NelsonG

Before the net, if you wanted to send a copy of something that was protected under the copyright monopoly, it was an absolute given that you could do so. You would send that copy in the mail without a single thought of repercussions. You could send copies of drawings, you could send mixtapes of music, you could send copied movies. The reason for this was simple: the right to communicate in private is a fundamental human right, and the copyright monopoly is a commercial distribution monopoly that carries significantly less weight. The problem recently is that civil servants, not politicians, have been tasked with upholding the copyright monopoly. These people are not only unaccountable, but also easily accessible to copyright industry lobbyists, and these civil servants provide background material to the actual decision-making politicians. And if you control the background material, you also control the decision’s outcome. Long story short, these civil servants don’t care about the costs to society of enforcing the copyright monopoly in a changed communications environment: it’s literally not their job. If the issue had been properly politicized, then politicians would be forced to look at more than just the necessary methods for enforcing today’s monopoly laws – they would also have to look at the overall cost of society to using those methods, and simply question if those laws are really worth the sacrifices required to uphold them. This is the discussion that needs to happen on the political level, and which the Pirate parties are trying to make happen. For when I send a piece of music in an e-mail to somebody, I typically violate the copyright monopoly. When I drop a video clip in a private chat channel, same thing. If I use some other protocol, maybe BitTorrent, same thing again. If you are to enforce the copyright monopoly in the connected environment, then you cannot do that without abolishing the right to private communications as a concept. And that’s exactly what the copyright industry is trying to do. Let me explain. If there is a list of bitpatterns that are illegal to transmit – and such a list could indeed be constructed with today’s laws – then the only way to find those bitpatterns is to eavesdrop on all the ones and zeros that leave my computer, assemble them by protocol to analyze my communications in the clear, and then sort my transmissions into “legal” and “illegal”. But you can’t do this without breaking and abolishing the postal secret. There is no way to tell one from the other without looking at them in the first place. So, out goes the postal secret, the right to communicate in private. At this point in the discussion, the copyright industry will complain that they only take action for the illegal bitpatterns found, and that there is no infraction on the right to legal communications. And in doing so, they put themselves in the exact same spot as the old East German Stasi, which also steamed open all letters sent in the mail – but only took action on those with illegal content, just like the copyright industry describes as their preferred scenario. Stasi, too, sorted legal from illegal, and left the legal alone. With the loss of the right to communicate in private, we also lose several other important rights. We lose reporters’ right to protect their sources (since such communication happens in the same digitized private space). We lose a large portion of the ability for attorneys to communicate in private with their clients. These are considered cornerstones in the construction of checks and balances in the powers of our society, and yet an industry of entertainment middlemen expect to strike them out with a pen in order to uphold a crumbling distribution monopoly? It goes even further. With a loss of private communications, you lose the ability to safely confide in people – the mere suspicion of somebody else eavesdropping on your communications will lead you to stay silent, in case the communication would later be used against you. (This effect has already been observed on a large scale: over half of the population are now thinking twice whether to communicate in ways that could later be used against them by a third party, regarding everything from contacting suicide helplines to divorce counseling.) So, without the ability to confide in people, you even lose your very ability to form an identity. How are you going to come out of the closet, for example, if you can’t talk to a trusted friend first? [b]The bottom line is that the fight for basic civil liberties and the fight against the copyright monopoly are one and the same. They are not two identical fights; they are one and the same fight.[/b] When our parents sent a letter in the mail, they alone determined whether they wanted to be identified as sender, and nobody had the right to open the letter in transit just to check that the contents were legal. When our parents sent a letter in the mail or placed a phone call, they had an expectation of privacy – considered a fundamental human right. It is entirely reasonable that our children get the same rights – completely regardless of whether that means that an obsolete distribution industry will go out of business or not. Perhaps the policy of FreeNet, the darknet project, worded most clearly how a copyright monopoly on today’s level simply cannot coexist with freedom of speech (my highlights): “You cannot guarantee free speech and enforce the copyright monopoly. Therefore, any technology designed to [b]guarantee[/b] freedom of speech must also [b]prevent[/b] enforcement of the copyright monopoly.” [b] [img]http://falkvinge.net/wp-content/themes/WpNewspaper/images/falkvinge/Rick_Falkvinge_39x130.jpg[/img] [color=#3F3F3F][size=2]About The[/size][/color] [color=#FF3C78][size=2]Author[/size][/color] [/b] [font=PTSansRegular,Arial,Sans-Serif]Rick Falkvinge is a regular columnist on TorrentFreak, sharing his thoughts every other week. He is the founder of the Swedish and first Pirate Party, a whisky aficionado, and a low-altitude motorcycle pilot. His blog at [url="http://falkvinge.net"]falkvinge.net[/url] focuses on information policy.[/font] Book Falkvinge [url="http://falkvinge.net/keynotes/"]as speaker[/url]? [url="http://twitter.com/Falkvinge"]Follow @Falkvinge[/url] Source: [url="http://torrentfreak.com/the-fight-against-copyright-enforcement-the-fight-for-civil-liberties-are-the-same-120404/"]The Fight Against Copyright Enforcement & The Fight For Civil Liberties Are The Same[/url] [url="http://torrentfreak.com/?flattrss_redirect&id=49058&md5=5095d29c509cfc969b88b1b4cab7ac35"][img]http://torrentfreak.com/wp-content/plugins/flattr/img/flattr-badge-large.png[/img][/url] [img]http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/34423/f/628121/s/1e187606/mf.gif[/img][url="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&title=The+Fight+Against+Copyright+Enforcement+%26+The+Fight+For+Civil+Liberties+Are+The+Same&link=http%3A%2F%2Ftorrentfreak.com%2Fthe-fight-against-copyright-enforcement-the-fight-for-civil-liberties-are-the-same-120404%2F"][img]http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif[/img][/url][url="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=The+Fight+Against+Copyright+Enforcement+%26+The+Fight+For+Civil+Liberties+Are+The+Same&link=http%3A%2F%2Ftorrentfreak.com%2Fthe-fight-against-copyright-enforcement-the-fight-for-civil-liberties-are-the-same-120404%2F"][img]http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif[/img][/url][img]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/AARbIZLIbHw[/img] [url=http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AARbIZLIbHw/story01.htm]View the full article[/url]

