Music Industry Prepares to Sue Yahoo China

I'm sure... by corychristison · 2006-07-04 00:57 · Score: 5, Interesting

'a simple search on Yahoo China found mp3 files of recent releases for direct download within a few clicks.'

I'm sure a search on most forms of search engines would produce similar results. Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?

Re:I'm sure... by Macthorpe · 2006-07-04 01:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because companies based in America have better lawyers?

That's seriously the only reason I can think of.

--
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
Re:I'm sure... by Xiroth · 2006-07-04 01:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

In fact, you could probably get to a site with direct downloads of pirated mp3s within 'a few clicks' from the IPFI's site. If this kind of justification is sufficient, maybe they should just sue the entire internet.
Re:I'm sure... by LiquidCoooled · 2006-07-04 01:11 · Score: 5, Interesting

You would be surprised.
It used to be the case, but now it seems to be getting harder (at least on google)
Theres more spam and lyrics and legal sites coming up tops.

By the time you find anything your on page 97 and searching in foreign languages on random domains.

I just gave an example of looking for a specific ebook and not managing to find it by direct filename and other common things on google, but managing to get it very easily from yahoo.

--
liqbase :: faster than paper
Re:I'm sure... by snafu109 · 2006-07-04 01:16 · Score: 5, Informative

From another article:
The federation is also considering using a new Chinese law that came into effect July 1 that fines distributors of illegally copied music, movies and other material over the Internet as much as 100,000 yuan ($12,500). As of today, Chinese search engines operated by Yahoo China and Baidu.com provide links to other Web sites hosting illegally copied songs.

The law says a Web site is jointly liable with the host of the pirated files for infringement ``if it knows or should know that the work, performance or sound or video recording linked to was infringing.''
Apparently there is no such law in Western countries.
Re:I'm sure... by nurb432 · 2006-07-04 01:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

Because the are the largest, and are prone to cave into demands from other people perhaps?

Im sure that if they win this, and get some $ of it, they will start going after smaller fish ( that still have an international presence )

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Re:I'm sure... by c · 2006-07-04 01:30 · Score: 4, Insightful

Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?

Because Yahoo China has demonstrated that they're able and willing to filter search results, pass off user account information to anyone who asks, and generally behave like asshats. Which means they totally lose the "we're just an innocent little search engine, we can't filter our output, it'd be a major hardship" common-carrier type of defense.

That's probably not the reason, but it would be about what they deserve...

c.

--
Log in or piss off.
Re:I'm sure... by Ritz_Just_Ritz · 2006-07-04 01:32 · Score: 2, Interesting

Just to play devil's advocate...

If Yahoo China can supress results based on edicts from the "mean old Chinese government," perhaps the music industry is going to say "Well now, you clealy CAN filter the results if you want to or are forced to. We want you to filter out links to illgotten content that we own. If you don't, you're contributing to the problem and have some liability."

That's the flip side of caving in to search engine filtering. The slope is quite slippery....
Re:I'm sure... by Acid-Duck · 2006-07-04 02:13 · Score: 0

I have to admit I don't know anything about China's copyright laws so anything stated is a guess, but:

Knowing how harsh they are with censorship a logical conclusion would be they are as strict with copyright, so perhaps there's a law
in China that makes it easier for them to prosecute.

Erik
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:16 · Score: 0

If google hadn't given in to China's demands on censorship that problem wouldn't even exist.
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:21 · Score: 0

Because it's not about who is right, it's about who has better lawyers and more $$$ to buy off judges.

In west, suing an search engine is not going to work. In China however, it may work.

And btw, even links are spread by chinese, usually pirated movies are hosted on american file sharing companies. They are the only one having adequate bandwidth ;-)

Chinese usually host and share chinese music. In China, one can be never heard about Madonna - but everybody knows who is Faye Wong ().
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:36 · Score: 0

That horse is already out of the barn.
Re:I'm sure... by xtracto · 2006-07-04 02:49 · Score: 2, Interesting

Behold the power of the copyright infringing search engine called GOOGLE

My question is, isnt Yahoo! USA the same company as Yahoo! China? cant they "provide" their lawyers force?

--
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Re:I'm sure... by sm62704 · 2006-07-04 02:50 · Score: 5, Interesting

You can't even find ligitimate MP3s on Google.

Try to find this file. It's a song by my friends Posamist named "Silky Smooth".

Search for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) and you only get links to some old shit on K5 mentioning the song and band. You won't find the MP3, even though I linked to all their MP3s on my (Google indexed) blog September of last year.

Which is what the RIAA/MPAA want. A Yahoo search DOES return the file, it's the fourth result. What was that about Google not being evil again?

--
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Re:I'm sure... by tolan-b · 2006-07-04 02:56 · Score: 1

They do?

I can't see US lawyers doing very well in a Chinese court..
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:59 · Score: 1, Informative

It depends how you search. Queries like intitle:index.of <keyword> mp3 seem pretty successful. If you want even less crap add last.modified
Re:I'm sure... by houghi · 2006-07-04 03:02 · Score: 1

That has nothing to do with mp3, it has to do with Google not able to get good results anymore in general.

--
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Re:I'm sure... by the_xaqster · 2006-07-04 03:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

The law says a Web site is jointly liable with the host of the pirated files for infringement ``if it knows or should know that the work, performance or sound or video recording linked to was infringing.''

Who decides what the website should know? If you link to a website with a bunch of mp3's called My_Talk1.mp3, My_Talk2.mp3, .... , My_Talk20.mp3 and it turns out My_Talk5.mp3 is a Madonna track, can you be prosecuted because you should have checked? Who draws the line and where?

