Now that the Pirate Bay has run out of appeals, it owes about €550,000 to various record labels. If the labels ever collect, their plan is not to pay back the artists who lost the profits that, in theory, add up to about €550,000. Nope, “there is an agreement that any recovered funds will be paid to IFPI Sweden and IFPI London for use in future anti-piracy activities.”
Fortunately, the Pirate Bay wasn’t making much money from all that piracy, so there is little chance the judgment will ever be paid:
So far very little has been recovered as the individuals have no traceable assets in Sweden and the Enforcement Agency has no powers to investigate outside Sweden. There seems little realistic prospect of recovering funds
Anyway, it’s not like the labels need any encouragement — financial or otherwise — to keep redirecting artist’s money to lawyers.
by Guest on July 27, 2012
Guest post by Aaron Hall.
Minnesota consumers can now bring more cases to conciliation court, and many see this as good news. Unlike regular district court, conciliation court was created to handle “small claims” with relaxed rules and procedures so people don’t need to hire an attorney.
Read More ⇒
by Guest on July 26, 2012
Guest post by Nussin S. Fogel.
Gangs across the country are finding white collar crime much easier than dealing drugs on street corners: they’ve learned how to profit from identity theft and tax fraud.
Florida is ground zero for the crime, but the problem is growing throughout the US.
Read More ⇒
At Speak for We, housing advocate Michael Dahl writes passionately about Minnesota and national housing issues. I’ve known Michael since he was Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, and worked with him while he was Public Policy Director at HOME Line. He is a true advocate for the homeless and for affordable housing, and Speak for We is his outlet.
When Michael left HOME Line, he started Speak for We as a way to get his message out to a larger community. In addition to writing about housing, homelessness, and advocacy, Michael maintains “Hashtag Central” to monitor social justice conversations on Twitter, and his “Talk About Home” video project includes interviews of people on the street, advocates, and community leaders.
Check it out.
Buying a new car isn’t my idea of a smart financial decision, but if you insist, there are a few things you should be sure to ask before you sign anything. Jalopnik asked its readers for suggestions, and picked the top ten. Here are the first five:
- How much is the car after fees and licensing?
- What’s the warranty coverage? Are there any perks like free maintenance?
- Has the car been damaged?
- Can I have a test drive?
- Is that [price] the best you can do?
Read Ten Important Questions To Ask When Buying A New Car at Jalopnik for the full list.
(photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27889738@N07/6959019615/)
Jeff Sovern thinks the new CFPB mortgage disclosure forms will help prevent the next housing meltdown:
THIS month the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed new rules to clarify the terms of housing loans for millions of homeowners. This sounds like a minor improvement, but in fact it’s a significant step toward preventing another subprime disaster.
Read Help for the Perplexed Home Buyer at the New York Times.
