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To a background of seemingly unstoppable corporate and political momentum, challenging the introduction of Italy’s much-heralded pirate IPTV blocking system was always a long shot. In April 2023, months before the legal foundations were finally set in stone, a trade group that represents the interests of small to medium-sized ISPs, sent a memorandum to the authorities detailing its concerns. President of Assoprovider, Giovanni Zorzoni, said he feared the proposed blocking system would introduce a single susceptible ‘point of failure’ with the potential to undermine national infrastructure. The ‘Mega-Firewall‘ of Italy, as he described it, could also expose ISPs to liability and that would mean end users picking up the bill. When the proposals became law, Zorzoni raised the alarm once again on behalf of smaller ISPs, warning that ‘Piracy Shield’ implementation costs could reach 300,000 euros per year, per ISP. Assoprovider’s Legal Challenge With Zorzoni’s warnings of potential job losses in the sector falling on deaf ears, last October Assoprovider launched a legal challenge against the regulations underpinning the introduction of the Piracy Shield system and their implementation by telecoms regulator AGCOM. The Regional Administrative Court for Lazio published its 47-page judgment this week. Assoprovider was always likely to face an uphill battle and those that came out in opposition ensured that was the case, and then some. The ISP organization knew it had to take on AGCOM but then came the interventions; local anti-piracy group FAPAV backed by powerful international entertainment industries, top tier football league Serie A, and Serie B for good measure. Court Rejects Challenge In broad terms, the court found that the regulations were put in place for the protection of copyright and since that goal is in the public interest, the Piracy Shield system will indeed go ahead. Concerns that mistakes will inevitably get made as rightsholders scramble to block pirate platforms within 30 minutes, were dismissed. The court said that the 30-minute deadline had been put in place for a reason; football matches and other sporting events are relatively short, so any violations of intellectual property rights must be tackled quickly to ensure the system is effective. The fact that the Piracy Shield system was donated to AGCOM by Serie A, the football league likely to benefit most from the new anti-piracy regime, wasn’t considered an issue either. Serie A’s ‘donation’ of the platform will ultimately benefit everyone according to the league; the Court found no grounds to disagree on that matter or indeed any of the objections raised in Assoprovider’s challenge. Court “Demolished” The Appeal Anti-piracy group FAPAV welcomed the Court’s decision, describing it as “an important step for the protection of copyright and the fight against online piracy, especially for live content.” FAPAV said the judgment reinforces the legitimacy of the anti-piracy system, which is “fully compatible” with the constitutional and European legislative frameworks. “Assoprovider’s appeal had no grounds as there are no real dangers for providers in carrying out the new procedure, furthermore the platform has been positively tested in the previous months,” FAPAV added. Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Serie A, said the judgment “demolishes Assoprovider’s appeal” and shows that Serie A’s donation of Piracy Shield was “perfectly legitimate and will act to the benefit of the entire system.” Piracy Shield will block pirate streams within 30 minutes as planned, De Siervo said, despite this detour through the Court. “We have also thwarted the latest attempt by the ‘usual crafty people’ to block the entry into action of the anti-piracy platform. We expect that, after months of waiting, the ‘machine to machine’ system will finally come into operation in February, which will allow pirate sites reported by rights holders to be quickly interrupted,” the Serie A chief added. The judgment of the Lazio court is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

The actor and musician are both set for the February 3 episodeView the full article