Seems like you could easily get into a situation where you rue that the only 20/20 vision you have is hindsight.

--
I'm just here to regulate Funkyness
Re:I'm sure... by Haeleth · 2006-07-04 03:30 · Score: 4, Informative

Search for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) and you only get links to some old shit on K5 mentioning the song and band. You won't find the MP3, even though I linked to all their MP3s on my (Google indexed) blog September of last year.
Which is what the RIAA/MPAA want. A Yahoo search DOES return the file, it's the fourth result. What was that about Google not being evil again?

Um. I searched for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) on Google, and the third result was this. Is that the MP3 you're talking about, or are there two bands called Posamist who have released songs called Silky Smooth?

And even if I hadn't been able to find the MP3 you named on Google in three clicks, I'm not sure exactly how that would make Google "evil". Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.
Re:I'm sure... by Macthorpe · 2006-07-04 04:02 · Score: 1

Not the best assumption.

The first I in IFPI means International. Who says they only have American lawyers? Simple reasoning would state that from the name they have a lot of different lawyers in different countries and that they have the resources to be good ones.

--
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 04:35 · Score: 0

"Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?"

This is why: http://www.imgbox.co.uk/image.php?image=06d7cfd652 .png
Re:I'm sure... by yiantsbro · 2006-07-04 04:46 · Score: 1

You know I believe there are only something like 6 clicks of separation between anything on the Internet.
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 04:51 · Score: 1, Insightful

I'm not sure exactly how that would make Google "evil". Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.
Well, if Google succeeds in affecting this non-RIAA artist's livelihood by caving into the RIAA's demands to censor all MP3s, that doesn't exactly sound like kindness. But I guess that artist can get probably get a job doing something else, and the RIAA will have one less competitor to worry about.
Re:I'm sure... by ScrewMaster · 2006-07-04 05:43 · Score: 2, Interesting

Apparently there is no such law in Western countries.

For good reason, but there's a lot of interest here in the U.S. to try and end that immunity. Of course, if they do succeed in making engines responsible for linked content it will simply end search engines, which wouldn't bother some people one bit. China's government is in the unenviable position of wanting all the benefits of free flow of information provided by search without the perceived liabilities. What's unfortunate is that their perceptions of what is acceptable and what is not are being colored by groups whose interests are not aligned with what is best for China, the United States, or any other forward-looking industrial power.

--
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Re:I'm sure... by Kev_Stewart · 2006-07-04 05:48 · Score: 3, Informative

Those seeking free music use a combination of Google and file hosting services like Rapidshare. Go to Google and type the title of the album in quotes, followed by 'rapidshare.de/files' and bingo. Most of the time the result returns at least one link to a rar file containing the album you searched for.

Works with movies too.

Not that one should ever condone such a thing :)
Re:I'm sure... by darc · 2006-07-04 06:15 · Score: 1

If you're looking for crappy pop music:

http://music.yahoo.com.cn/

Set it for mp3, and most of the links actually work to download! I've used this to uhm.. explore some files before.

I think this might just be what they're suing over.

--
Tired of legitimate data sources? Try UNCYCLOPEDIA
Re:I'm sure... by jambarama · 2006-07-04 09:09 · Score: 3, Informative

You can still find anything on google, it just takes a little more know-how. For example, add this string to your search intitle:index.of +"mp3" -htm -html -php -asp "Last Modified". Just add the band or song in quotes and you'll be amazed at how much more accurate it'll make an mp3 search. For example - a search for Gorillaz & Feel Good Inc turns up quite a few copies of the MP3. The filetype:mp3 command works well too.

The same goes for any filetype. Google is doing well at giving copyrighted materials low rankings, their livelihood depends on it, but as long as they index everything, everything is available.
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 10:24 · Score: 0

My question is, isnt Yahoo! USA the same company as Yahoo! China? cant they "provide" their lawyers force?

No, they are NOT the same company! Yahoo! China is operated by Alibaba, a local Chinese business.
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 11:58 · Score: 0

...that doesn't exactly sound like kindness.
If you're intimating that the sole definition for "not evil" is "kind," then you're naive. Your black-and-white view of the world is so very small; you imagine that things are really so simple... and that's sad.
Re:I'm sure... by WuphonsReach · 2006-07-04 13:31 · Score: 1

You won't find the MP3, even though I linked to all their MP3s on my (Google indexed) blog September of last year.

If Google thinks your website (or section of the site) is a blog, they don't index it in their primary index. Instead, you'll have to go to "Blog Search" on a second page at Google's site.

(I suspect that Google looks for an RSS/Atom feed file to make the determination.)

--
Wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?
Re:I'm sure... by rohan972 · 2006-07-04 17:56 · Score: 1

I'm pretty sure the parent meant: the IFPI is less quick to sue American companies because the American companies have better lawyers to defend them (than the Chinese companies). That is, the IFPI choosing to sue Chinese companies rather than American companies.

--
http://marriedmansexlife.com/
Re:I'm sure... by Zemran · 2006-07-04 19:34 · Score: 1

Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?

Maybe they need the advertising...

--
I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
Re:I'm sure... by Total_Wimp · 2006-07-05 00:44 · Score: 2

And even if I hadn't been able to find the MP3 you named on Google in three clicks, I'm not sure exactly how that would make Google "evil". Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.
Ok, maybe not evil, but not very helpful either. Many people claim that Google is the best search engine. What this story tends to indicate is that Yahoo beats it handily if you happen to be searching for MP3s. That means Google is either purposely screwing up their searches or that Yahoo is, in fact, the superior search engine. That latter is definately not evil, but the former is. I suffer when I can't find what I'm looking for. Either way, Google just took a hit.

