American Society of Authors and Writers

MP3.Com Hit Hard for Violations

Court imposes $25,000 fine per CD

A U.S. Federal court judge has ordered MP3.com to pay $25,000 dollars for each Universal Music Group CD it made available on its music sharing service. The total amount in monetary awards could reach $250 million. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said that some Internet companies "may have a misconception that, because their technology is somewhat novel, they are somehow immune from the ordinary applications of laws of the United States, including copyright law. They need to understand that the law's domain knows no such limits."

MP3.com argued in court that a penalty of any more than $500 per CD would be a virtual "death sentence," forcing the Internet service music provider out of business. The company says it will appeal the decision.

Big Brother Really Does Exist

Attorney sues CBS over new TV program based upon his
purchase of all George Orwell rights

Chicago attorney Marvin Rosenblum, who owns the TV and movie rights to George Orwell's novel 1984, is suing CBS, its parent company Viacom, and a company called Orwell Productions over the TV program, Big Brother. Rosenblum purchased the rights to 1984 from Orwell's estate. In a suit filed in August in the U.S. History Court in Chicago, Rosenblum alleges that the defendants have intentionally created a show that the viewers will be led to believe is connected to or approved by the owners of Orwell's novel. He pinpoints the name of the production company as well as the title of the program as evidence of their intent. "I'll take my chances with this case before any Chicago jury," he said.

The TV show features a group of people living in a house where they are watched by video cameras 24-hours-a-day. They are also directed and interviewed by an unseen person called--surprise, surprise--"Big Brother." Orwell's novel is set in a futuristic society in which the dictatorial government is personified by a character called Big Brother. Every home is equipped with a telescreen, a two-way television through which government officials can watch citizens as well as force them to endure propaganda 24-hours-a-day.

Keeping the World Press Free

U. S. scolded for attempting to influence free press in the Middle East;
Committee to Protect Journalists fears chilling precedent

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed concerns recently that U.S. officials pressured Qatar in an attempt to influence the news coverage of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite news channel.

On the heels of a meeting on October 3 held in Washington, D.C., with U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell, the Qatari ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, admitted that several U.S. officials had asked him to use his influence to rein in Al-Jazeera's news coverage. Apparently the government felt that Al-Jazeera's programming has been unbalanced and anti-American, following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.

"We heard from the U.S. administration, and also from the previous administration," the emir was quoted as saying by CNN. "Naturally, we take these things as a kind of advice."

A State Department official told CNN that Secretary Powell and the emir "had a frank exchange" on the issue and "there should have been no mistake of where we are coming from."

Founded in 1996, Al-Jazeera is the most widely watched news channel in the Arab world. The 24-hour channel has revolutionized the Arabic news industry through its provision of uncensored, independently produced news programs and open debates.

Although the Qatari government subsidizes Al-Jazeera, the station has been widely praised for its editorial independence. Over the years, Al-Jazeera has drawn a steady stream of complaints from Arab governments angered by its reporting.

"The U.S. administration is effectively urging Qatari authorities to interfere with what is essentially an independent news station," said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper. "Arab government attempts to influence Al-Jazeera have garnered widespread attention over the years. We are disheartened to see U.S. officials adopting similar tactics."

ISP Ordered To Reveal Sources

Judge seeks release of information to enable university to sue for defamation

Apparently, not only print media members' rights compete with the U.S. justice system. A U.S. Federal court magistrate has demanded that a Web hosting company reveal the anonymous people behind an Internet site that has called the administration at the University of Louisiana-Monroe incompetent and that has accused top officials of lying.

Thecourt demanded that the information must be turned over to Richard Baxter, the university's vice president for external affairs, who wants to file a defamation lawsuit. The magistrate also ordered Homestead Technologies Inc. to provide computer logs of all people who have posted, published, or provided any content to the site.

An unopposed motion asking for the information was filed last week in Federal court. The order, which was signed on Thursday, October 18, was made public the following Monday. Baxter declined comment about the court order, as did Michael Rymes, who represents the people behind the Web site.

In his petition asking for the order, Baxter cited examples of what he called "extreme, outrageous and malicious content" on the site; that outgoing university president Lawson Swearingen has converted funds from the university's athletic foundation to a secret slush fund; that Swearingen has lied to university boosters who have been "conned, stiffed and lied to by a dishonorable man"; and that "Baxter's job is to make sure that Swearingen's incompetence and the university's state of decline under Swearingen are kept undercover."

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