Early last year, a group of filmmakers obtained a subpoena, requesting Reddit to reveal the identities of users who commented on piracy-related topics. The movie companies said they were not planning to go after these people in court but wanted to use their comments as evidence in an ongoing piracy lawsuit against Internet provider RCN. Reddit wasn’t willing to go along with the request. Instead, the company objected, arguing that handing over the requested information would violate their users’ right to anonymous speech. Reddit I, II and III A California federal court eventually agreed with this defense, concluding that Redditors’ First Amendment rights outweigh the interests of rightsholders. According to Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, the filmmakers have other options to obtain this type of information, including through RCN itself. A few weeks after this setback, the rightsholders filed another request, seeking similar information for use in their lawsuit against ISP Grande. This second attempt wasn’t successful either, and Redditors’ right to anonymous speech prevailed once again. Attorney Kerry Culpepper, who represented different line-ups of filmmakers in these cases, wasn’t prepared to give up on this route to evidence quite so easily. Earlier this month he was back in court with a similar, but tweaked, request. This time it relates to a lawsuit targeting Internet provider Frontier Communications. IP addresses & Anonymity In general terms, this case is comparable to the others. The film companies, Voltage Holdings and Screen Media Ventures, want to use comments made by six Redditors to show that the ISP didn’t take proper action against repeat infringers, or that ‘lax’ enforcement acted as a draw to potential pirates. Reddit, again, refused to hand over information, arguing it would violate their users’ right to anonymous speech. This prompted the filmmakers to return to court for a third time. In their latest motion to compel, the rightsholders introduce a new angle. They are no longer looking for any names or email addresses, only the applicable IP address logs. This would allow the commenters to remain anonymous, they argue. “Reddit asserts that the information Movants request is not permissible under the First Amendment. However, Movants’ subpoena does not request anonymous users’ identities. Rather, the subpoena is limited to requesting the Reddit users’ IP address logs,” they write. Reddit Opposes in Court In a response to the motion this week, Reddit counters that disclosing IP addresses would still violate users’ rights to anonymous speech, adding that no court has ever ruled otherwise. According to Reddit, users’ IP addresses would be useless as evidence if they didn’t identify the targets in any shape of form. “First, and most obviously, Movants’ subpoena exclusively seeks the IP addresses of the targeted Reddit users. Were IP addresses not identifying information, they would hold no evidentiary value to Movants whatsoever and the subpoena would be pointless.” Secondly, since Reddit doesn’t require users to verify their identities, IP addresses are sensitive information. They can be used to obtain the targets’ personal information, for example, by serving a subpoena on their Internet provider. “Movants know, the process of unmasking a Reddit user turns on Reddit’s disclosure of an IP address because Reddit does not require its users to provide their real names or addresses. For that reason, provision of an IP address is unmasking subject to First Amendment scrutiny. “After learning an IP address, the Movants need only subpoena the ISP for the subscriber information associated with that IP address, and the ISP does not share Reddit’s interest in protecting the anonymity of that user,” Reddit adds. Other Options Preferred In their motion, the filmmakers haven’t explained what value the IP addresses offer in addition to the anonymous comments that are already publicly available. According to Reddit, there are other and ‘less invasive’ options for the filmmakers to get what they want. The film companies already have IP addresses of pirating Frontier subscribers, Reddit argues. These can be used to obtain the identities of account holders, so they can be questioned for evidence. The rightsholders previously noted that Frontier is not willing to share the identities of users, but Reddit points out that this is an outdated stance from the ISP which has since changed. “Here, Movants again admit that they already have ‘pirating [IP] addresses’. And, as described above, Frontier has already indicated that it will provide Movants with identifying information for those IP addresses upon receipt of a subpoena,” Reddit’s opposition reads. If allegedly pirating subscribers can be targeted directly, Reddit believes that putting the anonymity of its users at risk by exposing their IP addresses is unnecessary. The filmmakers further argued that, unlike the ISPs’ ‘pirating IP addresses’, the Reddit comments specifically serve as evidence that lack of enforcement against repeat infringers served as a draw to potential Frontier customers. Once again, Reddit doesn’t believe that disclosing the IP addresses of its users adds anything to the publicly available comments. “[T]o the extent Movants are suggesting that the Reddit posts themselves are ‘documented evidence,’ Movants need not unmask the Reddit users to admit that documented evidence; Movants could lay the evidentiary foundation for, and authenticate, those posts themselves,” Reddit writes. The response from Reddit shows that once again, it will be for the court to decide whether the company has to hand over any information. That will happen after the matter is discussed at a hearing in a few weeks. In addition to the main question, there’s also a request pending from film companies Killing Link Distribution, Family of the Year Productions, and Laundry Films, who want to join the rightsholder’s motion. — A copy of Reddit’s opposition to the motion to compel, filed at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

Teksupport, the prominent underground event collective based in New York City, has unveiled plans for a special daytime open-air show scheduled for May 18th featuring electronic music luminary Solomun. This highly anticipated event marks the commencement of Teksupport’s summer season. It promises to be a unique experience, set against a new outdoor location yet to be disclosed, providing panoramic views of the iconic NYC skyline. Solomun, a stalwart figure in the electronic music landscape, continues mesmerizing audiences with his diverse and transcendent musical explorations. As a Bosnian producer, his distinctive style has solidified his presence in the club scene. Along with Teksupport’s consistent push of the boundaries of traditional nightlife experiences, this event is set up to be an absolute success. This announcement is a testament to Teksupport’s commitment to creating unforgettable experiences and transcending geographical boundaries. As it expands its influence beyond the city, Teksupport solidifies its position as the preferred collaborator for global institutions seeking to impact the American club scene significantly. Register for pre-sale access here. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Teksupport NYC Announces Solomun Open-Air View the full article

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, featuring former Fugazi members Brendan Canty and Joe Lally, is out in MarchView the full article

Movement Music Festival has given us a sneak peek into the 2024 lineup. Once again, music aficionados will flock to Detroit, the hub of Techno music, for three days of eclectic tunes on Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-27, 2024) at Hart Plaza along downtown Detroit’s iconic riverfront. The 2024 lineup teaser provides a small taste of what the festival’s extensive programming will feature. Movement continues to showcase a carefully curated selection of dance music’s premier artists, underground legends, and emerging talents. This dynamic mix spans seasoned veterans and the next generation. Notable first-time performers include the award-winning artist and producer James Blake (DJ Set), acclaimed British actor and DJ Idris Elba (performing a b2b set with Detroit Techno legend Kevin Saunderson), German-Bosnian superstar DJ and Diynamic label boss Solomun, enigmatic French producer I Hate Models, Austin-based producer and FEMME HOUSE founder LP Giobbi, Spanish Psytrance icon Indira Paganotto, UK Techno maximalist VTSS (performing a b2b set with Movement alum Boys Noize), and London-based DJ and BBC Radio 1 host Jaguar. The announcement also features a unique live set from Drum & Bass luminary and Metalheadz founder Goldie, performing as Goldie (Live Band); Italian hard Techno duo 999999999; revered House music icon Honey Dijon; UK powerhouse duo Gorgon City; acclaimed British composer Floating Points; Palestinian global Techno sensation Sama’ Abdulhadi; Italian Techno maestro and festival favorite Joseph Capriati; UK electronic music pioneer and dubstep legend Skream; Detroit Techno icon and Women on Wax founder DJ Minx; and Warp Records mainstays Mount Kimbie. Explore the full lineup teaser below. The full lineup will drop sooner than you know! Tickets are on sale now at Movementfestival.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Movement Detroit Drops Teaser Lineup for 2024 View the full article

