In two separate studies in August of 2007 and May of this year, the researchers set out to examine who was participating in BitTorrent file-sharing networks and what they were sharing. The researchers introduced software agents into these networks to monitor their traffic. Even though those software agents did not download any files, the researchers say they received over 400 take-down requests accusing them of participating in the downloads.

An inanimate object could also get the blame. The researchers rigged the software agents to implicate three laserjet printers, which were then accused in takedown letters by the M.P.A.A. of downloading copies of "Iron Man" and the latest Indiana Jones film.

I let it run for a while, made iTunes do some work, and the result when I stopped the script? Nothing. The expensive DTrace invocation clearly caused iTunes to do a lot more work, but DTrace was giving me no output. Which started me thinking... did they? Surely not. They wouldn't disable DTrace for certain applications. But that's exactly what Apple's done with their DTrace implementation. The notion of true systemic tracing was a bit too egalitarian for their classist sensibilities ...

"I'm a supporter; I think it did what it was supposed to do," Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters said of the 1998 law at an appearance at the Future of Music Policy Summit here. "No law is ever perfect, but I remain a supporter."

• ~ 1 terabyte: the sum of all Federal , State and City regulations
• 2.5 terabytes: Everything in Widener Library.
• 5 terabytes: every article in every academic journal printed last year.

STEVE JOBS, Apple's showman nonpareil, provided the first public glimpse of the iPhone last week — gorgeous, feature-laden and pricey. While following the master magician's gestures, it was easy to overlook a most disappointing aspect: like its slimmer iPod siblings, the iPhone's music-playing function will be limited by factory-installed "crippleware."

Castronova said "Arden" will launch — it's unclear when, as the game is still in the early design stage — built around the theme of "Richard III." That's because the play, set during the War of the Roses, offers historical context, as well as enough political intrigue, secret conniving, deal-making and war to delight any gamer, he said. "It's a historical Shakespeare play, so that means it's really easy for us to take all the sort of fantasy stuff like knights in shining armor and peasants and woodworkers...and we can just really fit right into 'Richard III' right away."

Apple Computer is apparently cracking down on the use of the term "podcast," which refers to audio or video files distributed online, and plays off of the company's popular iPod player. According to Wired's Listening Post blog, the company has fired off a letter to start-up Podcast Ready, stating that the terms "Podcast Ready" and "myPodder" infringe on its trademarks.