TW
Re:I'm sure... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-05 01:01 · Score: 0

Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.

Evil is a fashion and depends on where you are, when you are, and who you are talking to. Don't forget that there are evil conservatives reading this evil liberal's post, thinking "Piracy is evil" and that the case against Yahoo China is a beacon of hope against those evil pirates.

It's all relative, really.
Re:I'm sure... by ACPosterChild · 2006-07-06 03:29 · Score: 1

Because they have the money and an American presense. The guys doing the actual hosting of illegal-in-America files have less money and are harder to sue.
Re:I'm sure... by sm62704 · 2006-07-06 09:50 · Score: 1

Moot point, since someone actually did find it on Google, but effectively hiding a file that the owner wants found (not what happened) while finding a file its owner doesn't want found sure sounds evil to me.

Particularly if they were paid to do so!

--
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Re:I'm sure... by sm62704 · 2006-07-06 10:03 · Score: 1

Evil isn't relative, but some people aren't honest, making it seem that way. Being conservative isn't evil, but contributing to global warming and bombing abortion clinics is.

"Piracy is evil" is an evil lie! Well, actually piracy in the old sense of the word (high seas) is, but copyright infringement, as it hurts nobody (and the studies all prove it) is not. No harm, no foul, no evil.

Now, sending a Conservative to Matthew 19:24 might be kind of evil ;)

--
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest

this is getting silly by joe+155 · 2006-07-04 00:57 · Score: 4, Insightful

you can't go sueing search engines because they contain links to links of pirated mp3s... thats just what a search engine does... it seems the only way to avoid this would be to manually go through every web page, download all the mp3s that you can get to and check that they are not pirated... of course if the were you'd get sued anyway...

--
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''

Re:this is getting silly by Jah-Wren+Ryel · 2006-07-04 01:06 · Score: 4, Funny

you can't go sueing search engines because they contain links to links of pirated mp3s... thats just what a search engine does... it seems the only way to avoid this would be to manually go through every web page, download all the mp3s that you can get to and check that they are not pirated...

What's wrong with that? If it saves the life of one innocent child, isn't it worth it? We must do our patriotic duty to make sure there are no links to links to links and especialy no circular links to pirated materials anywhere on the net. Do your part good citizen and help to assure that the children of RIAA executives are assured a bright future!

--
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
Re:this is getting silly by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 01:40 · Score: 0

It basiclly the same principal they go after bittorrent trackers for

If Yahoo fight this, win or lose it could have very far reaching consequences for the internet as a whole
Re:this is getting silly by incubuz1980 · 2006-07-04 01:41 · Score: 0, Troll

The US is getting close to the point where you can sue someone for NOT giving you a reason to sue them.

Too bad that the rest of the world is following close behind.

Bush thinks the the US is "the leaders of the free world"?

In the kingdom of the blind, the man with no head is king.
Re:this is getting silly by jamar0303 · 2006-07-04 01:44 · Score: 1

well... it's more direct than that- the reason they are suing Yahoo China is in my sig (last I checked it was, otherwise go to http://music.yahoo.com.cn/ to see what I mean)- click the link and use it to look for an MP3- direct link, no clicking through loads of spam or ads- click the result and a media player will pop up with a download link too. I hope that Yahoo wins- I couldn't possibly bear to lose this valuable resource.

--
OSx86 FTW
Re:this is getting silly by LordEd · 2006-07-04 02:33 · Score: 2, Funny

But the US is free*!

* Some restriction apply. Does not include surcharges or related expenses. Only applicable 3 days per week. Government may alter agreement without notice. Not suitable for children under 12.
Re:this is getting silly by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 04:37 · Score: 0

In the kingdom of the blind, the man with one eye is king.

fix it for ya
Re:this is getting silly by Neoncow · 2006-07-04 05:08 · Score: 1

Recent insider testimony has determined that from the RIAA website, users are able to access a search engine with only a few clicks. RIAA CEO Mitch Bainwol subsequently imploded. More horrifying details tongiht at 11.

<Warning the above post may or may not be fiction>

The "Land of the Free" by KiloByte · 2006-07-04 00:57 · Score: 3, Funny

I really didn't expect we'll live until the days when an evil totalitarian regime will be in some regards better than the US.

On the other hand, it may be a good idea to attach a generator to G. Washington's, T. Jefferson's and co coffins. Just think of the free energy!

--
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

Re:The "Land of the Free" by SCPRedMage · 2006-07-04 01:18 · Score: 1

On the other hand, it may be a good idea to attach a generator to G. Washington's, T. Jefferson's and co coffins. Just think of the free energy! I've already tried that, sorry. A situation like this can only get them to spin the generators at approximately 3RPM, which produces hardly enough power to light a Maglight. And unfortunately, it would appear that events similar to this do not produce a cumulative effect; that is, only the greatest event produces an effect, and the potential of all lesser events are ignored.

I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for your revolutionary energy discoveries...

--
My sig can beat up your sig.
Re:The "Land of the Free" by dukerobinson · 2006-07-04 01:38 · Score: 0, Troll

The Chinese regime is neither totalitarian nor evil. In what way do you suppose they are?
Re:The "Land of the Free" by Distinguished+Hero · 2006-07-04 01:52 · Score: 2, Insightful

I really didn't expect we'll live until the days when an evil totalitarian regime will be in some regards better than the US.

