The operators of the BearShare online file-sharing service have agreed to pay $30 million (£16.2m) to avoid potential copyright infringement lawsuits from the recording industry, according to court documents that have been filed.

Apple Computer has renewed contracts with the world's four largest music companies to sell songs through its iTunes Music Store, after blocking their attempts to end iTunes' flat-rate pricing scheme, Apple have said.

The IT network at the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, was put out of action for 48 hours because too many staff were downloading music for their iPods.

The United Nation's World Intellectual Property Organisation's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (er, UNWIPOSCCRR?) is seriously pushing through a treaty that will regulate the Internet transmission of audio and video entertainment.

If England wins the 2006 World Cup, Toshiba will refund 66 per cent of the purchase price of many of its Centrino Duo-branded Satellite, Satellite Pro, Portégé, Tecra and Qosmio and notebooks, the company has announced.

Mainstream rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers have resorted to emotional blackmail to prevent their fans from downloading illegal copies of their new album before it is released on 9 May.

Pioneer has lowered its 2006 target shipment volume for DVD recorders to 840,000 units, 9.7% lower that its sales volume in 2005.

While HD DVD titles trickle into stores, the arrival of the first titles in the rival Blu-ray Disc format has been pushed back by a month until June 20, to coincide with the first commercially available Blu-ray players.

The music industry, which has sued Internet users for downloading songs illegally, is turning its sights on pirates in 12 cities who copy CDs and DVDs for sale at street corners, flea markets, family-run shops and even mainstream record stores.

CMC Magnetics and Ritek, the top two makers of optical discs in Taiwan, on May 2, announced a net earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.06 and a net loss per share of NT$0.35, respectively, for the first quarter of 2006.

Microsoft's long-awaited release of Vista will likely be delayed again by at least three months, according to research group Gartner.

Makers of DVD players in China are receiving pressure from representatives of the Movie Picture Expert Group (MPEG), with industry sources in Taiwan stating China-based makers will need to start paying royalties for use of MPEG2 and MPEG4 patents starting this month.

A French select committee has decided to gut a law which would have protected users from DRM and forced Apple to licence its Fairplay technology.

In an effort to attract more subscribers to its digital music service, Napster have launched an ad-supported offering that allows users to listen to over two million tracks free of charge.

Canada's most famous popular beat combos have formed a coalition against moves in the recording industry to hammer fans in copyright lawsuits and stick DRM on their albums.

Anyone in the UK who rats on employers who use illegal or unlicensed software can now collect more than £20,000 according to the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Sony will next month launch its LocationFree TV (LFTV) service in the UK and other key European territories, allowing PlayStation Portable users to receive television programmes transmitted from the home and out across the internet. Mac users are to get access to the service too.

Sonic Solutions have introduced Avid DVD BD Edition, the world’s first Blu-ray Disc (BD) authoring system for video professionals.

The Indian disc manufacturer Moser Baer has announced it's intentions to be among the group of manufacturers shipping next-gen blue-laser media by the end of this year.

NEC have acknowledged it has been the victim of a large-scale piracy ring that sold both counterfeit NEC goods as well as NEC-branded products including blank CD and DVD media.