Italian illegal music download sites forfeit $3.3 million USD
Following a lengthy investigation into copyright infringement, a Milan judge has this week ordered the operators of a few unauthorized music download sites to forfeit $2.4 million euros.
The sites were each accused of offering unlicensed music for download, either for free or for prices much cheaper than iTunes or Amazon MP3.
The investigation was headed by the Italian Fiscal Police, and began in 2003. 54 suspects were arrested in Italy, but all went free after the “case was dropped as a result of the expiry of the relevant limitation period.”
Despite that technical difficulty, the Judge for Preliminary Investigations said it had been proven that the offenses had indeed been committed and the money, which had been frozen anyways, was seized.
iPhone 3.0 unlock software now available
The iPhone Dev Team has now officially released the iPhone 3.0 software unlocking software, dubbed Ultrasn0w, which will help iPhone 3G users to unlock their phones that have been updated to software 3.0.
The Dev Team says to follow these simple rules:
1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
3. Run Cydia or Icy
4. Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or Icy. That last “o” is actually the number zero target=”_blank”>zero “0”! If you use the letter “o” you’ll get an error.
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w’ in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
8. Enjoy
Even RIAA witness ’shocked’ by Jammie Thomas verdict
Gary Wade Leak, a Sony lawyer who was a star witness for the RIAA in the recent Jammie Thomas trial has said today that even he is “shocked” by the amount of money Thomas is now being forced to pay, a gigantic $1.92 million sum.
Speaking at an alumni event at Columbia University, Leak added: “We were shocked. I suspected we were going to win, but I really thought they would come in with a lower number.”
However, during the trial, Leak made it very clear that the jury could charge the maximum $150,000 USD per song in damages, as it would be “certainly appropriate” given the circumstances.
Leak did admit that he expects the award to be reduced either in a settlement or on appeal, and it may be pushed back to the original award of $220,000 or even less.
1 million iPhone 3G S sold in first weekend
Apple has announced today that the company has sold 1 million new iPhone 3G S units its launch weekend. Additionally, over six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in its first 5 days of release, choosing to upgrade their iPhone or iPod Touch.
“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” added Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”
The upgraded iPhone is the most powerful yet, and includes a 600mhz processor, a higher megapixel camera, hands free voice control, a more smudge-resistant screen and many new features that use OS 3.0 but do not function on the original iPhone 3G.
TiVo ready to expand
Just weeks after their patent victory over EchoStar, TiVo is getting ready to expand substantially, says sources talking to Bloomberg.
The DVR maker is in talks with PPV providers in an effort to “allow its recording directly or else to license out the technology for third-party hardware or software.”
Other details are still vague, but it is clear the service will be different from online-based ones such as Netflix or Amazon VOD.
Additionally, TiVo is looking to have its service directly connected through Time Warner, possibly even creating a new Time Warner-exclusive set-top.
Negotiations are still ongoing with nothing set in stone.
Even RIAA witness ’shocked’ by Jammie Thomas verdict
Gary Wade Leak, a Sony lawyer who was a star witness for the RIAA in the recent Jammie Thomas trial has said today that even he is “shocked” by the amount of money Thomas is now being forced to pay, a gigantic $1.92 million sum.
Speaking at an alumni event at Columbia University, Leak added: “We were shocked. I suspected we were going to win, but I really thought they would come in with a lower number.”
However, during the trial, Leak made it very clear that the jury could charge the maximum $150,000 USD per song in damages, as it would be “certainly appropriate” given the circumstances.
Leak did admit that he expects the award to be reduced either in a settlement or on appeal, and it may be pushed back to the original award of $220,000 or even less.
Apple bans licensed Commodore 64 emulator from App Store
According to a TouchArcade report, Apple has banned a fully-licensed Commodore 64 emulator from the App Store, claiming it violates the iPhone SKD Agreement.
The application was developed by Manomio and allows gamers to get nostalgic with classic C64 games.
“We’ve reviewed C64 1.0 and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it violates the iPhone SDK Agreement 3.3.2,” said Apple in the official rejection notice.
“[An application] may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple’s Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s),” continued Apple.
It is important to note that the App store currently has “a number of similar applications, including programmable calculators and a Z-machine interpreter known as Frotz.”
New Guide: Using DoubleTwist to share and sync your media
We have a new guide available today for our AfterDawn users, on how to use the new program DoubleTwist to share, sync, convert or import video, music or picture files.
You can use, DoubleTwist (the brainchild of DVD Jon) to sync your media devices as well as share your media with friends and sites such as Flickr and YouTube. DT can also convert videos to formats needed by certain devices, on the fly. DoubleTwist currently has support for iPhone, Blackberry, iPod/Touch, PSP, Android G1 and Magic, most camcorders and digital cameras, and a lot more media devices, which are listed in the guide.
Please check out the guide available here: Using DoubleTwist to share and sync your media
Woman with no computer ’settles’ with RIAA over piracy claim
Although the big news has been surrounding the RIAA and their decision over file sharer Jammie Thomas, another piece of interesting news regarding the trade group has surfaced today as well.
Mavis Roy, a woman who was sued by the RIAA over alleged file sharing, has ’settled’ today with the trade group, however there is much more to it.
On the dates in which she is alleged to have pirated the music, Roy did not own a computer, and her stories check out. She tossed out the first written threat from the RIAA thinking it was a joke and was promptly sued afterwards. Luckily, a law student took up her case and Roy and the RIAA settled today for the lofty sum of $0 USD.
Despite this victory in court, Roy is “still unsettled that the record companies are able to treat upstanding American citizens in this way. Invading people’s privacy and accusing people of things that don’t even make sense. It is such a sad waste of the courts time.”
Moby may be correct in saying it is time for this group to disband.
Woman with no computer ’settles’ with RIAA over piracy claim
Although the big news has been surrounding the RIAA and their decision over file sharer Jammie Thomas, another piece of interesting news regarding the trade group has surfaced today as well.
Mavis Roy, a woman who was sued by the RIAA over alleged file sharing, has ’settled’ today with the trade group, however there is much more to it.
On the dates in which she is alleged to have pirated the music, Roy did not own a computer, and her stories check out. She tossed out the first written threat from the RIAA thinking it was a joke and was promptly sued afterwards. Luckily, a law student took up her case and Roy and the RIAA settled today for the lofty sum of $0 USD.
Despite this victory in court, Roy is “still unsettled that the record companies are able to treat upstanding American citizens in this way. Invading people’s privacy and accusing people of things that don’t even make sense. It is such a sad waste of the courts time.”
Moby may be correct in saying it is time for this group to disband.
