Virgin warns illegal downloaders: stop or face prosecution
The age of illegal music downloads could soon be over. The UKs largest provider of home broadband is to warn internet users building up vast libraries of music that they could be prosecuted.
From next week, Virgin Media will send letters to thousands of households where music is either being downloaded or illegally shared. Many of the recipients are likely to be the unsuspecting parents of teenagers who hoard free downloads offered by file-sharing services. Research shows the majority of them are unaware their children are breaking the law.
The campaign is a joint venture between Virgin Media and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents the major record labels. The BPI ultimately wants internet companies to implement a "three strikes and out" rule to warn and ultimately disconnect the estimated 6.5 million customers whose accounts are used for regular criminal activity.
Geoff Taylor, the chief executive of BPI, said the partnership between ISPs and his industry needed to flower, adding that the deal with Virgin was a "significant first illustration of this".
"Virgin Media is the first ISP to publicly address the problem. It is a socially responsible ISP and I think other ISPs will look at this and see progress. I am very encouraged they have engaged with us. They understand the rights of musicians," he said.
"Education is the absolute key to reducing the amount of illegal downloading ... new partnerships with ISPs can help build an internet in which music is properly valued."
Virgin has stopped short of threatening any of its 3.5 million subscribers with disconnection, saying it first wants to "educate" customers during a 10-week trial campaign. Their letters will, however, be accompanied by a stern written warning from the BPI, which will threaten both disconnection and a court appearance for those who continue to download illegally.
Campaigns in the US and France have increased the pressure on the Government to act. The Business minister, Shriti Vadera, said: "This is a very welcome first step ... to educate consumers about unlawful file sharing, which damages our vibrant economy."
There remain major sticking points on the implementation of the law, however. These include uncertainty over precisely who will arbitrate disputes ? for example when customers claim to have been victims of "wi-fi piggybacking" in which users link up to a paid-for wireless network that is not their own.
File-sharing and the law
*If you use peer-to-peer applications to copy or distribute copyrighted material such as music, films and software, and do so without paying royalties, you are almost certainly infringing the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Internet service providers bear no liability for illegal file sharing because the content is not hosted on their servers. Although such files may be transmitted across an ISP network, ISPs are "mere conduits" of information, as per the E-Commerce Regulations 2002.
2008 06 07 15:34:31
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Blood on Paper: the Art of the Book, V&A, London
When words and images slug it out, the best result is a draw
In 1975, Tom Wolfe published an essay called The Painted Word in which he argued that art theorising had taken over from art-making as the visual pursuit of our day. Where theorists once applied themselves to artworks, the reverse was now true. In a time when art schools are departments of universities and award degrees like any other discipline, artists start with a Big Idea and work backwards. Their art is shaped ? the material in which they shape it is immaterial ? to fit their concept.
So the underlying premise of the V&As show Blood on Paper is more complex than it sounds. Artists have worked on (and with and from) books for ever, but the battle between word and image has never been pitched as now. In the 19th century, the big threat to image-making was the photograph. Since the mid-20th century, it has been the word. This means the 60 art books in Blood on Paper are not the simple homage of one creative form to another you might have thought. All kinds of struggles are going on in the V&As show, between seeing and reading, intuiting and understanding, between literature and art.
At the traditional end of the scale are the livres dartistes of painters including Picasso and Matisse. Works such as Matisses Swimmer in a Tank, from his 1947 artists book Jazz, are, in effect, fine prints that happen to be fine-bound. This certainly allows for a different use from traditional prints ? like travelling altarpieces, livres dartistes make art portable ? but cannot be said to engage with the book-ness of books in the way that, say, Ed Ruschas Twentysix Gasoline Stations does.
Published in 1962, Ruschas mini-masterpiece is just what it says: a series of photographs of American petrol stations, sold at supermarket checkouts at a dollar a time. This, intentionally, pitched Twentysix Gasoline Stations mid-way between Matisse and the National Enquirer. Art (and, by extraction, artists books) are elitist; supermarket paperbacks are not. But what of a work that combines all of these things?
Thirty years later, Jeff Koons raises the same question in his Jeff Koons Handbook. You might see Koonss book as the central text to this show, an artist writing a guide to his own work hinting at variously subversive things about contemporary art. Word-based artists such as Fiona Banner agonise over the battle between the visual and the literary by painting words on canvas. Koons, as ever, goes one better by telling the viewer what to think outright. If Ruschas photo-book is a penny dreadful, Koonss handbook is a self-help guide. Give readers the theoretical background to your art, and its mysteries will be revealed ? a piece of faux-disingenuousness that suggests the relative importance of theory and making in our day.
