Who Knew?

B-Roll [May 19-20, 2009]

• Scribd, its confidence bolstered by the success of Amazon’s Kindle Store, announced its plans to launch a store with the texts its users submit. Unlike Amazon, Scribd will be giving authors 80% of revenue and the ability to set prices, as well as specify the DRM for their texts. Very cool.


• Google creates an algorithm that determines which of its employees are most likely to quit.


• YouTube is ordered to pay an initial settlement of $1.6 million to ASCAP to compensate songwriters for the music streamed in its videos. Ohhh, that impossible dream known as “financial solvency”…


• The Featured Artists Coalition (whose members include Radiohead and Iron Maiden) speak out against “three strikes” copyright infringement law (mandatory disconnection of a citizen’s Internet service after three accusations of online filesharing).