Top Hollywood film studios failed in their attempt to stem the flow of illegal downloads when they lost a landmark appeal against an Australian internet provider.
A group of international and Australian companies, including Warner Bros, Disney and 20th Century Fox, alleged that iiNet authorised the infringement of their copyright when its customers downloaded movies and television programmes.
In a world-first judgement in 2010, Australia’s Federal Court ruled iiNet did not authorise the downloads or have the power to stop them.
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft had appealed, claiming it set a dangerous precedent that allowed internet companies to ignore copyright theft.
But in a serious blow to their fight against piracy it was thrown out by Australia’s highest court yesterday.
Zuma to wed for fourth time
South Africa’s polygamist President Jacob Zuma marries again this weekend, officially giving the country four first ladies and an even bigger protocol headache.
Durban-born businesswoman Bongi Ngema will tie the knot with Mr Zuma, 70, in his home village of Nkandla, in a traditional Zulu ceremony recognised under South Africa’s broad legal system.
This weekend will be his third marriage in four years, but details on his weddings, wives and 21 children are a closely guarded secret.
Berlusconi goes burlesque
Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said his wild parties were “burlesque contests,” as the former Italian PM made a first appearance at his trial for having sex with an underage prostitute.
The parties, one of which included strippers dressed up as nuns, were described by Berlusconi as “elegant dinners” characterised by an atmosphere of “joy, serenity and conviviality.”
He said that after dinner his female guests would then hold “burlesque contests and practised” with him in a discotheque in the villa.
The scandal-tainted billionaire, who stepped down in November, also defended himself against accusations from prosecutors that payments he made to three women due to testify at the trial could be a way to influence their testimony.
Archaeological sites dug up
Nearly 60 archaeological sites dating back 6,000 years have been unearthed during construction of a road near Rio, an archaeologist said.
“Last week, we found a small stone well dating back to the (Portuguese) colonial period with clear water and we stopped work,” said Jandira Neto, who led the 40-member team of the Brazilian Archaeology Institute (IAB) that made the discovery.
The archaeologists unearthed very old vestiges such as “sambaquis” (shell mounds) of the various population groups who were scattered along the coast of the Americas 8,000 to 6,000 years ago, 2,000-year-old burial urns and ceramic pipes of Tupi-Guarani indigenous people as well as 19th century European crockery.
“The relics pointed to overlapping habitation. This shows that the European settlers occupied the same areas as the indigenous people. They thought that, since people lived there, the land had to be good. They just seized indigenous lands and settled there,” she added.