It sounds carping to say that Blood on Paper could have done with tighter curating, that more might have been made of context. Sol LeWitts take on Borgess Ficciones, say, is more interesting if you see LeWitt as a patriarch of the word-art crossover. Forty years ago, the American started getting gallery assistants to make his murals for him, issuing them with instructions ? "A line not straight corner to corner" ? jotted down on scraps of paper. It marked an epochal shift in modern art, the moment when words won out over images. As LeWitt chillingly put it, "The execution [of an artwork] is a perfunctory affair. The idea is the machine that makes the art."
Seen in this way, the mooted death of the book at the hands of computers might be expected to fill artists with glee, and Charles Sandisons Carmina Figurata does feel quietly gleeful. A flickering dado of Powerpoint words, the work takes its title from concrete poetry ? one of those rare moments where images shape literature rather than the other way round. Freed from bindings and covers, Sandisons "book" changes shape and meaning with equal alacrity. It suggests a time when words and images may be friends again, when neither will threaten the other.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7 (020-7942 2000) to 29 June
2008 05 04 04:05:29
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Zeitgeist's guide to love, sex, cars, war and lobster thermidor
The world is big, complicated, and frequently confusing - so its not surprising that we all need a bit of guidance from time to time. But where can we turn for the essential information to steer us through? The American satirist Evan Eisenberg believe she has the solution: a guide to the important stuff thats as easy to follow as a restaurant review. Read it, and youll be dining out on his advice in no time... Key (all marks out of 30)
F = food
D = decor
S = service (marks out of 30)
C = cost (I = inexpensive, M = moderate, E = expensive, VE = very
expensive)
Childhood
F: 15, D = 24, S= 25, C = M
"Fresh", "glistening", "ever-changing" fare and "whimsical", "primary-coloured" surroundings make this a place "everyone should try at least once", even if you "walk out several sizes larger than you walked in". Diners are divided on the "menu-less" approach, with some finding it "comforting" while others bridle at the staffs "condescending", "paternalistic" attitude and warn that if you "dont eat your vegetables" you can "forget about dessert".
Adolescence
F = 19, D = 13, S = 7, C = M
You may feel youre "trapped in a Python gag" at this "schizophrenically retro-futuristic diner" where patrons are handed two "salivation-triggering" menus and then, when they try to order, are "told its too late for breakfast and too early for lunch". On the plus side, "brain-shattering" music and troupes of "strolling tattoo artists and body piercers" will help you vent your frustration while you wait.
Love
F = 23 D = 24 S = 15 C = VE
"Book far in advance" for this "once-in-a-lifetime experience" – and even then the hostess may "conveniently lose" your reservation if she "doesnt like your looks". Opinions are violently divided, with some calling the fare and ambience "sublime" while others find them "horribly disappointing" and "as pleasant as a kick in the stomach". Most agree that repeat visits "bring diminishing returns" and that customers are unlikely to recover the "thrill" of "that first fine careless pig-out", a euphoria that tends to "evaporate when the bill arrives".
Sex
F = 17 D = 12 S = 19 C = M
"If you cant get into Love", check out its "downscale sibling", where the fare is "sometimes sub-par" but "service is way faster". Devotees say the "cheap but addictive" menu really "hits the spot" while dissenters warn that "satisfaction is not guaranteed". The establishments cleanliness is "several blocks from Godliness", they say, and wonder if "a call to the Board of Health may not be in order". But even the most sceptical admit that "as empty calories go, these dishes totally rock".
Marriage
F = 6 D = 17 S = 15 C = E
"Not a good place for blind dates" is the word on this bondage-themed eatery where, on arrival, your waiter "chains you to your seat" and "hands the key to your dining partner". This "truly sick gimmick" might be bearable if the menu "sustained its early promise"; instead, "sexy", "highly-spiced" appetisers give way to "overdressed" salads, "ho-hum" main courses and desserts that are "not worth the chewing, never mind the calories". Add "yowling tots and pouting teens" to the "Orton-meets-Beckett vibe" and you can only "marvel that the place is always packed".