Hyperdrama, the French duo’s first studio album since 2016, arrives in the springView the full article

The Texas rock band will kick things off with remastered versions of Psychic.... Powerless.... Another Man’s Sac, Rembrandt Pussyhorse, and PCPPEPView the full article

Palladino’s self-titled album features Jai Paul, Rob Moose, and her father and brother, the bassists Pino and Rocco PalladinoView the full article

“What’s Love” is the latest single from Lorely Rodriguez’s For Your ConsiderationView the full article

Listen to the title track of Revelator, Matthew Houck’s debut for Verve RecordsView the full article

The musician and his band played New Blue Sun’s “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control ... Sh¥t Was Wild” on the CBS programView the full article

“Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” has apparently become a fixture of Trump’s warmup playlistView the full article

The New York rapper’s new album features contributions from Dawn Richard, Sam Katz, Stout, and Wuhryns DumasView the full article

Perhaps more than any other broadcaster, beIN Sports understands the potential for piracy to spin out of control. When a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab countries led to Saudi Arabia blocking the beIN service in 2017, beoutQ – a full-blown piracy platform – stepped in as a comprehensive but illegal beIN replacement. Over the next two years, the political fallout spread beyond the Middle East to the United States and European Union, leading to a World Trade Organization report and ultimately the closure of beoutQ’s satellite service in August 2019. Protecting the Africa Cup of Nations Over four years later, beIN is still battling commercial-scale piracy. After obtaining exclusive broadcasting rights to Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), tackling piracy of the month-long event would necessarily become a key component of the company’s overall strategy. According to a report published by L’Informé this week (paywall), beIN’s plan to curtail piracy of AFCON in France had been in the planning for some time. Early 2022, the broadcaster became the first rightsholder to take action under Article L. 333-10 of the Sports Code, legislation introduced by the French government that provided accelerated access to anti-piracy measures such as site blocking. According to L’Informé, on December 15 under the same system, beIN served a writ of summons on the main ISPs in France – Bouygues Télécom, Free, Orange, Outremer-Télécom, Société Réunionnaise du radiotéléphone (SFR), and SFR Fibre. On January 9, 2024, the Paris judicial court upheld beIN’s application for blocking measures against 56 illegal streaming sites, to be implemented by the ISPs, to protect the AFCON tournament. Pirate Sites Were Likely to Air AFCON Matches To support the blocking application, beIN presented evidence showing that the pirate sites had systematically infringed its rights in the past. Last November, one of the domains on the list – Ishunter.net – was illegally broadcasting matches from Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, and Serie A matches from Italy to which beIN holds French broadcasting rights. At the time of writing, the domain returns a parking page rather than live football streams; as a result, takedown notices filed with Google are mostly attempting to take down content that doesn’t exist, at least at the specific URLs listed. Three other domains – ipcover.tv, maxsmart.pro and pythonlived.com – reportedly service pirate IPTV apps. Maxsmart.pro is the only domain obviously functional today, serving pearls of wisdom from the likes of Mahatma Gandhi rather than football matches, however. Current Status of Domains While ISP blocking measures can be evaded when injunctions are static (i.e. targets are fixed) the order obtained by beIN Sports is dynamic. This means that if the listed pirate sites use subdomains, entirely new ones, or any other measures, if beIN is confident the new locations relate to the old ones, blocking can go ahead. Speaking with L’Informé, Caroline Guenneteau, Deputy General Secretary of beIN Media Group and Legal Director of beIN Sports France, said that 70 domains have already been blocked to protect this competition alone “It’s very important to be proactive at the start of the competition, when there are a maximum number of illicit streams,” Guenneteau added. Even though the blocking measures shouldn’t affect those who visit the sites from outside France, tests carried out by TorrentFreak on the specific domains as they appear in the order (full list below) suggest some have made changes. Around 25 are still operational from their previous locations while a small number redirect to their own subdomains or new/alternative domains. Others display ‘domain parking’ style pages while others prefer to offer up their own blend of humor instead. One of the pirate domains currently suggests involvement with the insurance and travel business, another claims to be a fitness promotion platform. At least two redirect to new domains before asking for money to keep things going. A handful of others show Cloudflare error messages but as these above show, perhaps not all messages appearing on these domains are authentic. In any event, finding alternatives through search engines may be more difficult than it was before. The order obtained by beIN allows it to serve court orders on companies such as Google, requiring the domains to be delisted from search results. The domains listed in an order published on the Lumen Database are broadly similar to those present in the original order, but additional notices will likely be sent as new domains are reported. The blocking action in France complements the action we reported here on Monday. Dozens of domains linked to sites previously showing live football matches, to which beIN owns the rights, began redirecting to the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. Among those domains were 7kora.mpokora-online.com and 7koora.mpokora-online.com, both of which currently show the ACE domain seizure banner. Since they’re also on beIN’s ISP blocking list, visitors to those domains in France shouldn’t be able to access the sites, so in theory will be spared the bad news. The domains/URLs to be blocked by ISPs in France: Kooora4lives.net Ishunter.net Sportp2P.com Rojadirect1.pro Aflam4you.org Kora-star.online Yallalive.id 360kora.net Live-koora.live Yalla-live-tv.io Sporttv123.xyz Wholewellnesswhirl.live Sporttvls.com Top.crackstreamfree.com Top2.crackstreamfree.com Top3.crackstreamfree.com Top4.crackstreamfree.com Top6.crackstreamfree.com Stad.livehd7s.live V3.sportonline.so Shoot.yallashoote.com W1.yalla-shoot-tv.io Futbolandres.xyz 360kora.tvem.net Aleexsportz.online Yalla-live.org Sa.yalla-live.com Lkooora.live Livehd72.com Kora-yallashoot.com Kora.live-kooora.io Goalarab.org Go.livehd72.livve Ar.new-yallashoot.com 10koora.livekooora.online Totalsportek.pro Kooralivs.com 7kora.mpokora-online.com 7koora.mpokora-online.com Tv.yalla-shoot2day.com Tv.yacine-tv.app Spie.livehd7.io Dotsport1.com Yala-shoot.live Streams.lc Beinmatch1.com Beinmatch.motorcycles 365kora.com Ma.360kora-live.com Kora.live-koora.net Gogolion.xyz Ipcover.tv Maxsmart.pro Megahdtv.xyz Pythonlived.com Smart-prott.xyz From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

