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Australian Broadcaster Suspends Internet Radio Over Olympics Rights

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 16, 2004 - 2:47am.
Sydney -- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has suspended the majority of its Internet radio webcasts, in light of restrictions placed by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) on Olympics coverage. The broadcaster did not secure rights to broadcast Olympics highlights on its Internet radio stations, many of which are simulcasts of terrestrial stations that are featuring regular Olympics news updates. "The IOC has restricted rights so that we can't mention the Olympic Games at all, so therefore we can't stream any station that has news bulletins," Ian Vaile, head of content for new media and digital services for the ABC, told CNET News.com. As a result, ABC has shut down streaming at most of its Internet radio stations for the duration of the games.
tags: Internet | Radio | Broadcaster | Australian | Olympics Rights |

Kazaa, Australian Record Labels Argue Legality of "Surprise" Search Warrant

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 20, 2004 - 8:14am.
Sydney -- Kazaa file-sharing network operator Sharman Networks and the Australian recording industry were in court Friday, arguing whether a special order issued to allow surprise searches of Sharman offices, universities and Australian ISPs was properly obtained, or should be set aside. An "Anton Piller" order was issued by Justice Murray Wilcox with the understanding that evidence from Sharman would likely be destroyed if another means of search and seizure, such as a subpoena, were obtained instead. Sharman Networks attorneys argued that the labels did not inform Justice Wilcox that similar information was willingly surrendered to U.S. and Dutch courts under subpoena in separate lawsuits. During the hearing, Wilcox stated, "I'm not saying I was misled, but I do have the feeling that there was a lot more to the story than I was told." Lawyers for the record industry countered that some of the information it sought to obtain was "ephemeral" in nature. Sharman also argued that the current case is essentially the same as the U.S. recording industry's case against Kazaa, and should be deferred until that case is resolved. An attorney for the record industry, attempting to differentiate between the intercontinental lawsuits, told Justice Wilcox that "the U.S. copyright law is more concerned with structural aspects of the technology...rather than the operation of the software (as the Australian law is)," ZDNet Australia reported. A ruling on the legality of the Anton Piller order is expected in several weeks.
tags: Kazaa | Record Labels | Australian | Surprise | Warrant |

Microsoft, Australian Firm to Launch Music Download Store

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2003 - 6:51am.
Sydney -- Ninemsn, a joint venture between Microsoft and Australian firm Publishing and Broadcasting, have announced plans to launch an online music download store in the first quarter of 2004, Australian IT reported. Having partnered with U.K. online music distributor OD2, the service will initially offer 250,000 songs from BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner Music, as well as independents including Ministry of Sound, Beggars Group and Festival Mushroom. Although pricing was not announced, Ninemsn said it would be competitive with the $0.99 tracks offered on Apple's iTunes Music Store.
tags: Downloads | Microsoft | Musics | Australian |

ISP Telstra to Offer Warner Songs in Australian Download Store

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 14, 2003 - 4:21am.
Sydney -- Australian broadband services provider Telstra has announced plans to launch the country's first digital music download store before Christmas, having signed a deal to include songs from one major label, Warner Music, Australian IT reported. The service will offer tracks in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format for $2 Australian ($1.38) to subscribers of Telstra's BigPond broadband service. Telstra "had been approached by other labels and expects other labels to make further contact with BigPond to discuss options for potential deals," BigPond spokeswoman Kerrina Lawrence told Australian IT.
tags: Downloads | Musics | Australian | ISP Telstra |

Australian Music Industry Asks Harsher Sentences for Student Music Pirates

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 3, 2003 - 5:15am.
Sydney -- Three students have pleaded guilty to online music copyright infringement in Australia's first criminal hearing on the matter, but the Australian music industry says the deal they struck with prosecutors will result in too lenient a punishment, Australian IT reported. The students admittedly ran a site called "DJ Ace" that offered 390 CDs for download and received over 7 million hits. The Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), a non-profit arm of the Australian Recording Industry Association, asked the judge in the case to allow it to argue as a "victim" in the sentencing process to try to recoup the cost of its investigation. MIPI spokesman Michael Speck told Australian IT that it wanted to have a say in sentencing because "the case was watered down to nothing." "These guys will be getting away with the biggest rip-off of copy in Australian history, and they will probably get away with a slap on the wrist," added Speck. Magistrate John Andrews responded to the request by saying that MIPI's involvement in the sentencing process would be "totally inappropriate."
tags: Musics | Students | Australian | Harsher |

U.S. Reporter Petitions U.N. for Relief from Australian Defamation Suit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 2, 2003 - 8:20am.
San Francisco -- A reporter facing a defamation charge in Australia for an article published on a website in the U.S. has asked the United Nations to intervene on his behalf, arguing that his free-speech rights under U.N. conventions are being violated, CNET News.com reported on Friday. Barron's reporter Bill Alpert is facing charges for an article he published on the Web about an Australian businessman, who claims he was defamed in the article. Several Australian courts have ruled that Alpert may stand trial in the country, in a case that would test whether content published on the Internet can be subject to the laws of every country where it is accessible. Alpert has petitioned the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, arguing an Australian trial would violate his free-speech rights under the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations is currently gathering information from both sides on the matter. http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-999525.html?tag=cd_mh
tags: U.S | U.N | Australian | Defamation Suit |

Australian Police Raid ISPs for Subscriber Data in Music Piracy Probe

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 6, 2003 - 1:49am.
Sydney, Australia -- Australian federal police executed search warrants at several Australian Internet service providers as part of a music piracy probe, the Australian newspaper Australian IT reported on Thursday. Australian ISP Telstra, which serves 1.4 million subscribers, and several other ISPs were served with orders asking for details on subscribers purported to be trading music files worth up to $36 million. A police spokeswoman confirmed to Australian IT that officers, accompanied by computer forensics experts, visited a Telstra facility in Melbourne and ISP Eftel's Perth offices, as part of ongoing investigations. Simon Ehrenfeld, the chief executive of ISP Eftel's parent company Datafast Telecommunications, told Australian IT the company cooperated with police, provided information relating to a subscriber and closed the subscriber's website.
tags: Piracy | Music | Subscribers | Police | ISPs | Australian |