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Kenco, I was refering only to what Peter is doing with the company. I stand corrected on the other matter at hand.
Thanks
AMX
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
-Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg
MOVIES The movie business is getting it from all sides. DVD-producing pirates siphon off customers who might otherwise buy a multiplex ticket or legitimate disc. Customers who once might have relied on movies for entertainment can choose from an increasing variety of alternatives, from videogames to the Internet. And internally, the studios are struggling to deal with technological issues, like how to introduce the next generation of DVD.
Expand the role of the multiplex. The filmgoing experience should "keep on evolving and changing," says Mark Cuban, who co-owns high-definition cable and satellite broadcaster HDNet along with the Landmark Theaters chain. Theaters can become "out-of-home entertainment hubs to watch not just movies, but live feeds of concerts, sporting events and probably even multiplayer gaming events."
To vie with the increasing sophistication of home-entertainment systems, theaters need to add some frills. More luxury reserved-seating theaters, chairs that can move in conjunction with onscreen action, and cocktail service in the theater would be a start.
Forget DVDs. It may come as bad news to studios, which are currently embroiled in complicated negotiations over the launch of the next generation of DVD, but they should start thinking beyond putting movies on a disc. "Physical media is going to be supplanted over time with material that sits in a hard drive," says Curt Marvis, chief executive of CinemaNow Inc., a Marina del Rey, Calif., movie-downloading service. That way, he argues, studios could take advantage of all the copy protection and bonus features of a next-generation DVD, and lose the expense and hassle of packaging and shipping the actual disc.
Movie owners would be able to use networking to zap movies to any television in their house, or any portable player they own, without having to search through bookcases and under sofa cushions for the right disc. "We'll enable consumers to watch content anywhere, anytime, on any device," says Mitch Singer, executive vice president of the digital-policy group at Sony Pictures.
Send movies home earlier. Right now, movies have a fixed dance card: first a few weeks in theaters, then a few weeks on pay-per-view television, then DVD. Maybe a year or more after its original release, the movie hits free television. But that system limits the revenue studios can get. Many moviegoers never get around to visiting the theater, and have lost interest in the title by the time it comes out on DVD.
Warren Lieberfarb, a Hollywood consultant and former Warner Bros. executive, says he has a better idea. He advocates making movies available at home at the same time they go into theaters, but on a limited basis -- for example, home watchers could have access to the movie for only 24 hours. They should also pay a stiff premium over the price of a movie ticket -- perhaps $40 per household, assuming several people will watch it.
"The economics of movie production are going to drive wider distribution," Mr. Lieberfarb says. "It will become irresistible for the studios."
--Sarah McBride
MUSIC After five wrenching years of piracy and other troubles, the $33 billion global music industry has barely begun to show signs of a possible recovery. Lawsuits and other tactics may or may not have put any dent in piracy. The long slide in album sales hasn't stopped, while new delivery methods, such as online sales to computers and wireless sales to cellphones, currently make up only about 2% of sales. That share is likely to climb to only about 15% to 20% in coming years. And it remains to be seen whether consumers will deem DualDiscs, which add DVD content to the flip side of a CD, a more compelling proposition than plain CDs.
Embrace the enemy. Wayne Rosso, president of Mashboxx LLC, believes the music business needs to do the once unthinkable: Give an online file-sharing network -- namely, the one he runs -- license to distribute its releases legitimately.
File-sharing companies came under fire from the music industry for allowing users to swap songs illegally. Grokster, where Mr. Rosso used to work, is the target of an entertainment-industry lawsuit now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
But, he argues, Mashboxx is different. The site has built-in controls designed to make users pay for licensed content, while letting them freely trade only unregistered material. File-sharing services, he says, are more attractive than download sites like Apple's iTunes Music Store, because users will swap songs from their personal collections -- making available millions of obscure tracks that may not be sold anywhere.
Go mobile. Last year, Apple sold seven million iPods. But music executives have their eyes on a much bigger market: cellphones, which last year sold roughly 80 million in this country. For now at least, you can't buy tunes on your mobile service plan. Thirty-second ringtone snippets, sure. But not full-length, stereo songs. That's likely to change soon with a new generation of handsets and advanced wireless networks, and music executives are salivating at what they view as a massive opportunity.