JSTJR is back with another incredible single, “4321” highlighting his techno and psy-trance bonafides. “4321” is an energetic dance track that incorporates a non-stop bassline along with some exploratory synths. “4321” is like an episode of True Detective, you tread carefully until you uncover something major. In this case it’s the insatiable bassline of the track “This track was inspired by late nights that turned into mornings with my best friends. The song and lyrics are a musical manifestation of all my favorite raves, festivals, and warehouse parties. Don’t stop til we see the sun, partying while we’re still young! A raver’s anthem for 2024, I wanted the song to sound like a little bit of techno and trance with some classic rave sounds” – JSTJR Check out the latest from JSTJR, “4321” out now on Dim Mak. Check out JSTJR and 4B dropping relentless hard techno at Countdown NYE as well. 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for the genre-less producer. Whether it’s hard techno or reggaeton, JSTJR has something up his sleeve. Check out JSTR’s latest, “4321” out now on Dim Mak. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: JSTJR Drops New Hard Techno Heater “4321” View the full article

R3HAB reunites with VIZE and JP Cooper on their new track “Jet Plane.” With minimal basslines and mesmerizing melodies coupled with Cooper’s soulful vocal performance, “Jet Plane” is the perfect record to look back at 2023 with positive contemplation and launch 2024. Featuring an emotional vocal layered over a fat Brazilian bassline that still works more than a couple of years on. “Jet Plane” is a catchy tune that employs some of the best tropes that modern dance music uses. A thick, but melodic bassline, an emotional vocal topline combined with a catchy 4×4 beat. “Jet Plane” is a track that is sure to set off any dance party. “Jet Plane” follows R3HAB and VIZE’s collaboration “One Last Time” from 2022 and his 2021 hit “Runaway” with JP Cooper and Sigala. Press play on “Jet Plane” and pretend you’re taking off to your dream winter escape. This is R3HAB’s first release in 2024, following a highly successful 2023, which saw the Dutch/Moroccan artist collaborating with the likes of Tiësto on “Run Free (Countdown),” INNA on “Rock My Body,” Michael Schulte on “Waterfall,” AFROJACK on “Shockwave,” and more, which contributed to over 1 billion annual streams in 2023. “VIZE and I loved working on ‘One Last Time’ and have been sharing ideas for a follow-up ever since.” R3HAB says. “We’re happy to have landed with ‘Jet Plane,’ and it’s always a great time working with JP Cooper and his amazing vocals. ‘Jet Plane’ is a minimal dance track with a hint of nostalgia that captures both the resolve to get one more chance, and the tranquility of watching clouds from the window seat of a long flight [a very common view in my tour life (laughs)]. We love how it turned out and can’t wait to hear it soundtrack your new year!” “I’m happy that we found the opportunity again to work on a song.” VIZE says. “Last time it worked out really well and was a lot of fun. It’s about time to release the next collab with R3HAB. And having nobody less than JP Cooper on the vocals is an honor.” “I’m so happy to be putting out another record with R3HAB, this time a collab with VIZE, just in time to launch the new year.” JP Cooper adds. “We had a lot of fun making this record. I hope it helps soundtrack some amazing memories for ya.” Check out the latest from R3HAB, VIZE and JP Cooper, “Jet Plane” out now on CYB3RPVNK. Enjoy R3HAB’s incredible AMF set too. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: R3HAB Teams Up with VIZE and JP Cooper for Vibey New Track “Jet Plane” View the full article