By Miranda Johnson On Tuesday Burger King pulled its new commercial featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J Blige. The ad was met with an outpouring of criticism and then it was promptly removed from Burger King's YouTube channel. Despite the coincidental timing there, Burger claims that the ad was pulled because of music licensing issues. The commercial debuted earlier this week and showed Blige standing on top of a table belting out the ingredients “crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing, wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla," to the soundtrack of her single “Don’t Mind." The Ads are part a new promotion to introduce the restaurant’s revamped menu, with this one pertaining to the Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap. When the video premiered it received harsh criticism from fans, primarily from the black community who criticized it as stereotypical. In spite of the situation, the company said it hopes to have the “ads back on the air soon," though the spokeswoman did not mention if the ads would be the same. Rumors have surfaced that Blige received $2 million for the ad. Other celebrities also promoting the burger house's new menu include soccer star David Beckham, actress Selma Hayek and late night host Jay Leno. [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/burger-king-pulled-mary-j-blige-ad-licensing-issues/]View the full article[/url]

Nicki Minaj has finally released her anticipated sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and the 19-track LP was crafted with the intent to satisfy both her hip-hop fan base and her legion of loyal Barbz. The first half the album boasts rap songs with features from Nas, Young Jeezy, Drake, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, while the second half includes dance-pop tracks such as "Starships" and "Pound The Alarm." With so many songs to choose from--what's your favorite? Hit the poll below to cast your vote. Roman Reloaded has more rap features than her 2010 debut: 2 Chainz shows up for "Beez in the Trap" and Wayne appears twice, once on the title track and then again on "Sex in the Lounge." Nicki then gives the hood some inspiration with Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy in tow on the uplifting "Champion," but shortly after that, the bipolar LP takes a sharp turn. Rather than mix hip-hop with her ever-growing pop sensibilities, Nicki presents Roman Reloaded as a two-parter. RedOne's pulsating sound dominates on the Harajuku Barbie's current top 10 single "Starships" and continues for five songs straight — the sequencing is not coincidental. "Pound the Alarm" is an adrenaline-laced fist-pumper, and "Whip It" proves that the reigning rap queen picked up quite a few tricks touring alongside Britney Spears last year. Over the course of 19 tracks, the Barbs should find a song to suit their every mood. What's your favorite track on "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded?" To celebrate Tuesday's (April 3) release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, we will be examining the "Evolution of Nicki Minaj" throughout the week. Check MTV News every day to see how the Southside Jamaica, Queens, Barbie went from a promising mixtape standout to rap's reigning queen. Nicki Minaj's 'Pink Friday Roman Reloaded': Review Roundup Nicki Minaj Ready To Roll Out 'Beez In The Trap,' 'Starships' Videos Nicki Minaj Bares Skin In 'Roman Reloaded' Cover Art Nicki Minaj Hopes Her Success Will Inspire Fans [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/nicki-minaj-pink-friday-roman-best-song/]View the full article[/url]

