Big tech hits out at web-block case in the US – calls it SOPA by the back door
Remember that time Wikipedia went black – but then came back – having had SOPA rinsed out of town? Well, big tech in America has come together once again to speak out against the kind of proposed anti-piracy measures that motivated the Wiki blackout in 2012.

Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Yahoo! are amongst those who have signed a so called amicus brief submitted to the New York court that is considering legal action filed by the Motion Picture Association Of America, in which the Hollywood studios are seeking an injunction forcing third parties to block, remove links and stop providing any services to the copyright infringing MovieTube websites.

As you may remember, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and it's counterpart the Protect IP Act, were both proposed laws put before Congress in 2011 designed to combat online piracy. Key to the proposals was so called web-blocking, whereby the courts are empowered to issue orders forcing internet service providers to block access to copyright infringing websites.

Such web-blocking has since become a standard anti-piracy tactic in numerous other countries, especially in Europe, but both the basic concept and the specifics of SOPA and PIPA proved highly controversial when being considered in Washington. A day of high profile protests by big tech players, including the aforementioned Wikipedia blackout, basically killed the legislative proposals.

But, whereas in some countries web-blocking has been initiated by new laws, in some jurisdictions, including the UK, the content industries have successfully used existing copyright law to secure web-block injunctions.

In essence it's a jurisdiction point. A court is already empowered to order a copyright infringing operation be shut down, but if said operation sits outside the jurisdiction of the court such an order has little sway. Forcing ISPs to block access to the offending site is a happy compromise (or it would be, if the blockades weren't quite so easy for web users to circumvent).

Back in the US, movie industry trade group the MPAA has been busy investigating whether it too could secure a web-block injunction of sorts without any new laws needing to be passed. The MovieTube case is something of a test, and good set a bold precedent.

But Hollywood was never going to sneak this one through, and big tech has now sought to intervene, submitting a brief to the court despite not being an actual party to the litigation. They say that the injunction the MPAA requests is too wide-ranging, hinders the sometimes controversial safe harbours provided to tech companies in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and is basically SOPA by the back door.

The submission declares: "Plaintiffs now appear to be repackaging the excesses of SOPA into the All Writs Act. Indeed, the injunction proposed here would require the same online intermediaries targeted by SOPA to engage in the same kind of content and domain blocking that would have been required under SOPA had it been enacted".

It would be wrong for the courts to provide copyright owners with powers Congress rejected just three years ago, it adds: "The court should not allow intellectual property rightsholders to obtain through the existing statutes the very sort of third-party blocking orders that failed to gain legislative approval".

Web-blocking has proven controversial wherever specific laws have been introduced, most recently in Australia, with critics worrying that legitimate websites could face sanctions because of small-scale or inadvertent infringement.

Though in countries where web-blocking has become the norm, like the UK, targeted sites are clearly out right piracy operations, and the actual web-blocks issued have never actually caused much controversy. Indeed many European ISPs now seem to accept the blocks as routine, with a legal rep from Telefonica actually presenting web-blocks as a preferred anti-piracy method at a recent Music 4.5 event in London.

That said, as mentioned, just having ISPs block an infringing website is limited in its impact because it is so easy to circumvent the blockades. Rights owners would like to also force Google to stop listing blocked sites – and any proxies linking through to blocked sites – as part of the web-blocking process. But even in Europe moves in that direction are much more early days and could as yet prove controversial down the line. And one of the concerns about the MPAA's proposals is that they could go further than just forcing ISPs into action.

Though, even if the New York courts don't side with the MPAA on this one, the US government is likely to come under new pressure from the content industries over web-blocking in the coming years, as the web-blocks become the norm elsewhere.

America has a habit of stomping around the world ordering other governments to do more to protect intellectual property, but when it comes to web-blocking the US is getting behind. Even the Russian courts have just issued an injunction at the request of the Warner Bros movie studio to stop the unauthorised distribution of the recent 'Entourage' film, the first time a US company has directly utilised recently beefed up IP laws in Russia.

To that end, the American government would probably quite like it if the courts just set a nice precedent here that puts at least basic web-blocking in place without having to go through the messy process of a SOPA v2 debate on Capitol Hill. Though big tech isn't going to let this court case pass through unnoticed.

PIPCU hails success of its 'follow the money' anti-piracy work
The City Of London Police's IP Crime Unit - or PIPCU, if you insist - has hailed the success of its Operation Creative anti-piracy initiative, and in particular its efforts to stop companies placing ads on copyright infringing websites, through lobbying, education and an Infringing Website List.