Fresh off the heels of a busy 2023, French house music maestro Dombresky is picking up right where he left off in 2024. As well as dropping a banging new house heater with JADED, “All For You”, the eclectic producer/DJ has just announced a North American tour in support of their upcoming collaborative EP Sound of the Drums, set to drop on Diplo’s Higher Ground on February 1st. “All For You” perfectly encapsulates right where Dombresky is at right now. “All For You” is a banging and groovy house tune that has a thick bassline, but also employs a little bit of the funk that Dombresky has been playing out in his Disco Dom sets. Featuring more modern sounding trap horns to go alongside vintage disco strings, “All For You” is sure to delight fans well into 2024. The new year will only see Dombresky reach bigger heights adding to a well travelled show schedule that has already seen him play in 2023 alone Day Trip LA, Coachella, EDC Las Vegas (five sets with StereoBloom and KineticFIELD/Mainstage performances), Day Trip Seattle, and Elrow NYC plus many more whilst playing European dates across Amsterdam, UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Croatia and others. Check out the latest from Dombresky & JADED, “All For You” out now on Higher Ground. Lift Off Tour dates are below, make sure to check out Dombresky and JADED if they come to your town. Check out Dombresky’s live set from Toolroom Miami last year as well. 1/26 – Houston, TX – Stereo Live 1/27 – Dallas, TX – Stereo Live 2/10 – Orlando, FL – The Vanguard 2/17 – Portland, OR – 45 East 3/1 – Durham, NC – The Fruit 3/2 – Atlantic City, NJ – HQ2 4/5 – Chicago, IL – Concord 4/6 – Toronto, ON – Coda 4/13 – Vancouver, BC – Celebrities 4/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 4/20 – Queens, NY – Knockdown Center 4/26 – San Francisco, CA – The Midway 4/27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Shrine This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Dombresky and JADED Drop Groovy New Single “All For You” and Announce Upcoming Tour Dates View the full article

Action role-playing game Genshin Impact is enjoyed by tens of millions of players each month. Fans are engaged and always hungry for new content so when an opportunity arises to get a sneak peek, there’s no shortage of takers. For Genshin Impact publisher Cognosphere, pre-release leaks are unacceptable. To suppress current leaks and to deter others from leaking content in the future, the company uses the DMCA’s takedown provisions and DMCA subpoenas respectively. Cognosphere obtains the latter to compel online platforms, typically social media companies, to hand over whatever information they hold on alleged infringers. What happens when that information is handed over to Cognosphere is mostly unknown. According to law, the company may only use the information to protect its copyrights, but that leaves plenty of scope for a range of actions, up to and including multi-million dollar lawsuits in appropriate circumstances. The ease with which DMCA subpoenas are obtained and executed remains controversial; a signature from the clerk of a court is usually the only requirement. There are rare exceptions, however. Cognosphere Targets Alleged Leakers on X/Twitter Last November, Cognosphere filed an application for a DMCA subpoena at a California district court. The aim was to compel X/Twitter to “disclose the identity, including the name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), and e-mail addresses(es)” connected to four accounts: @HutaoLoverGI, @GIHutaoLover, @HutaoLover77, and @FurinaaLover. Cognosphere said it had reason to believe that the accounts were operated by a single person, or were under common control. The bottom line was to identify the alleged infringer or infringers, to prevent leaked content being made available online. The DMCA subpoena was issued on November 7, 2023. It required X Corp. to hand over the information detailed below by November 22, 2023. On November 21, 2023, one day before X Corp. was expected to hand over the personal details behind the accounts, the company responded to the subpoena with written objections. Specifically, it would not be handing over the user information behind any of the accounts listed in the subpoena. Basis for Dispute: Cognosphere Following X Corp.’s initial objections, the parties attempted to iron out their differences, including during an in-person meeting on December 28, 2023. When that concluded without resolution, the parties agreed that their dispute should be put before the Court. In a joint letter to Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the parties explain their positions. Cognosphere essentially outlines its compliance with the DMCA subpoena process, noting that for the purposes of the letter, it has offered to focus on two of the four accounts listed in the subpoena; @HutaoLover77 and @FurinaaLover. Cognosphere asserts that leaked, copyright-infringing artwork and game visuals were posted to these accounts and to the best of its knowledge, no DMCA counter-notifications were filed by the operator(s) in response to its initial DMCA takedown notices. One of the accounts, @HutaoLover77, has been suspended by X for violation of unspecified rules, however. According to the publisher, its request, “…complied with requirements for obtaining a DMCA subpoena under 17 U.S.C. §512(h). It included [a sworn declaration] and copies of DMCA notifications asserting under penalty of perjury that each was being submitted on the good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of was not authorized by the copyright owner, their agent, or the law. 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3)(A)(v).” Basis for Dispute: X Corp. X Corp.’s position is both straightforward and complex. The primary reason for its non-compliance with the DMCA subpoena strikes at the very heart of the process through which they’re obtained; a signature from a clerk in response to a valid application, with no requirement for a judge to get involved. “Cognosphere is attempting to unmask third party, anonymous speakers via a subpoena issued under the DMCA,” X Corp. informs the court. “X Corp., however, is not in a position to determine whether Cognosphere has made the required constitutional and evidentiary showings to unmask those speakers, and has thus stood on its timely free speech objections, such that the parties can obtain a determination from the Court.” MrMoneyBags: Preventing DMCA Subpoena Abuse Protecting its users’ right to anonymous speech is important to X / Twitter. In 2020, a DMCA subpoena targeted a Twitter user known only as ‘MrMoneyBags’ with the aim of obtaining their identity based on allegations of copyright infringement. Suspicion that copyright was being abused to prevent ‘MrMoneyBags’ from continuing with unflattering commentary against certain third parties led to Twitter mounting a vigorous and successful defense on its user’s behalf. X Corp. says the ‘MrMoneyBags’ case recognized that First Amendment safeguards apply in the context of a DMCA subpoena. Before it complies here, the company would like the Court to assess whether Cognosphere’s copyright claim is “sufficient to satisfy any First Amendment free speech safeguards applicable to the anonymous speakers” before balancing Cognosphere’s purported need for discovery against the anonymous users’ privacy rights. “X Corp. cannot be required to perform those judicial functions upon mere receipt of a DMCA subpoena, and thus asks the Court to engage in the relevant analyses and decide these issues,” the company adds. “[C]ognosphere must establish it has a compelling need for the user data it seeks, which could thereby unmask users’ identities. X Corp. does not take a position on whether Cognosphere has satisfied this requirement, and respectfully leaves it to the Court to analyze.” Cognosphere: X Corp. Undermines the DMCA The polarized opinions in this dispute stem from the very nature of DMCA subpoenas. Through the provision of a streamlined process, copyright holders have the ability to address online infringement through the rapid identification of alleged infringers, without filing a formal lawsuit that authorizes discovery based on the merits. For X Corp., a process that grants subpoenas without safeguards, in particular the balancing of discovery requests against anonymous users’ privacy rights, risks violating those rights. Cognosphere says that a “protracted balancing exercise” is not constitutionally required, describing X Corp.’s position as “extraordinary” and contrary to the intentions of Congress when it passed the DMCA. The joint Cognosphere / X Corp. letter to Judge Kang is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

