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  • Mezzanine

    • 6 out of 10
    • Massive Attack
    • "Black Milk" knocks me off my feet in this collection of moody and eclectic songs. Massive Attack uses samples and keyboards in a very unique way, but not all the songs pack the same punch.

  • Abnormal Anonymous

    • 8 out of 10
    • Congo Norvell
    • Very few albums manage to capture snapshots of a quality of life in the manner that Congo Norvell's sophomore record, "Abnormals Anonymous," does.

      Comparisons to the Velvet Underground are

  • Modern Lovers

    • 10 out of 10
    • Modern Lovers
    • This timeless masterpiece is little known, but it has inspired almost as many bands as The Modern Lovers' own inspiration -- and only slightly better known -- The Velvet Underground & Nico.

  • Now Here Is Nowhere

    • 10 out of 10
    • Secret Machines
    • The Secret Machines' inaugural album, Now Here is Nowhere is both old and new in its sonic assault. The trio's surprisingly big sound evokes Pink Floyd (without ever sounding like any Pink

  • The Life Pursuit

    • 8 out of 10
    • Belle & Sebastian
    • The Life Pursuit is a sort of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. You get Belle & Sebastian's peanut butter (its wistful, often irresistible pop) dipped in a 'Have A Nice Day!' and glam 70s chocol

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News

Microsoft MP3 Ruling Could Spell Trouble for Other Companies

The U.S. District court in San Diego, California, ruled that Microsoft must pay Alcatel-Lucent US$1.52 billion in damages for infringing on MP3 encoding and decoding patents. Should Microsoft lose an anticipated appeal on the ruling, it may mean more than a hit to the software company's bottom line. It could also mark the beginning of lawsuits against other companies that think they have properly licensed MP3 technology.

Computerworld reports that the Alcatel-Lucent lawsuit started in 2003 and originally claimed that Dell and Gateway Computer were infringing on 15 patents with technologies used in the Windows operating system. In an effort to discourage suits against companies that resell its operating system, Microsoft filed a declaratory action stating that it should be targeted with a suit. Alcatel-Lucent bit and sued Microsoft.

The court ruled that Microsoft's Windows operating system does infringe on Alcatel-Lucent patents that relate to MP3 technology. Microsoft contends that it properly licensed the technology for encoding audio files from Fraunhofer. The German company co-developed the technology with Bell Labs, which later became Lucent, and now is Alcatel-Lucent.

In a statement issued by Microsoft representatives, the company stated "We think this verdict is completely unsupported by the law or the facts. Like hundreds of other companies large and small, we believe that we properly licensed MP3 technology from its industry recognized licensor -- Fraunhofer."

Microsoft paid $16 million to Fraunhofer in exchange for a license to use MP3 technology. Other companies have paid licensing fees to Fraunhofer, and like Microsoft, assumed that they were legit to use MP3 technology.

Should the ruling stand, it could open the door for suits against other companies, including Apple, Sony, Creative, and more. Such a move on the part of Alcatel-Lucent could effectively throw a wrench into the digital music industry while licensing issues are sorted out. It may also push companies to consider alternatives to the MP3 format, like the AAC format Apple uses for songs sold through the iTunes Store, to avoid expensive legal costs and new MP3 licensing fees.

Alcatel-Lucent's battle with Microsoft over MP3 licensing isn't over yet. Microsoft is expected to file an appeal, which could drag the legal proceedings on for some time to come. If so, it may be months or years before who can legitimately sell licenses for the MP3 format is finally determined.

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