People have been making excuses for evil totalitarian regimes (attempting to prove that they are better in at least some respects) since time immemorial. Stop me if you've heard some of these before: "at least they make the trains run on time," "at least they provide free health-care," "at least they provide free education," "there is no famine over there," "the people seem to enjoy it; the leader got 99.9% in the last election." So now I guess we can add "at least it is easier to infringe on copyrights over there" to that list (assuming I'm grokking your post correctly).

On the other hand, it may be a good idea to attach a generator to G. Washington's, T. Jefferson's and co coffins. Just think of the free energy!

This joke is getting rather lame; new material is definitely needed (preferably some that follows the law of conservation of energy). Besides, if "G. Washington" was alive today, he'd certainly be called a warmonger for his involvement in the French and Indian War, as well as the American Revolutionary War. As for "T. Jefferson," he was personally responsible for the First Barbary War, in which the warmongering US went to war against the peace-loving Muslim states of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, so I don't think he'd be much liked by the contemporary American establishment either.

--
Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
Re:The "Land of the Free" by ScrewMaster · 2006-07-04 07:25 · Score: 1

Hey, the Founding Fathers did their part for our Republic, I don't think it's fair to ask them to provide for our power needs as well. A much more appropriate way of generating "free" energy would be to mount an MHD generator to the side of the Congressional building, indeed any structure where politicians regularly congregrate. The sheer quantity of plasma, I mean, hot air flowing from such a gathering could easily supply light and heat for several small villages.

--
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Re:The "Land of the Free" by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 11:12 · Score: 0

Uh, buddy, TJ was fighting the Barbary states because they freely preyed upon US shipping interests in the Med. Its a striking parallel to what is going on here. Instead of physical goods, we have a pirate state, China, preying upon the intellectual property innovations created here in the western world. How long will we allow this?

As long as we can create profit from thier slave labor, thats how long.
Re:The "Land of the Free" by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 12:45 · Score: 0

I really didn't expect
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

In other news by giorgiofr · 2006-07-04 01:00 · Score: 4, Interesting

Search engines can be used to search for possibly illegal stuff.
Mail can be used to send possibly illegal objects.
Roads can be used to go to some possibily illegal destination.
Weapons can be used to kill someone, possibly in an illegal way.
Phones can be used to call someone and say possibily illegal things.

Unless we want to take care of all the above mentioned "problems", I don't see why we should be concerned with search engines and specifically single them out.
Oh wait, they have lotsa money. Now I understand.

--
Global warming is a cube.

Eh? by HaydnH · 2006-07-04 01:02 · Score: 1

"Yahoo China found mp3 files of recent releases for direct download within a few clicks."

How's this different from any other search engine (try the 3rd link and 1 more click!)?? Why aren't other search engines being sued?

Haydn.

--
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. - Douglas Adams

Re:Eh? by mwvdlee · 2006-07-04 01:11 · Score: 1

Because they already failed in every western court trying to do this.
Now they can gamble in Chinese court and, who knows, they might even win!

--
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
Re:Eh? by lixee · 2006-07-04 01:42 · Score: 1

Cause Google does no evil!

--
Res publica non dominetur
Re:Eh? by burnetd · 2006-07-04 01:46 · Score: 1

I love the phrasing to... "in a few clicks" it's very Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Re:Eh? by 1u3hr · 2006-07-04 02:38 · Score: 1

How's this different from any other search engine (try the 3rd link and 1 more click!)??
Maybe you were more persistent than me, but all I saw at your link was a bunch of spam, dead links and promises of free dowloads, but no actual MP3 files. I'm sure they can be found, but the SEO scumbags have done a good job of making it hard to find.
Re:Eh? by sm62704 · 2006-07-04 03:02 · Score: 1

So with Google you can find Madonna's shitty music, but you can't find a file like Posamist's Loom Up , even though it's a legal download that the band WANTS you to have?

They have four CD's worth of MP3s for free download, none googleable.

Pretty much proves what I've been saying all along - the RIAA/IFPI isn't trying to keep Madonna and Metallica off the internet, they want to keep you from hearing Posamist and The Station (Whose FLAC files on archive.org can't be sucessfully googled for, either).

--
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Re:Eh? by Skrynkelberg · 2006-07-04 03:29 · Score: 1

Those links only contain samples ala a few hundred kilobytes, no different from what for example iTunes or amazon.com offers. They seem to be legal for some reason. In addition, "Frozen" contained no Madonna, only the background track. Strange.
Re:Eh? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 03:47 · Score: 0

No biggie, thanks to you thousands of geeks know about your friends band now :)

BTW, I'm playing one of the tracks right now and it is of very low quality, contains no singing (pop music without the lyrics, even more bland -_-) and they offered me the full song for 0.10$
So I guess real pirate sites are blocked.
Re:Eh? by SteveDob · 2006-07-04 04:41 · Score: 1

Except, of course, that's completely wrong. A google search for
posamist mp3
#2 and #3 results link directly to the pages with the download links on them.

"the station" flac
#1 result is to their archive.org pages

So, if anyone actually wanted those files, google would be able to show them where they were.

Yahoo's response by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 01:04 · Score: 0

$del music.yahoo.com

Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by unity100 · 2006-07-04 01:06 · Score: 1

It contains references to piracy, how it is done, and where it is done ? They should be sued outright !

America shouldnt let morons to be president of anything, neither the country, nor corporations or organisations.

--
Read radical news here

Re:Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by Xiroth · 2006-07-04 01:24 · Score: 2, Funny

Except the president of the IFPI is a Brit. Don't worry, yanks don't have a monopoly on stupid - the rest of the world certainly has its fair share.
Re:Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by unity100 · 2006-07-04 01:29 · Score: 1

Well indeed that is rather surprising.