The police unit says that there has been a 73% decrease in advertising from the UK's top ad spending companies on copyright infringing websites. The automotive, food, drink and real estate sectors have been most proactive so that, apparently, pretty much no advertising seeps through from them to piracy sites, even via ad networks where brands and their ad agencies traditionally had less day-to-day control over where their ads appeared.

Operation Creative was part of the 'follow the money' approach to combating piracy promoted by former MP and IP Advisor to David Cameron, Mike Weatherly. Though stopping ads from big brands from landing on piracy sites is not just about cutting off the pirates' income (given less legit advertisers likely continue to fill those ad spots), but also because of concerns that big brand ads give illegal sites the look of legitimacy.

Responding to the new stats brag from PIPCU, the government's IP Minister Lucy Neville-Rolfe said this morning: "The government takes copyright infringement extremely seriously - it hurts businesses, consumers and the wider economy. The results of Operation Creative show what can be achieved when enforcement agencies, industry and government work together. I am delighted PIPCU are clamping down on advertising on copyright infringing sites, protecting our industries and consumers from online crime".

Meanwhile, John Hodge from the Copyright Protection Unit at record industry trade group the BPI had this to say: "Advertising on pirate sites is an income stream for those acting unlawfully and helps to fuel millions of pounds of illegal activity on the internet. The growth and expansion of Operation Creative into a range of sectors, including the recently-formed partnership with the Gambling Commission driven forward by BPI, demonstrates how the initiative is resonating with legitimate household brands".

He went on: "These brands have no desire to see their name appear on sites that harm or defraud customers, fund criminal activity and support the illegal distribution of valued content such as music. We hope more brands will come forward to use the updated Infringing Website List being launched today – and we'd urge all music fans and consumers to take care when downloading, streaming or purchasing music online".

Data firm to utilise new blockchain platform to test rights management capabilities
Following all the chitter chatter of late amongst the chittering chattering chitter chatters about the bloody big blockchain and its potential as a tool for distributing copyright data and music royalties, an Israeli company has announced it is making a platform that uses blockchain technology available to developers looking to create such products.

The company is called Colu, and it says that it has built a platform "based on blockchain technology which for the first time can be used by developers and consumers with little to no bitcoin knowledge to build and exchange digital assets for everything from the financial industry (shares, bonds, stocks) and records (certificates, copyrights, documentation) to ownership (event tickets, vouchers, gift cards)"

Blockchain technology, as there noted, drives virtual currency Bitcoin, but, everyone reckons, could be put to many other uses too, including to manage music data and digital income. And the previously reported start-up data firm Revelator, also based out of Israel, is already partnering with Colu to build a rights management API.

Says Revelator's Bruno Guez: "We are very excited about the potential for Colu's platform to simplify the management of music rights, starting with those associated with songwriters and their compositions. Colu has made the complex technology of the blockchain accessible for integrations into platforms like ours, and we're looking forward to exploring all the ways it can improve service to our clients".

Of course, since the recent Berklee College report on digital music proposed blockchain technologies as a possible solution to the music industry's data and royalty challenges, plenty of people have laid in with a list of reasons why it couldn't work, not least a reluctance by rights owners to publish complete copyright ownership data, and the fact that the specifics of how royalty income is divided between stakeholders are contained in confidential contracts.

But nevertheless, while all that could stop even the best blockchain solution from becoming a one-stop-shop data and royalty distribution network for this brave new world of music, this approach could still help overcome some of the current issues in the way digital music usage is identified, reported and invoiced.

Physical products still in decline, but decline still declining
Got time for a quick dip into recent figures published by retail obsessives Kantar Worldpanel on the state of entertainment retail in the UK?

Sales of physical CDs, DVDs and games are, of course, still in decline, but that decline continues to slow. So, according to Kantar, while physical product sales were down 3% in the last quarter, that compares to a 7% decline in the same period last year.

Certain retailers had a particularly good quarter in the wider entertainment retail space, including Tesco, GAME, Argos and Amazon, though mainly in the gaming and especially DVD space. On the music side, HMV is fairing better than most, hence all its recent bragging.

So basically, while it's still in terminal decline, for all your talk of streams and on-demand and apps and whatnot, the CD and DVD market is still holding up OK for now.

More Momentum mular meted out
So who, we're all wondering - aren't we? are we? I think we are – who, you're all saying - aren't you? are you? I think you are – who, you're all demanding, with increased volume, as this sentence starts to run on at length going nowhere fast, who are the bands getting funding from the Momentum Music initiative. Ah, Momentum grants. You should have said. We could have got to this list way quicker than that.

