INDUSTRY ACTION – LETTERS

Earlier this month, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sent a fourth wave of 402 pre-litigation settlement letters to 13 universities. Each pre-litigation settlement letter informs the school of a forthcoming copyright infringement suit against one of its students or personnel and requests that university administrators forward that letter to the appropriate network user. … Read more

A Legacy

Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus was a scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, England. He was born around 735 close to York — perhaps in the city itself. In 804, Alcuin of York died, leaving his mark. As an educator he made beauty, goodness and truth the hallmarks of Charlemagne’s Frankish empire. His great hunger for … Read more

BOOTLEGS – CASE LAW

N.Y. judge strikes down anti-bootleg lawA federal judge struck down a 1994 law banning the sale of bootleg recordings of live music, ruling the law unfairly grants “seemingly perpetual protection” to the original performances.U.S. District Judge Harold Baer Jr. found the bootleg law was written by Congress in the spirit of federal copyright law, which … Read more

BOOTLEGS – DEFINED

Bootleg RecordingA bootleg recording (or simply bootleg or boot) is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority.Bootlegs can consist of recordings of live performances, or material created in private or professional recording sessions. Changing technologies have had a great impact on … Read more

Religion in the Marketplace

More investors acting on faithFaith in the investment markets is taking on a whole new meaning as religious funds and advisers are attracting money like never before. As religion enters more and more cultural touch points, from novels to films to politics, it’s rather logical that it would enter the world of finance in a … Read more

Well Duh!

AMERICA’S STRUGGLE OVER VALUESThe most striking findings are: 1) a majority of Americans across the board (74 percent) believes that America has suffered a moral decline in the past 20 years; and 2) a majority (64 percent) believes that the news and entertainment media are a major influence in that decline.fredericksburg.com

SURPRISE!

Next generation embraces traditional valuesA new, unprecedented ethnic-mix of youths in California yearn for the traditional values of family, safe neighborhoods and religion, according to a poll.contracostatimes.com

TREND LINES

Hispanic values detailed in pollU.S. Hispanics view religious and political life as intertwined, often worship in ethnic congregations and embrace a spirit-filled, charismatic style of Christianity, a new survey says.stltoday.com