--
Read radical news here
Re:Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by Znork · 2006-07-04 06:12 · Score: 1

They dont call it Airstrip One for nothing.
Re:Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by geminidomino · 2006-07-04 23:57 · Score: 1

Don't worry, yanks don't have a monopoly on stupid

*Eyes TV listings*

We sure seem to have the lion's share, though...

I noticed this on yahoo uk by LiquidCoooled · 2006-07-04 01:08 · Score: 2, Interesting

I was looking for a pdb (ebook) of snowcrash recently and whilst its getting harder to find things using google, yahoo came up with results for it.

Now this just isn't right, can I sue google for NOT finding the things I'm looking for?

Speaking of lawsuits for stupid things, can I sue yahoo myself for their stupid new frontpage?

I thought the slash redesign was a bit wonky, but the yahoo one actually does make my eyes bleed, it keeps sliding downwards under some java shit which makes me feel sick. Anyway, I've changed homepage now so bye bye yahoo its been good knowing ya.

--
liqbase :: faster than paper

Re:I noticed this on yahoo uk by pecko666 · 2006-07-04 01:13 · Score: 1

try to use http://search.yahoo.com/ .. it is simple and clean ..

google makes this even easier by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 01:13 · Score: 1, Informative

they need to read the google hacking book, or even search the net for simple google hacks.

intitle:index.of "mp3" +"INSERT BAND HERE" -htm -html -php -asp "Last Modified"

Re:google makes this even easier by djatari · 2006-07-04 03:23 · Score: 1

hey, that works quite well. got to http://www.achtungbaby.org/mp3/April/Radiohead-Nic e-Dream-Demo.mp3 in two clicks.

Cervantes will be happy... by Pig+Hogger · 2006-07-04 01:14 · Score: 1

Miguel de Cervantes will be happy to see that his Don Quixote de la Mancha is alive and well, albeit in Britain...

But who's playing Sancho Panza? Tony Blair?

Stick with the agreed hype, please by Opportunist · 2006-07-04 01:15 · Score: 4, Funny

It's "war against Communist Pirating China" this time, not "think of the children". Don't switch hypes too much, please, people might catch on.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.

Re:Stick with the agreed hype, please by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:37 · Score: 0

The agreed response to hype-switching is "Don't switch hype, think of the children!!".
Re:Stick with the agreed hype, please by 246o1 · 2006-07-04 03:18 · Score: 1

Actually, it's the "War on Terror." It seems that illegal free pirated mp3s are a huge source of funding for terrorists. Remember, every time you get an mp3 off of gnutella, it funds terrorism in Iraq (the only place in the world with terrorists right now, thanks to our clever plan to lure them all there and distract them).

--
Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.
Re:Stick with the agreed hype, please by Opportunist · 2006-07-04 03:29 · Score: 0, Redundant

Oh right, it's akin to that wonderful tool that makes Bill Gates donate a buck for every time this mail is forwarded.

Blast those terrorists for abusing tools created for such benevolent goals...

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.

Liberty out of China? by Opportunist · 2006-07-04 01:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

Ya know, the world's turned upside down when China is sued by a "free world" organisation for having too much liberty on something...

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.

Re:Liberty out of China? by Distinguished+Hero · 2006-07-04 02:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

Ya know, the world's turned upside down when China is sued by a "free world" organisation for having too much liberty on something...

Fair enough, but consider this: any issue can be framed in terms of liberty. For example, you could say that white Americans no longer have the "liberty" to own other Americans (black), or that Germans no longer have the "liberty" to kill Jews with impunity; however, it is not entirely intellectually honest to do so. China will eventually enforce I.P. laws; the only question is whether they will be enforced after China has worthwhile I.P. to protect, or before. Also consider this: the U.S. does not export much beside I.P.; if you have any sense of self preservation and desire to reduce the grotesque trade deficit, you might see some merit to nudging China to enforce I.P. laws sooner rather than later. This would also have the added benefit of reducing the contamination of Chinese culture with "Britney Spears" culture.

--
Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
Re:Liberty out of China? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:35 · Score: 0

Is it really? My impression is that China and Korea (don't know about Japan, but seems to be the same case) have a very, very, very liberal view on intellectual property, especially in music.
They don't seem to care much about it, they make music, make a buck out of it and move on.
Consider the case of Korea, for instance. Most boy bands do not last at all, since they're forced to take a 3-year break for compulsory military service. They also have this incredible amount of short-lived bands, which end up dying for one reason or another (my money is on the intense and fierce competition in the domestic market).
[begin rant]The pocket-milking process that takes place in the US, through voracious exploitaition of some artists is an essentially american phenomenon, driven by the monopolistic behaviour of the music industry and execs. Alas, this ideal of "perfect competition" is a complete falsehood in practical terms, since all the US have been doing lately is use their MBA-powered brains to find ways to achieve monopolistical likeness in ther companies. And the US still lacks the shame to force the ideal of competition and free markets on foreign countries, either imposing it economically (Washington Consensus anyone?) or via militar force.
Competition, as the founding fathers may have imagined nowadays only exist in Asia. The US became a lazy capitalism.[end rant].
JasonL.
Re:Liberty out of China? by Opportunist · 2006-07-04 03:40 · Score: 1

Umm... then maybe it's time for the US to actually produce stuff with the IP they have instead of relying on the export of it? A system based on immaterial values can't survive for long. For reference, check the Soviet system.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Liberty out of China? by Opportunist · 2006-07-04 03:44 · Score: 1

Unfortunately true. Free market relies on the ability of the manufacturer to produce what they want and the customer to decide which of those products are fit for the market. That's how it worked. IP does simply not fit into the perfect free market, as soon as IP limits the offering side (by disallowing to produce what someone else holds IP over), the competition dwindles and the customer is unable to fulfill his role as the deciding factor, since he cannot choose between different offering companies.

