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In May, the Elton John documentary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which lists John's husband, filmmaker David Furnish, as a co-director, sold in a deal to Disney+ for over $30 million. Producer Peter Chernin included a nonfiction arm as a part of his $800 million new content studio, The North Road Company, while New Regency, the narrative powerhouse behind films like Bohemian Rhapsody and The Revenant, has started a nonfiction co-venture. When she began working in the field in the 1970s, MTV Documentary Films executive producer Sheila Nevins, who programmed a broad range of titles in her multi-decade tenure as the doyenne of documentaries at HBO, says, "We made docs about sophisticated things, about World War II, different eras in American history, the sinking of the Lusitania and Hitler's last days." Netflix's nascent nonfiction division, initially just two people - Lisa Nishimura, now the streamer's vp independent film and documentary features, and Adam Del Deo, vp original documentary series - shook up the space, focusing on episodic content with a cinematic bent. [Extracted from the article]

An interview with Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) chairman and chief executive Mitch Glazier is presented. Topics discussed include history and future of the RIAA, platinum anniversary in 2022, and its biggest accomplishment its establishment in 1952. Also mentioned are RIAA's lawsuit against technology companies Napster and Grokster, trends in audio streaming, and the Strengthening Measures to Advance Rights Technologies (SMART) Copyright Act.

The article presents news briefs from the music recording industry. EMI Music Publishing U.K. has launched a new producer management division. MTV Networks has handed out pink slips to several senior level executives as part of its move to cut 250 jobs. Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Kansas claim pirate peer-to-peer filesharing networks have little effect on music industry sales.

The article discusses the conversion of iMesh from a pirate peer-to-peer (P2P) network to a legal commercial service. In October 2006, iMesh became the first P2P network to attempt a conversion from piracy to commercial service. The fresh start for iMesh came in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Grokster four months earlier, and it was supposed to usher in an era of so-called legal P2P. INSET: iMESS: A LEGAL P2P FACES UPHILL BATTLES.

The article reports that Warner Bros. Inc. plans to embrace peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing, the technology that the studio and many in the industry have blamed for Internet piracy, with the launch of a German-language P2P network selling Warners films and TV shows. Warners said Monday that it will launch In2Movies in March 2006 to sell movies and television shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The studio's service will use the GNAB download platform developed by Arvato Mobile, a subsidiary of German media giant Bertelsmann.

This article reports that digging up data on peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads has until recently been the domain of a few companies like BigChampagne, but an Israeli firm has announced a new service aimed at tracking what is being downloaded and where. PeerMind is the creation of Narcos, which has offices in Beverly Hills. Aimed at music, film and software companies, PeerMind can provide detailed reports, online chart data and custom research based on 24/7 monitoring of the major P2P networks. Although Narcos does not collect the IP addresses of individual file sharers and said it will never do so, PeerMind registers millions of file-sharing events and publishes free weekly charts of top P2P songs, movies, software titles, video games and ringtones on www.peermind.com.

The article reports that the six record companies which sued Minnesota-based Jammie Thomas for sharing copyrighted online music have won the lawsuit. The jury ordered Thomas to pay $9,250 to the record companies for each of 24 songs they focused on in the case. They had alleged she shared 1,702 songs online in violation of their copyrights and offered them online through a Kazaa file-sharing account.

The article reports that Sharman Networks Ltd. has agreed to pay over $115 million to settle a lawsuit with motion picture studios and recording companies. The company also agreed to take all necessary steps to prevent illegal file sharing of films and music recordings. Sherman is the developer of the P2P software Kazan.

The article focuses on a worldwide campaign against Internet file sharing launched by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The federation has launched 2,100 new lawsuits against individuals and added five new countries to its list of targets. The new action brings the total number of suits against file-sharers to 3,800 in 16 countries outside the U.S. since the current IFPI campaign began in March 2004. The move marks the latest wave in the music industry campaign against Internet piracy, and follows the announcement of 1,000 suits in spring 2005.

