Led Zeppelin Asks Judge to Stop “Stairway to Heaven” Trial With Victory in Band’s Favor (Hollywood Reporter)
The “Stairway to Heaven” trial hasn’t yet made it to the chorus of a jury’s deliberations. However, attorneys for band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and Warner Music urged U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner to halt the proceedings now because the plaintiff hasn’t established the elements of copyright infringement.
Mobile Ads Are a ‘Disastrous’ Afterthought, Says Cannes Ad Blocking Panel (Ad Age)
It’s no secret that the Interactive Advertising Bureau has a contentious relationship with ad blockers. Nearly every time the IAB talks about ad blocking it takes the opportunity to call out ad blockers such as AdBlock Plus, Shine and others, referring to them as for profit companies, and even “extortionists.”
Rosenworcel: FCC Needs ‘Another Way Forward’ on Set-Tops (Broadcasting & Cable)
FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is optimistic that the FCC and industry can find a way forward on set-tops to promote a competitive marketplace in navigation devices but signals that the problems have become clear, as has the need for more work on the proposal.
Wheeler: ‘Ditch the Box’ Effort is ‘Terrific’
FCC chair Tom Wheeler said he was glad the cable industry offered up a compromise set-top proposal but suggested that indicated many of the problems those same parties had with the initial proposal weren’t problems after all. The NCTA and others proposed a “ditch the box” variation on the chair’s “unlock the box” proposal.
Chinese Curb Cyberattacks on U.S. Interests, Report Finds (New York Times)
Nine months after President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China agreed to a broad crackdown on cyberespionage aimed at curbing the theft of intellectual property, the first detailed study of Chinese hacking has found a sharp drop-off in almost daily raids on Silicon Valley firms, military contractors and other targets.
Coming to your screen for the next six years: The same sports, with a higher price tag. ESPN has finalized a deal with the Big 10 conference that will keep some of the college division’s games on the network, with a substantial price hike. ESPN, along with Fox Sports and CBS, will pay a total of $2.64 billion for a six-year deal with the Big 10.
Facebook finds its biggest threat to date in Snapchat (Fast Company)
Snapchat could be emerging as a serious threat to Facebook, thanks to its rapid growth, attractive demographics and innovative ad offerings, writes Mark Wilson. “[T]hese two companies are now battling it out in one of the most passive-aggressive rivalries since the Cold War,” he writes.
Wheeler Announces ‘Damn Important’ Plan to Boost 5G for VR, IoT (Inside Sources)
FCC Chair Tom Wheeler said it was “damn important” the U.S. lead the world in deploying the next generation of wireless networks, and announced a new proposal he’ll bring before the FCC in July to expand 5G for everything from virtual reality to the Internet of Things.
Security Challenges Seen Rising With IoT Growth (CXO Today)
A research report has suggested that by the year 2020, each human being on earth will have as many as four devices that are connected via the Internet. In other words, the total number of such devices could exceed 34 billion for an estimated population of over eight billion inhabiting this planet.
Tangled up in the legal web of net neutrality (Commentary by Stuart Brotman)
It’s still too early to conclude whether last week’s court opinion was the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning for the legal battle over net neutrality. The FCC, the Obama Administration, and those who pushed for enforceable net neutrality would like nothing more than a universal acceptance of that opinion as settled.
BitTorrent Mulls Launch Of TV News Network (Variety)
BitTorrent already has a number of niche channels, but it’s now considering a live TV network among them in time for the election this fall. It’s currently looking to hire a news director to build out a team of journalists. A 24/7 news operation won’t be likely at the start, however.
HOUSE TO CONSIDER BLCOKING LIFELINE PROGRAM (The Hill)
Lawmakers are set to vote on a bill that would block low-income consumers from getting a federal subsidy for mobile phone and wireless broadband plans. House Republican leadership will offer the End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act. The bill blocks the FCC’s Lifeline program from funding mobile carriers providing either voice or data.
IS WINNING NET NEUTRALITY ENOUGH TO SAVE THE INTERNET? (Seattle Times- Commentary)
Net neutrality advocates can add the recent court decision to a recent string of victories on behalf of everyday Internet users. The court ruling is a huge deal — but it doesn’t mean the internet is safe from threats coming from powerful companies and elsewhere.