As the new heirs to the Justin Bieber/Selena Gomez teen power couple throne, 15-year-old Aussie singer Cody Simpson and 14-year-old lil Kardashian Kylie Jenner enjoyed a movie date night at The Grove in L.A. on Tuesday.Watch your ass Jelena&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/-cody-simpson-kylie-jenner-date-night/]View the full article[/url]

Slaughterhouse's upcoming Shady Records LP welcome to: Our House was scheduled for a May 15 debut but the project has now been bumped to June 12, although the guys recently told MTV News that the album was "way more done than people know." In the meantime Royce 5' 9'', Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Joe Budden have announced remaining dates for their spring tour. "[We're] still working out minor tweaks, [but] it's way more done than people know," Royce said on the video set for "Hammer Dance" in Austin. "Marshall is actually mixing right now. He's actually mixed the entire album, and that wasn't even the original plan, so we're super excited about that. He's just taking songs to another level." The group also explained that Eminem was more hands-on than usual in the production of Welcome to: Our House. "Real talk: A lot of people don't give Eminem enough credit for his production and his arrangement and his mixing," Crooked I said. "What he's doing to add to the album is phenomenal, and I think he deserves props and a salute for that." "He's turning it into a movie," Royce concluded. "It's becoming way more visual, when he comes and puts his stamp on it, if you will." Remaining Tour Dates: April 5, 2012—The Clubhouse Tempe, AZ April 6, 2012—Music Box Los Angeles, CA April 7, 2012—The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA April 8, 2012—Hard Rock Café Las Vegas, NV April 9, 2012—The Galaxy Santa Ana, CA April 10, 2012—Porters Pub/4th and B San Diego, CA April 11, 2012—Velvet Jones Santa Barbara, CA April 14, 2012—Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA April 16, 2012—Harry O’s Salt Lake City, UT April 17, 2012 - Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, NM April 18, 2012—Cervantes/Bluebird Denver, CO April 19, 2012—Fox Theatre Boulder, CO April 20, 2012— TBD April 21, 2012—Granada Lawrence, KS April 22, 2012—Epic Minneapolis, MN April 24, 2012—Rave Milwaukee, WI April 25, 2012—Kalamazoo Theatre Kalamazoo, WI April 26, 2012—The Vogue Indianapolis, IN April 27, 2012— TBD April 28, 2012—House of Blues/Grogshop Cleveland, OH April 29, 2012—Omni Toledo, OH April 30, 2012—Headliners Louisville, KY May1, 2012—Toad’s Place New Haven, CT May 2, 2012—Lupos Providence, RI May 3, 2012—Wilbur Theater Boston, MA [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/slaughterhouse-delays-welcome-to-our-house-sets-tour-dates/]View the full article[/url]

Winter is here... in a manner of speaking, I suppose. That's my confusing way of telling you that if you're a "[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/tag/game-of-thrones"]Game of Thrones[/url]" fan and a New York City resident (or if you're willing to schlep into the Big Apple), there's something pretty awesome happening in Times Square. [url="http://www.mtv.com/photos/game-of-thrones-exhibit-at-the-hbo-store/1682430/7037384/photo.jhtml"][img]http://www.mtv.com/movies/photos/g/game_of_thrones/store/01_got.jpg[/img][/url] The HBO Shop on 42nd Street and 6th Avenue has put all sorts of "Thrones" props and costumes on display for the next month. If you head over there, you can see Melisandre's red robes and amulet, the cruel King Joffrey's royal garb, several house sigils (including the Kraken, representing the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands), and much more. Of course, if you can't make it there yourself, you can always click on the image above to see a photo gallery of all that "Thrones" goodness. If you manage to make your way to the HBO Shop, be sure to hit us up on [url="http://twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url] and let us know what you think about all the "Thrones" props! Also, if you haven't already, check out our video recap of the "Game of Thrones" season premiere in the video below! [url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/04/game-of-thrones-hbo-shop/]View the full article[/url]

Former "Surreal Life" star Maven Huffman -- a former WWE superstar -- was arrested in Florida on Monday after cops say he was "doctor shopping" to get his fix of painkillers. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops uncovered Huffman had gone to 3&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/maven-huffman-arrested-prescription-drugs-oxycodone/]View the full article[/url]

