The un-reality of Partygate

The White House party crashers is not a subject that would usually occupy The Media Wonk. But here in Washington, with so many people running about, flapping their arms like frightened hens over the horror of it all, it’s a very difficult story to ignore. After the crashers themselves and White House social secretary Desiree Read More …

Missing data points in the IIPA copyright study

A couple of data points I would have liked to have seen but could not find in the study released Monday by the International Intellectual Property Alliance on the copyright industries’ $1.5 trillion contribution to U.S. GDP: 1)  What portion of the economic activity in what the report classify as “non-core” copyright industries is being counted toward that Read More …

Vive la France?

As often as the Pirate Party of Sweden was condemned at the World Copyright Summit Tuesday, speakers heaped praise on the French government for passing the Creation and Internet law implementing a system of “graduated response” (i.e. “three-strikes”) to policing illegal file-sharing. “I strongly believe that if we’re going to be successful in this fast-paced Read More …

Just a thought…

…but does Google’s announcement that it will begin selling ebooks later this year through a more or less straight-foward e-commerce platform mean it expects its proposed settlement with publishers in the Google Books case to be rejected by the court? Or, regardless of what the court does, to be scotched by the Justice Department, which Read More …