music_lawyer

let's separate these two developments

Firstly the actions of Japan, France, Britain etc making (or attempting to make) ISPs legally accountable for copyright infringements. It is akin to making car manufacturers legally accountable for speeding. It seems perverse as far as law goes but if the ISPs agree to it then we are all going to suffer.
The position here seems to be that the majors lean on the Government, the Government lean on the ISPs, the ISPs lean on the user and it's "you'd better not download or we'll cut your internet off"

The position in Sweden is slightly different and perhaps more worrying as they rejected a proposal that would enable ISPs to terminate their user's connection in favour of a ruling that forces the ISP to hand over individual IP addresses and account traffic details of people SUSPECTED of copyright infringement to any private individual who thinks his or her copyright has been breeched

Up until now in Sweden such details were only to be disclosed in CRIMINAL cases in which the MINIMUM statutory penalty is two years in prison, and only then at the request of the prosecution and the agreement of the judge. This change in law opens it up to all civil cases and gives the prosecuting lawyer the right to demand details from the ISP without the consent of a judge or even notifying the individual

Essentially it is a law which allows virtual spying and if it becomes standard it is the end of internet privacy and general self-government.

sad days

you're a fool

if you think any citizen of any nation can rightfully be gagged by politicians or other authorities and have their views surpressed, or indeed be threatened or coerced into keeping schtum by lure or bribery then I pity you

No Sticky Fingers?
No Velvet Underground and Nico?

and what about What's Going On?
or Electric Ladyland?

Stanley Road, LOL

I really don't hear it
I really don't see it
I really don't get it

what's the attraction?

it's not in the slightest bit 'weird'

in fact it's one of the least weird things I've ever seen Björk or Gondry do

Hey everybody, take a look at me
I've got street credibility
I may not have a job, but I have a good time
With the boys that I meet, "down on the line"
I said, I don’t need you (I don’t need you)
So you don't approve, well who asked you to? - Hey
Hey jerk, you work (hey jerk, you work)
This boy's got better things to do - hell…

I ain't never gonna work, get down in the dirt
I choose to cruise
Gonna live my life, sharp as a knife
I've found my groove, and I just can't lose
A.1. style, from head to toe
Cool cat flash, gonna let you know
I'm a soul boy, I'm a dole boy
Take pleasure in leisure, I believe in joy

[Chorus]
Wham, bam - I am, a man
Job or no job, you can’t tell me that I'm not
Do you, enjoy what you do?
If not, just stop - don’t stay there and rot

Party nights, and neon lights
We hit the floors, we hit the heights
Dancing shoes, and pretty girls
Boys in leather, kiss girls in pearls
Hot-damn, everybody let's play
So they promised you a good job - no way (no way)
One, two, three, rap
C'mon everybody, don’t need this crap (don’t need this crap)

[Chorus]
Wham, bam - I am, a man
Job or no job, you can’t tell me that I'm not
Do you, enjoy what you do?
If not, just stop - don’t stay there and rot

If you’re a pub man, or a club man
Maybe a jet black guy, with a hip hi-fi
A white cool cat, with a trilby hat
Maybe leather and studs, is where you’re at
Make the most, of every day
Don’t let hard times, stand in your way
Give a Wham, give a bam, but don’t give a damn
Cos the benefit gang, are gonna pay

Now reach up high, and touch your soul
The boys from Wham, will help you reach that goal
It's gonna break your mama's heart (so sad)
It's gonna break your daddy's heart (too bad)
But you'll throw the dice, and take my advice
Because I know, that you're smart

Can you dig this thing? (yeah)
Are you gonna get down? (yeah)
Say Wham (Wham)
Say bam (bam)

[Chorus x 3]
Wham, bam - I am, a man
Job or no job, you can’t tell me that I'm not
Do you, enjoy what you do?
If not, just stop - don’t stay there and rot

Do you want to work? (no)
Are you gonna have fun? (yeah)
Do you wanna be a jerk? (no)
Are you gonna stay young? (yeah)
Everybody say Wham (Wham)
Say bam (bam)
Everybody say Wham (Wham)
Say Wham-bam (Wham-bam)

Can you dig this thing? (can you dig this thing)
Are you gonna get down (down - down)
Say one, two, three, rap
C'mon everybody, don’t need this crap (don’t need this crap)

with the obvious caveat...

The people I know who work for EMI have pretty much all to a man(woman) said that things have significantly improved since the takeover.

The artists I know who are signed to EMI are a lot less enthusiastic somehow...

just thought I'd throw that in

a gangsta bagpipe crew from Lothian called CAPS LOCH

LOL

she's drinking heroin now is she?

that the Mail on Sunday would have thought for a second that this would be chart eligible as it clearly contravenes a number of rules

Why would they or Prince's people actually care about a chart placing if they are distributing close to 3 million CDs to the public? As far as I'm aware it would not exclude Prince from any MCPS royalties

The only thing I can think of is that the Mail on Sunday, in their contract with Prince's representative(s), had promised it WOULD be chart eligible and thus they face being sued by Prince for breach of contract

It doesn't look good for Stephen Miron

*It was a record high

by the end of the *next decade

It's a bribery issue

ie Cameron is attempting to gain support on the campaign trail in return for a half-promise of bringing legislation into The Commons with regard to this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4918214.stm

so basically he wants Sirs Cliff and MacCartney (amongst others) to street team for him

Also notable is the amount of money from royalties that contributes to the UKs balance of payments deficit. Is was a record high in 2001 but under the current law that will fall off sharply by the end of the decade as living artists who recorded works in the late sixties will no longer be entitled to these sums - hence Cliff's interest no doubt

Legislation has extremely limited power over artistic content of any kind without there being a law which explicitly bans certain content and such a law would have to be extended to all media so that isn't even an issue

In sum - it's campaign bribery and not censorship