Ruckus shuts down, USM student speaks out

Ruckus  officially shut down earlier this week, closing the door on what many university administrators saw as a solution to filesharing on campuses.  The service allowed students to access music online through temporary licenses.  While an alternative to what some have dubbed as "illegal filesharing," the program was full of problems.

Michael Castello, a student at UMBC and a member of the USM Student Council, has been working with UMBC and USM officials on this issue, recognizing that Ruckus is not a solution to the problem and that provisions targeting universities and college students for illegal filesharing is illegitimate.

Castello has developed into quite the expert and champion of the issue, and has recently been highlighted in a P2Pnet.net article .  I look forward to Michael posting on the Blog to tell us more.

USM Student Council Meeting 10/12 Meeting

The USM Student Council met Sunday 10/12. Council members considered a number of issues. Here is also my report, highlighting a number of pressing issues. Here is a highlight of the meeting:

• Election of Officers- David Walker (Bowie), Chair; Brady Walker (UB), Vice Chair; Scarlett Corso (UB) Secretary/Treasurer
• The Council discussed whether or not to take a position on the slots referendum, and ended up supporting the initiative 6-1-4. Leadership will draft a letter to the Chancellor to express the opinion of students.
• Brady Walker (UB) plans to develop a "platform" for the Council on various issues to enhance advocacy efforts.
• Michael Castello (UMBC) is working with Don Spicer and Andy Clark from the USM to proactively address issues on filesharing.
• The Council discussed issues of diversity and plans to research how campuses address diversity conflicts and what resources are available for students.
  

Here is a brief excerpt from my report, highlighting the current fiscal position for higher education in Maryland:

The Governor will propose mid-year budgets cuts (FY09) to higher education to the Board of Public Works this coming Wednesday, October 15. The Sun reported that cuts might amount to $30 million, with $10 million from the operating budget and $20 million from the general fund balance. The Governor aims to cut $423 million from this year’s budget on Wednesday to make up for lower than expected tax revenues. This cut could expand before Wednesday, and we might very well see more mid-year budget cuts down the line in FY09. The decision on the slots referendum will likely impact the Governor’s cuts in coming months.

Planning for the FY10 operating budget has begun. The Department of Budget and Management has planned for a 6.4% increase in state fund support and a 4% increase in tuition. These numbers will undoubtedly change in coming months as policymakers get a better handle of projected tax revenues.

Please post any comments or questions and I will be sure that I find you the answer.

Congress Kind of Saves Internet Radio

I don't know how many people use Pandora, but I find it to be an excellent music streaming service. It's an outgrowth of the Music Genome Project, an undertaking to figure out what properties link different kinds of music together to better understand both music and our genre tastes. The idea is pretty simple - put in an artist you like, and Pandora creates a radio station based around that and similar artists. If you like a song, they provide links to online stores like iTunes and Amazon so you can buy it. Seems like a pretty decent idea - allowing people to listen only to music they like while exposing them to new artists they might not otherwise have discovered. I know I've discovered a number of excellent artists this way.

Not content with the free promotion, the music industry has been trying to get Pandora to pay exorbitant royalty fees each time a song is played. Of course, with the number of songs a service like Pandora is playing at any given time, the costs quickly go through the roof. This demand from the music industry has threatened to kill Pandora and other similar music streaming services.

In an effort to save themselves, Pandora has been in negotiations with the music industry to pay not per-song royalties, but a percentage of their overall profits. It seems like a lousy deal, but it might just be enough to save the service. Unfortunately, the deadline to "pay up" was approaching faster than the talks, a plight that was recently delayed by an act of Congress. Far from settling anything, the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 gives them more time to reach a decision. Let's hope the music industry can stop shooting itself in the foot long enough to reach a deal with these valuable 21st century services. In the meantime, enjoy Pandora.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

"I've been following the developments of the ultra-secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement since this document leaked several months ago. This treaty represents an assemblage of the world's wealthiest countries getting together to fight a rampant problem - not public health, not rogue states, not even terrorism, but copyright infringement.

It has become clear that the term counterfeiting will not be restricted to physical goods, where cheap, inferior reproductions could cause harm to the unwitting end user, but instead expanded to target "internet distribution." To quote Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) counsel David Fewer,

“If Hollywood could order intellectual property laws for Christmas, what would they look like? This is pretty close.”

This agreement is slated to be fast-tracked with a goal of having it signed by the end of this year. Unfortunately, the entire process has remained shrouded in mystery with little public input on an issue that will assuredly affect them. It's time to end these kinds of one-sided debates.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a very informative page on the treaty as well as a means of contacting your senator - urge them to demand that this treaty be brought into the light so we can judge its contents."

[via Zwybak!]

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

Congress has come to agreement on the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. Among the highlights of the bill include Pell grant reform, textbook sale regulation, and illegal filesharing. An introductory conversation of the bill can be found at Inside Higher Ed.