Re-digi, the controversial online service that allows consumers to sell their unwanted digital music files, is going to launch in Europe. Despite many fearing the service would run out of funding after EMI's Capitol Records launched a legal challenge to the service in the USA, it seems Re-digi's CEO John Ossenmacher is not only fully convinced of the legality of the service in the US under the 'first sale' doctrine, but no doubt cheered up by the European Court of Justice's ruling in Oracle v Usedsoft, is confident the service will be found to be legal in European jurisdictions. ReDigi asks users to download proprietary software, which verifies if a file was bought legally. If the song checks out, it is then erased from the seller's hard drive and uploaded to ReDigi's computer servers for onward sale as a 'used' second hand file.
Also launching is Kim Dotcom's new MEGA cloud locker service. The big innovation with Mega V2 is that files uploaded to the storage platform are automatically encrypted 'on-the-fly', with only the customer receiving the unlock code with the stated purpose of giving users privacy with Dotcom saying "this means when you transfer data anyone sitting on that line will get nothing as it is all scrambled and impossible to decrypt without your key. This is going to take encryption to the mainstream" although the encryption regime is expected to be used as a defence against any claims against the Mega service for user's copyright violations - as the service will be blind to any infringements.
Here are two questions for our esteemed readers, and if anyone is minded to respond, answers, on a postcard please, to our comments section on this Blog.
Question one is this:
Is Kim 'Dotcom' Schmitz an anagram of 'Blind Zombie Ostrich'.
Why do I ask? Well, before move onto question two, we need to look at some background.
Schmitz is the large framed MegaUpload boss currently living in New Zealand hoping to avoid extradition to the United States on copyright infringement charges (along with charges of money laundering). He is fighting the extradition.
Now Schmitz, and his business partner Mathias Ortmann, have been talking to Wired about their plans for a new file-transfer platform to replace MegaUpload. In a blinding flash of inspiration, the new file transfer platform is just called 'Mega' and here's the really 'clever' bit - it will include new technology that will automatically encrypt any file a user uploads to the system - and that user will be given a unique key code for each file uploaded, and only someone with that code will be able to access the content that has been stored on the Mega server.
So - no one at Mega can see the file or its contents. Brilliant! Its a real 'mere conduit' - Mega really will just be the postman - they can't look at the files being transferred or swapped because they have all been locked in bomb proof boxes (provided by Mega of course) and only the users have the keys (errrm, provided by Mega). Probably.
Ortmann is of the learned opinion that the encryption will protect the Mega's business from any liability for copyright infringement, contributory or otherwise, because there is no way their platform could know what is stored and swapped on its service and (multi jurisdictional servers) and it would be entirely the liability of users if, say, they were swapping or distributing unlicensed music or movie files. Really? A real 'safe harbour' ? A bona fide DCMA "get out of jail free" card?
So Question Two is this: Is the Blind Zombie Ostrich plan just the best business plan you have ever read? And does it defeat any qualms rights owners and the content industries might have about the service set up by Mssrs Dotcom and Ortmann? Will it soar like a golden eagle? Or is it just another turkey? Or are we in cloud cloud cuckoo land (excuse the digi-pun)? Or is it al a bit bird brained?
Over to you! And the answer to question one is NO!
More on MegaBox - another of Mr Dotcom's new ideas here
In other news, The Pirate Bay have announced that they will be moving their entire operation to the cloud, one can only presume to be free of those annoying raids by local law enforcement agencies who seize servers. Mega will have servers in at least two separate countries to maintain a continuity of service, in case one country's legal system goes 'completely berserk'.
http://torrentfreak.com/new-megaupload-will-deflect-copyright-liability-and-become-raid-proof-121018/
My thanks to the ever wonderful CMU Daily for alerting me to this whacky wheeze.
