Linux News: P2P Tech

Xohm Rollout Troubled by Comcast's Shadow
October 01, 2008

Sprint Nextel has successfully rolled out Xohm in Baltimore. The new 4G wireless WiMax network runs on 2.5 GHz and delivers downloads at 2 to 4 Mbps -- but it is clear the telecom service provider is still carefully negotiating the industry land mine that has become network management.

The Verdict Is Out in Jammie Thomas Case
September 25, 2008

She wasn't the first person to be sued by the music industry for illegally sharing digital music files, but Jammie Thomas was the first to go to court in the ongoing battle over copyrights, consumers and charges of piracy. Wednesday, a federal judge threw out her conviction and granted a new trial.

Comcast Takes FCC Bull by Horns in Throttling Battle
September 05, 2008

Comcast has answered the Federal Communication Commission's order -- to not only cease its controversial network management practices, but also reveal them publicly -- with a legal maneuver of its own: The cable provider has asked the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to overturn the ruling.

Dusting for Copyright Clues With Digital Fingerprinting Tech
August 22, 2008

Digital age, and the stealin' is easy. Regardless of the content type -- be it a text, audio or video file -- computer users can seemingly download and upload copyrighted content with near impunity. After all, it doesn't cost anything to share this material. It's there for the taking. Besides, what's the harm, and who cares anyway, right? That thinking represents the attitude of many computer users.

FCC to Hammer Comcast on Throttling Shenanigans
July 28, 2008

Reports continue to circulate that the Federal Communications Commission has enough votes to rule that Comcast illegally blocked traffic between peer-to-peer Internet applications and that the government will soon set down guidelines for the Internet service provider that could serve as a precedent regarding the hotly debated topic of Net neutrality.

P2P File-Sharing Sinks Ships
July 10, 2008

Earlier this year, a careless employee at an investment firm learned a painful lesson: Sharing files through peer-to-peer Web sites like LimeWire can easily expose internal data in a corporate network. In this case, the employee's actions revealed the personal information of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and 2,000 or so other clients of the firm.

Yahoo's Poison Pen Pal; Free Internet but No Porn
June 06, 2008

Newly revealed court documents have Yahoo squirming. It now appears the company may have spurned an offer from Microsoft worth $40 a share way back in 2007 -- months before all its hand-wringing over a much-publicized, much-lower bid. Yahoo apparently also declined an earlier offer of a search advertising partnership with Google -- something it later sought out as a way to keep Microsoft at arm's length.

Aggressive Antipiracy Firm Snags Dolphin in Tuna Net
May 30, 2008

Revision3, an entertainment network for the Web, had planned to release its two most popular shows last Friday evening in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Instead, chaos struck, and the Web 2.0 company found itself unable distribute videos or advertising or respond to clients' requests.

Viacom v. Google Wends Its Way Through Legal Fog
May 28, 2008

The patchwork system of digital commerce laws adopted in recent years is showing signs of wear as Viacom's $1 billion suit against Google moves forward. Last year, Viacom filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that Google owed it damages for purloined content that made its way onto the popular video-sharing Web site.

Extreme Makeover Napster, AOL and OLPC Edition
May 23, 2008

Sure, there's "Weeds" and "The Office," but the studios sure didn't throw open the vaults and let Netflix have its way with their film libraries. Still, Netflix has scored a coup with the launch of its $99 Netflix Player by Roku, a set-top box meant to do battle with Apple TV for dominance atop your TV set.

RIAA's Legal Steamroller May Grind to Halt
May 16, 2008

Last year, in the first file-sharing lawsuit ever to go to trial, Jammie Thomas was found liable for sharing two dozen songs -- and the judge ordered her to pay $222,000 to Capitol Records. Now, that judge has admitted that he made a "manifest error" during the trial, and Thomas may get another day in court.

Study: Cox, Comcast Play Traffic Cop Day and Night
May 15, 2008

Cox Communications is actively blocking BitTorrent file-sharing users from enjoying unfettered Internet services, according to a new study based on more than 8,000 Internet users. Like Comcast, which was the first major cable Internet service provider to be outed for throttling peer-to-peer data, Cox says it interferes with the traffic to ensure quality service for all of its customers.

Defunct TorrentSpy Slammed With $110M Judgment in MPAA Suit
May 08, 2008

A federal judge in Los Angeles has awarded the MPAA $110 million in compensation from Valence Media, operator of the now-defunct file-sharing Web site TorrentSpy. U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ordered Valence Media to pay $30,000 for each copyright infringement of nearly 3,700 movies and television programs that were downloaded. The MPAA took TorrentSpy to court in February 2006.

P2P and P4P: The Tangled Web We Weave
May 07, 2008

It was Monday morning, and Haiyong Xie was running late. His flight to Los Angeles had been delayed, and then he had to face LA's beastly morning traffic. Xie, of Yale University, was on his way to the P2P Media Summit at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel to take part in a panel discussion about the P4P Working Group.

Federal Court Dents RIAA Strategy Against File-Sharers
April 30, 2008

A federal judge's ruling against the Recording Industry Association of America not only represents a setback for the litigious trade group in one particular lawsuit, but also opens a Pandora's box of technicalities that could mean a few speed bumps ahead for its legal steamroller.

FCC Chairman Calls Comcast Liar, Critics Pile On
April 23, 2008

Comcast has lied about how and why it blocks peer-to-peer Internet traffic, and may be lying in its promise to stop some of its practices by year end, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said during a hearing held by a Senate committee on the future of the Internet.