Sources: The Independent
Wednesday, 21th April
Movie & Music Trade Groups Suggest Orwellian Measures to Stop Copyright Theft
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have come out with a set of proposals to combat copyright theft in response to a request from the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator that the entertainment industry submit proposals to government for ways to protect intellectual property.
Sources: discovermagazine.com
Wednesday, 21th April
Tech companies fear implications of trade pact
Companies across the technology industry, from Internet access providers to social networking sites to video-sharing services, are bracing themselves for this week's release of a draft of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
Sources: sfgate.com
Tuesday, 20th April
Politicians scrutinised over Digital Economy Act
The Digital Economy Act was discussed during a live debate between the three main UK political parties, as each was asked to justify the fairness of the legislation.
Sources: v3.co.uk
Tuesday, 20th April
Landmark Irish Internet Ruling Gives Hope to NZ
An Irish judge has recognised the right to "be identified with and reasonably exploit one's own original creative endeavour" as a basic human right, in a judgement that supports the "three strikes" approach to dealing with illegal music downloading.
Sources: voxy.co.nz
Monday, 19th April
Media consumption on the increase
People are watching more television, reading more news, playing more video games, spending more time updating their social networking profiles and using more video-on-demand services than they were six months ago, according to the latest KPMG Media and Entertainment Barometer, but their actual spending has plunged as consumers increasingly expect free access.
Sources: The Guardian
Monday, 19th April
Dave Harte: Digital Economy Bill is blow to creative sector
Dave Harte argues that while the Digital Economy Act may help the creative economy in some respects, “it’s also done a decent job of managing to upset an entire generation of internet entrepreneurs and that can’t be good news for either UK plc or for that matter, Birmingham plc.”
Sources: Birmingham Post
Monday, 19th April
European Commission spills the beans on ACTA
The European Commission (EC) has gone public on the latest talks on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which were held in New Zealand this week.
Sources: V3
Monday, 19th April
Complex malware uses copyright threats to blackmail victims
A new Trojan computer virus which threatens to post the internet history of infected users is spreading from Japan, according to Trend Micro. The malware sends targets an email accusing them of copyright theft and threatening a court case if damages are not forthcoming.
Sources: V3
Friday, 16th April
Superfast broadband 'will encourage copyright theft'
Faster internet connections will encourage more people to download songs and films illegally, according to a survey by MoneySupermarket.
Sources: Telegraph
Friday, 16th April
Viacom: Google used copyright theft to coerce content owners
Viacom has accused Google of making “a deliberate, calculated business decision not only to profit from copyright infringement, but also to use the threat of copyright infringement to try to coerce rights owners like Viacom into licensing their content on Google's terms.”
Sources: cnet News
Friday, 16th April
3D-TV health warning: Tuning in can cause confusion, nausea and even fits, says electronics giant
Samsung has issued a health warning about the dangers of watching 3D television. The warning has been posted on a Samsung website and appears designed to protect the manufacturer from any legal claims for compensation if people fall ill. Other manufacturers say they have studied the health effects of 3D viewing and have decided it is safe to go ahead.
Sources: Dailymail
Thursday, 15th April
Broadband provider Sky welcomes government's file-sharing stance
Broadband provider Sky’s chief executive Jeremy Darroch has commended the government for its stance on illegal filesharing. Mr Darroch has said that copyright theft was having a huge impact on the content industry and that laws that would penalise broadband providers were necessary.
Sources: cable.co.uk
Thursday, 15th April
Ofcom outlines plans for Digital Economy Act
Ofcom has given an initial outline of how it plans to implement the controversial measures in the Digital Economy Act designed to discourage illegal file sharing. The telecoms watchdog has also produced a timeline of when it will flesh out the plans and send them to the European Commission for approval.
Sources: v3.co.uk
Thursday, 15th April
France, the U.K. Take Aim at Digital Copyright Thieves
Britain and France recently became the first European countries to pass "graduated-response" anti-copyright theft laws, joining South Korea and Taiwan as the only nations in the world to attack illegal downloading through a government-mandated system of warnings and penalties. But now the U.K. and France face obstacles in executing the legislation and changing the behavior of consumers who are accustomed to accessing unauthorised copies of music and movies online.
Sources: Wall Street Journal
Thursday, 15th April
Tech Weekly: Digital Economy Act aftermath and designing for disabilities
Feargal Sharkey of UK Music and Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group discuss the implications of the Digital Economy Act. Also, designers, engineers and disability experts talk about product design for people who are less able.
Sources: The Guardian
Thursday, 15th April
US government report raises doubts about industry copyright theft claims
Efforts to persuade US politicians that they might want to introduce something similar to the three-strikes anti-copyright theft system put in place by the Digital Economy Act may be hindered by an official report which says music and film industry estimates regarding the economic impact of online copyright theft don't stand up to rigorous scrutiny.
