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A few hours ago, social media activity in India lit up when a ‘leak’ of the highly anticipated film “Fukrey 3” started to circulate. This third installment in the “Fukrey” comedy franchise is scheduled to premiere in theaters later this week, but pirates appeared to get it early once again. Local news media outlets were quick to jump on the topic and over the past several hours, numerous headlines eagerly informed readers that the film had leaked. According to some reports, this advance release has the potential to hurt box office revenues. These types of clickbait headlines are a great way to grab attention and drive traffic. However, “Fukrey 3” didn’t leak on pirate sites. Instead, the filmmakers distributed fake leaks as part of an anti-piracy campaign, suggesting that people should watch the film on the big screen instead. “Redacted Copy” With a running time of two and a half hours, the leak seemed promising. The timestamp and a “redacted copy” tag are a nice touch as well, but the intro shatters all pirates’ dreams. Instead of a leak, the actors encourage the audience not to pirate the film. After that, there’s a continuous loop of “Fukrey 3” trailers with the actors’ anti-piracy messages added throughout. The Fukrey 3 “Leak” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are reports that the orchestrated leak appeared on popular torrent sites but we haven’t been able to confirm that on our end. It was circulated through Telegram though, as shown below. Telegram Leak Channel Subtle Dig In a statement shared with local media, the filmmakers explain that their goal is to send an anti-piracy message in a ‘subtle’ way. They believe that it will ultimately help to deter piracy. “The makers manage to take a subtle dig at those who encourage and indulge in piracy. Fukrey 3, a delightful comedy entertainer, is meant to be experienced on the grandeur of the big screens.” the Fukrey 3 team notes. “By orchestrating this unexpected release, the makers have ingeniously crafted a move that is bound to bring joy to everyone. Not only does it capture attention, but it also serves as a powerful promotion to combat piracy and protect the hard work and creativity of the film industry.” This anti-piracy message is certainly more entertaining than traditional PSAs, but whether it will help to deter piracy has yet to be seen. Research previously indicated that acknowledging the popularity of piracy is typically counterproductive. There is no doubt, however, that “Fukrey 3” will leak onto pirate sites at some point. Let’s hope, for the makers of the Hindi movie, that this doesn’t happen before the official premiere. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

El collaborates with billy woods and Elucid on the hip-hop duo’s third offering from We Buy Diabetic Test StripsView the full article