Parenthood
F = 23 D = 17 S = 9 C = VE
You can "satisfy your cuteness pangs" at this "intimate" yet "dramatic" sushi bar, where the noise level is "10 decibels beyond unbearable". The "pint-sized samurai" behind the bar, who are so adorable "they make your kitten look like Dick Cheney," seem "fresh off the boat", since "whatever you order, they blithely make something else", often "lopping off a finger or two" in the process. Customer comments ("Careful!" and "Did you wash your hands?") are met with "cherubic smiles" that will either "melt your heart" or "make you want wash the little bastards ears out with wasabi".
Capitalism
F = 16 D = 17 S = 15 C = M
Dont "bite the invisible hand that feeds you" at this City-style steak house where, instead of being "stuck with what you ordered", youre free to "buy, sell, and trade" dishes with other diners. Though fans praise the "maximally efficient" system, detractors note that some tables end up with "enough food to sink a freighter" while others are left with "breadsticks and a carnation". Comments on the quality of the food are scarce, with most patrons admitting that theyre "too busy buying and selling to notice".
Work
F = 12 D = 15 S = - C = -
The "food is awful" and "the portions are always too big" at this "ubiquitous", "impossible to avoid" self-service chain. The "gimmicky", "dimwitted" shackle-and-salad-bar set-up manages to combine "maximum effort" with "minimum choice". You can "spend the day there" and "still be hungry two minutes later" – and "in desperate need of a drink".
Taxes
F = 12 D = 13 S = 9 C = VE
The "tiresome" Wild West theme – waiters "in Jesse James get-up" take your money at gunpoint – "gets old pretty quickly", especially when they "dont bother taking your order". Some, however, find the predictability of the routine "as comforting as a hot bath", and point out that those who can "read the fine print" on the menu may find that "there can indeed be such a thing as a free lunch".
Travel
F = 20 D = 23 S = 12 C = VE
Those who enjoy "paying through the nose for a poke in the eye" flock to this far-flung chain, which "oddly enough, never seems to have a branch near home". The menus "variety is dizzying", but what with the "cramped seating", "long waits between courses" and a staff that "lacks basic communication skills", a meal here can be so gruelling that you walk out "feeling like you need a holiday".
Television
F = 12 D = 18 S = 27 C = I
A "richness of embarrassments" greets diners at this ubiquitous chain, where the "mind-bogglingly vast" menu offers, some allege, "3,000 names for the same three dishes". Handily covering "the main food groups: salt, grease and cheesecake", the fare "makes up in trashiness what it lacks in quality". Service is "attentive to a fault" – waiters "practically spoon-feed you" – yet so leisurely that by the time you leave, you might feel that "youve just squandered half your life".
The internet
F = 24 D = 22 S = 23 C = VE
Taking the "latest culinary craze" to its "illogical conclusion", this "über-hip" Iberian joint serves an "infinite variety of infinitely small" tapas, including such specialties as calfs neuron en croute and sardine corpuscle in aspic. Since it takes an infinitely long time to "amass so much as a morsel", addicted regulars may have discovered "a trendy way to starve to death".
Religion
F = 19 D = 20 S = 22 C = E
If you can "suspend disbelief" and buy in to the "somewhat far-fetched premise", youll love the "old-fashioned", "mind-etherising", "stick-to-your-synapses comfort food" at this "uptown stalwart". Fans praise the place as "friendly" and "great for kids", while critics complain that it "sells the sizzle, not the steak". In any case, its best to "watch your back": brawls break out "as regular as clockwork", as they have "since the dawn of civilisation".
Politics
F = 11 D = 13 S = 9 C = M
Menu options at this "raucous" yet "oddly compelling" bar and grill are so "reliably uninspiring" that many diners "dont bother ordering", preferring to just "eat whats put in front of them". Theyre here for the mud-wrestling floor show, which dissenters say "might be more appealing" if the "thong-clad" contestants were not, for the most part, "beer-bellied white males". Whatever your opinion, its "best not to sit too close to the pit".
War
F = 18 D = 7 S = 12 C = VE
Diners "fed up" with "long lines and snooty hostesses" like the "refreshingly direct" approach at this "crowd-pleasing", "meat and potatoes" eatery, where the only way to get a table is "brute force". Since the place is "pretty much totalled" every night, "not much eating gets done", but the proprietors seem to "rake in the dough" nonetheless.
