Wednesday wonders

So many people have been emailing the IPKat about The Pirate Bay (see earlier posts here and here), either to inform him that the English translation is now available or to ask him what the bit about the drugs is all about, that he has been prodded into action.

Right: the IPKat listens to the translation from Swedish into his own native tongue via Meowlingual

The English translation is available from the IFPI website here. Hugo Cox (of instant 1709 Blog fame) got his message about it in first, but the IPKat's friend Geeklawyer -- who came a close second -- both emailed him the link and tweeted it in his alter ego as @geeklawyer. Thanks to you both!


Here are a few answers to FAQs about how the IPKat goes about his work, for the benefit of readers who often email him to ask. (i) The illustrations come from many sources -- readers' cat pics, illustrations in court judgments, Creative Commons and free-to-use art, public domain materials as well as items retrieved via an image search and which are used under "fair use" provisions as understood in the UK; (ii) News items come from many sources too. Apart from those he finds himself, stories arrive via readers' links, "inside stories", press releases and even Twitter; (iii) The IPKat prefers readers to post their comments as comments, rather than to write to him personally. This saves exchanges of correspondence as to whether the person

Left: if he is not to become extinct like the Tasmanian Tiger, the IPKat needs to become a protected species ...

commenting intends the Kats to share his information and as to whether the informant prefers anonymity or is happy to be attributed; (iv) The IPKat is happy to list forthcoming events and currently does so without any charge -- but it helps him greatly if whoever organises the event prepares a short summary that can easily be posted in the side bar rather than wait for him to read through a lengthy brochure in search of web addresses and contact details. Oh, and if a venue, a date or a weblink changes, please tell the Kat. He doesn't check each link daily to make sure it's in perfect working order and time spent in answering readers' queries about broken links etc is time taken away from regular blogging activities. Thanks for taking the time to read this ...


News of the Google Book Search plan to (i) emancipate the printed word from the shackles of obsolescent print and archaic information management practices or (ii) to mop up every item of print and monopolise it for a huge profit -- depending on your standpoint -- is coming thick and fast.

Right: no lover of Book Search, Fidel ("Puss in Books") prefers to visit real libraries. News item from BBC, hat-tip to Hector MacQueen

After yesterday's announcement that a New York Court had agreed that authors and copyright owners should have a further four months in which to opt into the scheme or reject it (see note here), it now seems that the US Justice Department has decided to investigate possible antitrust concerns (see bigmouthmedia here) raised by Google's agreement with the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and sundry other parties. The IPKat will be watching with interest.