A companion piece to The Record arrives on October 13View the full article

Original Photo by Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events Earlier this month, Insomniac put on the 28th edition of Nocturnal Wonderland, North America’s longest running rave. I was lucky enough to attend once again this year, and like a Swiss train, Nocturnal just consistently delivers. Whether it’s the immaculate vibes that cannot be matched by any other Insomniac fest, the always stacked lineup, the familiar venue and setup, or the Cosmic Equinox itself; Nocturnal retains its uniqueness and charm. I don’t think there’s any other festival where you have a confluence of people raving for their first time and OGs who have been there since the early days. Once again taking place at the pristine Glen Helen Regional Park in hills north of San Bernardino, this year’s edition of Nocturnal featured absolutely perfect weather. Just because the equinox is on the calendar doesn’t mean that the Southern California summer is over. This year, though, headliners were treated to pleasant fall-like weather, with temperatures never exceeding 80 degrees. In fact, it was downright cloudy on Saturday. As I mentioned, the Nocturnal festival grounds are very familiar to anyone who’s ever been, and with only three official stages, it’s supremely easy to navigate. For non-campers, they walked up the hill to the Glen Helen Pavilion entrance, you walk up the ramp decorated by blacklight painted ferns and you either walk up the hill to the Labyrinth stage, which was headlined by Bassrush all weekend long, or you walked (stumbled) down the hill to Sunken Garden and Wolves’ Den. While the stages at Nocturnal usually retain most of their form from the previous year, unlike EDC, there were some notable differences at the main stage. While it retained the massive circle video panel in the middle of the stage. The top of the stage was adorned in neon colored flowers that bloomed over the course of the nights. The Nocturnal Wonderland logo was front and center while the top border of the stage featured blacklight painted wood panels. The lasers and pyro only got bigger from last year. Original Photo by Jamal Eid for Insomniac Events The Labyrinth stage also had some new features. While the stage maintained the same design, it dispensed with the multiple smaller TV-like video panels for a single long diagonal video panel on each side leading to the tall vertical video panel. Again, lasers and pyro were on point at the stage. My only criticism is that the volume was significantly lower at Labyrinth than at the main stage. Sunken Garden was pushed back a little to allow for more foot traffic (good move) and appeared to be the same as last year. Every single set was amazing this weekend. As for my experience, we walked into the venue on Saturday as Joel Corry was throwing down a nice set of house and techno. We made our way up the hill for our much needed dose of drum & bass from UK legend Dimension. After a little bit we made our way down the hill for the absolute house party that NITTI b2b Marten Horger were throwing down. After that, Jason Ross was a major highlight of the first day, from trance to techno, Ross showed that he can do it all. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Sunken Garden as VNNSA threw down before we made our way back to Wolves’ Den for AC Slater’s banging house set, and an immaculate set from Seven Lions where he threw down both his hits and some wild psy-trance. Finally we ended Night one atop the hill with Black Tiger Sex Machine, the duo threw down an insane set that featured heavy dubstep as well as some more melodic tunes to balance it out. Original Photo by Jake West for Insomniac Events We got in a tad later on Sunday (happens to the best of us on the final day), but we made it in time to see some of Pendulum’s set before the absolute highlight of the weekend; Benny Bennasi’s Sunset set. The dance music legend weaved through some deep and clubby tracks before closing his set out with some of his biggest and most beloved hits. He closed his set out with Skrillex’s iconic remix of Benassi’s hit song Cinema. The lasers and production of the stage helped to deliver an unforgettable moment for everyone there. For me, this was an iconic moment; a dance music icon delivering an indelible moment in an iconic space. From there we moved up the hill and bass was the formula for the rest of the night. I was in awe of PhaseOne’s performance, and Eptic delivered an incredible set for all the headliners who were thoroughly enjoying his performance. We stayed atop the hill for GHOSTRYDR (JOYRYDE b2b Ghastly) and enjoyed the old school rave vibes. By that time, everyone had gone down to the Wolves’ Den for Subtronics, so old school ravers were rewarded for their patience. There you have it for another successful edition of Nocturnal. I haven’t seen anything yet confirming next year, but I’d be surprised if Nocturnal didn’t return for its 29th edition at Glen Helen Regional Park. Also, Premier Parking came in clutch, you got dropped off at the camping entrance, and did not have to wait in traffic for an hour to leave the venue. 10/10 recommend. This year’s Nocturnal was pitch perfect, and we can’t wait to return next year. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Nocturnal Wonderland Continues Its Tradition of Excellence [Event Review] View the full article

In which the Puerto Rican rapper leans on a kiddie ride and a decked-out convertible while rapping alongView the full article

Following shows through the rest of 2023, she continues touring the U.S. next yearView the full article

