Boy Scouts take on DVD pirates

Their motto is 'Be Prepared' and soon the Los Angeles Boy Scouts will be prepared to lecture their peers on the evils of buying bootleg DVDs. The Motion Picture Association of America is rolling out a scheme that will allow them to qualify for a 'Respect Copyrights' patch. The curriculum is designed to teach participants about copyright theft and various forms of piracy and how to identify counterfeit CDs/DVDs. ...more

Internet Explorer 6 Beta released

For those of you waiting for the next release of Microsoft's Internet browser, you can now download the public beta version. Internet Explorer 6 is based on a set of core technologies in Windows XP and has been slightly tweaked with the XP operating system in mind. The application features integrated instant messaging, media playback and automatic picture resizing. ...more

Universal digitises back catalogue

Universal Music Group has announced it will digitally encode much of its music titles so they can be downloaded or accessed via the Net. In a move similar to ones already made by Sony and EMI, Universal will encode its back catalogue so that third-party distributors can offer personalised music collection services, similar to the My MP3.com service that landed the site in trouble with Universal earlier this month. ...more

US politicians lean on spam to promote campaigns

As the fate of US politics spins out in the mid-term elections, security specialist Sophos notes that campaigners are going to extraordinary lengths to boost turnout at the polls. Even inanimate objects are being urged to take part. So zealous have the parties been on the campaign trail that Sophos's network of honeypot servers, designed as easy prey for virus writers and spammers to provide the company with a snapshot of malicious online activity, have been sent emails supporting both the Republican and Democrat camps. ...more

The spy lurking in Apple's 'DRM-free' music

Apple's so-called 'DRM-free' music tracks are actually embedded with the name and account details of the person who downloaded the track. The company released a selection of the 'iTunes Plus' albums as part of an iTunes update yesterday. The AAC audio files can be freely moved from PC-to-PC or to any compatible digital music player. ...more