Suchergebnisse

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. On the Structures and Functions of Hacking -- 2. Hacking and Risk to Systems -- 3. The Political Economy of the Hack -- 4. Antihacking Law and Policy -- 5. Activism beyond Hacktivism -- Notes -- References -- Index

The Internet is often depicted as the ultimate arena for unfettered capitalism, erasing geographic boundaries and barriers to entry while providing a plethora of goods and services to consumers. This article traces how public and private reactions by the five major record companies to new Internet distribution technologies have undermined this popular myth. We use a political economic approach to examine the case of A&M Records et al. v. Napster, and discuss how this case underscores the importance of controlling the Internet as an entertainment distribution pipeline. Expressed concerns about piracy mask the actual intentions of the `Big Five' - control of all modes of distribution. The strength of the Big Five's cartel has a momentum of its own based in its market oligopoly, which has been secured through its ownership and management of intellectual property; through format changes and setting standards for other technologies; and through lobbying and legal activities.

SoundScan is an information technology that compiles point of purchase sales data for use in constructing recording popularity charts and other marketing purposes. Although it represents the first significant procedural change in compiling Billboard charts in decades, many of SoundScan's effects have not been assessed. SoundScan shifts chart emphasis from `leading' outlets to mass-market stores, and increases the marketing efficiency of companies that can afford its price. This in turn may strengthen market barriers for smaller companies and ultimately decrease the number of new releases in the market. This article reviews the history of record charts and the SoundScan innovation, discusses industrial reactions to SoundScan and examines the implications of its use.

We are all fans. Whether we log on to Web sites to scrutinize the latest plot turns in Lost, "stalk" our favorite celebrities on Gawker, attend gaming conventions, or simply wait with bated breath for the newest Harry Potter novel-each of us is a fan. Fandom extends beyond television and film to literature, opera, sports, and pop music, and encompasses both high and low culture. Fandom brings together leading scholars to examine fans, their practices, and their favorite texts. This unparalleled selection of original essays examines instances across the spectrum of modern cultural consumption from Karl Marx to Paris Hilton, Buffy the Vampire Slayer to backyard wrestling, Bach fugues to Bollywood cinema¸ and nineteenth-century concert halls to computer gaming. Contributors examine fans of high cultural texts and genres, the spaces of fandom, fandom around the globe, the impact of new technologies on fandom, and the legal and historical contexts of fan activity. Fandom is key to understanding modern life in our increasingly mediated and globalized world