While some pirate sites will obviously slip through the cracks, the overwhelming majority of piracy platforms that exist today are already known to the rightsholders they affect. Actions taken against specific pirate platforms are shaped by policy, resources, and other practicalities, meaning that less significant sites may face no immediate threat. Others aren’t so lucky. In Mangamura’s case, a site founded in 2016 targeting the Japanese market became extraordinarily successful in a very short space of time. That it did so by exploiting culturally-valuable manga content, in the backyard of the world’s largest manga publishers, pushed Mangamura to the top of the enforcement list. Mangamura mysteriously shut itself down in April 2018 but after just two years online, the site had reportedly caused $2.91 billion in losses to publishers. A criminal investigation into Mangamura’s activities eventually led to the arrest of the site’s operator, Romi Hoshino, in Manilla. Hoshino was later deported to Japan and arrested by the authorities. A guilty verdict in a subsequent criminal trial saw Hoshino sentenced to three years behind bars. Publishers and Hoshino Have Unfinished Business Released from prison last year, the 31-year-old is now facing a civil lawsuit for damages filed by several Japan-based manga publishers. They were at court in the U.S. recently seeking Mangamura traffic data held by Google and Cloudflare. While that information could be useful for progressing their civil lawsuit, it appears that over the next 48 hours, things will become rather more complicated. On September 26, Hoshino will launch his new book, The Truth About Mangamura. The author says it will reveal how a “shut-in NEET” (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) somehow created a hugely successful website only to become an internationally wanted man. One of the book’s promotional images shows Hoshino’s progression through life from childhood to arrest, including the now-infamous mugshot that appeared in media all around the world. The book’s promotional material suggests that Hoshino’s technological successes may be presented alongside allegations of “digital defeat” in Japan, such as poor growth in IT and the failure of law to keep up with reality. It also promises to expose “behind-the-scenes judicial deals, fake trials, show punishments, and copyright issues.” This is a “controversial book that indicts Japan’s judicial problems!” the description on Amazon reads. Hoshino Will File an Application for Retrial Whether Japan’s judicial system has any appetite or ability to revisit Mangamura-related problems is unclear, but this week Hoshino will attempt to find out. On Wednesday he is expected to file an application for a full retrial at the Fukuoka District Court, a rare moment for a case that ran its course without any appeal, by a defendant who has completed his sentence. According to a report in Asahi, Hoshino was prohibited from using a computer in detention so was unable to collect any evidence to prove his innocence. While denying a prisoner access to the internet is hardly uncommon, Hoshino’s allegations make for interesting reading. In very broad terms, the criminal case found that Hoshino was liable for uploaded copies of popular manga titles ‘Kingdom’ and ‘One Piece’ that were made available to the public via Mangamura. Hoshino doesn’t deny the manga titles were made available; he’s contesting the mechanism by which that took place. Hoshino Claims He’s Innocent From the limited details available, Hoshino appears to be arguing that the manga titles were uploaded to another site, not on Mangamura. He claims that a reverse proxy enabled the content on third-party sites to appear as if it was displayed on Mangamura, without any of the images actually being stored locally. On the one hand, these claims could be dismissed as semantics intended to distract from a clear intent to profit from piracy. On the other, Hoshino may have some type of case, at least in theory. In English-speaking countries, sites that utilize content hosted elsewhere through the provision of links to external platforms are often described as ‘indexing’ sites. They act as an index to content found elsewhere but host none of their own. In Japan, the terms ‘leech’ or ‘reach’ are used to describe the same type of site and at least functionally, they provide illegal access to copyrighted material just like any other. However, operators of leech or reach sites were only rendered criminally liable by legal amendments that came into force on October 1, 2020. On that day, indexing site operators or those publishing apps with the same function faced the same punishments as their directly-infringing counterparts for the first time. Mangamura had been offline for two-and-a-half years at this point. Reverse Proxy Defense Detailed in Original Judgment The judgment handed down by the Fukuoka District Court in 2021 covers submissions by the prosecution and defense relating to the two manga works Hoshino alleges were made available via reverse proxy. The judgment substitutes the names of defendants and or witnesses, plaintiffs, site names and third-party platforms with letters. The ‘defendant’ is Hoshino and A, B and C refer to individuals who uploaded content to servers that was later consumed by users of ‘G’, aka Mangamura. ‘P’ appears to be a reference to Cloudflare. The judgment notes that Hoshino set Mangamura’s server “not to cache data, and on that basis, the manga and other image data posted on G by way of reverse proxy would exist on the recording device of the third-party server and not be stored on the recording device of G’s server.” The judgment further notes that, “for a certain period of time, the defendant used a CDN server provided by P located in the U.S. as a reverse proxy between G’s server and the viewers, so that when ordinary users viewed G’s manga, they accessed the CDN server, not G’s server.” The judgment also reveals statements by one or more of the uploaders (A,B,C) who recalled certain facts about the two works in question sufficient for the court to conclude the works were uploaded by them. The judgment further notes “that the reverse proxy setting by the defendant constitutes an infringement of the right of public transmission under Article 23 (1) of the Copyright Act, as it makes a work available for transmission.” Hoshino recently answered questions during a press conference, the video is embedded below. The original judgment handed down by the Fukuoka District Court can be found here (pdf) Amazon’s listing for Hoshino’s new book, out tomorrow, can be found here. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