[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/total_recall_arnold.jpg"][img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/total_recall_arnold.jpg[/img][/url] Sunday’s release of the new [url="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1682251/total-recall-trailer.jhtml"]“Total Recall” trailer[/url] may have hinted at a movie that will forever change the hearts and minds of today’s seven year old nerds-to-be, but when I think back on my childhood, the original “Total Recall” stands out as one of the most totally awesome (and possibly the best) Schwarzenegger movies ever made. Sit back, contract a cold, and take a deep dive with me into a movie that is so effing cool, it can’t be found anywhere on Netflix. Mars. Forever the downfall of filmmakers everywhere. Remember “Red Planet”? How about “Mission to Mars”? Of course you don’t. They were so atrocious your mind forced the traumatic memories into the deep recesses of your consciousness, so you would never have to face your Mars movie shame ever again. Rejoice Mars fans! There is one film that accomplished what others couldn’t, a movie that sets the world record for most Arnold grunts in one film, and one in which a woman sports three breasts. Paul Verhoeven, we thank you verily. The original “Total Recall” sports one of the most convoluted plots ever conceived. Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenneger, is your run of the mill jack-hammerer who spends his waking hours trudging through a blue collar life and bedding his hot wife Sharon Stone, only to fall asleep and dream of another woman on the faraway planet of Mars. His discontent with his marriage and other earthly responsibilities leads him to seek the services of Rekall Inc., a company that specializes in implanting false memories into a client's brain that they remember as a vacation they took. Quaid, in his hubris, chooses to go on vacation to Mars as a secret agent and decides to cheat on his wife via memory by designing the girl of his dreams (literally!) to be his lover on his vision quest. Unfortunately, as often happens in movies, things go awry in the procedure and Quaid suffers what is commonly referred to as a “schizoid embolism.” Or does he? Both Quaid and the audience are led on a serious head trip in which we can’t decide whether Quaid is living his Rekall implanted vacation, or that the “schizoid embolism” caused Quaid’s memories of his former self, Hauser, to come to the surface. Quaid is quickly intercepted by former friends in his life who are now trying to kill him, most notably of which is his super-hot wife turned super-hot assassin Sharon Stone. Quaid (or is it Hauser?) finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that leads him back to Mars where he attempts to save the planet. Because there is so much awesome packed into this movie and I don’t want to spoil it all, I’ll run through a few highlights: [b]»[/b] Arnold pulls a massive red “head bomb” out of his nose. Awesome. [b]»[/b] Arnold experiences explosive decompression and his eyeballs hang half way down his face. Awesome. [b]»[/b] Arnold says the words, “Damnit Cohaagen, give da people da air.” Awesome. [b]»[/b] A psychic mutant lives in a dude’s stomach. Awesome. [b]»[/b] Ancient aliens. Need I say more? Go see this film if only to satiate you Mars cravings because unlike its predecessor, the new “Totall Recall” is looking to stay on Earth the entire time. Sadface. [i]Call them "cult classics." "Guilty pleasures." "Comfort movies." We all have a mental rolodex of flicks that may not be terribly popular but, for one reason or another, they resonate in a very special way. Maybe you saw it at the right moment. Maybe you just see gold where everyone else sees feces. Whatever the case, these are the special favorites that you keep stashed away for sick days. These are some of ours. Tell us about your Sick Day Stash picks in the comments or on [url="http://twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url]![/i] [url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/04/arnold-schwarzenegger-total-recall/]View the full article[/url]

