Dr. Dre Debuts Detox In A Dr. Pepper Commercial; In Other News, Da Brat Was Seen Picking Up Empty Soda Cans On A Highway

By Brom on May 28 2009

It seems as if having millions of dollars in one’s bank account (thanks to a successful music career) does not quite prevent you from bouts of uncontrollable rage. Recently Kanye West got seriously pissed at a few twitterers who were pretending to be him on everyone’s favorite micro-blogging service. Now Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has taken the war on everything-internet-related to the next level by attempting to sue some anonymous bloggers who were impersonating him. The Judge dismissed the case since... eh, well... as nobody knew who these bloggers were, they naturally didn’t bother showing up in court (how funny would it be if one of them actually did though).

Sure, I guess most people would get annoyed at others spreading false rumors, unsubstantiated “facts,” and commenting on your mother who passed away last year, but Steven, dude, we’re talking about the fucking internet here. I get all kinds of abuse sent to my inbox as a result of writing for TMT, which I simply laugh off in the knowledge that as a TMT writer I am better than every other person who dares to venture online. As a global megastar, Mr. Tyler, I think you’ve got better things to do than waste time taking a few morons to court because they weren’t very nice on the internet. Maybe soothe your rage in your own personal Jacuzzi, sleep with your gorgeous girlfriend, or get started making a new Aerosmith album. Just sayin’...

By Brom on May 28 2009

Record companies love to sue! There’s nothing quite like cornering some dastardly file-sharer with a class-action lawsuit. However, it seems that the Dutch have got pretty well fed up with the labels’ lawyers taking the world and his wife to court every time an illegal download is made. The Usenet site FTD.nu is suing BREIN, the Dutch equivalent of the RIAA, arguing that "FTD only facilitates communication between people who quite legally download from Usenet. FTD does not facilitate or carry out any upload and therefore can not be held liable.” (via hypebot)

FTD have asked the court in the Netherlands to clarify a number of points, including the idea that downloading is legal even where copyrighted material is the subject of the download and that revealing content to users on Usenet via FTD is legal without the permission of copyright holders. I can already see label executives shuddering at the thought that the court might rule in favor of FTD. Maybe they shouldn’t have been so aggressive with their never-ending lawsuits.