Home

Aussie

SecureMedia Providing DRM for Aussie VOD Service Reeltime

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 21, 2006 - 6:29am.
Natick, Mass. - SecureMedia, a provider of digital rights management technologies, announced on Tuesday that its Encryptonite system will be used to protect video transferred over Reeltime, a new Internet-based video-on-demand service in Australia. Reeltime, a white label service to be offered by ISPs, has already secured licensing deals for movies from studios including Fox, Sony, MGM, United Artists and Columbia Pictures.
tags: VOD | DRM | Aussie | Provide | SecureMedia | Reeltime |

Aussie File-Sharing Raid on ISP Leads to Closure of 50 P2P Sites

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2005 - 10:13am.
Sydney -- The Australian recording industry's anti-piracy division said this week that a raid on Aussie ISP Swiftel last week, which was alleged to be hosting BitTorrent file-sharing websites, has resulted in the closure of 50 file-sharing hubs in the country. Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) said that 50 of 63 sites it was investigating have shut down in the aftermath of the Swiftel raid, including one reportedly accessible only by Swiftel subscribers; MIPI said in this case Swiftel "adopted BitTorrent technology for the purpose of generating a commercial benefit." "The knock-on effect of last week's raid represents an important development in the fight against Internet piracy in Australia and proves that the Internet service provider industry is prepared to take copyright issues seriously," Michael Speck, a representative of the anti-piracy unit, told ZDNet Australia. "We will get to them in due course if they don't shut themselves down," Speck added, referring to the remaining 13 active hubs. "We take the view that the raid on Swiftel was sufficient warning for the 63 targets. The remaining (active hubs) don't get further warning."
tags: ISP | Aussie | Closure | P2P Sites | File-Sharing Raid |

Kazaa Parent Co. Sharman Networks, U.S. Record Labels Spar in Aussie Court

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 29, 2004 - 4:21am.
Sydney -- In an Australian court on Monday, the major U.S. record labels and 25 other companies commenced their arguments against peer-to-peer file-sharing software provider Sharman Networks, distributor of Kazaa. In addition to copyright infringement, the record industry is suing Sharman, its chief executive and several partners in Australia for misrepresentation to the public, unconscionable conduct and civil conspiracy to inflict harm. Music industry attorney Tony Bannon told Australian Justice Murray Wilcox in court on Monday that Kazaa profits "by selling advertising space on the computer screens of the users while they are in the very act of infringing copyright," ZDNet Australia reported. Bannon also argued that ownership of Sharman, which has been kept secret through its registration on the tax haven island of Vanuatu, is in fact controlled by Kevin Bermeister, CEO of Kazaa partner Altnet. Bermeister's home, along with the home of Sharman CEO Nikki Hemming, was raided in February as part of the Australian record industry's investigation of Kazaa. Bannon said there is "ready inference that Kevin Bermeister is in fact the ultimate controller of Sharman," ZDNet reported. While Sharman still battles the record industry in Australia, the U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld that Sharman is not liable for any copyright infringement committed by Kazaa users, prompting the music industry here to lobby lawmakers for new statutes that prohibit file-sharing.
tags: Law | U.S | Aussie | Sharman Networks | Kazaa Parent Co |

THQ Acquires Aussie Video Game Developer Blue Tongue

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 19, 2004 - 4:46am.
Calabasas Hills, Calif. -- Video game publisher THQ announced this week that it acquired Australia-based game developer Blue Tongue. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Blue Tongue developed a game for THQ based on the movie "The Polar Express," and is currently developing two multi-platform titles for release in 2005. The company has also created games based on the big-budget Hollywood films "Starship Troopers" and "Jurassic Park." "Consistent with THQ's strategic objective of utilizing internal development to improve product quality and operating margins, we are pleased to tap into the growing base of development talent in Australia as we continue to build our internal development capabilities," said Steve Dauterman, vice president of product development for THQ Asia Pacific. "Through the acquisition of Blue Tongue, we will now have studio operations in both Brisbane and Melbourne, making THQ the premiere video game developer in the region."
tags: THQ | Video Game | Aussie | Blue Tongue |

Anonymous Kazaa Owner May Be Revealed in Aussie Copyright Case

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 27, 2004 - 4:31am.
Sydney -- Legal motions filed by the major record labels may force the silent partner who owns Kazaa file-sharing network parent company Sharman Networks to reveal his or her identity, ZDNet Australia reported. Sharman is facing a copyright infringement suit in Australia that was filed in conjunction a raid on Sharman's offices and the homes of some of its executives. For tax purposes, and some would say to make such copyright suits more difficult to prosecute, Sharman maintains offices in Australia but is legally registered on the island nation of Vanuatu. The notice submitted to Justice Murray Wilcox from Universal's lawyers requests specific details about Sharman's corporate structure, including the identity of its anonymous owner. "It is not an unreasonable thing for the applicants to know who it is that's controlling the system," said Justice Wilcox. The judge ordered both parties to resubmit their arguments for another hearing scheduled for Nov. 29.
tags: Law | Copyright | Aussie | Anonymous Kazaa | Revealed |