Get More: Beyoncé, Love On Top (Live) Jay-Z and Beyonce celebrate their 4th anniversary of marriage on April 4, but the powerful couple's relationship stretches back at least a decade. Both are notoriously tight-lipped about their personal life, but as the reigning king and queen of hip-hop, it's difficult for fans not to be just a little curious. To ring in the occasion Beyonce will launch a new Tumblr account giving a peek at her personal life. In the meantime take a look back at some of their most public relationship moments from 2002 to 2012. 2002 – On Jay’s seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, the single “03 Bonnie & Clyde” featured vocals from the former Destiny’s Child lead singer. With her group on hiatus, Beyoncé’s inclusion on the song not only marked her turn has a force to be reckoned with but also fueled the rumors that Jay and Bey were an item. 2003 – With Beyoncé prepping to release her solo album debut – which to date has sold 11 Million copies worldwide – the lead single “Dangerously In Love” launched Beyoncé to superstar levels but it was also Jay-Z’s inclusion on the rap portion of the song that had people continually speculating if the song was an exact depiction of their romance or just happenstance. 2004 – At a party for departing Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen, Jay-Z got caught up in the moment apparently and announced his plans to marry Beyoncé. “You've been one of the best friends I could have had apart from this woman beside me (Beyoncé), who I love and who I will marry very soon,” said the rapper in a touching moment. 2005 – Still resistant to discuss their relationship in the media, the two stars were paparazzi targets and several photos of their vacations and outings surfaced on tabloids and gossip blogs everywhere. Remaining unusually tight-lipped, they never looked less than happy to be together in the flicks. 2006 – With the release of her second solo album B’Dday, Beyoncé enlisted the services of her beau for the lead single “Déjà Vu” and also on the track “Upgrade U.” That same year, Time magazine named them the Most Powerful Couple in their 100 Most Influential people issue. Beyoncé also appeared on the track “Hollywood” off Jay’s Kingdom Come LP. 2007 – On Jay-Z’s ambitious tenth studio album and his first concept piece American Gangster, he and Beyoncé worked together again on the moody track “Pray” – one of the early standouts on the record. 2008 –On April 4, they made it official. The pair married in Jay-Z’s Tribeca apartment and was reported by US magazine to be a small gathering of their famous pals such as Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and singer Chris Martin. 2009 - Jay and Bey rang in their 1st wedding anniversary early in 2009, but the couple celebrated another milestone in December when Beyonce threw a star-studded bash for her husband's 40th birthday. The private event was held in the Dominican Republic where 50 of Jay's closest friends attended, including Diddy, Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez, Kanye West and Alicia Keys. 2010 - During an acceptance speech for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award at the Grammys, Beyonce made an atypical display of affection, telling the audience, "I'd love to thank my family for all of their support, including my husband. I love you." The declaration caught Hov off guard, and Bey would later relay that, "He was shocked! He was just like, 'What did you say?' " 2011 - Beyonce had often said that she planned to have a baby at 30 and three years into her marriage with Jay-Z, she followed through on her plan. After giving a stellar performance at the VMAs, Bey unbuttoned her sparkly jacket, rubbed her belly and announced her pregnancy to the entire world. 2012 - At the end of her 2011 VMAs performance Bey revealed that she was already a few months pregnant and when the couple's first child, Blue Ivy Carter, was born in January 2012 to one of the most influential couples in music, it seemed for a minute like the entertainment industry might implode. Just two days after Blue's birth Jay released the single "Glory" with a feature from BIC, making his daughter the youngest artist to ever land on the Billboard charts. [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/jay-z-beyonce-fourth-anniversary-marriage/]View the full article[/url]

[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/avatar.jpg"][img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/avatar.jpg[/img][/url] File this in the "boo-hiss" bin: "[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/tag/avatar-2"]Avatar 2[/url]" likely won't hit its targeted 2014 release date. In a new interview, producer and longtime James Cameron collaborator Jon Landau revealed that "2014 will be a tough date for us to make," despite previous indications that the two planned "Avatar" sequels would begin rolling out in that year. "We're not naming dates," Landau told [url="http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=33583"]Empire[/url]. "To us, it's really about getting it right. 'Titanic' was supposed to be a summer movie, then it was a December movie. The first 'Avatar' was supposed to be 2008, and then it was 2009. You know, movies make release dates—release dates don't make movies. So we're going to get it right." It's not the first time Landau has tackled the issue of the [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/13/avatar-2-might-be-pushed-back-to-2016/"]"Avatar" sequel's release date[/url]. And in fairness to him and Cameron, those guys delivered the goods with the first "Avatar," shifting release dates be damned. If it takes a little bit longer than expected for a stunning "Avatar" sequel, I guess [s]I have to be[/s] I'm okay with it. Besides, it's not like they haven't started working on the film yet, as Landau himself says. WETA and other core members of the "Avatar" crew are already knee-deep in development on the sequel, to the point that they're building structures, environments and exploring ways to shoot motion-capture underwater. "It's going to be like the Floating Mountains in the first movie," he said. "It's not going to be all underwater; it's going to be a place we go to, leave and come back to." [i]Tell us what you think of the "Avatar 2" news in the comments section or hit us up on [url="http://twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url]![/i] [url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/04/avatar-producer-talks-sequels-release-date-underwater-motion-capture/]View the full article[/url]