So yes, here are the artists getting a little bag of cash from the Arts Council England-funded, PRS For Music Foundation-organised, Spotify-supported Momentum Music Fund. And do read the list in its entirety won't you? Including the bits that tell you what they're getting the money for. It took me ages to format it. Please don't put tabs in press releases. And if everyone could just adopt the CMU Style Guide, that would be great.

We do actually have a CMU Style Guide, by the way. It says, for example, "companies are always referred to in the singular, except CMU which can be described as 'we', because it makes us sound nice and friendly, not like those other corporate fuck faces". Perhaps we'll publish it, then everyone can start writing their press releases right.

Anyway, recently momentumised artists...

Ben Khan - touring
Bill Ryder-Jones - touring
FARAO - marketing
Francis Lung - mastering, marketing two EPs and touring
Kate Simko & London Electric Orchestra - EP marketing and recording debut album
Little Simz - mastering & marketing of debut album & touring
Mo Kolours - mixing & mastering of 2nd album
Mr Bigz - recording & promotion of EP & touring
Silvastone - recording & marketing of EP & touring
Spring King - studio time, single release, marketing & touring
Telegram - recording, mixing & mastering of debut album
Victories At Sea - album marketing & tour
The Xcerts - recording of fourth album
XO - marketing & touring
YUNGEN - recording, marketing & production of EP
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:

There were some quotes to go with this story, but you having done all that waffling in the intro, there isn't time to include them. No one was "thrilled" though. Surprisingly. But one man was "delighted".

Creative agency WMA expands into the US market
London-based music marketing and creative agency WMA has announced it is open a new office over there in God darn New York, to be headed up by new appointee Kelly Ridgway, previously of Polydor and, more recently, Julian Casablancas's independent label Cult Records.

I know this because WMA's Seb Weller just told me. And his 'Weller' is the W of WMA. So I'm guessing he knows. Says Weller: "I'm delighted that we are now expanding our offering into the US market and that we have another fantastic executive joining the WMA team. Kelly brings with her a wealth of experience and a proven track record in delivering successful digital marketing campaigns in both the UK and US markets".

Rdio brings in radio, as Mixcloud considers live programmes
With everyone in the streaming music game busy adding content that isn't, you know, just boring old music, Rdio has announced it will be pulling 500 American radio stations into the mix for users Stateside.

And while those will be mainly music-orientated stations, they bring more traditional radio style content onto the platform, and there'll be some super sporty stuff on offer through the new radio channels too. Users listening to radio through the Rdio app will be able to like tracks and spin off playlists based on the shows they listen to.

The new venture extends the existing alliance between Rdio and America's second biggest AM/FM radio station operator Cumulus Media. And while this is a US-only initiative for now, the streaming music firm says it hopes to add something similar in other territories down the line. Though likely pulling in existing radio services, as with the Cumulus tie up, rather than going the Apple route of making its own radio station.

Says Rdio boss man bloke Anthony Bay: "We are committed to providing Rdio customers around the world with easy access to the audio content they want to hear through innovative features that enhance listening. Broadcast radio brands and talent continue to be the dominant tastemakers in music, so integrating live broadcast radio into Rdio's critically acclaimed customer experience is an exciting development that we are thrilled to introduce".

Elsewhere in 'I thought we were in the on-demand age what's all this live content nonsense?' news, Mixcloud has told Music Ally it is also considering a move into live streams. Mixcloud, of course, allows users to upload mixes, radio shows, podcasts and such like, with any music that features covered by the digital firm's music licenses. Single track uploads aren't allowed, making Mixcloud more like traditional radio than, say, SoundCloud. But on-demand radio.

Yet, says Mixcloud CEO Nikhil Shah to Music Ally: "You can't forget that radio is also live: people thrive on being part of the experience and part of the moment. [So live streams is] something we think about a lot, and it's on our roadmap: we do eventually want to have some features around live radio".

Warren G thinking of rerecording debut album to own the masters
Warren G, who has just released a new EP that is officially a sequel to his 1994 debut LP 'Regulate... G Funk Era', has said he plans to re-record the original record, so that he has ownership of a master recording of the album.

The 1994 longplayer was released and is still controlled by Def Jam – now a wholly owned Universal subsidiary of course – and G implies that efforts to reach a new deal with the major over that record have been unsuccessful. Hence him considering that old ruse of just re-recording the damn thing, thus creating a new set of masters, and a new copyright that he can own.