What currently happens is that monopolies and cartels are aritifically created and maintained by the power of IP. And that's diametrally different from the ideal free market.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Liberty out of China? by bit01 · 2006-07-04 03:48 · Score: 1

has worthwhile I.P. to protect

Meaningless. All things can be labelled "property" and made valuable by defining the rules appropriately.

The government could say I have the right to charge anybody who has a shit. That would be a very valuable intellectual property indeed. Doesn't mean that it's desirable or of net benefit to society to organise the rules that way.

The same reasoning applies to the USA exporting "their" "intellectual property". If the rest of the world decides the USA's fanatical view of "intellectual property" is of no net benefit to them then the USA could very well find itself being told to take a walk.

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Scientific, evidence based IP law. Now there's a thought.
Re:Liberty out of China? by stubear · 2006-07-04 04:10 · Score: 1

The product is mucis, not a particular song. You are free to make all the music you want as long as you do not copy or make a derivative or another person's song. Where's the monopoly exactly?
Re:Liberty out of China? by stubear · 2006-07-04 04:20 · Score: 2, Funny

That should be "music" not "mucis" though some bands make more of the latter than the former.
Re:Liberty out of China? by Znork · 2006-07-04 06:40 · Score: 1

"any issue can be framed in terms of liberty"

You know, even the most cursory readup on libertarianism tears down that strawman.

Intellectual 'property' is a coercive government granted monopoly. The issue is pretty black and white from a liberty point of view; most informed (and intellectually 'honest') arguments in favour of it are based upon utilitarian aspects (ie, (mistaken belief, imo), that it drives a higher rate of development, etc).

"the U.S. does not export much beside I.P.; if you have any sense of self preservation and desire to reduce the grotesque trade deficit,"

Here you come closer to that 'intellectual honesty', and what it's all about. However, while taxing the rest of the world sure may seem like a good idea to the US, I frankly dont see why the rest of the world should be interested in paying those taxes. There are far more deserving charity cases to help first.
Re:Liberty out of China? by Znork · 2006-07-04 07:54 · Score: 1

"The product is music, not a particular song."

That's like saying 'the product is construction materials, not concrete'. Or 'the product is meat, not a particular kind of animal meat'. Or 'the product is gases, and if you dont like our price on oxygen go buy some other gas to breathe'.

You only have competition (as in, the kind that actually creates increasing wealth as it drives efficiency in the search of profits) when you have price competition on equivalent interchangeable products.

In a competetive market for music you'd have any particular song played by any particular band, on any media, published by any media producer. The cultural wealth would mass multiply as performers were able to mix and match and create new crossover works, AV stars creating technical shows, local bands playing and supporting themselves on local plays, but with currently popular music, etc.

The economic damage caused by allowing, and even encouraging, monopolies is very real. Take a look at concepts such as deadweight loss to understand exactly how bad they are.

How this is different from other search engines by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 01:21 · Score: 5, Informative

Yahoo China differs from other search engines (and from other Yahoo editions) by offering a quite comprehensive MP3 search with direct download links at http://music.yahoo.com.cn/

Examples?
http://music.yahoo.com.cn/search.html?pid=ysearch& source=ysearch_music_result_topsearch&p=nelly+furt ado&mimetype=all
http://music.yahoo.com.cn/search.html?pid=ysearch& source=ysearch_music_result_topsearch&p=shakira&mi metype=all

Re:How this is different from other search engines by kripkenstein · 2006-07-04 02:25 · Score: 2, Funny

If these two examples are representative of the music linked to by Yahoo China, then this lawsuit has my full backing.

Bravo to them, I say. Bravo.
Re:How this is different from other search engines by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:37 · Score: 0

Dude, your examples are so useless, it's all in Chinese...!!
Re:How this is different from other search engines by jamar0303 · 2006-07-04 03:53 · Score: 1

if you don't understand the little icons, then maybe you need a little help- all my friends in the US now regularly use this service with no trouble since I introduced them to it. Click the icon of headphones to listen, and the sheet of paper for lyrics (unless it has a pencil over it- that means it doesn't have lyrics yet and you can then add them) and the icon of a cell phone for a ringtone version.

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OSx86 FTW
Re:How this is different from other search engines by Frag-A-Muffin · 2006-07-04 06:11 · Score: 1

Wow .. that's wicked. Here I was struggling with google to find mp3s ... Hmm, I think I found a new mp3 search engine. :) Thanks!

--

AirSpeak - http://itunes.com/apps/AirSpeak
Re:How this is different from other search engines by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 10:09 · Score: 0

except it is NOT illegal in China. Just like mp3.ru is not illegal in Russia. Praise american bullshit and IPO lawyers haven't reached everywhere.

Re:I noticed this on yahoo uk by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 01:23 · Score: 0

*blink*blink* Google, is that you?

Pr0nographic... by JakeX · 2006-07-04 01:28 · Score: 1

Is it just me or does anyone else always read International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) as

International Federation of the Pornographic Industries (IFPI)

Hehe.. guess its just me..

Re:Pr0nographic... by aadvancedGIR · 2006-07-04 01:41 · Score: 1

There is a big difference, one of those industry requires gifted and hard-working performers, the other one just relies on waste recycling and sueing its consumers as the main PR plan.
Re:Pr0nographic... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 04:17 · Score: 0

not just you, i read it the same way...
Re:Pr0nographic... by darkfish32 · 2006-07-04 04:19 · Score: 1

definately me too, and this isn't even the first post about them... was so confused by the last one

Memo to Recording Industry by ackthpt · 2006-07-04 01:34 · Score: 1

The time to change your fecking business model was 10 years ago.