Legal video streaming platforms such as Amazon, Disney, and Netflix have gained massive userbases in recent years. Not everyone is willing or able to pay for multiple subscriptions, however, which in turn has helped to create a flourishing market for pirate streaming tools. These pirate services often use slick designs and easy-to-use apps that appeal to a broad audience. And unlike the legal options, they offer all popular titles under the same roof, without charging a subscription fee. Needless to say, rightsholders are not happy with this competition. VancedFlix VancedFlix is one of many unlicensed apps available today and in common with the others, it’s a thorn in the side of rightsholders. The official website has over 100,000 monthly visits and, since the app is available through a variety of other download portals, the total userbase could be well over a million. The app openly promotes the availability of free content from paid services such as Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+, although the operators suggest that legal responsibility for the streamed content lies with third-party services. “VancedFlix functions just like any other as a search engine, such as Google. VancedFlix does not host, upload or manage any videos, films or content on it’s servers [sic],” the site reads. “Any legal issues regarding the content on this application should be taken up with the actual file hosts and providers themselves as we are not affiliated with them. In case of copyright infringement, please directly contact the responsible parties or the streaming websites.” Sky Italia Takes Action Copyright holders tend to see the legalities quite differently. They argue that since these types of streaming apps are specifically designed for piracy purposes, their operators are liable for copyright infringement. This week, anti-piracy outfit Kopjra took action against VancedFlix. On behalf of Sky Italia, it requested developer platform GitHub to remove several related APK files. “The VancedFlix app, an app that allows you to watch movies and TV series totally for free. In this application you can see all the tv series of our client Sky Italia Srl, including all Italian tv series,” the takedown notice explains. “The developer of the application is not in possession of any type of license for the transmission of the Sky Italia Srl contents, therefore this application is considered illegal.” Following this request, GitHub disabled access to the files, replacing them with a DMCA removal notice. The entire github.com/VancedFlix/Apps/ repository is now unavailable, and the same applies to github.com/ysnlek/st/. Download Link Stops Working While these removals are a success for Sky Italia, these types of app developers are not always easy to defeat. The VancedFlix.com website remains available, for example, although it’s been temporarily decapitated. One of the targeted APK files on the official website was linked under the official “download” button, which now redirects to GitHub’s DMCA removal notice. The download link will probably be updated soon enough with a new one. The developers still have the option to file a counter-notice but simply reuploading the file on GitHub probably won’t work, unless they want to see more of this. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

The 96th Academy Awards are fast approaching, celebrating the best films of 2023. Last year, the gonzo action-comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once was the Oscar's big winner, taking home Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Could another bonkers movie have such a big win this year? Or will the Academy favor some of the hard-hitting historical dramas that had critics and audiences in awe? In 2024, will it be Barbie vs. Oppenheimer? Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, and The Holdovers are also considered strong contenders. In a year full of outstanding cinema, these have been the big names across the Critics Choice Awards, the SAG Awards, and the Golden Globes. But smaller yet critically revered movies like Past Lives, Anatomy of a Fall, or All of Us Strangers could break through in major categories. So, how will the nominations shake out? Stay tuned for live updates. Here is the full list of the 2024 Oscar nominations: Best Picture Best Director Best Lead Actor Best Lead Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Best Adapted Screenplay Best Original Screenplay Best Cinematography Best Live Action Short Film Best Animated Feature Film Best Animated Short Film Best Costume Design Best Original Score Best Sound Best Original Song Best Documentary Feature Best Documentary Short Subject Best Film Editing Best International Feature Film Best Makeup and Hairstyling Best Production Design Best Visual Effects How to watch: The 96th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 10, 2024, 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET View the full article

Palworld has seemingly come out of nowhere, cannonballing into Twitch feeds and Steam charts despite its extreme similarities to both Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But considering the game is still in early access release, it's doing some major numbers. Developed by Japanese developer Pocketpair, the action-adventure, role-playing survival game dropped on Steam, Xbox, and Windows PC on Jan. 18 and has already sold over 5 million copies in a few days. As IGN points out, that's more than Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, which sold 4 million copies in three days, Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man (3.3 million copies), and Sony's God of War reboot (3.1 million copies). Palworld is a large open-world map that where you can build bases and "peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate." You can use the Pals to fight your battles, force them into labour roles, sell them, or eat them — it's really dark for how cute it all is. Palworld is currently the top played game on Steam, with a peak of 1.5 million concurrent players, and a total of 74 million hours banked — overtaking Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. It's currently the third most played game on Steam behind the mighty PUBG: Battlegrounds and Counter-Strike 2. Guess it pays to directly copy one of the biggest franchises of all time — though Pokémon fans, understandably, are beyond mad. Is something burning? Can I smell a lawsuit? View the full article