This article reports that the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against Grokster Ltd. and other such file-sharing companies only chips away at the long, grueling process of media and entertainment companies learning to create and protect content value in a digital broadband world. The June 27, 2005 ruling in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster case allows Hollywood studios and other content providers to bring lawsuits against peer-to-peer networks that openly encourage illegal file-sharing, which is sure to put some of the P2Ps out of business over time. Such digital piracy will zap an estimated $70 billion in equity from U.S.-based content companies over the next five years, according to Bernstein Research, and continue to siphon more than $700 million annually in potential album sales from music companies, according to Forrester Research.

This article presents comments made by celebrities in the U.S., as of June 28, 2005. According to John Kennedy, head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry commented on the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision this week that file-sharing companies must take responsibility for what users do with their software, it quite simply destroys the argument that peer-to-peer services bear no responsibility for illegal activities that take place on their networks.

The article cites a report released last week, according to which, Great Britain is the world's single biggest market for downloading pirated television. Research by Envisional Ltd., a British Internet monitoring and research company, indicated that illegal downloaded favored such U.S. television shows as "24," "The West Wing," "The Sopranos" and "Friends." Envisional said the country accounts for just short of one-fifth of TV downloads worldwide through such file-sharing networks as BitTorrent and eDonkey--a larger proportion than any other country.

Reports on the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a Grokster ruling that may impact the music industry. Legal issues surrounding digital music distribution platforms such as subscription services and round of peer-to-peer sites that honor copyright holders' wishes; Creation of legal environments that protect against spoofing and against viruses; Viability of Web sites offering file sharing.

Reports on a lawsuit filed by record labels against technology companies over unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, in April 2005. Liability of parties affiliated with a bundle of software known as Kazaa Media Desktop to major labels and record companies; Occurrence of the infringement in the U.S.; Speculation of record companies on the aims of the business.

Reports on a copyright case to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 29, 2005, which involves the entertainment industry and companies that provide peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Industries to be affected by the court's ruling; Legal points raised in the briefs filed by the petitioners; Number of individuals and companies that have submitted amicus briefs with the court.

Reports on the copyright infringement lawsuits initiated by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and its various national groups against file sharers in Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy and France, as of March 2005. Fines paid by British defendants; Petition signed politicians and musicians in France calling an end to litigation and national debate on file sharing; Variation in legal procedures from country to country.

The article reports on a U.S. federal court ruling against the peer-to-peer network LimeWire, which found that it had violated copyright law by enabling music file sharing. It is noted that such rulings cannot eliminate internet piracy, but they are likely to deter entrepreneurs from attempting to establish online firms with a business plan based on flouting copyright law.

The article reports on the resolution of a legal case which was concerned with peer-to-peer file sharing of music and in which the peer-to-peer file sharing company LimeWire and its founder/chairman, Mark Gorton were found liable for copyright infringement. A discussion of the impact that the judgment in the case will have on the recording industry and on consumers who have become accustomed to peer-to-peer file sharing is presented.

The article presents information on a Canadian court case involving internet music piracy. The British Columbia Court of Appeal is to rule on an appeal by isoHunt, a BitTorrent site, regarding isoHunt's petition to be designated as a legal operation. Founded by Gary Fung, isoHunt is an index of file sharing sites.

The article reports on the result of a copyright violation case in which the defendant, Jammie Thomas-Rasset, was found liable for $1.92 million in damages for sharing 24 songs over the internet on the Kazaa peer-to-peer network. Although hailed as a victory by the Recording Industry Association of America, the question is raised whether the fine is so high that it will generate negative publicity for the music industry.

An interview with attorney Jo Oliver is presented. Oliver discusses her work on the court case which prosecuted the people who ran Internet music piracy company Pirate Bay. Details are provided about the prevalence of peer-to-peer file sharing on the Internet. Oliver also compares the Pirate Bay case to the cases brought against Internet music sites Napster and Kazaa.

