Archive for October 8th, 2007
Is Facebook going to become the next LinkedIn? Or is LinkedIn going to become the next Facebook? Recent moves on the part of both companies have analysts talking.The talk started last week when LinkedIn announced it now has over 14 million members. The business professionals’ network took advantage of the milestone to launch a new feature: the ability to add a professional photo to the online profile.
The move brings LinkedIn a step closer to the functionality of Facebook, which didn’t make an official announcement this week but quietly launched a feature that at least indirectly competes with LinkedIn. Facebook now lets its members separate work friends from social friends.
Could a professional social network battle be brewing?
October 8th, 2007
The verdict is in, history has been made, and the reaction is flooding in. The Recording Industry Association of America got the victory it was hoping for last week when a jury ruled against Jammie Thomas, a 30-year-old mother from Minnesota. But will the publicity backlash be worth the $220,000 in fines? And will college kids, perhaps the largest demographic of pirates, be deterred by a ruling against a mom found guilty of sharing music on an Indian reservation?The plaintiffs, which included Virgin Records, Sony BMG, Capitol Records, Arista Records, Warner Bros., UMG Recordings, and Interscope Records, claimed Thomas distributed 1,702 copyrighted audio files on file-sharing network Kazaa in 2005. They asked for $3.9 million dollars, plus legal fees. Despite not getting that amount, the RIAA expressed approval of the outcome.
“When the evidence is clear, we will continue to bring legal actions against those individuals who have broken the law,” the RIAA said in a statement. “This program is important to securing a level playing field for legal online music services and helping ensure that record companies are able to invest in new bands of tomorrow.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
October 8th, 2007
The Recording Industry Association of America is having its day in a Minnesota court against a mom accused of digital copyright violations. The nation’s first-of-its-kind case could prove to be a deterrent for digital piracy — if the RIAA wins.The precedent-setting case is part of the RIAA’s campaign against file-sharing piracy. The RIAA is asking for as much as $3.9 million dollars, plus legal fees, from a jury it hopes will see sufficient evidence to rule against Jammie Thomas in U.S. District Court in Duluth, Minnesota.
Virgin v. Thomas puts a recording industry giant head to head with a 30-year-old woman from Brainerd, Minnesota. Virgin Records has RIAA members Sony BMG, Capitol Records, Arista Records, Warner Bros., UMG Recordings, and Interscope Records in its corner. The plaintiffs claim that Thomas distributed 1,702 copyrighted audio files on file-sharing network Kazaa in 2005.
Click here to read the rest of the story on Newsfactor.
October 8th, 2007
Sun Microsystems CEO and President Jonathan Schwartz let the merger cat out of the bag this week. The outspoken chief used his blog as a vehicle to share the news about Sun’s plans to combine its server 
and storage product units into a new division dubbed the “Systems” team. The Systems team will focus on the evolution and convergence of computing, storage, and networking systems.Schwartz said Sun will be strongly focused on being a multiplatform storage provider, but the company is also going to start talking at a higher level to customers that see more standardization and integration in their future data centers. He said he knows that’s not everyone, but it’s definitely a trend Sun plans to accelerate.
Why is Schwartz merging the groups? Because it’s worked before, in short.
Click here to read the rest of this story on Newsfactor.
October 8th, 2007
