Google dan Bing Akan Persulit Pencarian Situs Konten Bajakan

Perang melawan pembajakan seakan tidak ada ujungnya. Sejumlah situs torrent memang sudah berhasil diringkus, akan tetapi yang lain, termasuk halnya situs streaming ilegal, masih sangat mudah ditemukan di hasil pencarian Google. Ke depannya, situasinya mungkin akan sedikit berubah.

Belum lama ini, Google dan Bing telah menandatangani kesepakatan baru untuk mencegah pengguna internet mengunjungi situs-situs penyedia konten ilegal, berdasarkan hasil diskusinya dengan Intellectual Property Office di Inggris beserta sejumlah badan lainnya.

Dampak dari kesepakatan ini adalah, situs-situs penyedia konten bajakan tersebut akan lebih sulit ditemukan di Google maupun Bing. Kalau sebelum ini situs-situs tersebut akan muncul di halaman pertama hasil pencarian, nantinya Google dan Bing akan ‘menendang’ mereka lebih jauh, dan posisinya akan digantikan oleh situs-situs yang memang menyediakan konten terkait secara legal.

Tidak hanya demi kebaikan pemegang lisensi sekaligus kreator konten itu sendiri, keputusan ini juga diambil dengan alasan untuk melindungi keamanan pengguna di dunia digital. Seperti yang kita tahu, tidak sedikit situs-situs bajakan yang memang menjadi penyebar virus, malware, scam dan lain sebagainya.

Perlu dicatat, regulasi baru ini hanya berlaku di Inggris saja, dan rencananya akan dilaksanakan mulai musim panas mendatang. Kendati demikian, tentu saja masih ada kemungkinan Google dan Bing untuk melakukan hal yang sama di kawasan lain – kalau di Inggris bisa, kenapa negara lain tidak?

Sumber: Guardian. Gambar header: Pexels.

Laporan Kasus Pembajakan Sering Mangkrak, Bekraf Dirikan Satgas Pengaduan Pembajakan

Salah satu hal yang kini terus diupayakan oleh Badan Ekonomi Kreatif untuk melindungi produk kreatif dalam negeri ialah meminimalisir pembajakan. Dinilai langkah persuasif yang selama ini dilakukan, dengan mengadukan ke polisi, seringkali tak berkabar. Berusaha menanggulangi hal tersebut, Bekraf menginisiasi Satuan Tugas Penanganan Pengaduan Pembajakan Karya Musik dan Film. Continue reading Laporan Kasus Pembajakan Sering Mangkrak, Bekraf Dirikan Satgas Pengaduan Pembajakan

Argumen Mendukung Bisnis Streaming

Saya mendengar kalimat “Pemasukan dari bisnis streaming masih kecil” cukup sering belakangan ini, baik di lingkungan saya maupun di Internet. Dari penarikan katalog Taylor Swift secara kejam dari Spotify, pembelaan pemasukan streaming dari pendiri Spotify Daniel Ek, dan banyak contoh kasus lainnya, streaming dapat menjadi penyelamat industri musik, atau justru kejatuhannya, tergantung dari siapa yang Anda ajak bicara. Namun, dari sudut pandang industri, kontoversi seputar streaming musik mungkin telah dimulai sejak era Napster. Continue reading Argumen Mendukung Bisnis Streaming

Combating Piracy and Malware Through Application Stores

Having a platform-specific store for applications certainly is one way to reduce piracy as every downloaded app will be tied to a specific consumer account and will only work on computers or devices authorized to use that account. On top of that, if these stores employ gatekeepers, it will go a long way to ensure that the apps are not being used as trojan horses to launch hidden apps. This has been proven by Apple’s App Store for iOS and for OS X as well as Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store and Windows Store.

Continue reading Combating Piracy and Malware Through Application Stores

Microsoft Indonesia Raises Piracy Issues Again, Claims 100% of Pirated Software DVDs Contain Malware

On Wednesday Microsoft Indonesia released the finding of a Southeast Asia-wide forensic study into personal computers that have been installed with pirated software. Conducted in December 2012, the company found that nearly 70% of the computers and DVDs inspected have been infected with some sort of malware. This affects well known PC brands as well as self built computers.

Continue reading Microsoft Indonesia Raises Piracy Issues Again, Claims 100% of Pirated Software DVDs Contain Malware

[Music Monday] Revisiting Indonesia’s Copyright Law

Indonesia is a democratic country, at least by principle. Well, at least, the word “democratic” doesn’t come with quote marks anymore, as it did during the time of the New Order. Now, a democracy will either vote or discuss on everything, or appoint representatives to do all the voting and discussing, and thus deciding on whatever is going to be enacted into law, to be followed and safeguarded by the executive branch (just to remind you, this means the President and his government). Now what does this have to do with the digital music business? The law, that’s what.

Being basically a content-based business, the music industry is highly influenced by copyright laws – how the government sees the issue regarding copyright and how it thinks it is best implemented. And of the million things that need regulation in the country, Indonesia’s most recent copyright law was signed into law in 2002, under President Megawati Soekarnoputri. Albeit according to some still lacking in some areas, the upgraded legislation added some much-needed law protection for works of cinematography to computer programs, as the earlier version of the copyright law was signed into law in 1979.

Continue reading [Music Monday] Revisiting Indonesia’s Copyright Law

[Music Monday] Does The Average Consumer Care About Legal, Digital Music?

Before I go on with this article, let me be clear – most references are anecdotal; I don’t have a survey or research results to refer to, but I think this will ring true to most consumers of digital entertainment – not many of us, including me, think of the legal aspects of something we want to hear/view/play. Having worked in intellectual property based-industries for some time, I avoid pirated content and always try to find legal ways to get music, movies and software. Full disclosure – I’ve done my fair share of downloading and torrenting, and I often download TV shows that have not aired in Indonesia, and sometimes movies I missed watching in the cinema. I’m no saint.

I’ll admit that I avoid illegal music and software, because I know what goes on behind the scenes and how they make their money. I also feel less guilty (but guilty nonetheless) about downloading TV and movies because I also know how they actually make their money (and outside of the cinema, it’s based on upfront royalties, advertising revenue share, cable subscription share, and so on). I’ll probably write more on that later… but here’s the point: I happen to have insight into these industries. What of the average consumer who does not?

Continue reading [Music Monday] Does The Average Consumer Care About Legal, Digital Music?

The Drama Begins. Government Plans To Block 4Shared.

I’d knew this day would happen eventually, the day I fear the most. And yes, I am being dramatic when I have to say that Indonesian government through its minister of communication announces plans to block websites that distributes pirated music (MP3) files. Don’t get me wrong, I support this effort by the government to save Indonesian musicians, but when they announce to block sharing site 4shared, it’s a different story.

Quoted from Okezone while attending an event in Bandung, Minister of Communication and Informatics, Tifatul Sembiring states that the ministry haven’t blocked any site after the official initiative announcement a few weeks ago and that they’re focusing on blocking the big sites like 4shared.

Yes. 4shared.

Continue reading The Drama Begins. Government Plans To Block 4Shared.