In what seems like a scenario from a sci-fi movie, a UK university will soon be projecting guest lessons from professors halfway across the globe. Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England has begun beaming in lecturers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) using holographic technology, the Guardian reports. The lecturers, specializing in sports science, will teach fashion students how to create "immersive shows," according to the publisher. In addition, management students will also be taught. SEE ALSO: 5 ways AI changed the internet in 2023 Loughborough University's pro-vice-chancellor Professor Rachel Thomson told the Guardian that the strategy could help the university with its sustainability goals, particularly when it comes to flying in guest lecturers from around the world. The university's director of undergraduate studies, Professor Vikki Locke, added that the holographic images are "a lot more engaging and real" to students. The technology will be officially indoctrinated into the university's curriculum in 2025, after a trial year. The holographic figures will be projected into classrooms with the help of Proto, an LA-based company offering holographic communications. David Nussbaum, Proto's founder, said in an interview with The Guardian, "It’s awe-inspiring, it’s jaw-dropping, I’ve been in shock at how amazing the interactions are. AI is part of our life, whether people like it or not." Holograms might soon make a splash in the world of academia, but the technology has long been used for entertainment purposes. Posthumous performances have taken place, from Tupac Shakur headlining at Coachella in 2012, to other artists and groups like ABBA, Whitney Houston, and Amy Winehouse. Holographic meetings are also on the horizon, but as Mashable reported – the tech might not be just there yet. View the full article