Adam Klein, executive vice president of strategy and business development at EMI Group PLC, calls mobile phones "a very attractive environment" compared with the Internet. Whereas people are used to getting content free online, he says, they are accustomed to seeing items tacked onto their phone bill. And, Mr. Klein points out, the cellphone has become an indispensable accessory of modern life -- and one day it may become a tiny music store that goes everywhere with you.
Don't sell music -- sell musicians. Record companies are in a paradoxical bind. Sales of recorded music have been falling for five years running. But musicians are more in demand than ever among a host of media and advertising outlets, from film studios to fashion labels to liquor companies. So Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Vivendi Universal SA's Interscope Geffen A&M Records, reasons it's high time people like him look for more outside deals to take advantage of their artists' visibility.
Mr. Iovine's company has struck a movie-development deal with Viacom's MTV Films and explored launching a music-video cable channel. Sony and Bertelsmann's Sony BMG Music Entertainment has said it is exploring a film-development arrangement of its own, although details are scarce. --Ethan Smith
UPDATE (May 15th, 2005) : Sony BMG Music Canada has adopted
Sunncomm's "Mediamax" as copy protection on Sloan's "A Sides Win"
compilation. This PC and MAC compatible software program allows
consumers to make copies of individual tracks to their hard drive and some
"compliant devices". The Ipod is unfortunately not yet compatible but a
possible bypass is available according to the program's Official FAQ.
The software also enables people to send time limited tracks to their friends
via email. These TuneShare tracks can be downloaded once from
Sunncomm and played for ten days on an individual PC equiped with the
latest versions of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. But
software firewall users should note that they should configure their firewall to
allow LaunchCD.exe access to the net ; This program runs from the disc
itself.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
The two technologies will not co-exist on the same disc, according to
sources at RCA.
I believe they are talking about MM3 technology with a second session being added.
This has led to more aggressive rollouts, with DualDisc representing the strongest new format attempt in recent memory. "It's outperforming anything the labels have attempted in the last few years," said Fred Fox, executive vice president of Merchandising and
Marketing for Trans World Entertainment. Other superstars to carry the DualDisc format include Bruce Springsteen and Rob Thomas.
Looks to me that MediaMax newest version MM5 will be added to dual disc.
AMX
Dave Matthews Band Pushes Multiple Enhanced CD Formats
A CD is not just a CD anymore, with Dave Matthews Band now pushing two
enhanced formats into the marketplace. The group's album, Stand Up, topped
the album charts last week with sales of 464,559 units. That CD was sold in
the new DualDisc format, which looks like a standard audio disc but actually
offers audio on one side and video on the other. Meanwhile, Dave Matthews
Band label RCA has also issued a more standard CD without video content,
which will carry anti-piracy protection from SunnComm’s MediaMax technology.
The two technologies will not co-exist on the same disc, according to
sources at RCA.
Such a move is unusual for a big superstar, with enhanced CDs once a dirty
word. Early attempts to protect CDs ran into a substantial consumer
backlash, with many returning malfunctioning discs. But that was several
years ago, and anti-piracy and enhanced-CD technology has improved
considerably since then. That has led to more aggressive rollouts, with
DualDisc representing the strongest new format attempt in recent memory.
"It's outperforming anything the labels have attempted in the last few
years," said Fred Fox, executive vice president of Merchandising and
Marketing for Trans World Entertainment. Other superstars to carry the
DualDisc format include Bruce Springsteen and Rob Thomas.
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com
Dave Matthews Band Pushes Multiple Enhanced CD Formats
A CD is not just a CD anymore, with Dave Matthews Band now pushing two
enhanced formats into the marketplace. The group's album, Stand Up, topped
the album charts last week with sales of 464,559 units. That CD was sold in
the new DualDisc format, which looks like a standard audio disc but actually
offers audio on one side and video on the other. Meanwhile, Dave Matthews
Band label RCA has also issued a more standard CD without video content,
which will carry anti-piracy protection from SunnComm’s MediaMax technology.
The two technologies will not co-exist on the same disc, according to
sources at RCA.
Such a move is unusual for a big superstar, with enhanced CDs once a dirty
word. Early attempts to protect CDs ran into a substantial consumer
backlash, with many returning malfunctioning discs. But that was several
years ago, and anti-piracy and enhanced-CD technology has improved
considerably since then. That has led to more aggressive rollouts, with
DualDisc representing the strongest new format attempt in recent memory.
