Band Bandits Go Legit; Bookstore Becomes Backlot
Sometimes, the techie headlines of the day are so bizarre, we feel the need to lie down.
Go ahead, squeeze the Sharman: Sharman Networks, parent of file-sharing software Kazaa, has agreed to pay more than $115 million in restitution to record labels and a lesser, undisclosed amount to Hollywood's film studios.
And just as Kazaa is getting out of the illegal music and movie biz, Amazon.com announced it's getting into the legal movie business. In a first of its kind deal, the web superstore announced it's moving into film production. Amazon acquired the fearture film rights to Keith Donohue's "The Stolen Child." Interestingly, Amazon says it won't be financing the film. Instead, it plans to select a director and then send the creative package over to a Hollywood studio, presumably with free shipping if the director costs more than $25 dollars.