Sources: thecmuwebsite.com
Thursday, 15th April
Hackers try to exploit illegal downloading fears
Hackers are exploiting the controversy surrounding illegal downloading in a bid to steal credit card details from web users, says F-Secure. The security vendor has identified a Trojan that attempts to get PC users to believe an 'Antipiracy foundation scanner' has found illegal torrents on the system.
Sources: pcadvisor.co.uk
Thursday, 15th April
ACTA About More Than Illegal Music Downloading - Oxfam
International agency Oxfam is calling on the New Zealand Government to break the pattern of secrecy in negotiations towards an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Oxfam warns that new rules for patents and trademarks are likely to include measures to block generic medicines from reaching poor people in developing countries. The eighth round of negotiations is being held in Wellington this week.
Sources: voxy.co.nz
Wednesday, 14th April
GAO copyright theft report: A deeper look
On Monday the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on copyright theft and counterfeiting. Greg Sandoval takes a closer look at the GAO’s year-long investigation.
Sources: cnet News
Wednesday, 14th April
YouTube, Happy 5th Birthday
As YouTube prepares to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its first ever video, Harry Wallop takes a look at how it started a video revolution.
Sources: Telegraph
Tuesday, 13th April
Share a song and become a net DJ
A new digital music service, mFlow, is launching later this week, which allows users to follow each other’s music recommendations and purchase high-quality MP3s. It was first envisaged as an alternative to illegal downloading.
Sources: Evening Standard and The Guardian
Tuesday, 13th April
TalkTalk to fight the Digital Bill
TalkTalk argues that the digital economy bill is wrong because it places the responsibility onto consumers to prove that they are innocent. It has stated that it will protect its customers’ identities unless they are demanded through the courts.
Sources: Tech Watch
Monday, 12th April
New law for illegal downloaders
A new law has been passed which cracks down on the illegal downloading of music and movies.
Sources: BBC News
Monday, 12th April
3D, a protection against copyright theft: Chris Brown
“Daybreakers” and “Bait” producer Chris Brown believes 3D serves as ‘protection’ against copyright theft, which should be encouraging for filmmakers.
Sources: Encoremagazine.com.au
Monday, 12th April
Copyright law must be simplified
Felix Cohen argues that we need a modern copyright system that focuses on empowering producers, not criminalizing consumers.
Sources: The Guardian
Monday, 12th April
Digital Economy Act likely to increase households targeted for copyright theft
Dan Sabbagh reports that fears are increasing that law firms may hone in on web users who don’t illegally download.
Sources: The Guardian
Monday, 12th April
Shame Peter Mandelson didn’t download some common sense
John Naughton argues that the Digital Economy Bill won’t stop file-sharing.
Sources: The Guardian
Monday, 12th April
Gallagher slams stars over download complaints
Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is urging his fellow musicians to stop complaining about illegal internet downloads, as he argues that online file-sharing is a good way to introduce music to fans.
Sources: Yahoo! News
Monday, 12th April
BT's 'presumption of guilt' warning over new illegal downloads legislation
BT has hit out at new legislation cracking down on illegal downloads, saying it was concerned that legitimate customers could be "presumed guilty" under proposals to block websites where there was evidence of illegal file sharing.
Sources: Scotland on Sunday
Friday, 9th April
Digital victims
The Times features a letter from Mike Higgins explaining the value of the Digital Economy Bill.
Sources: Times
Friday, 9th April
Creative industries, rights groups and lawyers react to digital economy bill
The final reading of the bill in the House of Lords means it is sure to get royal assent - triggering a wave of official reactions.
Sources: The Guardian
Friday, 9th April
Internet provider defies digital bill
Talk Talk, one of the UK's three biggest internet service providers, has vowed not to co-operate with measures to combat file-sharing set out in the government's digital economy bill, expected to receive royal assent within days.
Sources: The Guardian
Friday, 9th April
Internet Bill 'pushed through in stitch-up'
Politicians have been accused of a "stitch-up" to pass a law cracking down on digital copyright theft before the election.
Sources: Evening Standard
Thursday, 8th April
Digital Economy Bill: Passed 189-47 With Copyright Theft Measure IntactMPs passed a cut-down version of the Digital Economy Bill on Wednesday night by 189 votes to 47 - lacking several key proposals but retaining the centrepiece provision for ISPs to act against unauthorised downloaders of copyrighted content.
Sources: paidContent:UK
Thursday, 8th April
Digital economy bill rushed through wash-up in late night sessionThe government forced through the digital economy bill with the aid of the Conservative party last night, attaining a crucial third reading – which means it will get royal assent and become law – after just two hours of debate in the Commons.
