Let the ISPs pay

Canada`s songwriters have sought to force Internet service providers (ISPs) to pay for their users` music downloading habits in a case that could generate millions of dollars in music royalties, reports AP.

In the case that Canada`s Supreme Court heard yesterday, the 70 000-member Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada also wants to extend the nation`s copyright law beyond its borders by applying it to offshore Web sites that serve Canadians.

Despite bad press for turning on its customers, the recording industry has said it would sue 41 more illegal music downloaders, reports USA Today. Another 90 people were warned of pending copyright-infringement lawsuits.

Since September, the industry has sued 341 US consumers in a bid to stem the tide of online music piracy, which the industry blames for a 31% drop in music sales over three years.

Although the number of WiFi-enabled devices is steadily growing, Cisco Systems has said the technology needs a few nudges to push it into ubiquity.

In his keynote address at the WiFi Planet Fall 2003 Conference and Expo, reports eWeek, the company said on the client side, WiFi has won the war. Research predicted that by 2005, 80% of all laptops would be wireless-enabled. Now, Nye said, enterprises and infrastructure providers have to build out wireless networks in companies and in public venues, allowing workers 24-by-7 access to the Internet.

Microsoft yesterday debuted its new, streamlined intellectual property (IP) licensing strategy with the announcement that it is now offering its file allocation table file system and ClearType font-rendering technologies to any interested licensees.

At the same time, reports eWeek, the company also launched a one-stop IP licensing Web site, where it displays the various software and specifications it is offering to license under various royalty- and royalty-free plans.