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Networks, Change and Managable Risk…

By admin

A study was recently completed by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute into the smallest number of people that through exerting influence in a network, can bring about change.  Apparently the number is slightly less than 10% – provided that the core base is highly committed and not prepared to change themselves. This has quite significant implications [...]

Copyright Theft – What Mick Jagger Had To Say

By Chris Gilbey

You may have seen reference in the media to a new Rolling Stones documentary “Stones In Exile” shot during the year long orgy that the band conducted during the recording of Exile On Main Street – which is about to be re-released. As you would expect the Stones have been doing some PR to support [...]

Canada Upsets the American Music Industry for the second time in 110 Years

By Tom Koltai

(Our previous article was the first upset.)   This time, Canadians have made the top ten list of countries that are “out to get” the content industries.   They share this dubious honour with the following countries. Priority Watch List (Links retrieve country specific pdf reports.)         Argentina         Canada         Chile         Costa Rica [...]

Ho-hum, iiNet Wins Court Case against Industry Heavyweights.

By Tom Koltai

Late last year I was speaking to industry representatives about the outcome for the iiNet court case. They all believed that it was a lay down misère, (in favour of themselves).   After all, there was little old iiNet, a small (by world standards) ISP and there were thirty-four financially well heeled complainants. (Just on [...]

Pushback Against Music Industry Actions Would now seem to include Governments.

By Tom Koltai

Delegates to the ACTA discussions are now safe and sound back in their home countries convinced that they have been successful in aiding in stamping out copyright infringement.   History has taught us that every-time the music industry or Government enact prosecutorial or legislative actions against file sharing, the resulting pushback always seems to trump [...]

The Future of Australian Television – Taxation, Licensing, Advertising or Criminalization?

By Tom Koltai

Given the attention of Governments to file sharing, it would appear that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was obviously caused by you sharing a copy of Lily Allens “Fuck you very much”.   We have Ministers flying all over the world to discuss how to criminalize 15 year old kids who can’t yet vote. These [...]

As the World Changes – Again – the TV Top 50

By Tom Koltai

Ministers are flying home after negotiating the ACTA agreement, which very soon may not be required.It would appear that there is some experimentation being conducted that very soon could moot the very reason for ACTA. Finally, we are seeing the Content creation companies figure out how to commercialise their products on the P2P networks.   [...]

Music Industry Losses/Profits – Maxims.

By Tom Koltai

An anecdotal statistical examination of music industry potential income with no file sharing. The music industry have managed to convince global Governments that they should have special protectionist legislation enacted.   No-one has bothered to have a look at the logic behind their claims.   Forget file sharing for a moment. The question should be, [...]

Copyright, Trademark or Legalised Piracy?

By Tom Koltai

In 1994, I wanted to place an entry in the Phone Book to give me an advantage over my “soon to be competition”.   I tried to register “Internet Australia Pty. Ltd.”  as a company name. Quite rightly, ASIC refused my attempt at registering a “generic” name.   I succeeded in my efforts by registering [...]

How to Save the Economy (Via TV) and Stop all this silly ACTA stuff.

By Tom Koltai

When I was four years old, my family constructed a house. I asked my father how the builders knew what went where. And he told me about the plans and showed me the blueprints. I was enthralled, here was a method to build something. Draw up a master plan, order the lumber, roofing iron, and [...]