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Earlier this year, Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI and others filed a complaint at a Nashville federal court, accusing Elon Musk’s X Corp of “breeding” mass copyright infringement. The company behind X allegedly fails to properly respond to takedown notices and lacks a proper termination policy for repeat infringers. As a result, X is reportedly rife with music piracy. This activity generates many millions of views which are monetized by the social media platform, while rightsholders receive no compensation for the use of their works. Motion to Dismiss X doesn’t agree with these characterizations at all. A few weeks ago, the social media platform filed a motion to dismiss, refuting all piracy allegations. The complaint argues that X is liable for direct infringement, and is contributorily and vicariously liable for the copyright-infringing activities of its users. However, X’s attorneys contested all three claims. With more than a quarter billion dollars in potential piracy damages on the line, the music companies are not backing down. They responded to X’s motion to dismiss by pointing out that all counterarguments fail. As such, the case should continue as is. “The motion to dismiss filed by Defendant X Corp. should fail in its entirety,” the music companies write, before going into further detail. Different Interpretations Both parties highlight existing jurisprudence from different angles. X, for example, insists that a direct copyright infringement claim requires non-automated and intentional acts by a defendant, while its alleged wrongdoing mostly relates to passive and automated algorithms. The music companies see things differently. Citing the Aereo case, among others, they note that automation doesn’t shield online platforms from infringing public performance rights. “Aereo and the cases cited below foreclose X’s argument that the automated aspects of its system or the end user’s role in selecting which content to upload or access insulate it from direct liability here. “[A]utomation is not a talisman that precludes direct liability, as X asserts,” the music companies add, concluding that X violated their public performance rights. Even if volitional conduct is required to support a direct copyright infringement claim, the music companies believe that their complaint is sufficient. For example, X intentionally created a feature that supports music streaming and encouraged users to upload content directly to the platform. In addition, X’s alleged failure to properly take down infringing content and the subsequent uploads of repeat infringers can also be seen as direct infringements of public performance rights. Contributory and Vicarious Infringement The parties also differ in their interpretations of contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Musk’s lawyers argue that the plaintiffs failed to show that X took active and intentional steps to encourage infringement, something the music companies contest. In their opposition brief, the publishers point out that intent isn’t a requirement under U.S. copyright law; material contribution to copyright infringement should be sufficient to state a claim. Responding to the vicarious copyright infringement allegations, X disputes the notion that it financially profits from copyright infringing activities on is platform and that it has the ability to do anything about it. Again, the music companies see things differently and argue that their claims are sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss. ‘Profiting from Piracy’ For vicarious liability to exist, a rightsholder must show that financial benefits are triggered by the infringing activity. That is the case here, the music companies argue, due to the presence of advertising. The complaint showed how advertisements were shown next to copyright infringing content. This suggests that more infringements should directly lead to more advertising revenue. “The causal relationship between the infringement of Plaintiffs’ works and X’s profits could not be more direct. When X runs ads in connection with infringing video content, money flows into its pockets,” the music companies write. Music Companies Oppose In addition, these infringements could draw more users to the platform or create more engagement. Both have the potential to increase advertising revenues. “The ability to view and post infringing content draws users to X’s platform, the increased engagement brings X more advertising revenue, and X’s service would be less attractive if it properly policed infringement on its platform.” All in all, it’s clear that both parties have an entirely different view on the copyright infringement claims. It is now up to the District Court in Nashville, Tennessee, to decide whether the case can move forward. — A copy of the music companies’ opposition to X’s motion to dismiss is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

Chris Ianuzzi has become a YEDM favorite and an example of the type of experimental electronica that fuels EDM with out EDMers even knowing about it. With a firm foot still in post punk and indie/electronic crossover, Ianuzzi is in a unique position to draw in fans of multiple genres with his well-composed, Philip Glass-style organized chaos. While most of this work is just that: a load of tinkering and technically complex composition meant to sound chaotic, Ianuzzi does sometimes step all the way in to EDM, even to the point where one can find a solid genre or two. This is the case with his new dual single, “Distant Suns” and “Wild Side.” With a actual beats and even a melody, Ianuzzi has channeled his inner raver in “Distant Suns,” the ostensible a-side of the two tracks. The track opens with a feedback-driven vintage tune-in vibe before launching into a trancy straight beat without a buildup. Sad straight beat is accompanied by a 90s rave-style melody which is sort of ambient to the beat, which, without the listener noticing, turns into a more deep techno beat before the whole thing is cut off without ceremony and switches to an industrial-soaked breakbeat. The track continues thus, with the various trance-techno-breakbeat loops starting and stopping arbitrarily and Ianuzzi’s dissonant vocals being, surprisingly, the only element that continues on a followable trajectory. “Distant Suns” is thus able to straddle EDM, post punk and experimental at once: the elements of EDM are there, but the structure is all Ianuzzi and his glorious chaos. It’s clear upon listening to “Wild Side” that in these two tracks, Ianuzzi was playing around with different percussive sounds that are sort of timey and spacey in nature. They’re present in “Distant Suns” but in “Wild Side” they comprise a significant line of music. Also with a surprising amount of perceivable structure, “Wild Side” is actually more linear than “Distant Suns,” as its running bassline drives the track while the minimal trap beat anchors it. Over, aside and around these structures, however, is the sonic equivalent of Tron superimposed over Salvador Dalí’s Persistence of Memory series with the melting clocks. While more industrial-meets-post punk than EDM, “Wild Side” is still cohesive enough to tickle the EDM fan’s fancy as well. It would be excellent at the end of a sunrise set at the end of a festival. Fans can always expect the unexpected from Chris Ianuzzi, and “Distant Suns” and “Wild Side” are no exception. With his last track prior to these being more ambient experimental, it’s nice to see this electronica mad scientist play with beat and percussion once more. “Distant Suns” and “Wild Side” are out now and available to stream on Spotify. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Chris Ianuzzi Tackles Melody and the Time-Space Continuum in New Tracks, ‘Distant Suns’ and ‘Wild Side’ View the full article

