Survey: Threats chill will
to download tunes
A survey has found that people are actually
responding to threats made by the music industry. More than 17 million
Americans, or 14 percent of adult internet users, have put an end to their
downloading habits. However, the Pew Internet and American Life Project
says the overall percentage has crept up since November. A third of
the reformed song swappers, approximately 6 million, said they stopped
over fears stemming from the highly publicized lawsuits filed by the
recording industry since last summer. Many of the copyright lawsuits have
led to settlements of thousands of dollars each. By law recording labels
can ask for $150,000 per song for copyright infringement. According to the
survey, men and users ages 18-29 were the first to stop. And of those
music fans who haven’t broken the cycle, 38 percent download less often
because of the lawsuits.
Google's
newest copyright lawsuit: AXA
Google is headed to court thanks to AXA, the world’s No. 3 insurer. The
internet search giant is involved in a trademark challenge threatening its
search advertising model. The AXA suit claims users searching for AXA are
exposed to ads from rival companies. Google is already entangled in
litigation on both sides of the Atlantic over claims that its
pay-for-placement service, Adwords, allows advertisers to take control of
rival trademarks. But AXA, which last year posted $86 billion in revenue,
is by far the largest company to take on Google. There's some concern that
the growing number of such suits over trademarks in advertising could drag
down Google’s multibillion pending stock offering. And Google isn’t
the only company facing trademark challenges. Danny Sullivan, editor of
the online newsletter Search Engine Watch, says it’s a threat to anyone
who sells keyword-linked advertising, such as eBay and Overture.
Name
change: McAfee from Network Associates
Network Associates is packing
up and changing its name. The security software maker’s identity change
results from a deal it has made with private equity firms Silver Lake
Partners and Texas Pacific Group. Network Associates is selling its
network and application performance division, Sniffer, for $275 million in
cash to the firms. The two firms will join to form Network General Corp.,
which will support, develop and sell the Sniffer network management
software. Once it’s a done deal, which is expected to be in the third
quarter of this year, the Network Associates name will be legally changed
to McAfee Inc. to help the company more effectively use one of the most
recognized brands in the industry, according to Networks Associates
chairman and CEO George Samenuk.
iPods getting fancier and
fancier
First it was face plates for
cell phones, now it’s everything from custom-made winter coats and
purses with built-in speakers — the iPod is making its mark on the world
of accessories. Apple’s dinky, digital-music player has inspired various
lines of products designed to make the iPod user’s experience even
better. Street racers might like to crank up their iPods with external
speakers. Others might like to just carry it around in a pretty case. The
options are endless at fan site iPodLounge.com, which lists 60 different
protective cases. Others search for more than just a case. The Felicidade
Groove Purse has speakers built in to function as an upscale boom box for
the iPod users. Users can hit the slopes with Burton Snowboards winter
jackets featuring iPod controls mounted on the sleeves. Apple officials
estimate there are more than 200 products available for the iPod user.
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