Preach it, brethren and cistern.

As a fan of the second option (demanding DRM-free files rather than finding illegal copies), I'd add that even if you do download illegally, you should still put pressure on artists, labels and distributors to sell DRM-free files. Yes, if they're stupid enough to use DRM, they don't deserve the sale, but sometimes it takes pressure for them to realise how stupid they are.

Japan ponders "cyber-districts" ...the Japanese government, specifically the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, is set to put into action a plan which would enshrine in law special “cyber... all safely ghettoized contained within specific areas where, presumably, all the Mandarake and similar shops will go. (Be forewarned, Akiba-jin: your apartments are about to be re-zoned.

Via ANN : On July 31, the Kyoto District Court sentenced 21-year-old college student Takahiro Ōtomo from Hiroshima Prefecture to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, for unauthorized... I know the sentence was suspended (though I don't know exactly what that means -- does he get to defer his time?) and I know it's a beloved franchise, but Gundam is so not worth jailtime

The AMRC-L recommended this article , and I suggest everyone check it out: The analysis and discussion proceed as follows. Parts I and II provide helpful background information on the identities of...channeling the incentives of the creators and their licensees to avoid these market failures. The final section concludes and considers the implications of this Note’s proposed fair use standard.

Was down in Hull yesterday. That meant that I wasn't online yesterday so I didn't see this clusterfuck starting . If you're in Europe and use the Internet, these new laws put your connection in the hands...drastic law enforcement powers by three amendments snuck into a package containing over eight hundred amendments. I urge you to strike down this legislation on Monday. Yours sincerely, Stewart Wilso

Minister Jim Prentice is once again trying to push through legislation that would make it illegal for Canadians to un-lock their personal electronic devices and transfer purchased video files to iPods...policy to more than just the special interests that lobbied behind the scenes for this law. As my MP, I urge you to represent my interests in the copyright debate. Sincerely, [Your name here]

Originally published at BunkBlog . You can comment here or there . Remember when the MSN Music Store shut down over a year ago? Remember that Microsoft said that songs you “bought” from the MSN...of DRM in music over the past couple years, would make the movie industry wake up and kill their copy protection plans. You’d be wrong . Not that their DRM will hold up either… Oh, yeah - it didn’t ! HAH!

As promised, the press office of the Senate Judiciary Committee just sent me their release on the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008. (Thanks, y'all!) Below the cut, it's reproduced in full. The first...requirement in the copyright registration system and report to Congress within 2 years after the date of enactment, making any administrative, regulatory or legislative recommendations. ###

People. Really. When are you going to learn? The Illustrators' Partnership is at it again, claiming that they've been sent a draft of the Orphan Works Act of 2008. (No THOMAS link provided, because guess... (I also owe the Illustrators' Partnership a response to their response to "Six Misconceptions About Orphaned Works" , but I have this thing called a "day job" that keeps me a little busy.) More later