UK Internet Users Could Be Banned For Illegal Downloads
Internet users in the UK who go online and illegally download music and movies could have their Internet access revoked according to plans the government is considering.
A draft proposal says that Internet service providers would have to monitor users who accessed pirated content through their accounts. The government says that plans are in an early stage and it is working on final regulations.
Six million users a year are estimated to download files illegally in the UK and music and film companies say it is costing them millions in lost revenue annually.
AOL Experiences Interesting January Growth
Companies are always trying to pass off deceiving statements or misleading data, and we pride ourselves on being suspicious types. January AOL numbers have been presented by Frank Gruber, however, and they look pretty good in terms of both believability and AOL’s performance.
CNN To Expand iReport Into Web Site
CNN has plans to expand its citizen journalist driven iReport into its own Web site.
What Google Says About The Candidates
Now that the US Presidential candidates have been campaigning for a solid year, we’re running out of angles from which to look at them. Since the Googleplex has hosted each of the remaining candidates, we thought we’d use the Google search engine to find those new angles. This can show us a few things: what the Internet "climate," so to speak, is for the candidates; how they stand on issues affecting the Internet; and which ones are making the best use of the Internet for their campaigns. And I’ll try to keep my opinions out of it. (Cub)Scout’s honor.
eBay Drops Media Fees, Keeps Feedback Changes
The price for inserting media like books, movies, music, and video games on eBay drops in response to angry seller feedback.
EU Calls For Lower Mobile Roaming Fees
European mobile phone companies are charging customers too much when they send text messages or check email while traveling, a top European Union official said Monday.Viviane Reding, the European commissioner responsible for media and telecommunications, told industry executives that she would introduce new rules unless they decreased data roaming charges voluntarily by July 1st.
Purchase Of WebMD May Not Take Place
Whether it’s a matter of strange planetary alignments, something in the air, or our wobbly economy, it’s hard to say, but in any event, these past few days haven’t been great for acquisitions. The latest one to look ill is the proposed takeover of WebMD by HLTH Corporation.
Yang to Microsoft: Nuts!
No deal, says Yahoo’s CEO, in response to a hostile $44.6 billion bid from Microsoft.
Mobilizing: Microsoft, AOL, Opera In Mobile News
The GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona spurred a few mobile-related items of interest, including Microsoft acquisition news that does not involve Yahoo.
HarperCollins To Offer Free Books Online
HarperCollins will begin offering free electronic editions of some of its books online in an effort to increase sales. The idea is to give readers the chance to sample books online in much the same way they would if they were in an actual physical bookstore. "This is analogous to removing the shrink wrap from a book," said Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Worldwide.