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A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar

Re:Memo to Recording Industry by iamwahoo2 · 2006-07-04 03:26 · Score: 1

Why bother? they have found a great model for keeping themselves relevant: Have the laws rewritten globally so that everyone becomes a criminal or is assisting in criminal activity. Sue anything that moves. Demonize anyone that opposes you and start massive PR campaigns to convince society that you are right, eventhough it makes everyone else a criminal.
Re:Memo to Recording Industry by ackthpt · 2006-07-04 12:23 · Score: 1

Why bother? they have found a great model for keeping themselves relevant: Have the laws rewritten globally so that everyone becomes a criminal or is assisting in criminal activity. Sue anything that moves. Demonize anyone that opposes you and start massive PR campaigns to convince society that you are right, eventhough it makes everyone else a criminal.

The problem with that is it only enriches lawyers. Suing people who don't have anywhere near the financial resources to match the recording industry legal costs is insane.

--

A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar

Unbelievable by Linux_ho · 2006-07-04 01:40 · Score: 3, Interesting

"Yahoo just helped us find like a dozen music pirates in about ten minutes. Thanks, Yahoo! Oh hey, it's kinda tricky to track down these international guys. Bad Yahoo! Bad Bad Yahoo!" If all the search engines colluded with illegal content distributors by hiding their stashes, these morons (and law enforcement) would have to write their own search engines to find them.

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include $sig;
1;

Did anyone else try going to yahoo.com.cn? by TrekkieGod · 2006-07-04 01:52 · Score: 1

I mean...thanks for the advertisement!

Actually, as it turns out, it doesn't look to be any better than the western counterpart. Then again, maybe all those sites I couldn't read were full of songs, but I doubt it.

--

Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.

Re:Did anyone else try going to yahoo.com.cn? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:40 · Score: 0

Try music.yahoo.cn :-)

RIAA, Please visit China; by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:05 · Score: 0

China, please shoot RIAA in the head and then bill it's subsidiaries for the price of the bullet.

Is it Yahoo's job... by MP3Chuck · 2006-07-04 02:08 · Score: 1

... to be proactive in protecting other people's copyrights? Especially considering that they don't host the content? What a disturbin precedent.

--
Who doesn't like free music?

Hope nobody sees this code then by houghi · 2006-07-04 02:08 · Score: 1

Here a snippet of code and if you use it, here is an example: of the result when entering a random name: Metallica as a tryout

<script language="javascript"> function doSearch() { document.all.searchg.q.value = '"' + document.all.searchg.q_.value + '" intitle:index.of mp3 -html -htm -php -asp -txt -pls'; return true; } </script> <form onsubmit="return(doSearch());" name="searchg" method="get" action="http://www.google.co.uk/search" target="_top"> <input name="q" value="" type="hidden"> <input class="small_text" name="q_" size="25" maxlength="255" value="" type="text"> <input class="small_text" name="sa" value="Search" type="submit"> </form>

--
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.

Re:Hope nobody sees this code then by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:33 · Score: 0

Metallica? It can be used to search for music as well right?

Is this a joke by popsicle67 · 2006-07-04 02:24 · Score: 1

Where the hell do they think this will go. I guess they have starving lawyers because all they will end up doing is feeding ambulance chasers. They don't have a lick of sense do they? Even if they survive the years this will be drawn out and they get a favorable judgement,there isn't anyone for them to go to make a settlement stick. Hell, they couldn't even get an injunction to stick right now. This is just a fancy form of suicide, much like the form that SCO is performing in its little gavotte with IBM.

Sue Yahoo China? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:33 · Score: 0

I think that's what I was having for lunch... *burp*

Uhm...WHAT? by connah4700 · 2006-07-04 02:48 · Score: 1

That would be like me walking into a police department and saying, "Here's a list of some illegal crack houses in town for you to bust" and the cops arrest me for providing that information. Wouldn't the SMART thing to do be bust the crack houses and THANK me?

Re:Uhm...WHAT? by Conright · 2006-07-04 04:40 · Score: 1

Not quite, it is more like running a business where pot heads can go and find where the closest pot dealer is.

Then the question is this: is it easier to bust 1000 pot dealers, half of whom are anonymous or untracable, or the guy who helps everyone find them? They are just trying to "fix the glitch" (in office space speak) by cutting off the dealers from traffic (and thus revenue) and hoping that they go away on their own.

That part makes sense to me. What doesnt make sense is why they have chose yahoo china and not other search engines also.
Re:Uhm...WHAT? by Petrushka · 2006-07-04 15:34 · Score: 1

is it easier to bust 1000 pot dealers, half of whom are anonymous or untracable, or the guy who helps everyone find them?

Well, if the guy who helps everyone find them really does help everyone find them, then it will be really easy to bust them, as they will be neither anonymous nor untraceable. The gpp's point here was that Yahoo!'s service has great value for the music industry's efforts to enforce its IP. I guess the music industry's position is that they'd prefer to have security through obscurity.

Yahoo's official stance on the subject by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 02:59 · Score: 0

Shuck it Trebeck!

Shuck it hard, shuck it long

ATTENTION MODS by sm62704 · 2006-07-04 03:10 · Score: 2, Informative

The parent links to a warning from Yahoo to click at your own risk, the link from Yahoo links to something with a GNAA logo and attempts to install shit on your computer.