[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/cumberbatch.jpg"][img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/cumberbatch.jpg[/img][/url] The last time we were able to check in on "Star Trek 2," it was with the film's big [url="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680100/star-trek-2-benedict-cumberbatch.jhtml"]baddie Benedict Cumberbatch[/url] who contrary to his mysterious villainous character, has quickly become a [url="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678916/star-trek-chris-pine-benedict-cumberbatch.jhtml"]favorite among the film's cast members[/url]. When we caught up with the sequel's co-writer/producer Alex Kurtzman recently to discuss his upcoming [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/03/people-like-us-will-make-you-laugh-and-cry-director-alex-kurtzman-says/"]directorial debut "People Like Us[/url]," we of course had to bring up the subject of Cumberbatch with him to see if the glowing reviews we've heard continue to be true. "He’s incredible," Kurtzman said. "What he does with language is incredible. His training is amazing and he’s so magnetic, he holds the screen in any size frame, he really is a joy to watch." "The movie is going unbelievably well," he added. "J.J. as usual is crushing it, he’s doing an amazing amazing job. I think as much as we put all of our love and effort into the first one, there’s even more in this one and he is really, he’s such an exacting and beautiful director. What I watch him do, it’s so amazing, he inspires everybody around him and he’s been so utterly true to everything that we all have honored and loved about Trek so that’s kind of where we’re at right now. The finish line is in sight." When asked if there's a proper way to sum up the storyline in the sequel, in comparison to the very well-executed exposition that dominated the first film, Kurtzman said that we'll still see some conflict held over from the first movie with regard to the crew coming together. "Without spoiling anything, the challenge is that you don’t want to jump too far ahead and assume that just because they got together they’re all comfortable with each other," he said. "They’re still all working out their kinks and still becoming the bridge crew that we remember from the series. That's still very much alive and look, any good sequel is about the challenge that the group faces in order to become the unified team and I think that that challenge in this movie is going to be hopefully amazing." [i]What do you think of Kurtzman's update? Tell us in the comments or on [url="http://twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url]![/i] [url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/04/benedict-cumberbatch-star-trek-2-alex-kurtzman/]View the full article[/url]

By Rebecca Thomas Nicki Minaj has come a long way from her humble beginnings in Queens, to become a platinum-selling international super star with a throng of fans who hail her as the Barbie Queen. To commemorate the release of her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, MTV News is taking a look back at Nicki's journey to the top. In 2008, the Southside Jamaica, Queens, lyricist was still on her mixtape grind, and her look reflected that. In fact, the Playtime Is Over rapper looked like a lot of girls from the Q-borough: makeup from MAC, oversize hoop earrings from the Colosseum on 165th Street and down-to-there Remy extensions courtesy of the beauty supply. But by the time Lil Wayne's protégé dropped her platinum Pink Friday debut in November 2010, it wasn't just her new MAC lipstick that was pink — her locks had taken on the otherworldly candy color, too, giving her a pop finish atypical of female MCs. Terrence Davidson, who had worked with a stream of femcees from Trina to Remy Martin, saw an opportunity. "It was like, 'Wow, finally, in my time someone wants to do this,' " the Atlanta hairstylist told MTV News on the eve of the release of Minaj's sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. "Because I've been wanting to do this for years," he added of his shared fondness for "out-the-box" hair experiments. "It's just I hadn't met the right artist that wanted to sit down and make this work." The two teamed up in 2010 after Davidson gushed to a mutual friend about Nicki's scene-stealing turn in Ludacris' "My Chick Bad" clip. The stylist drew on his background competing in hair battles and his obsession with comic books like "X-Men" to push Nicki further into the realm of fantasy. Before the dye had dried on his hands, tweens from Queens had a Barbie they could relate to and high-end fashion rags like Vogue had a cover girl they couldn't resist. For Minaj's infectious "Super Bass" video, Davidson said they didn't know what direction they would take. The YMCMB princess had just a few directives ("fun, colors"), he said. And from that, they created the wet-and-wavy green and pink looks that magically marry her glam and gritty personas. But for the Rihanna-assisted "Fly," Davidson did a bit more pre-set preparation, which included painting zebra stripes onto a white Mohawk wig after Nicki mentioned she was feeling animal prints. "I really didn't think she was gonna wear it," he admitted of the superhero look, "but when she walked on the trailer, she was like, 'Whoa.' " The theatrical wigs can present occupational hazards, though, as Davidson learned with the "high-top" fade (we call it the Bride of Frankenstein look) he created, also for "Fly." "We were trying to figure out how to get her in the car then out with it," he laughed. "I was looking at the video thinking, 'I think it got crooked from hitting the roof!" In February, MTV News' #4 Hottest MC in the Game told us that she loved being on the list "because it gives little girls in Southside Jamaica, Queens, or South Africa or Brazil a moment to say, 'Oh wait, I can be a female rapper!' " But to Davidson, Minaj's impact extends far beyond the rap hustle. "Nick's doing it for everybody, not just women not just female rappers but for everybody who wants to be different because her music is not right here," he said, gesturing at his chest. "Her music is so many different levels, from pop to R&B to rap. And she's opened up a lane where it's just hers — and nobody else can really mess with it." To celebrate the release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, we will be examining the "Evolution of Nicki Minaj" throughout the week. Check MTV News every day to see how the Southside Jamaica, Queens, Barbie went from a promising mixtape standout to rap's reigning queen. [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/nicki-minaj-evolution-queens-to-roman-reloaded/]View the full article[/url]