The article discusses the potential impact of the verdict in the Swedish case against the founders of the torrent-indexing Web site, "The Pirate Bay." The sentencing of the defendants to prison time is mentioned, noting that the case could potentially set a precedent in Sweden and in all other national courts in the European Union against Web sites allowing users to search for illegal Internet content.

The article reports that a man convicted of operating an illegal file-sharing Web site was sentenced to six months in jail by a Spanish court. This peer-to-peer lawsuit was the first in Spain to result in a conviction due to the ability of the prosecutor to prove a profit motive. The man had generated advertising revenue on his Web site.

The article discusses the closing of digital music services geared to offering college students a low-cost alternative to peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Particular attention is paid to the abrupt closing of Ruckus, an ad supported music download service that was acquired by Total Music in 2008. Total Music is a failed joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The fate of Choruss,a similar digital service, is weighted. INSET: BLUETOOTH TUNES.

The article reports on a law in New Zealand making it the first country to require internet service providers (ISP) to cooperate in reducing music piracy on peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks. Under the law, ISPs must terminate the accounts of users who are warned three times about copyright infringement activities.

The author discusses the concept of voluntary collective licensing for music, also known as internet service provider licensing or blanket music licensing. This idea has been promoted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and like-minded organizations as a way to legalize music file sharing on unauthorized peer-to-peer networks while compensating artists and rights holders. The author argues that such schemes have too many flaws to function as effective solutions.

The article reports digital media-related news briefs. The social networking web site Bebo has launched a section of its site dedicated to dance. Peer-to-peer Internet traffic is expected to grow between 2008 and 2013, with the greatest source of growth coming from legal downloads. A beta version of software from Didiom LLC that allows mobile phone users to stream the contents of their Apple iTunes music libraries to their phones has been introduced.

The article discusses the steps being taken by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to combat peer-to-peer music sharing on the internet. Details about the tactics used in the past by the RIAA to combat illegal music downloading are provided. Comments from NPD Group analyst Russ Crupnick regarding the steps taken by the RIAA are also included. INSET: STATION TO STATION.

The article reports that the Quebec Superior Court has issued an injunction ordering the shutdown of QuebecTorrent.com, a file-sharing service which is said to have had upwards of 50,000 regular users. The lawsuit was led by the Association Québécoise de L'industrie du Disque, du Spectacle et de la Video, an organization which represents the music industry in Quebec.

The article reports that Italy's fiscal police Guardia di Finanza have imposed million-dollar fines on seven music uploaders involved in a nationwide illegal peer-to-peer file-sharing network called Discotequezone. All seven also face criminal trials which, under Italy's appeals procedures, could take up to four years to reach a sentence.

The article offers an editorial on the topic of peer-to-peer music sharing on the internet. The author suggests that file sharing sites conduct a study on the downloading habits of their users. The author suggests ways to monetize file sharing so it is beneficial to record companies. The author attempts to envision a legal peer-to-peer file sharing model.

This article discusses internet peer-to-peer media downloading. The article notes that the music industry has long been fearful of the popularity of peer-to-peer technology, due to the fact that it allowed for illegal downloading of copyrighted music. However, two legal peer-to-peer services have emerged in February of 2007, including BitTorrent and Joost.

This article talks about BitTorrent becoming a provider of licensed content through peer-to-peer networks. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group has become the first arm of a major movie studio to license content to BitTorrent. The move follows a deal between the Motion Picture Association of America and BitTorrent, in which the latter agreed to rid its search engine of links to pirated content. Warner Bros. will begin selling more than 200 new releases and catalog titles through bittorrent.com.

The author focuses on the appetite of Canadians for freely downloaded movies, books and music using web-based file-swapping programs. He states that Canada has become a global pacesetter for music, movie and software piracy. He mentions that 25% of Canadian Internet users have used a peer-to-peer network to download a music or movie file. He claims that Canadians will continue to steal other people's property in the absence of modern, market-oriented rules.

