New technology could help squelch digital music piracy

A group of technology companies is creating a set of industry standards that could help put digital piracy protections directly into portable disk drives as soon as this summer.

The plans are initially likely to affect removable data storage, such as Zip drives or the Flash memory cards used in MP3 players. But the standards could ultimately serve as a way to keep consumers from copying copyrighted files directly onto their hard drives, a daunting prospect for those who download music or videos from the Net though programs such as Napster or Gnutella.
Any hardware device that limits what consumers can do with their music or video files will face steep hurdles before being adopted. Previous devices with built-in copy protection have reached the market only to disappear under the weight of consumer indifference.

Current efforts are coming in two parts. An industry body that oversees hardware technologies is creating the new set of standards designed to let individual manufacturers add their own copy-protection schemes. Waiting in the wings to take advantage of the standards body's proposal is a specific technology jointly created by Intel, IBM, Matsushita Electric and Toshiba, dubbed Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM).
At least two big computer companies, IBM and SanDisk, are considering implementing CPRM, according to developers. If adopted widely, it and other hardware-based copy protection ideas stand a chance of easing fears among record labels and movie studios about selling content online.
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-250340.html

As we can see day by day the new technology is developing by new tools, and these new tool could be used in different ways. In this content the new technology helps digital piracy protection into portable disk drives. This thing is using for keeping consumer consumers from copying copyrighted files directly onto their hard drives, a daunting prospect for those who download music or videos from the Net though programs such as Napster or Gnutella. This is what we call it positive use from technology to help copyright and overcome the other side that provide easy way to copy things into flash memory cards, pen drives and so on. Also by this way any individual manufacturer can design its own protection schem.

Online music piracy 'destroys local music'

Countries like Spain run the risk of becoming "cultural deserts" because of online file-sharing, the music industry has claimed.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) says that global government legislation is essential to the sector's survival.
It cited Spain as an example of a country which does not have laws in place to prevent illegal downloads.
The sales of albums by local artists there have fallen by 65% in five years.
Federation chairman John Kennedy said the situation in Spain is now "almost irreversible".
Spain runs the risk of turning into a cultural desert," commented Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, at Universal Music Group.
Drastic action needs to be taken in order to save the Spanish music industry."
In a market that is "rigged by piracy" it is non-English language music which suffers the most when the music industry tightens its belt added Mr Kennedy.

This is because global stars such as Lady Gaga, who topped the digital download chart of 2009 with 9.8m downloads for her single Poker Face, are regarded as more secure investments

I think, that Music Piracy is wrong, but the question is who is wrong?. Is customer supposed to pay seversl times the logical price to be a legitimate buyer?. Music industry is to be questioned for how they justify the price of digital music sold on the net.
Networks such as internet always help industries to introduce their product better to customer and better support. This useful and efficient tool sometimes in some industries cause some bad things to happen one these industries is music industry and the bad thing which is threaten this industry is sharing music through internet by friends. It causes so many lost for producers because of this unlawful music sharing throughout the net. As it mentioned in case lots of local music produces get lost by this sharing through internet. It is better for all people to have better understanding to use such a network. May this unlawful usage damage the art and artistic music? It’s better to prevent this thing happen even protect damage!

Why is software piracy an important issue?

Piracy is not just a concern for software publishers; it also affects consumers and the economy as a whole. Both the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) and the Business Software Alliance (BSA) estimate that up to 40 percent of installed business software worldwide, and 23 percent in the U.S., is illegally copied. Software theft and its related effects -- including lost jobs, wages and tax revenues -- totaled an estimated $8.7 billion in the U.S. in 2002.

Although piracy has a negative effect on software industry and also economy in global basis it has some negative effect as well.
Other negative effects of piracy:

•Virus threats - When users install software from counterfeit CDs, they expose themselves to risks that such CDs might also contain other material, including potentially destructive material like computer viruses. Obviously there are no quality control guarantees when buying and using counterfeit CDs.
•Impact on research and development - Piracy undermines software companies' ability to invest in research and development, slowing the industry's ability to bring new and innovative solutions to consumers.
•Identity theft risks - Piracy can expose end-users to potential risks of identity theft if criminals who sell counterfeit software CDs obtain a buyer's name, address, credit card and other information during purchase.
•Support and maintenance - Piracy deprives consumers of the basic protections offered by properly licensed software like money-back guarantees, installation support, maintenance releases, and upgrade rebates.

http://about.intuit.com/piracy/