Canadian internet providers aren’t liable for royalties for music downloaded by their customers, rules the Supreme Court. “In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the court ruled that although ISPs provide the hardware and technology, they aren’t responsible for what people download. The court ruled that companies providing wide access to the web are “intermediaries” who are not bound by federal copyright legislation.”
Tag: 06.30.04
Did Reviewers Actually Read Clinton Book? (Was It Even Physically Possible?)
Bill Clinton’s 957-page book wasn’t released to reviewers until 24-48 hours before it was published. “The 24- to 48-hour turnaround of these reviews poses the question of whether a barge-size book like My Life can be read in its entirety in such short order—let alone reviewed. How long might it take to read My Life? Slate assigned one-third of My Life to three staffers and they recorded 27 man-hours of reading and note-taking. Surely a full-fledged review of My Life by one person would require somewhere in the neighborhood of 27 hours for reading, plus sleep breaks, and maybe another couple of hours for composition…”
Aussie Pro Theatre Needs A Hit
“Australia’s only show-business company listed on the stock exchange, International Concert Attractions (ICA), is looking to the success of the musical Saturday Night Fever to restore its fortunes following last summer’s failure of The Full Monty.”
NY City Ballet’s Low Point (We Just Saw It)
Robert Gottleib is unequivocal about New York City Ballet’s unleashing of a Boris Eifman Balanchine tribute: “Eifman’s Musagète may not be the worst ballet ever put on by New York City Ballet—the last 20 years have offered it lots of competition—but its premiere last Friday was without question the lowest point in the history of the company (and I’ve been following its fortunes since the beginning, in 1948).”
Challenging Patents For Rest Of Us
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is targeting ten patents it believes have been issued in error and whose technology -in wide use – is not patentable. “These patent owners have been threatening people that just can’t defend themselves. They’re trying to claim ownership over some fundamental part of software of the Internet that people use every day, and they’re threatening small companies or individuals that can’t afford lawyers.” The list includes Clear Channel’s claim of patent on a process for making concert recordings available after concerts.
Maine Ballet Seeks New Home
The Maine State Ballet wants to convert a brick warehouse into a new performance home. “The company, which has operated for 23 years without any debt, will begin a $3 million capital campaign to pay for the new home and start an endowment fund for long-term financial stability.”
A Link Between TV and Puberty?
Though there’s still no definitive link between watching TV and an increase of violence, there may be one between TV-watching and puberty. “Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s. One reason is due to their average increase in weight; but another may be due to reduced levels of melatonin. Scientists at the University of Florence in Italy found that when youngsters were deprived of their TV sets, computers and video games, their melatonin production increased by an average 30 per cent.
Bellevue Art Museum Gets A New Leader For Comeback Plan
The Seattle-area Bellevue Art Museum, which suddenly closed last year, has gone out and found itself some serious new leadership to help it reopen. “Michael Monroe, the former curator-in-charge at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, which specializes in craft such as ceramics, textiles and glass work, will become chief curator and executive director.”
Grand Estonian Grand
Ten years ago, the Estonian Piano Factory was in such disrepair it almost went out of business. But after a young entrepreneur bought the company and revamped the instruments’ design, the company turned around. “Today, 90 percent of the approximately 500 Estonias handmade each year end up at U.S. dealerships. Estonias account for a fraction of U.S. sales, which were 40,000 grands and baby grands, and 57,000 smaller upright pianos in 2003.”
Philly Stage – It’s A Hit!
Philadelphia theatres had a good year. “At a time when much of the nonprofits arts community is hurting for support, most producing theaters in the area took the decent business of the season before and, if they didn’t build on it, were at least able to match it.”