Grokster, the file-sharing service that played the "title role" in the Supreme Court case decided last June, has agreed in a legal settlement with the RIAA to stop distributing its P2P software, many tech-news outlets report. Illegal file-sharing probably won't be affected much by this and similar shut-downs, however, because "millions of people already have the Grokster software on their … [Read more...] about P2P service shut down
Law & Policy
More risk-taking at home
More risks online, that is. A new study of youth online behavior found that 51% of US 8-to-18-year-olds say their schools' computer-use rules are tougher than their home rules. "The findings suggest that less rigid supervision at home increases kids' freedom to surf inappropriate Web sites, download digital copyrighted works such as software and music without paying for it, and chat with … [Read more...] about More risk-taking at home
Sony anti-piracy move: Music fans irate
Who would've thought a music CD could harm the family PC?! That's basically what digital music fans have discovered about Sony BMG CDs that've been sold since last March, and there is quite an uproar about it, the Washington Post reports. It does make one think twice about buying Sony CDs if the copyright-protection tech on them can make one's computer vulnerable to hackers and viruses. The … [Read more...] about Sony anti-piracy move: Music fans irate
File-sharing’s future
What will it be like for the some 10 million people using P2P services at any given moment around the world? The Washington Post looked at that question, but I don't think it's fully answered yet. I hope any readers who have file-sharing experts at their house will send me their answers! The Post says that "in the simplest terms, the P2P sites will begin using a filter to keep users from trading … [Read more...] about File-sharing’s future
Anti-P2P software for parents
The US film industry released it last February (see my coverage), and now the free software's available under a different name in six more languages at a site representing the recording industry worldwide. What Parent File Scan and Digital File Check do is 1) scan your PC and tell you what media files (video, music, photos, etc.) and file-sharing software you may have on it, and 2) let you delete … [Read more...] about Anti-P2P software for parents