"It's outperforming anything the labels have attempted in the last few
years," said Fred Fox, executive vice president of Merchandising and
Marketing for Trans World Entertainment. Other superstars to carry the
DualDisc format include Bruce Springsteen and Rob Thomas.
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com
Kenco, I'm well aware what's going on here.
Thanks
AMX
GCRox99, I know your right!
Thanks.
AMX
Posted by: docgfd
In reply to: docgfd who wrote msg# 23428 Date:5/22/2005 7:45:11 PM
Post #of 23439
http://www.musicbymailcanada.com/article4.html
Copy Protection & Canadians (Part Deux)
It appears the labels have been listening to consumer complaints about copy
protection. Both Sony and BMG are now experimenting with consumer
friendly copy protection schemes that allow limited private copying from their
discs and links that consumers can give to their friends to download material
they can play for a limited time.
The Sony Situation
"ConnecteD" discs have been introduced in Germany by Sony to test
consumer reaction to this new "second session" technology. It will feature
several incentives including compressed digital files that people can transfer
to their computers and Sony licensed portable digital music players and links
to bonus material and offers that are only made available to people who have
purchased the disc.
Sony believes that discs protected with this new technology will play on
conventional CD players so the major limitations at the moment are the
incompatibilities a person might encounter when they attempt to play the
compressed material they've copied from the discs to their computer or non
Sony licensed media players. The company is currently working on several
software plugins and expect to make them available to the public in the new
years. They also believe they will be able to fix the digital music player
incompatibilities shortly.
The first German release to feature this new technology is Naturally 7's
"What Is It". Sony expects to label all future "ConnecteD" releases in
Germany.
The BMG Situation
BMG subsidiary Arista Records have released their own copy managed
discs in the United States using Phoenix Arizona based SunnComm
Technologies' "MediaMax CD-3" and "Promoplay" technologies. These
discs also feature pre-ripped files in a "second session" but these files are
Windows Media Player compatible, include limited burning to CD and
copying to portable digital media players that are Windows Media
compatible.
Like Sony's "ConnecteD" technology, these discs will also feature bonus
material or links to bonus material. But SunnComm Technologies'
"Promoplay" software will allow individuals to email links to time and copy
limited material to their friends and this company's "License Management
Technology" also limits copying of CDs and DVDs produced with the
technology by reading physical markings found on individual CDs and
DVDs.
The first American release to feature this new technology is Anthony
Hamilton's "Comin' From Where I'm From". Whether this release or future
releases will be labelled as copy protected is unknown.
Overview
Overall i'd say BMG's solution is preferable and more consumer friendly.
But like Sony, the label and SunnComm claim the discs can be played on
"conventional" players. This may or may not include some computerized CD
or DVD players.
This is the major limitation to copy protection. - Many consumers will not
know their player is computerized until they attempt to play an incompatible
disc, though SunnComm Technologies assures it's consumers that CDs
created with their License Management Technology are "100% compatible
with standard audio CDs" and that "playability on any regular CD or DVD
device is assured" And whether these discs will or will not qualify for
certification as "Compact Discs" by Phillips is unknown so this article will be
updated as the new technology and the BMG/Sony merger talks progress.
I believe the industry will co-operate with their consumers in this matter so it
is important to inform them of your concerns regarding these new copy
management technologies and any complications arising from the use of discs
protected by this technology. You may contact them using the contact
information provided on the discs.
UPDATE (May 15th, 2005) : Sony BMG Music Canada has adopted
Sunncomm's "Mediamax" as copy protection on Sloan's "A Sides Win"
compilation. This PC and MAC compatible software program allows
consumers to make copies of individual tracks to their hard drive and some
"compliant devices". The Ipod is unfortunately not yet compatible but a
possible bypass is available according to the program's Official FAQ.
The software also enables people to send time limited tracks to their friends
via email. These TuneShare tracks can be downloaded once from
Sunncomm and played for ten days on an individual PC equiped with the
latest versions of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. But
software firewall users should note that they should configure their firewall to
allow LaunchCD.exe access to the net ; This program runs from the disc itself.