Technology
F = - D = 22 S = 28 C = E
Though the menu "changes every five minutes" and each order comes out with "lots of side dishes you might not want", youll be reassured by the "eerily efficient" staff, who not only "anticipate needs you didnt know you had", but "take service to the next level" by eating your food for you. Between this and the "virtually virtual" decor, its sometimes hard to tell whether "youre actually there or just watching the place on a webcam".
Cars
F = - D = 1 S = 22 C = E
The "high-octane" fare at this "rapidly metastasising" franchise would give you "the thighs of an Iguanodon" if it was actually served to you, rather than "poured directly into a tank under your table". While some question whether this set-up justifies the "briskly accelerating" prices, most like the privacy afforded by "hermetically sealed" booths, which "prevent awkward contact" with other customers and are "individually climate-controlled" – a "godsend" given that the restaurant as a whole seems to get "stuffier with each visit".
Nature
F = 12 D = 29 S = 7 C = M
A restaurant where "birds fly around uncooked" hardly seems to be a "recipe for success, let alone hygiene", but this "seriously retro (think Palaeolithic)" place "makes the concept work". While some decry the "non-existent service", most praise the "breathtaking setting" and "daring" raw-food menu and swear that food "really does taste better" when youve "hunted and gathered it yourself". Though its huge popularity "practically screams expansion", just the opposite has happened, with the original "ginormous" premises shrinking to "storefront" size "faster than you can say Barret Homes".
Fame
F = 24 D = 21 S = 23 C = VE
Its a thrill "looking down on the great unwashed" from this "perch jutting over the sidewalk", but the glass floor means "youd better make sure your knickers are clean". The "rich" food, "glitzy, mirror-heavy" decor and "pounding" music are "fun for the first five minutes". With "attentive", even "fawning" service, its easy to forget that "that thing they want your autograph on is an Amex slip".
Ignorance
F = 15 D = 24 S = 25 C = VE
"Bliss doesnt begin to describe" the mood induced by this Texas-style barbecue joint, which remains "wildly popular" despite the "competitions best efforts". The menu of "deep-fried starch and charbroiled fat" is "the next best thing to anaesthesia"; just "make sure youre sitting down" when the bill arrives – easily arranged, since once you sink in to one of those "over-upholstered banquettes", you "may never rise again".
Wisdom
F = 25 D = 29 S = 7 C = VE
Despite the "baffling" menu and "near-random" correlation between "what you order and what youre served", the "serene", "upscale monastic" ambience seems to make diners "happy with whatever they get". Still, after waiting for what "feels like a lifetime" to get in, its "kind of a bummer" to find that "the place is practically empty" – and that you "barely have time for a nosh" before they close for the night.
Fantasy
F = 29 D = 29 S = 29 C = I
"Foodie porn" attains "the level of high art" at this "high-concept" eatery, where the "audition-seasoned" waiting staff describe the offerings of the day in "lurid", "jus-dripping" detail "not just before you order, but throughout your meal". While most diners wax lyrical about "out-of-belly experiences" with Lobster Thermidor and Selle de Veau à la Prince Orloff that represent a "mind-boggling value at this price point", a few cynics insist that their actual dinner "consisted of Ritz crackers and tap water".
Old age
F = 9 D = 11 S = 12 C = E
The "food is terrible" yet "people always want more" at this "terminally boring" coffee shop, which draws a crowd only because "it beats the alternatives in this neighbourhood"; "bland", "pre-chewed", "pablum-like" fare is exceeded in tedium only by the conversation, which "most diners have with themselves", and a "queue for the loo that stretches into the next parish"; despite service thats "quick to the point of giving you the bums rush", it always seems that "by the time the food arrives youve forgotten what you ordered" – not that it matters, since youre "busy remembering that omelette you had in Aix in 54".
Death
F = 14 D = 25 S = 12 C = I
Though its been around "seemingly forever", surprisingly few first-hand reports have come in on this "downtown (way downtown) institution"; some of those whove sampled it rave about the "ethereal decor" and "warm, subtly diffuse lighting" as you pass through the "dramatically dark", "tunnel-like" entrance. Staff "welcome you like an old friend" and its a great place for reunions with "folks you havent seen in years". Critics, though, find the place "stuffy and overheated" and warn that service is so "excruciatingly slow" that you "may start to wonder if youre ever getting out of there".
2008 04 21 11:56:45
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