Turn the LAMP Down Low......

Two heroic MIT students set their sights on offering students on campus a secure and copyright infringement free way of listening to music with download capabilities disabled. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? I guess all you’ll need now is a some corporate exec’s to pull a fast one to make your plans turn sour? Read on……

Students Keith Winstein and Josh Mandel had negotiated a deal through Seattle WA based Loudeye to purchase thousands of MP3 tracks for use on their newly developed LAMP (Library Access to Music) system. Soon after Mondays launch, with music being pumped campus wide via the television cable, the LAMP lights were shut down by MIT over disputes with Loudeye and other agencies who claimed that the licenses were not valid at this point.

Although they are experiencing a temporary setback with the launch of LAMP the MIT students say they are committed to moving forward in developing a fully licensed service. Their plans also include making such systems available to other schools to give music access to students. Read the full story HERE.

A smooth sea never made a great sailor, so the saying goes, but I guess we can all expect a lot of guff and corporate chicanery when it comes to the media revolution that will happen regardless of their endless streams of lawyers and ill gotten gain. Just when you think your ducks are in a row the game board can magically morph beneath your feet when your playing with the boys at the top. Loudeye, the ‘middle child’ in this little skirmish, gets to point fingers both ways when they are the ones who offered the goods for sale? Gimme a break!

Three cheers to MIT and the two students heading up LAMP! You have to give these guys a big pat on the back for playing the game in a legitimate manner and holding their heads high. There may have been legitimate confusion about the licensure on the part of Loudeye but at least admit that you were in error! This epidemic of the corporate sector and their slippery means of avoiding personal responsibility needs to come to a halt.

Turn the LAMP back on!

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
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