Sources: The Guardian
Thursday, 8th April
Digital Economy Bill: Quick Guide To All 45 MeasuresThe Digital Economy Bill may have had a few parts stripped out, but the remaining 76-page bill is still a wide-ranging piece of media and technology reform.
Sources: paidContent:UK
Thursday, 8th April
The Digital Economy Bill: a nightmare of unintended consequencesMike Butcher argues that the Digital Economy Bill is full of unintended consequences.
Sources: The Telegraph
Thursday, 8th April
Downloading content you already own may be illegal but it's not unethicalThe New York Times has an ethicist and he’s ruled on the thorny issue of downloading content you already own.
Sources: The Telegraph
Wednesday, 7th April
We need a Bill to torpedo the internet copyright thievesBrendan Barber argues that if copyright theft is left unchecked, Britain's creative industries will suffer and jobs will be lost.
Sources: The Telegraph
Wednesday, 7th April
Digital Economy bill faces further scrutinyElements of the Digital Economy Bill will face further scrutiny even if the bill is passed, Commons Leader Harriet Harman has said. Part of the bill, which refers to how copyright holders can block access to websites hosting unauthorised copies of content, will be subject to further consultation.
Sources: BBC News
Wednesday, 7th April
Q&A: The Digital Economy billThe Digital Economy Bill could become law during the wash-up period, which sees outstanding legislation rushed through before a general election. BBC News features questions and answers regarding the bill.
Sources: BBC News
Wednesday, 7th April
Music copyright thieves – want to go legit? Here's one possible optionPaul Owen predicts that Apple could react to digital economy bill by offering iTunes users the chance to replace illegally downloaded songs with legitimate versions.
Sources: The Guardian
Wednesday, 7th April
Unauthorised copies of software are fine, say one in three BritsA third of UK citizens believe that it is acceptable to use unauthorised copies of software at home or at work, according to a survey conducted by Microsoft.
Sources: V3
Tuesday, 6th April
Call for 'fuller' debate on Digital Economy BillOpponents of the Digital Economy Bill have urged MPs to give it "the debate it deserves" when it is discussed in the House of Commons.
Sources: BBC News
Tuesday, 6th April
Digital economy bill needs proper debateJim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, writes in a letter to The Guardian that the House of Commons needs to fully debate the Digital Economy bill for the sake of legitimacy.
Sources: The Guardian
Tuesday, 6th April
Digital Economy Bill will cost consumers ‘£300 million’Broadband provider TalkTalk claims that broadband customers will need to upgrade their networks’ security to avoid prosecution as a result of the Digital Economy bill.
Sources: Times online
Tuesday, 6th April
Millions will have to buy routers to beat hackersTalkTalk, the country’s second largest broadband provider, says that millions of internet users will have to spend up to £70 each to upgrade their wi-fi equipment or risk heavy fines if hackers use their connection to download unauthorised copies of material.
Sources: Times online
Tuesday, 6th April
Tim Walker: This Bill is the climax of a battle between web users and the music industryTim Walker argues that the Digital Economy bill is the climax of a lengthy battle between web users, who are ultra-conscious of their digital rights, and an entertainment business that they see as unwilling to adapt to modern technological realities.
Sources: The Independent
Tuesday, 6th April
A third of people think it is 'acceptable to pirate software'According to a new piece of research carried out by Microsoft, a third of people believe it is acceptable to use unauthorised copies of software.
Sources: The Telegraph
Thursday, 1st April
New Producer’s Alliance closes it’s doorsIt is with great regret that the Executive Committee and Trustees announce that the New Producers Alliance ceased trading on the 8th March 2010. The recession and increased competition for training have contributed to a loss of membership income which, having taken professional advice, has left the directors of the two companies with no option but to close.
Sources: It's a Wrap Magazine
Thursday, 1st April 2010
Spanish find that copyright theft is a hard habit to break
Hollywood has warned that Spain could be facing high noon over its appalling record of movie copyright theft, with a future devoid of DVDs. The unauthorised downloading of films from the internet is so rife, with film-makers complaining that a legal void makes people think movies are free, that Spain could become the first European country to be abandoned by Hollywood studios.
Sources: The Guardian
Thursday, 1st April 2010
Opposition mounts to UK's Digital Economy Bill
The government has published a new draft of a controversial clause in the Digital Economy bill, in an effort to ease its progress through parliament. The Liberal Democrats said they will oppose any plans to rush the Digital Economy bill into law.
Sources: BBC
Thursday, 1st April 2010
BSkyB goes to war with Ofcom ruling on price cuts
BSkyB said it will challenge media regulator Ofcom in the courts after it was ordered to cut the "wholesale price" of its channels Sky Sports 1 and 2 for other TV providers ranging from Freeview to British Telecom. The regulator is also planning to ask the Competition Commission to investigate Sky's movie channels and its dominance of premium films in the video-on-demand market.
Sources: London Evening Standard