Kenco, Sense Peter and others have nothing to do with MMXT other then consulting at this time. You wouldn't see his name and others listed as an insider buyers would you? Maybe you need a few lessons on how this all works. Lesson (1) watch and learn how MediaMax takes the market by storm! Lesson (2) whatever you say is not going to change the outcome for MediaMax. Lesson (3) refer to lesson (1) if all fails!
ROTFLMAO!!
AMX
Anytime! Looks like we maybe in for a roll out with UMG, EMI and Koch here very soon.
Best to all.
AMX
Also during the first quarter 2005 the Company incurred a quarterly billing of $200,000 from an entertainment marketing consultant which was historically successful in the negotiating and obtaining a licensing agreements with Universal, EMI and Koch from which the Company would receive 40% of the revenues.
Link: http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/filingFrameset.asp?FileName=0001199835%2D05%2D000251%2Etxt&FilePath....
Posted by: jarvis c
In reply to: None Date:5/20/2005 9:54:08 PM
Post #of 23403
!INTERESTING INFORMATION FOR ALL SHAREHOLDERS!
channel 4 news in los angeles (nbc) ran a segment this afternoon spotlighting the copy management/enhancement/protection features on the new dave matthews album! i only caught a portion of the segment. i don't recall that they mentioned Mediamax by name. they demonstrated how the cd works in a computer, and even mentioned that the music can be loaded into your iPOD. this is great exposure!!!
Jarvis, Your the man!
Do you think will happen this time?
A moving crew took care of the move it was over in 5 minutes!
lol
jrinphx, I think I know what this person is talking about on bb4. Right after the meeting was over I went to SunnComms web page and looked at our people. To my surprise you'll see what he's talking about. I think everyone was moved over to MMXT. It only maks sense if you are to go public you have a full staff working there. IMO
AMX
sahd3g, Do you have a link to this bb4 board?
TIA
AMX
Kenco, You can't have both now can you! lol
Posted by: kenco
In reply to: None Date:4/21/2005 10:15:23 PM
Post #of 23345
Look at the bright side, at least all of the well comped officers and management should make out nicely
Sony BMG Tightens the Online Video Screws
Sony BMG is keeping the heat on websites that are streaming its videos,
reiterating its demands to have all content pulled immediately. According to
a new letter obtained by Digital Music News, Sony BMG continues to request
the removal of its videos prior to any licensing discussions. "As our label
marketing teams have been discussing with you, as of the close of business
on May 18, 3rd party online sites which are currently streaming Sony BMG's
videos on an "at-will" basis will no longer be authorized to exhibit these
music videos in accordance with past practices. Going-forward, we will be
entering into more formalized written license agreements which authorize the
streaming exhibition of our music videos on mutually acceptable commercial
terms and conditions." The move follows a successful licensing push by
Universal, which also demanded that its videos be pulled as part of the
licensing process. Now, Sony BMG will likely pursue an early agreement with
one of the larger streaming video sites, with AOL Music, MSN Music and Yahoo
Music prime candidates.
www.digitalmusicnews.com
Apple: Let's Go To The Video
Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) made a big splash this week with its new and very cheap music subscription service. But Apple stayed a step ahead, having quietly rolled out new video features for its iTunes music store. Apple is already selling a few music-video downloads, but the move appears to be a step toward selling long-form films online.
http://forbes.com/technology/2005/05/13/cx_pp_0513digidown.html
Ex-RIAA head Hilary Rosen put the focus on Steve Jobs, demanding that the
Apple CEO open access to the iPod. Rosen also questioned the current Supreme
Court challenge of Grokster by the RIAA, noting that a "Grokster win for the
industry (if there is one) won't change a thing in the marketplace".
Meanwhile, Apple continued to spread its wings, with the iTunes Music Store
now live in several Scandinavian countries.
Sony BMG Demands Removal of Video Streams, Follows Universal
Sony BMG has recently demanded the immediate removal of its online video
streams from several leading music sites. In a letter obtained by Digital
Music News, Sony BMG subsidiary labels J and Arista earmarked a long list of
videos for removal, indicating that terms for payments and licensing would
be forthcoming. "As a result of a new policy implemented on behalf of J
Records and Arista Records by our parent company Sony BMG, all video streams
of J Records and Arista Records artists must be removed from your website or
on-line distribution platform," the letter demanded. "A formal notification
from Sony BMG Business Affairs setting forth the end-date on which the
videos need to be removed is forthcoming, along with information on how to
license our videos for use in the future." Information about other Sony BMG
subsidiaries was not immediately available.
