“Katharina Wagner, the co-director of the Bayreuth Festival and great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Wagner, was in a car on the German autobahn when the driver died at the wheel.”
Tag: 11.14.08
Lego Loses Its Trademark – Does It Matter?
An EU court has upheld a decision to strip the interlocking plastic bricks of trademark status – because how can you trademark a simple brick? “But, does it matter to you and me? Perhaps not. No one will force you to buy [competitor] MEGA Brands’ brick-locking equivalent and Lego is such a big name that it seems unlikely sales will be particularly affected… Children – like adults – often develop loyalties to toy brands.”
Caution: Your Digital Camera Has Fingerprints
“It turns out that digital cameras leave a telltale fingerprint buried in the pixels of every image they capture. Now forensic scientists can use this fingerprint to tell what camera model was used to take a shot.”
Why We Need More Political Diversity In Theatre
“There is an obvious paucity of right-leaning voices in theater. There are many reasons for this, but it is to the detriment, I believe, of the community as a whole. My own political posture leans distinctly to the left. But we will not, in the long run, benefit from casting out all those whose opinions offend us. And there are sure to be many tests of tolerance ahead.”
Amateur Theatre Association Protests Free Tickets Plan
The UK group doesn’t like the plan to give away free theatre tickets to professional productions. “If… the Arts Council really want to encourage young people to participate in the arts, they should be focusing on funding those very young people to participate at a local level in the first instance as opposed to issuing such gimmicks.”
Want Funding? Before You Work With Our Kids, There Are These Conditions…
“Visual artists who want to work with children and who apply for government funding for their projects will have to sign a contract agreeing to a raft of conditions, according to the Australia Council’s draft protocols for working with children.”
Will Indie Kids Kill The Musical?
“Having already destroyed one art form – alternative pop music – Morrissey’s grandchildren, the shock troops of self-obsessed and willfully underachieving middle-class miserabilism, are setting out to destroy another, the musical. They must be stopped.”
UK Study: People Consuming More Music
“The study found 44 per cent of people polled claimed to have consumed more music this year than in 2007. As well as the swelling market for live music, this surge may have something to do with commercial harnessing of music through means other than record sales, since 69 per cent of “the most passionate music fans” agreed that brand affiliations provide a valuable new revenue stream for artists.”
NBC Cancels Show… Now What About The Product Placements?
“The demise of My Own Worst Enemy highlights the risks of the advertiser partnerships that NBC and other broadcasters are turning to. But the network is not backing away from the model; if anything, it is doubling down.”
Philips Auction Disaster – 40 Percent Unsold, And Prices Slide
“The sales totaled just $9.6 million, less than half of the low estimate of $23 million. Yet the diehards came — collectors and dealers who hung in after a tough two days and nights of auctions.”