Chevy Chase tells TMZ ... cussing out "Community" creator Dan Harmon over voice mail was "the right thing to do ... at the time."Chase was leaving the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood last night ... when we asked about the feud with his TV boss. When we&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/chevy-chase-dan-harmon-video-voicemail/]View the full article[/url]

Washington Wizards rookie Chris Singleton says he doesn't care that he wasted $10,000 on Mega Millions tickets last week ... 'cause he would've blown the cash in the nightclubs anyway. The 22-year-old baller -- who recently signed a $7 million&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/chris-singleton-lotto-nba/]View the full article[/url]

[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/neeson_badass.jpg"][img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/04/neeson_badass.jpg[/img][/url] So, we can all pretty much agree that Liam Neeson is the most badass man working in Hollywood, right? From playing the man with a very particular set of skills in "Taken" to someone who tapes glass and wreckage to his hands to fend off wolves in "The Grey," Neeson's sudden reign over the "middle-aged man who can handily kick your ass" roles remains intact today, with the announcement of his newest film. [url="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/liam-neeson-non-stop-307441?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Ffilm+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Movies%29&utm_content=Google+Reader"]The Hollywood Reporter[/url] informs us that Neeson will once again give terrorists a very bad day in "Non-Stop," an airline thriller without a current plot summary, only this loose description: "a contained, gritty action thriller centering on an air marshal (Neeson) flying on a domestic flight." With Liam literally on board, he could honestly nap for the two hour runtime and it would still be a more watchable action movie than most others these days. "Non-Stop" comes from DarkCastle and producers Joel Silver, Andrew Rona, and Alex Heineman. Jeff Wadlow directs from a script written by John Richardson and Chris Roach. Consider this one very high up on our yes-fly list. [url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/04/04/liam-neeson-badass-non-stop/]View the full article[/url]

By Sowmya Krishnamurthy Justin Bieber called into Power 105.1’s Breakfast Club in NYC on Tuesday to talk about his new song “Boyfriend,” his new album and how awesome life in general is for an international sensation. The now-legal Bieber shared that he’s been in the studio with producers including Timbaland and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. When asked by DJ Envy why he’s going with a more “urban” sonic route for this single, which has already sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, The Biebs responded that, “I just wanted to make something that was funky, but also something that my fans would like, and also that I could branch out and get some older audience members.” Justin Bieber Freestyles Over Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Who Shot Ya?' Don’t expect him to become a rapper though. Bieber said that “Boyfriend” is the extent of his rapping and he’s only going “halfway” urban in his sound. He then gave props to the hip-hop community for starting “swag.” On the topic of personal life, when asked how his boo Selena Gomez is doing, JB said, “She’s dope man. She’s shooting a movie right now.” How cute! Justin Bieber Taps Drake, Kanye West For 'Believe' Album Funny man Charlamagne Tha God jumped in at one point and told Justin Bieber he was the new Timberlake and that he’ll be “drafted in the racial draft” and will be getting “Justin Timberlake’s old locker.” The always-classy Bieber responded, “Thank you man. Really appreciate that.” Justin’s new album Believe is slated for 2012 release. Related Lil Wayne Skateboards With Justin Bieber [url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/04/justin-bieber-on-boyfriend-andrapping/]View the full article[/url]

Nic Cage is half-way back to solvency ... TMZ has learned the actor just took a $6 MILLION chunk out of his MASSIVE tax bill to the federal government,. According to official documents obtained by TMZ ... Cage paid off the $6,257,005 he failed to&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/nic-cage-tax-irs-6-million/]View the full article[/url]

Justin Bieber has haggled his way to Calabasas by purchasing a $9,000 square foot mansion.TMZ has learned ... after negotiating back and forth with the seller -- who wanted $7.5 mil -- Justin inked the deal for a little more than $6 mil. He'll&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/justin-bieber-buys-calabasas-home-local-mayor-welcomes/]View the full article[/url]