The move follows in the footsteps of a similar move by Universal Music
Group, with chairman Doug Morris seeking to end the free distribution of
music videos online. That resulted in licensing arrangements with major
online video outlets like AOL Music and MSN Music, opening the door for the
recent Sony BMG demand. While the heavy-handedness may be unnecessary, Sony
BMG is likely to meet with the same cooperative attitude that largely
characterized the Universal process, though smaller sites may not be able to
afford proposed terms.
Apple Releases Updated iTunes, Tiptoes Into Videos
Apple is making a very low-key entrance into downloadable music videos, with
a limited offering introduced this week. As part of the recently launched
iTunes version 4.8, a small group of downloadable videos are mostly being
bundled with album and single purchases. The videos are packaged with a
number of acts, including The Shins, Morcheeba, Dave Matthews Band and
Gorillaz. The new release also allows video playback in the lower left hand
corner of the application, a space previously reserved for album covers. The
videos themselves do not carry any DRM protection.
While the add-ons currently sweeten the deal on audio purchases, they are
likely part of a wider multimedia initiative. Apple has not provided an
official tally of its available music videos, but most sources point to a
modest sum. Currently, the videos are not playable on iPod devices, and
Steve Jobs has so far indicated a reluctance to enter the portable video
player market. But that is only one possibility, with the iTunes application
itself a potential hub for video viewing. Full length movies also provide an
exciting possibility, with Hollywood eager to create a working digital
distribution solution. For now, Apple will be observing the action on its
limited release, with many consumers still shying away from the heavy files.
The version upgrade also repairs several security vulnerabilities found in
4.7.
Bertelsmann Buying Columbia House
Retailer is Partly-Owned by Time Warner, Blackstone Group and Sony
By MATT MOORE, AP
FRANKFURT, Germany (May 10) - German media company Bertelsmann AG said Tuesday it is buying the New York-based DVD and music club Columbia House.
Bertelsmann did not disclose the terms of the deal, under which the Guetersloh-based company's BMG division will acquire Columbia House. Citing people familiar with the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported it was worth approximately $400.1 million.
The U.S. retailer is 85 percent owned by Blackstone Group. Sony Corp. and Time Warner each hold 15 percent stakes.
''This move gives us strategic access to the growing business with DVDs, as well as broadening our customer base in the U.S. market,'' said Ewald Walgenbach, CEO of Bertelsmann's DirectGroup unit.
''In bringing together BMG Direct and Columbia House, we are combining two profitable businesses.''
Columbia House has some 8 million members in the United States, Mexico and Canada and sells music online and through the mail. BMG Direct operates its own mail order retail business, sending out 68 million catalogs annually and through its Web site.
Bertelsmann said Stuart Goldfarb, chief executive of BMG Direct, would be president and CEO of Columbia House.
Bertelsmann's reach encompasses nearly all forms of media, with publishing, music sales and broadcasting operations in approximately 60 countries worldwide.
The company, founded in 1835, owns the Random House publisher as well as a 50 percent stake in Sony BMG Music Entertainment. It holds a 75 percent stake in publisher Gruner + Jahr and has 90 percent of broadcaster RTL. It also owns several book and music clubs, including DirectGroup.
Bertelsmann is not listed on the stock market. A majority stake is controlled by the Mohn family, directly and through a foundation. Group Bruxelles Lambert holds a 25 percent stake.
AP-NY-05-10-05 0619EDT
Listen to Dave Matthew's new release featured on AOL today.
http://channelevents.aol.com/music/bbr/b/archive.adp
Kenco, Been down this road before and I haven't changed my mind about MMXT. Nice talking to you!
AMX
Kenco, I see your sour because that raise from Wal-Mart didn't come through for you.
LOL
AMX
Sony BMG Boosts Copy-Protected CDs
Feb. 24, 2005
By Ed Christman, Billboard.biz
Sony BMG Music Entertainment is stepping up the rollout of what it calls "content-enhanced" copy-protected CDs, according to company executives.
The move began with the Chieftains' album "Live From Dublin," released Tuesday (Feb. 22). Upcoming albums that will receive the treatment are from Kasabian (March 8) and Susie Suh (March 29).
