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| | | June 29, 2003
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Sunday, June 29, 2003 |
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The recording industry takes the piracy fight to the pirates' doorsteps
In a major development this week, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a trade group representing the world's biggest music labels, announced it will file thousands of lawsuits against users of major file-sharing networks who illegally distribute copyrighted audio files.
Using specialized software, the RIAA will scan publicly shared music files on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa and Grokster and gather evidence against the biggest offenders. The group will later serve subpoenas to their Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to identify the file-swappers and launch legal action against them, seeking up to $150,000 per illicitly shared song.
The move comes amid declining record sales and after two key rulings in U.S. courts, which altered RIAA's course in combating Internet piracy. In April, a U.S. District Court Judge dismissed RIAA's claims that StreamCast Networks and Grokster, two companies producing popular decentralized peer-to-peer file-sharing applications, were not liable for copyright infringement, resulting from the use of their software. Several weeks later, in a separate case, ISP Verizon Communications was forced to reveal the identities of customers accused by the RIAA of illegally swapping music files on the Internet. Thus, the recording industry was given the precedent required to target individual users.
Both analysts and music enthusiasts, however, warned the industry's legal threats may backfire, especially if the labels begin suing their artists' most avid fans. Meanwhile, indications that file-swapping software makers are not standing on the sidelines emerged after Michael Weiss, CEO of StreamCast Networks, vowed to launch a lobbying campaign in Washington, D.C. against RIAA's latest legal threats against consumers.
More from: AP (via InformationWeek) | CNET News.com | InfoWorld | InternetNews.com | The Register | Reuters 1 2 3 | The Washington Post
Oracle's takeover battle continues
After receiving two unanimous rejections of its takeover bids for PeopleSoft, Oracle seems undeterred in its pursuit of the California-based business software maker. At the annual Oracle AppsWorld conference held in London this week, key executives expressed willingness to further amend the $6.3 billion tender offer for PeopleSoft. "Never say never," said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison in response to a question whether the company will offer a third, revved up buyout proposal.
At the same event, Charles Phillips, Oracle's executive vice president, indicated the company may consider acquiring PeopleSoft even after its merger plans with J.D. Edwards are completed. Earlier in June, just days before Oracle's surprise hostile bid was announced, PeopleSoft and Colorado-based software maker J.D. Edwards & Co. declared their own plans to merge.
As Oracle is potentially mulling over a higher bid, Larry Ellison's company is also looking to lower the fears of PeopleSoft shareholders of a prolonged regulatory review. Some analysts have already voiced optimism for the deal, given the indisputable No. 1 position of Germany-based SAP AG, which even after a potential Oracle-PeopleSoft merger will have nearly 80 percent bigger revenues in the business applications market.
More from: BusinessWeek | CNET News.com 1 2 3 | ComputerWorld 1 2 | E-Commerce Times | eWeek | InformationWeek 1 2 | InfoWorld | NewsFactor | Reuters 1 2 | The Mercury News 1 2 3 | VNUNET.com 1 2 3 | The Washington Post
The worm grows 'SoBig'
Another variant of the SoBig virus sprang up, with thousands of Internet users affected, primarily in the United States. Antivirus software makers warned about the SoBig.E worm, which appears to have a moderate to high infection rate, as people across the globe continue to open attached files to e-mail messages, containing the virus.
The worm bears all major characteristics of its predecessors, scouring infected users' computers for e-mails of potential victims, forging the addresses and appearing in the "From" field. SoBig.E, however, comes along with a substantially more sophisticated e-mail engine, which allows faster, multithreaded distribution of messages.
In addition, UK-based e-mail service provider MessageLabs noted the worm poses a significant spam threat. The e-mail engine may be used by spammers to send bulk mail, taking advantage of the bandwidth of infected computers, connected to the Internet.
More from: CNET News.com 1 2 | ComputerWorld | eSecurityPlanet
In Other News...
 Apple Computer unveiled its G5 chip, saying the company's upcoming Power Macs that use the new hardware will outperform PCs, turning Apple into the vendor of the fastest desktop platform available on the market. Analysts, however, harshly criticized the company's benchmark tests, claiming its methodology is deceptive. In addition, Apple rolled out its newest Mac OS X upgrade, called Panther, which will be available later this year.
Microsoft's Internet subsidiary quietly began meticulously searching the web by launching MSNBot, a robot collecting HTML files, documents, and building a massive database of Internet links. The move is seen as part of Microsoft's strategy to challenge Google's Internet search dominance with an overhaul of its MSN Search service, which currently uses technology provided by Inktomi and Overture Services.
In a newly released beta version of its toolbar for Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers, online search giant Google introduced a host of new features, including pop-up blocking, easy blogging functionality and the ability to automatically fill web form fields.
A Washington-based security firm discovered Friday that Yahoo!'s spam filtering technology blocks e-mail coming from the National Do-Not-Call Registry, operated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). NetFrameworks, which conducts tests of spam-blocking technology, announced verification e-mails sent by the Do-Not-Call Registry servers are ending up in the Bulk Mail folders of Yahoo! Mail users.
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