WWE honcho Vince McMahon is a HERO for booting Randy Orton out of the upcoming "Marine" movie ... this according to the guys who served in the military unit abandoned by WWE superstar back in 1999. TMZ spoke with Cpl. Mike Vinn ... who tells us, "On&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/marine-randy-orton-fired-wwe/]View the full article[/url]

After being [url="http://torrentfreak.com/us-threatened-to-blacklist-spain-for-not-implementing-site-blocking-law-120105/"]threatened[/url] with a place on a United States trade blacklist, the Spanish government passed the so-called Sinde Law, legislation that allows for the blocking of allegedly infringing sites based on reports from copyright holders. On March 1st the Sinde law went into effect and now, a month on, the Spanish Ministry of Culture has [url="http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/04/01/navegante/1333276914.html"]revealed[/url] that in total almost 300 official complaints have been received. The Comisión de Propiedad Intelectual (Copyright Commission) has received 213 copyright complaints plus 79 closure requests from rightsholders against specific websites accused of online piracy. The Commission will investigate all allegations and has the power to dismiss claims or set the ball rolling for further action, including the removal of links said to infringe copyright through to the court-ordered closure or ISP blockade of entire websites. Although the process between complaint and site shutdown can in theory be completed in about a month, the Ministry of Culture reports that no punitive action has yet been taken in respect of the 300 complaints. It is not clear how many of the complaints being processed, if any, are the result of a [url="http://torrentfreak.com/arists-and-hacktivists-sabotage-spanish-anti-piracy-law-120301/"]hacktivist sabotage campaign[/url] launched on the day the Sinde law came into effect. The group Hackivistas encouraged sites to link to a copyrighted track from artist Eme Navarro, a member of the music rights group SGAE but also an outspoken critic of the Sinde law. Hundreds of websites reportedly linking to Navarro’s song without permission, with Navarro subsequently reporting them to the Ministry of Culture. While the initial aim of the campaign was to overload the Commission, it was also designed to discover more about the uncertain takedown process. Current thinking suggests that Spanish hosting companies will be asked to shut down non-compliant websites and ISPs will be asked to block those hosted outside Spain. In theory it’s possible to shut down sites within a month, which could mean that the first closures from the first batch reported by the Ministry of Culture will be seen in April. Source: [url="http://torrentfreak.com/spanish-sopa-79-site-takedown-requests-in-first-month-120404/"]Spanish ‘SOPA’: 79 Site Takedown Requests in First Month[/url] [url="http://torrentfreak.com/?flattrss_redirect&id=49114&md5=af0a359503254b50183635cf5680d32d"][img]http://torrentfreak.com/wp-content/plugins/flattr/img/flattr-badge-large.png[/img][/url] [img]http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/34423/f/628121/s/1e13b4c4/mf.gif[/img][url="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&title=Spanish+%E2%80%98SOPA%E2%80%99%3A+79+Site+Takedown+Requests+in+First+Month&link=http%3A%2F%2Ftorrentfreak.com%2Fspanish-sopa-79-site-takedown-requests-in-first-month-120404%2F"][img]http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif[/img][/url][url="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Spanish+%E2%80%98SOPA%E2%80%99%3A+79+Site+Takedown+Requests+in+First+Month&link=http%3A%2F%2Ftorrentfreak.com%2Fspanish-sopa-79-site-takedown-requests-in-first-month-120404%2F"][img]http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif[/img][/url][img]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/QpjY2I3v6To[/img] [url=http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QpjY2I3v6To/story01.htm]View the full article[/url]

Transgender beauty queen Jenna Talackova received yet another fat rejection on Monday -- when her bikini shoot upset several guests at a swanky L.A. hotel ... and staff was forced to shut it down.Sources tell TMZ, Jenna had originally planned to&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/transgender-beauty-queen-jenna-talackova-bikini-shoot/]View the full article[/url]

Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin really stepped in it this time -- he's been charged with felony cocaine possession stemming from his recent arrest ... TMZ has learned. As we first reported, the singer was busted back in January after cops&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/04/wes-scantlin-charged-cocaine-possession/]View the full article[/url]

Keith Olbermann says it's his fault his Current TV gig ended in disaster -- but only because he should've known the network was way too cheap for him.On tonight's "Late Show with David Letterman" Olbermann speaks out for the first time about getting&hellip; </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/03/keith-olbermann-current-tv-david-letterman-video/]View the full article[/url]

But for some reason, this was all joke fodder in Miami yesterday -- with Dennis' buddy even quoting his lawyer in a mocking tone ... joking, "He's broke and sick motherf**ker ... we're going under the bridge after this." </p> [url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/03/dennis-rodman-broke-video/]View the full article[/url]