He told Billboard: "I'mma re-record it. I'm gonna do a re-recording of the whole album, so then I own my masters. Right now, Def Jam owns my masters. They don't want to give them back and I need to get them back because they been living off me for over 20 years".

Of course record contracts usually cover this ruse, and ban artists from re-recording works originally released by a label for a set time. It's not clear whether any such contractual restrictions did or still apply here.

He continues: "I just want to be able to get my music back in my possession. I could live off my own music. If they don't give them back to me, I'll re-record the whole album and then that's considered... I would own the masters of those master recordings. That would all be for me".

AIM announce nominees for this year's Independent Music Awards
So, if you woke up this morning with one very simple objective for your day - finding out who is nominated for an AIM Independent Music Award – well, blimey, look at this, you're day is now complete. You have our permission to knock off early. Go for a walk in the park. Feed some ducks. Maybe take in an art house movie and eat a big pie. Or just have a mid-afternoon snooze with the telly on mute. Or simply apply a big fat tick to your to do list of life. By which, I mean, here are the nominations for this year's AIM Independent Music Awards. Maybe write them all up on a post-it note.

Independent Label Of The Year: Epitaph Records, Erased Tapes Records, Heavenly Recordings, Planet Mu Records, Transgressive Records.

Best Small Label: Basick Records, Erased Tapes Records , High Focus Records, Planet Mu Records, Rocket Girl.

Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival: ArcTanGent, Barn On The Farm, Brainchild Festival, Pete The Monkey, Truck Festival.

Independent Track of the Year: Alt-J – Every Other Freckle, Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best, FKA twigs – Two Weeks, Jamie XX – Loud Places, LA Priest – Oino, Major Lazer – Lean On, Mogwai – Teenage Exorcists, Neck Deep – Can't Kick Up The Roots, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love, Wiley – On A Level.

Independent Album Of The Year: Bjork – Vulnicura, Enter Shikari – The Mindsweep, Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear, Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin, Jme – Integrity>,
The Bug – Angels & Devils, The Charlatans – Modern Nature, The Xcerts – There Is Only You, Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool, Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men Too.

Best Difficult Second Album: Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color, Holly Herndon – Platform, Nadine Shah – Fast Food, The 2 Bears – The Night is Young, Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men Too.

Special Catalogue Release of the Year: Cities Of Darkscorch boardgame, Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Inside the Pleasuredome, Bjork coloured vinyl catalogue reissue, The Pretty Things – Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky, Imogen Heap – Sparks (Deluxe Boxset), Oasis -(What's The Story) Morning Glory? reissue.

Independent Video Of The Year: Alt-J – Hunger Of The Pine; Flying Lotus – Never Catch Me; Ghostpoet – Sorry My Love, It's You Not Me; Ibeyi – River; Son Lux – Change Is Everything.

Best Live Act: All Time Low, Alt-J, Erasure, Thunder, To Kill a King, Twin Atlantic.

Independent Breakthrough Of The Year: Courtney Barnett, FKA Twigs, Run The Jewels, Songhoy Blues, Wolf Alice.

Most Played New Independent Act: FKA Twigs, Ghetts, Jungle,Ward Thomas.

Hardest Working Band/Artist: Courtney Barnett, Jme, Little Comets, Swans, Young Fathers.

Indie Champion: Camilla Pia, BBC 6Music; Marc Riley, BBC 6Music; Peter Guy, Getintothis; Rupert Morrison, The Drift Record Shop; Tim Burgess, songwriter and O Genesis Music Ltd.

Pioneer Award: Digby Pearson, Earache Records

Innovator Award: Peter Quicke, Matt Black and Jonathan More of Ninja Tune

Fart song amongst 120 songs banned by Chinese government
The Chinese government has published a new blacklist of songs that it wants off the internet with immediate effect. It includes the Chang Csun Yuk classic 'Fart' and its line "there are some people in the world who like farting while doing nothing". Which will be a blow to Zayn Malik who was planning on launching his international solo career with a cover of the song. Maybe.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the 120 blacklisted tunes "trumpeted obscenity, violence, crime or harmed social morality", and in doing so broke 'cultural management rules'. Websites receiving the notice are obliged to remove the listed songs or face "severe punishment".

Such backlists are not uncommon in China, of course, a list back in June targeted an assortment of Japanese manga cartoons and other online content that, it said, "encouraged juvenile delinquency, glorify violence and include sexual content".

I'd have a little rant about outrageous censorship here, though I am about to go on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe and argue that British radio should have banned 'Blurred Lines'. And the follow up show next year is set to call for an outlawing of all cultural references to farting.