--
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest

Music industry sues itself by noidentity · 2006-07-04 03:14 · Score: 1

In related news, the music industry is suing itself for its recent press story which informs people that Yahoo! China is the best search engine to use to find mp3s on the web, thereby pointing people to music that's only a few clicks (plus one) away.

Ohhh, Phono - graphic by darkfish32 · 2006-07-04 03:16 · Score: 1

Am I the only one here who has kept reading these headlines and wondering what the hell the porno biz is doing suing people left and right, and how is it supposed to be tied to music?

Re:Ohhh, Phono - graphic by shark72 · 2006-07-05 04:22 · Score: 1

No, every time there's a story about the IFPI, somebody points that out. I see by your UID that you're a relatively new member, so I'm guessing this is the first time you've read an IFPI story.

I think there's also a "BPI" (British Phonographic Industry) that similarly confounds some Slashdotters. Lots of younger Slashdotters are also surprised by the word "phonograph" in the organization name and don't understand why an organization would have such an archaic word in their title. I guess young people have similar reactions when they learn that the second "T" in AT&T is "telegraph" and the "C" in NAACP is "colored" -- an archaic and, when used in certain contexts, offensive term for black people.

--
Sitting in my day care, the art is decopainted.

Who'da thunk? by Sfing_ter · 2006-07-04 03:19 · Score: 1

That it would be the Chinese that would get to crush these bastards. With the iTunes case in France and the now China taking a big dump on the international RIAA, they are soon going to be mooter than a lawyer in Judge Roy Bean's court... :) It seems the international community will not stand to have it's citizens dictated to by some corporate scum. This will be interesting, I can't wait to see this play out...

--
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing. Emo Philips

Why not use it? by phorm · 2006-07-04 03:46 · Score: 1

OK, so they can easily search out sites with warez MP3's. With the exemption of sites like the pirate bay, wouldn't this make it easier (with government co-operation) to shut down said sites... at least a bit easier than tracking down P2P users with dynamic IP's. I suppose that there is likely little co-operation from the Chinese gov't on Chinese sites, but I had heard previously that there had shut down a few users here and there already.

Re:I noticed this on yahoo uk by OP_Boot · 2006-07-04 03:54 · Score: 1

can I sue google for NOT finding the things I'm looking for?

Yes you can, it would seem.

http://www.theregister.com/2006/07/03/google_sued_ over_page_ranking/

Yeah... by rhesuspieces00 · 2006-07-04 04:49 · Score: 1

good luck with that.

July 4th by tubapro12 · 2006-07-04 04:52 · Score: 1

Lets ask this on this July 4th... what did our founding fathers think when they gave so many rights to the businesses of America, making them a collective individual under law? Did they expect to be giving power to some "music industry" yet to exist in their times to become a voracious self-palliating industry of corporate vultures preying upon the weak and the innocent?

What does it mean ... by tilleyrw · 2006-07-04 05:19 · Score: 1

... when the first thing your mind reads in "IFPA" is "International Federation of *Pornographic* Artists"??? Someone give me a cup of coffee. Please.

--
This post encoded with ROT26. If you can read it, you've violated the DMCA. Handcuffs please, sergeant.

Oblig. by MirrororriM · 2006-07-04 06:11 · Score: 1

Kim Jong Il: IFPI? Oh no! Oh, herro. Great to see you again, IFPI!
IFPI: Mr. Il, I was supposed to be allowed to inspect your palace today, but your guards won't let me enter certain areas.
Kim Jong Il: IFPI, IFPI, IFPI! We've been frew this a dozen times. I don't have any pirated music, OK IFPI?
IFPI: Then let me look around, so I can ease the IFPI's collective mind. I'm sorry, but the IFPI must be firm with you. Let me in, or else.
Kim Jong Il: Or else what?
IFPI: Or else we will be very angry with you... and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are.
Kim Jong Il: OK, IFPI. I'll show you. Stand to your reft.
IFPI: *Moves to the left*
Kim Jong Il: A rittle more.
IFPI: *Moves to the left again*
Kim Jong Il: Good.
*Opens up trap, IFPI falls in*

--
Content Management System: A pretentious way of saying "text editor."

Not really by biraneto2 · 2006-07-04 06:29 · Score: 1

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=rapidshare+fu ll+album I found a 50 cents album in a few clicks from this query. ops... sorry... Think they will now sue slashdot also.

lawl by drnoi · 2006-07-04 08:26 · Score: 0

sue china? haha. that's funny.

What link did they find? by epp_b · 2006-07-04 11:08 · Score: 0

It was this one, right? Right??

I miss the good ole days... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-04 11:25 · Score: 0

when you'd search through Tripod sites and stuff for MP3 and warez webpages. Those were the good days, I miss'em!

STUPID! YOU, IFPI, ARE SO STUPID! by Bushido+Hacks · 2006-07-04 17:14 · Score: 1

Greedy IFPI asshats: "Lets see here, if 1 in 3 people on the planet are Chinese and if each Chinese person has pirated William Hung's abulm worth about $9 at Wal-mart, multiply that by the exchange rate you owe us 144 BILLION YUAN ($18 B USD)"

Chinese Ambassador: "No way in Hell are we going to pay! ARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!! Make these Europeans walk the plank and fall into the Hell of the Hungry Sharks!"

/In deed!

--
The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.

Where is Lee Harvy Oswald? by Bushido+Hacks · 2006-07-04 17:38 · Score: 1

John Kennedy of the IFPI. Insert JFK reference if you have any.

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The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.

Too bad you don't need the + signs by Anonymous Coward · 2006-07-05 04:28 · Score: 0

Why put them in???????

Slashdot Mirror

Music Industry Prepares to Sue Yahoo China

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