An event organized by Spanish football league LaLiga took place at the Museum of Arts and Sciences of Valencia yesterday. LaLiga were joined at “Fight Against Piracy in Sporting Events” by Víctor Francos Díaz, Spain’s recently appointed Secretary of State for Sports and president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), and MEP Iban García del Blanco. Citing data recently published by the European Intellectual Property Office, which found that piracy in the EU grew by 3.3 % in 2022, the CSD president said piracy remains a problem for sports groups like LaLiga and for governments around Europe. That report didn’t actually contain any data on the IPTV-based piracy plaguing LaLiga, but there’s no doubt that the league has its hands full. Scale of the Problem LaLiga’s efforts to contain IPTV piracy services began eight years ago and according to local media, La Liga’s anti-piracy department now detects over 46,000 IP addresses around the world broadcasting pirated live sports. LaLiga chief Javier Tebas reported that during the first five days of the new Spanish football season, it had “eliminated” 58 Android-based piracy apps believed to have been downloaded by four million users worldwide. Tebas said that 800,000 of those users are in Spain where they use the app to watch pirated football streams. The figures relating to Apple devices are smaller, around a million users worldwide, 300,000 of them in Spain. Overall that’s roughly 1.1 million users of these pirate apps in Spain, a considerable number but only part of the overall picture. Terminology and Definitions Are Important What LaLiga means by “eliminated” isn’t clear and that in itself muddies the waters when trying to build a picture on achievements and failures. On one hand, the complete destruction of 58 apps and their infrastructure would be a monumental achievement but if 58 apps were only removed from app stores or blocked by ISPs, any gains might already have been wiped out as pirates adjust. The tell-tale signs that “eliminated” means something other than total destruction were evident as Tebas outlined another problem facing LaLiga. While it may well have restricted the availability of dozens of apps, LaLiga is in no position to do anything about the copies that have already been downloaded and installed on users’ phones. Tebas describes this as another problem LaLiga faced, which probably speaks volumes about the status of the “eliminated” apps. If we assume that non-functional “eliminated” piracy apps are useless and therefore of little concern to LaLiga, only functional apps are problematic. If the already downloaded apps can still rely on functional internet infrastructure, getting rebranded apps back into the marketplace won’t be a problem for pirates. That being said, Tebas believes that eliminating downloaded apps has value, and it appears that work towards that is already underway. LaLiga is “Talking to Google” “That is another of our fights: that those who have them downloaded on their mobile phones already have them and now we have to work to eliminate them,” Tebas said, as quoted by local media. “We are talking to Google and other platforms so that they can be located on those mobile phones. If it can be done and it is done, for example, for crimes such as child pornography, for intellectual property, which is stealing, they should have to do it too.” It’s been quite some time since the protection of intellectual property and the protection of children have been mentioned in the same sentence, and longer still since anyone has advocated for equivalent countermeasures. That could mean that the protection of intellectual property is getting ahead of itself but without similarly huge financial lobbying power, it’s more likely to reflect child protection falling behind. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

NASA has called the OSIRIS-Rex landing a historic success, the first U.S. mission to return samples of an asteroid to Earth.View the full article

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NASA will return samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth on September 24, 2023 and you can livestream the historic event on NASA TV and YouTube. Here's how.View the full article