I’ve never been particularly into the sea (is anyone into the sea?). As hard as it might be to believe, unless I’m in the immediate vicinity of a big body of water, it’s not something that regularly crosses my mind. And yet this past year, I’ve spent more time thinking about the sea than ever before. Most of the time, it’s been off the back of increasingly ridiculous sea-related news stories – revenge-seeking orcas sinking boats; billionaires imploding near the wreck of the Titanic – but sometimes it’s been an obsession seemingly of my own making, like my TikTok algorithm feeding me an endless stream of shark videos. If the intention is to make me fear the sea, though, then it’s North SeaTok that’s done it. Over the last month or so, my feed – just like everyone else’s – has been dominated by videos of the treacherous North Sea; more specifically, its oil rigs and the people who work on them. The clips, some of which are getting up to 100 million views, tend to follow the same pattern: boats being violently tossed around by massive waves, offshore workers dangling from oil rigs or almost being swept out to sea, the occasional orange being thrown into pitch black nothingness. They’re mostly soundtracked by the same creepy version of the sea shanty, "Hoist the Colours," which – sing it with me – goes: "Yo ho, all hands / Hoist the colours high / Heave ho, thieves and beggars / Never shall we die." You might be thinking: OK, so what? People have always been fascinated by the frightening depths and power of the sea – even TikTok is no exception (see: Drake PassageTok). But what you should be asking is: who’s going to reap the rewards of this virality? SEE ALSO: TikTok users report that they can no longer log in through Twitter / X As the North Sea itself can’t capitalise on its newfound notoriety (sad!), offshore workers are doing it instead, documenting their lives on the oil rigs, giving rig tours, doing offshore daily routines, and making memes about the work. Unlike the nightmarish North Sea montages, workers tend to show the mundanity of life inside the rig: watching Netflix in their clinical bedrooms, themed dinners in the canteen, and working or hanging out in the gym, sauna, or ‘hobby’ rooms. It’s less, "We’re all going to die," as TikTok would have you believe, and more, "Working cruise with the lads." One oil rig creator, @lifeofamalie, who has 45k followers, has even started stitching the viral videos to debunk them. That said, the montages are real, so there is some truth to them. "You do have people swinging about from the steelwork, but it’s very well-controlled and safe," confirms 45-year-old Colin from Perthshire in Scotland, who’s worked offshore for over 15 years, and now posts about it on TikTok as V9 Media. "Well, as safe as it can be hanging on to two tiny ropes." Colin himself is an industrial electrician, so can be found climbing around and dangling off the rig at night. "The work is usually quite dirty," he adds. "And it’s a noisy environment with machinery running everywhere. It’s also normally cold and windy." Colin, like a lot of offshore workers, works three weeks on, three weeks off, including on wind turbine vessels, which he likens to prison, but admits "is usually good craic". Although, he adds: "You need thick skin, as there’s a lot of characters and relentless, good-natured piss taking that wouldn’t be allowed in a normal onshore working environment." The terrifyingly turbulent weather can be true to life, too. "I’ve had a few scary moments with wind and waves," Colin continues. "The rigs themselves can also occasionally shut down, causing serious vibrations and noise. I’ve never seen anybody panic, though. We’re all well-trained and know what to do if something serious happens, so everybody just accepts it. Although if you plucked a civvy off the street, I’m sure most would be terrified." SEE ALSO: TikTok's orange peel theory is the latest way to test your relationship Like Colin, many of these workers were posting about oil rigs before North SeaTok took off, but have seen their follower counts jump in recent weeks. Some of them have even become bizarre oil rig influencers, gaining tens and even hundreds of thousands of followers. Their videos tend to be flooded with commenters asking about life and work on the rig, as well as how they can get into the industry themselves. As Colin notes: "Most people on TikTok seem to think we’re all millionaires." "Most people on TikTok seem to think we’re all millionaires." Although the majority of the oil rig creators I’ve come across appear to be making content of their own accord, this might not be the case for long – or even the case at all. Employers encouraging, or even paying, their employees to boost a brand’s profit or reputation by posting on TikTok isn’t new. Companies like Sephora, Chipotle, and Dunkin’ Donuts have all benefited from employee influencers, whether they encouraged it or not. You can see the draw of this for big oil companies, too, whose reputation is, rightly, in tatters; if they can humanise the industry by framing it through the eyes of happy, well-paid employees, then maybe they can shift focus from the climate catastrophe they’re – quite literally – fuelling (Britain’s oil and gas rigs are the most polluting in the North Sea, releasing as much carbon dioxide as a coal-fired power plant). This isn’t a far-fetched idea – it’s already happening. Earlier this year, it emerged that fossil fuel giants, like Shell and BP, both of which operate in the North Sea, were employing UK influencers to push false solutions to the climate crisis and, importantly, to revamp their image. In October, for example, it was revealed that Shell had partnered with popular gamers to promote fossil fuels via Fortnite. As per DeSmog, leaked documents showed how BP hoped to use influencers to become "more relatable, passionate, and authentic" and to convince young people that they’re not "the bad guys". Granted, there’s little evidence that this is what’s happening with the oil rig influencers, most of whom don’t even declare who they work for. Though one creator, who documents her experience as a woman on the rig and encourages other women to enter the industry, did share a dystopian-looking cake decorated with the Shell logo. "Companies can be extremely strict on their confidentiality when it comes to practices, hence the reason I’ll never disclose the platform I work on, the company I work for, nor the duty holder," says 28-year-old Mosey, an offshore mechanical technician from the north west of England who boasts almost 30k followers on TikTok. "But I think it’s great that videos are being posted. It gives people more of an idea of what life is like on an oil and gas platform. It shows the benefits as well as the negatives." "It gives people more of an idea of what life is like on an oil and gas platform. It shows the benefits as well as the negatives." Still, this boom and the intrigue around it is having what could be considered a desired effect for big oil companies: young TikTokkers, seemingly watching the lifestyle longingly, are asking how to get into oil and gas. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing that these influencers exist. They’re providing rarely heard insight into their brutal and often thankless work, and showing the camaraderie that exists in such a dangerous workplace. Plus, as many of the oil rigs in the North Sea are in the process of being decommissioned (which raises controversies of its own), any independent documentation of this mysterious world is worthwhile. This is partly why Mosey started posting on TikTok in the first place. "It’s very difficult to get insight into the offshore lifestyle, so a lot of people go in blind," he explains. "I was in that exact situation before I got my job offshore only three years ago, so I’d like to provide some information from my experience of what the industry is like." The problem arises when/if the big oil bosses start capitalising on the success of their employees – will those who’ve organically grown their platform be incentivised by money or other perks to peddle false information about the broader oil and gas industry? As they’re employees, would they have to declare this as sponsored content on platforms like TikTok, or can they embed messages covertly? At a time when almost anyone has the means to become an influential micro-celebrity, the potential for this to be abused by employers – especially evil ones like Shell and BP – can’t be ruled out. But, like with most things on TikTok, the tide will soon turn on the North Sea, and employees in a different industry will be raking in the views. So hopefully big oil has already missed its chance. For now, one thing’s for sure: I’d rather be swallowed up by the tempestuous waves of the North Sea than ever hear "Hoist the Colours" ever again. View the full article

Apple has released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 for the iPhone and iPad, and with it came a very important new feature called Stolen Device Protection. We've explained what the feature does here; the short version is that it protects your data in case your iPhone or iPad gets stolen. So how do you turn it on? How to turn on Apple's Stolen Device Protection for iPhoneIf it hasn't been turned on automatically, go to your device's Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your device's passcode, and tap to turn Stolen Device Protection on. For the option to be available, you need to have two-factor authentication set up for your Apple ID, and have the following settings enabled on your device: a passcode, Face ID (or Touch ID for older iPhones and iPads), Find My, and Significant Locations. The first two options are, again, found under Face ID & Passcode in your settings, while Find My and Significant Locations are set up under Settings - Apple ID - Find My. The feature is easy to turn on, but there are certain settings that must be enabled before it can work. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable How does Apple's Stolen Device Protection work?Stolen Device Protection adds an additional layer of security that's needed to change certain settings on your phone. For example, if someone steals your iPhone or iPad, and even if they somehow found out your passcode, they still must authenticate with either Face ID or Touch ID before they can access the passwords and passkeys stored in your Keychain, use payment methods in Safari, erase all content and settings, and apply for a new Apple Card, among others. Note that these protections will only apply when your iPhone or iPad is not in a familiar location. SEE ALSO: iPhone 16 rumors: Every single thing we know about it so far Also, with Stolen Device Protection on, there will be a delay before certain important changes can be made to your device. For example, if your iPhone is not in a familiar location, you won't be able to change the Apple ID password or sign out of Apple ID right away. Instead, you'll have to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID, wait for the security delay (one hour) to end, then authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID again to change these settings. View the full article