721855
submission
MrSteveSD writes:
The British Phonographic Institute (BPI) has responded to criticism by Bill Thomson over it's collusion with Virgin Media in targeting UK file sharers. BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor personally wrote to the BBC to set things straight and asserts that 'it's Mr Thompson, rather than music companies, who is stuck in the past'. Of course, Virgin Media customers who do download Music and TV legally often find their connections being turned down to unusable speeds due to Virgin's aggressive throttling policy.
706373
submission
MrSteveSD writes:
The Daily Mail is reporting that local councils have been using the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to spy on peoples phone and email records. Reasons given for the surveillance include checking for evidence of people storing petrol without permission and investigating unburied animal carcasses. The surveillance was uncovered using the Freedom of Information Act. The scope of the RIPA act is staggering. It would be simpler to list who isn't allowed to access your phone and email records. Aside from political action, what can be done technologically to combat this threat? Use Skype rather than the normal telephone?
4131
submission
MrSteveSD writes:
According to the BBC , German officials have seized Sandisk's MP3 players at the IFA show in Berlin. The Italian company Sisvel claims that Sandisk has refused to pay licence fees for the MP3 codec. Sisvel President Roberto Dini has said that Sandisk could get an edge over competitors by not paying the fees. How much are proprietary format licensing fees pushing up the cost of consumer goods?