U.S. Seeking Extradition of Aussie Leader of DrinkOrDie Piracy Ring

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:38am.
San Francisco -- CNET News.com reports that U.S. authorities have succeeded in convincing Australian authorities that there is reason to extradite the alleged leader of DrinkOrDie -- a pirated games, movies, music and software ring -- to the U.S., overcoming an earlier ruling that found no extraditable offense. While several members of the group have been indicted and convicted in the U.S. and U.K., the group's Australian leader, Hew Raymond Griffiths, is the only member whom the U.S. is seeking to extradite. Griffiths would face a maximum sentence of five years in Australia if convicted, but up to ten years and a $500,000 fine if convicted in the U.S. "There is a feeling that he is being head-hunted by the U.S. authorities," Griffiths' attorney, Antony Townsden, told News.com. "I think it's good enough to say they might find it easier to get (a) prosecution if it's in another country."
tags: U.S | Aussie | DrinkOrDie | Piracy Ring |

Kazaa Asks Industry for Infringer Identities; Aussie Judge Sets Gag Order

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 19, 2004 - 8:03am.
Melbourne, Australia -- Lawyers for Sharman Networks, which distributes the Kazaa file-sharing software, argued in Australian Federal Court last week that Sharman has not committed copyright infringement, and asked for the names and addresses of Kazaa users the recording industry believes have used Kazaa to infringe copyrights, Wired News reported. The Australian music industry conducted raids on Kazaa offices and executives' homes in March to gather evidence for a copyright infringement investigation. "Our evidence contains dozens of incidents of downloading," music industry attorney Richard Cobden said in court. "Why should we be asked now for the names and addresses of these people who operate by pseudonyms? We could not possibly do it, your honor, but we are going to suggest that the evidence is perfectly clear that the recordings are made available." Justice Murray Wilcox also placed a gag order on both sides, after an issue of Australian Personal Computer magazine was presented that included actual pictures from the raids. "Somebody has, we would submit, used the proceedings for the purpose of embarrassing, demeaning, however you like to describe it, our clients," said Kazaa attorney Robert Ellicott.
tags: Aussie | Judge | Kazaa | Infringer Identities |

Competition Pushes Aussie Music Download Price to $0.67

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 5, 2004 - 7:50am.
Sydney -- Competition among online digital music retailers in Australia has resulted in the world's lowest prices for a digital song, with rival providers Telstra and Destra now offering downloads for $0.75 and $0.67, respectively. Both companies are offering the price points during April as promotions, but both also plan to offer at least part of their catalogs for $0.75 when the promotions end. By comparison, only Wal-Mart in the U.S. offers a cheaper download price ($0.88) than the current industry standard of $0.99 used by Apple's iTunes Store, Napster and others.
tags: Music | Deal | Aussie | Competition |

Aussie Judge Denies Kazaa Motion to Exclude Evidence Seized by Labels

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 4, 2004 - 6:53am.
Sydney -- Australia's Sharman Networks, distributors of the Kazaa file-sharing software, have lost a legal motion to have evidence seized by the Australian record industry in February raids on its offices and executives' homes declared off-limits. Justice Murray Wilcox ruled that, despite similar legal actions taken against Kazaa in other jurisdictions -- in which the company complied with subpoenas during copyright infringement investigations -- the Anton Piller orders he issued to the record industry to conduct its searches without prior warning were justified. The judge ordered the two sides to meet and discuss the handing over of evidence seized in the raids. "We remain outraged at the heavy-handed tactics that have been used by the record industry to obtain information that we would have provided through the normal, appropriate court process," said Sharman CEO Nikki Hemming. In his ruling, Justice Wilcox noted that the Anton Piller orders were necessary in order to provide a "snapshot" of the inner workings of Kazaa while in progress. The Australian recording industry's case against Sharman Networks is now set to begin in earnest on March 23.
tags: Labels | Aussie | Denies | Kazaa | Evidence |

Aussie Students Get Suspended Sentences in 'Net Music Piracy Case

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 20, 2003 - 7:19am.
Sydney, Australia -- Two Australian college students convicted of illegally distributing 1,800 songs on the Internet were given 18-month suspended prison sentences, and will complete 200 hours of community service, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The convictions were the first for criminal online copyright violations in the country. Prosecutors had sought prison time for Charles Kok Hau Ng, 20, and Peter Tran, 19, as the recording industry there estimated their losses at $60 million, but the judge in the case took into account the offenders' youth and the fact that they did not personally profit from their MP3 website. A third accused, 21-year-old Tommy Le, also plead guilty to lesser copyright infringement charges and received 200 hours of community service.
tags: Aussie | Students | Net Music | Piracy Case |

Aussie Police Shutter Music Piracy Sites, Arrest 3 College Students

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 24, 2003 - 10:11am.
Sydney -- Reuters reported on Thursday that Australian police have arrested three college students who were allegedly operating an online music piracy network that distributed an estimated $37 million in unauthorized music and video files. The "MP3 WMA Land" network offered music and video files for download on a bevy of hard to trace "mirror" sites, many of which were hosted on university computers. "It's a tremendous result and represents a turning point," Michael Speck, general manager of the Australian music industry's piracy investigations unit, told Reuters. "It's a clear message to Internet pirates that they can no longer hide behind the mythology of the Internet. It's now revealed as nothing more than another form of theft." The students were released on bail and are due to appear in court next month, where they could face penalties of up to five years in jail or a $37,000 fine.
tags: College | Aussie | Musics | Students | Police | Arrestes | Sites |