The article focuses on the amicus briefs regarding the copyright law in the U.S. filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and computer groups in February 2006. Seevral entertainment groups are turning a lawsuit against an alleged peer-to-peer file-sharer into a loaded copyright question. They want the court to rule that transmitting a sound recording from computer to computer over the Internet is not a distribution under copyright law. Provisions of the Copyright Act are disclosed.

The article comments on the lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against fan David Greubel for illegal fire sharing. The litigation is between RIAA and Greubel is not deterring file sharing but the revenue opportunity it offers. Music fans are now using technologies that are not measurable such as instant messaging. Without file sharing, the album sales for new artists with little or no mainstream media support would be greatly affected.

The article discusses several issues related to peer-to-peer file-sharing. According to the article, illegal downloading remains a problem especially on college campuses. The consumption of digital music by the youth is more likely to come by way of iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster of Wal-Mart but most will yield to the temptation of free stolen music.

The article presents information on a legislative bill in France intended to modernize the country's copyright legislation. During the discussion of new copyright law, parliament passed an amendment that introduced the concept of an "optional global blanket license" system for on the Internet, creating a legal framework for home-use file sharing.

This article presents news briefs on digital music as of December 24, 2005. In the first half of 2005, more than 155 million singles have been downloaded. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that peer-to-peer file sharing sites could be held liable for copyright infringement. In November, Sprint offered a full-song download service in the U.S.

The article reports that some 19,000 lawsuits have been filed worldwide by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and its national trade group members against individual peer-to-peer file sharers, as of November 26, 2005. The IFPI is confident that their campaign is finally beginning to show results. The group says that the number of illegal music files on the Internet increased only around 900 million in the first half of 2005 despite double-digit growth in broadband penetration.

This article provides information on the growing number of peer-to-peer file-sharing companies developing new business models in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Grokster in July 2005. MetaMachine, the New York-based parent of eDonkey, intends to rid its network of pirated music files, the company declared at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Sept. 28. It also announced plans to settle its copyright infringement dispute with the Recording Industry Association of America.

This article presents information on the future of BitTorrent after it landed venture capital funding from Doll Capital Management on September 26, 2005. Since the collapse of the original Napster in 2001, venture capitalists have avoided funding anything that smacked of peer-to-peer (P2P) file trading or piracy. BitTorrent is a publishing tool that allows multiple users to download large files very quickly by sharing the distribution load between them.

Presents news briefs on the music industry as of September 2005. Background on the ruling of the Taipei District Court on a copyright infringement case filed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Taiwan against two executives engaged in peer-to-peer file sharing; Decline of the trade value of the Australian recorded-music market; Posts to be taken by British music industry executive Sarah Faulder at the International Bureau of Mechanical Rights Societies and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers.

Speculates the possible implications of the June 2005 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on the case of file-sharing company Grokster on the music industry. Reaction of major music labels to the decision; Significance of peer-to-peer Web sites to independent music label executives; Action taken by file-sharing companies following the court decision.

Comments on the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court on the Grokster case, a peer-to-peer and digital file-sharing service company, in June 2005. Basis of the court ruling; Impact of the ruling on innovators as claimed by peer-to-peer defenders; Suggestion for the technology community in view of peer-to-peer landscape issue.

Deals with technologies being offered by software developers to the music industry designed to quell unauthorized file trading. Impact of the software developed by Viralg on peer-to-peer file sharing; Capabilities of MediaDefender software from OnSystems; Examples of computer viruses that attack music stored on personal computers.

Reports on the Rhapsody service offered by subscription music services provider RealNetworks in its aim to match existing peer-to-peer services. Launch by RealNetworks of its Rhapsody to Go service; Upgrade done by RealNetworks on its Harmony service.

Focuses on the results of a survey on the usage of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-trading networks and its impact on music piracy, from January to February 2004 and January to February 2005. Decline in the percentage of music downloaders listing P2P as a source of music acquisition; Alternative ways people use to trade files; Percentage of those currently downloading music and video via the Internet who also have downloaded files from another's MP3 player.