Sony BMG expects that by year's end, a substantial number of its U.S. releases will employ either Sunncomm's newly enhanced MediaMax or First4Internet's XCP to address piracy concerns. No matter which technology a CD uses, it will include extras such as photo galleries, enhanced liner notes and links to other features.
After visiting First4Internet website the only one that offers the added features is MediaMax!!!
AMX
Sony BMG Boosts Copy-Protected CDs
Feb. 24, 2005
By Ed Christman, Billboard.biz
Sony BMG Music Entertainment is stepping up the rollout of what it calls "content-enhanced" copy-protected CDs, according to company executives.
The move began with the Chieftains' album "Live From Dublin," released Tuesday (Feb. 22). Upcoming albums that will receive the treatment are from Kasabian (March 8) and Susie Suh (March 29).
Sony BMG expects that by year's end, a substantial number of its U.S. releases will employ either Sunncomm's newly enhanced MediaMax or First4Internet's XCP to address piracy concerns. No matter which technology a CD uses, it will include extras such as photo galleries, enhanced liner notes and links to other features.
After visiting First4Internet website the only one that offers the added features is MediaMax!!!
AMX
Berg111, I seen in the store the group Kasabian with a SunnComm label on the front jewel case. Label BMG (Argentina) Rock album.
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=+6787099&style=music&frm=lk_radioio
AMX
MMXT, Very bullish analysis from StockTA.com
http://www.stockta.com/cgi-bin/analysis.pl?symb=MMXT&num1=1&cobrand=&mode=stock
Sunnyday, I agree with you! I think some SCMI investors don't see it that way and had enough. When you hear what the plans are for MMXT and not SCMI. I can't blame them. I for one will hold for now because I still have high hopes for both MMXT and SCMI even if the plans are to move MMXT first. I don't like the pps at this moment but it will return when things ramp up.
AMX
alj14, I have seen over the last couple months the DVD cases stating this DVD is copy protected. The strange thing it doesn't show which company they are using for copy protection.
Amx
SunnComm Achieves Breakthrough in DVD Protection
North America's audio CD copy management leader completes Phase I of patent applications that integrate breakthrough technology including features to protect, enhance, and manage content on commercial DVDs
PHOENIX, AZ. June 28, 2004 — SunnComm International, Inc. (OTC: SCMI), the #1 provider in North America of copy management and enhancement technology announced today that it has completed its “proof of concept” in the development of its anticipated DVD copy inhibiting technology. According to Eric Vandewater, SunnComm’s chief technology officer, “We expect to begin the internal beta testing of our DVD copy management technology as early as next quarter (Q3/04), and we expect to deliver MediaMaxDVD™ technology to a leading major motion picture distributor for testing in the ‘real’ world later this year.”
This was released 11 months ago back in June 2004. I'm sure it's in use already. IMO
Everything has it's place when the pr campaign starts. Lets go Peter!!!
AMX
P2P Traffic Continues to Rise Despite Continued Lawsuits
While the RIAA continues its legal blitz against peer-to-peer file sharing,
data continues to point to overall usage increases. Most recently, a study
released by P2P news source Slyck.com pointed to increases in leading
networks eDonkey2000, DirectConnect, FastTrack, Gnutella and Overnet. That
data reveals a total userbase of approximately 8.5 million for March of this
year, up from about 4.75 million in January of 2003. Meanwhile, P2P-tracking
firm BigChampagne continues to see an overall upward trend in its latest
tracking data. And similar findings have emerged from the University of
California Riverside and research group Ipsos-Insight, which noted that
"despite increased fee-based experimentation over the past year and
continued legal action against individual file-sharers, the presence of
peer-to-peer file-sharing options in the market remains an influential force
on consumer digital music acquisition behavior".
Still, RIAA legal enforcement is having some noticeable effects,
particularly with file-sharing levels on the FastTrack network. That network
is used by Kazaa, which has faced a big exodus of users amidst increased
spoofing levels and RIAA tracking. But while those levels have fallen, other
networks like Overnet and eDonkey have picked up the slack, indicating
ongoing shifts towards other networks. Meanwhile, many networks are
experiencing a flood of spoofed and bogus files, though groups like
BigChampagne have focused on unique user levels to avoid potentially
misleading trends. The RIAA has now sued about 10,000 file-sharers, with the
enforcement campaign beginning in September, 2003.