Monthly Archives: June 2005

Jun 27

The Courts Side With Record Labels

Posted on by

Before I get started, let me say this: nobody in my family participates in the stolen music market. We purchase all of our music either: a.) in stores (it’s been a while), or b.) on iTunes – we do this all the time.

That having been said, this article has been floating around on every news outlet all day. Essentially, the Supreme Court has said that companies who provide consumers with the means to infringe on copyrights are liable for the infringements said consumers commit.

I’ve got a problem with this.

From the article:
“We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright … is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties,” justice David Souter wrote in the decision. “There is no evidence that either company made an effort to filter copyrighted material from users’ downloads or otherwise impede the sharing of copyrighted files.”

I don’t know that Grokster” or any of the other P2P (peer-to-peer) networks promote their ability to infringe on copyrights. Granted, it’s well-known…but do they promote it?

It’s true that I’m not a proponent of illegally-downloaded music/software/movies/etc….but does that mean that the people who write the software are responsible?

What’s next? Is Buck Knives” going to be held accountable for the murders that psychos commit, given that they promote how sharp/deeply their knives cut? How about Jim Beam for each drunk driver that commits a crime?

I don’t have a problem with the much-hated RIAA going after 12 year-olds and grandparents, if they’re violating copyrights and downloading illegal material.

I DO take issue with holding a company responsible every time one (or millions) of its consumers use its product for something illegal.

It’s not my legal responsibility to enforce copyright laws, and I’d guess it’s not the responsibility of any other citizen. That’s the copyright holder’s responsibility – if they choose to do so.

Hopefully my car will still go 70 mph tomorrow…even though it’s 5 mph over the speed limit.

Jun 26

Mambo

Posted on by

I’ve spent the last two days slaving over a new installation of Mambo that we’ll be running for La Jolla Electric. The existing page was one I designed two years ago in Frontpage, but the company’s grown beyond it.

I’ve played with Mambo a few times before this weekend, though I’ve never actually gone about setting up a site with it. Given that most of my experience was with phpWebSite, I have to admit that I’m pretty impressed. The Mambo team put a lot of effort into making the backend look “pretty”…which is important when selling the idea of a CMS to a non-geek customer.

I suspect that I’m also going to have to cave in and learn php. I’ve always managed to get by hacking and slashing through the code (leeching, pasting, etc.), but that only takes you so far. Regardless, the verdict is that Mambo is excellent…and could very well be my CMS of choice from here on out.

Jun 24

Dredg: Live and Beloved

Posted on by

I had the pleasure of seeing Dredg for the second time last night…and it was absolutely amazing (see crappy phone photo below).

If you’re unfamiliar with Dredg, please, check them out. They’re iTunes-friendly, so it’s no problem.

I was super “intrigued” after seeing them open for Deftones several months ago, and purchased their then-current release, “El Cielo”. Shortly after buying it, I was hooked. It was one of those “musical journies” that you’ll always remember.

So needless to say, when their new release “Catch Without Arms” came out Tuesday, I had iTunes’ed it before I left for work at 5:15, burned a copy for the car, and slapped it on my iPod.

I don’t have the patience to write an enire review of the album; in fact, it’d be almost redundant. There are plenty of reviews available over at decoymusic.com (all glowing, of course).

If you like rock, and you’re up for something new, check out Dredg. Their music excites me enough that plugging them here is the very least I can do…