New Weapon in Web War Over Piracy

[Ignacio Upton]

New Weapon in Web War Over Piracy
By BRAD STONE and MIGUEL HELFT
Published: February 19, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18 — As media companies struggle to reclaim control over their movies, television shows and music in a world of online file-sharing software, they have found an ally in software of another kind.

The new technological weapon is content-recognition software, which makes it possible to identify copyrighted material, even, for example, from blurry video clips.

The technology could address what the entertainment industry sees as one of its biggest problems — songs and videos being posted on the Web without permission.

Last week, Vance Ikezoye, the chief executive of Audible Magic in Los Gatos, Calif., demonstrated the technology by downloading a two-minute clip from YouTube and feeding it into his company’s new video-recognition system.

The clip — drained of color, with dialogue dubbed in Chinese — appeared to have been recorded with a camcorder in a dark movie theater before it was uploaded to the Web, so the image quality was poor.

Still, Mr. Ikezoye’s filtering software quickly identified it as the sword-training scene that begins 49 minutes and 37 seconds into the Miramax film “Kill Bill: Vol. 2.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/technology/19video.html

[Az]

1. Good grief, what an amazing search tool that would be for the people

But instead it is turned into a tool to use against the people. Yay Corporate Feudalism.

[Ignacio Upton]

2. I guess the RIAA and MPAA will start knocking on DU's door

Our video forum has tons of YouTube clips that News Corp/GE/Time Warner/C-Span could sue DU for (never mind that pesky "fair use"!). However, if they were to do that, it would be even scarier, because they would be going after a person who just linking to a video file that he/she didn't originally post.

[Greyhound]

10. What a great observation, kudos.

I'm reminded of an interview back when the Napster debacle had just begun.

The interviewee, an advertising executive, was pointing out what an absolute fuck up it was to RIAA try to stop file sharing. The significant quote went something like this; "They had 70,000 people in the same place, at the same time, with a common interest in their product, and instead of exploiting it, they decided to fracture it and drive it underground. And they wonder why their industry is going downhill".

[PSPS]

3. I have a feeling about this.

Sure, the technology is possible. But given the scenario in the story (very poor quality video camcorder copy of a movie in a movie theater, dubbed in Chinese), I have a feeling this "clip" might have been their equivalent of the homing beacon in the targets used in bush's star wars tests.

A more likely scenario is that someone (maybe Brad and Miguel themselves) have stock in this company and are hoping a story like this pumps it up so they can dump it.

But I'm a "skeptic."

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. It is certainly possible that this is a "pump & dump".

There is one thing that is certain. There is some stoner somewhere that will be able to defeat this "awesome" security software with a $1.50 Sharpie marker and a Ritz cracker within a week of it's release.

[CHIMO]

4. Mine All Mine

ACTRA, producers deal stalled over internet rights
Last Updated: Saturday, February 17, 2007 | 10:23 AM ET
CBC Arts

A tentative deal between Canada's actors union and film and television producers may have been sidetracked by news that American studios are balking over internet rights.

Both sides announced Friday night they had reached a verbal agreement, subject to ratification, after a six-week strike by Canadian performers.

According to the terms of that tentative deal, actors would get a 10 per cent wage increase over three years as well as residuals on internet use.

But late last night, the actors union and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association were told by American studios — which also sit on the negotiation committee — that the clause over how to pay for performances intended for the internet was not settled.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/02/17/actra-producers-nodeal.html

[Ignacio Upton]

5. Hey RIAA and MPAA: Stay the fuck out of Canada!

n/t.

[JCMach1]

7. We are seeing the thin edge of a new economic model- everything will be open source

in the future.

Who will profit?

The people/companies that can figure out how to make a profit on it.


The old model is dying.

[noel adamson]

8. Ordinary encryption or even compression software should be enough...

...to thwart this software. Making Movies and music cheap and easy to download would make instant money for the industry without the expense and general hassle of distribution to theaters movie rental stores music stores etc. Disc to disc copying will likely always be a problem for them. If it didn't cost an arm and a leg to see a movie or buy a CD no one would bother downloading other than to pre-sample. Same with software. If a hundred million copies of a piece of software go out at $10 each no one will bother to pirate it and Adobe or whoever will net a quick billion. At $800 a pop only a million or so will buy the same software and many who would never break laws otherwise will pirate it without any qualms. I am making the figures up but I think the idea is pretty sound.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. If they offered their stuff online, they wouldn't have to worry about distribution

And promotion costs. Yet, the RIAA and MPAA still want to charge similar prices for their content online. Why? Well...more profit, even if it makes no sense to be paying a brick and mortar price on itunes.