Tech news updates: Android, FTC spam and RealDVD
By John Lister
Several of the issues I’ve covered in recent weeks have had developments which are worthy of note. Here are some updates on the Android system, the FTC’s war on spam, and the dispute over DVD copying software.
Yesterday I covered the official launch of Google’s Android operating system for mobile phones and other handheld devices. Today the firm officially launched ‘Android Market’, its version of the iPhone Apps store. At the moment the 50+ applications are all free, though paid downloads will be possible next year. At that point independent developers will get 70% of revenues on their applications, the same proportion that Apple offers.
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission proudly announced it had obtained injunctions to shut down a major spam ring. Unfortunately a security firm owned by Cisco has now reported that the injunction appears to have had no discernible effect on spam levels. There are some theories that the individuals hit by the FTC swoop have passed control over to other associates, though it may simply be that the distribution network for the spam is so automated it can carry on for some time without human supervision.
While the lawsuits between the movie industry and Real Networks over the legality of the RealDVD disc copying software continue to work their way through the legal system, there’s some debate over the motives behind the legal action. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group promoting free speech online, claims the easy access to clearly illegal DVD-ripping software online means suing RealNetworks won’t do much to prevent piracy.
Instead it argues the Movie Picture Association of America is taking the action to protect its control over technological innovations which work with movie content. The MPAA denies this and says it is continually working to provide more legal methods for distributing video content, pointing to the success of Hulu, a streaming site backed by NBC and News Corporation.
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