Citing “minor input” from the MPAA and RIAA, the Los Angeles County government has now added piracy to its definition of “public nuisance”, meaning all properties used in the dissemination of counterfeit goods can now be seized.
Physically pirated goods, such as bootleg DVDs or CDs, are now considered to be the same as counterfeit watches or handbags.
This new so called “Counterfeit Goods Nuisance Abatement ordinance” says that the counterfeit goods “substantially interfere with … lawful commerce in the county, property values, and is detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare of the county’s citizens, its businesses, and its visitors.”
Any property owner that knowingly allows piracy on their premises can be held responsible to pay $1000 USD for every, yes every, pirated work produced. The district attorney can also “temporarily restrain, preliminarily enjoin, and/or permanently enjoin the person or persons intentionally conducting, or knowingly maintaining or permitting the public nuisance from further conducting, maintaining, or permitting such public nuisance.”
The ordinance is similar to that of the recent one passed in New York City but this ordinance does not seem to bother those who upload or download pirated movies and music from the Internet.
Result for: watches
LG Display has introduced a pair of new round LCD panels that will be on display for the first time at next week’s Society For Information Display’s (SID) conference.
The first panel is circular and measure 35.5mm in diameter, making it the perfect size to fit in a standard wristwatch.
The second, larger panel, is elliptical in shape and measures 78.8mm by 131.4mm and seems about the right size to fit in digital photo frames and in-car electronics devices. Both displays have 262,000 colors and a 160 degree viewing angle, added the company.
Rectangular LCD panels have become the new standard for HDTVs and are also standard in mobile phones, car entertainment systems and music players. Many in the industry have noted that development of LCDs of different shapes is the next logical step and LG is also not the first to introduce such LCDs. Late last year Toshiba unveiled a 75mm diameter circular LCD and said it was in the works for more.
LG Display is one of the world’s largest LCD panel makers, behind Sony.
Result for: watches
Samsung SDI said today that it will be spending over $500 million USD to boost production of next-generation OLED displays to six times its current level by mid-2009.
This latest move comes as panel makers try to get bigger shares of the growing market for OLED displays, which offer better contrast ratio, slimmer designs and better energy efficiency than current LCD or plasma displays.
Currently, however, production costs are still high, too high to make OLED TVs available to the masses.
Samsung currently produces small-sized AM-OLED screens used in watches and other handheld devices and there was no word on whether this large new investment will be to increase production of small OLED screens or for all OLED production including TVs.
Using 2-inch screens as a basis, the new investment should raise capacity from 1.5 million units a month to over 9 million by mid-2009.
