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YouTube to Mp3 Converter Site Sued for Copyright Infringement by Music Industry Bodies

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

YouTube to Mp3 Converter Site Sued for Copyright Infringement by Music Industry Bodies

The popular Germany-based YouTube to MP3 converter website, youtube-mp3.org, is being sued by three organisations that represent the music industry — the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), the BPI (British Recorded Music Industry), and the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry).

In a report published earlier this month, the IFPI highlighted that YouTube has become “the most used music service” in 13 of the world’s leading music markets they surveyed. In the same report, it was mentioned that a whopping 50 percent of the 16 to 24-year-old survey respondents used stream ripping services like the above-mentioned website to download music.

Suggesting that the publishing of the report and the following legal action was no coincidence,TorrentFreak has said that a coalition of record labels has sued YouTube-MP3 (a.k.a YTMP3) for infringing their rights. YouTube-MP3 is suggested to be the largest stream ripping website in the world, raking in more than 60 million monthly visitors, and at the outset, uses advertising to generate revenue for its service that is free for users. The group pursuing legal action claims that stream ripping has surpassed downloading music from sites that host pirated content.

YouTube-MP3 is being sued for direct, contributory, vicarious and inducement of copyright infringement, plus circumvention of technological measures. “Defendants are depriving Plaintiffs and their recording artists of the fruits of their labor, Defendants are profiting from the operation of the YTMP3 website. Through the promise of illicit delivery of free music, Defendants have attracted millions of users to the YTMP3 website, which in turn generates advertising revenues for Defendants,” the labels add.

The IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said, “Music companies and digital services today offer fans more options than ever before to listen to music legally, when and where they want to do so – over hundreds of services with scores of millions of tracks – all while compensating artists and labels. Stream ripping sites should not be allowed jeopardise this.”

By extracting audio from a song uploaded on YouTube, it also breaches the video streaming service’s Terms of Service. Since YouTube depends on advertising to earn money for the content creator (and itself for maintaining the platform), ripping content like songs will rob it of the compensation once the song is ripped and listened to offline and outside of YouTube’s app.

Cary Sherman, CEO and Chairman of the RIAA said, “This site is raking in millions on the backs of artists, songwriters and labels. We are doing our part, but everyone in the music ecosystem who says they believe that artists should be compensated for their work has a role to play. It should not be so easy to engage in this activity in the first place, and no stream ripping site should appear at the top of any search result or app chart.”

In the past, the RIAA has fought against peer-to-peer file sharing services of the yesteryears like Napster, Kazaa, and Limewire under similar grounds.

[Source:- gadgets.ndtv]

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Education

Grammar schools expansion ‘could dumb them down’

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Close-up of boy in maths class

Grammar schools could be dumbed down by expanding them in areas where parents want them, analysis of plans to increase selection in England suggests.

An Education Policy Institute study says as grammars expand, they will take more lower ability pupils – diluting their high achieving potential.

It also argues the negative impact on nearby schools is greater because more lower ability pupils are left behind.

The Department for Education said they want the plan to help local schools.

The government said the report focused on the binary system of the past but thiswas not what its plans intended to recreate.

The EPI report models what would happen to grammar schools by expanding them in the way the government is considering.

It talks about a grammar school bonus for those pupils studying in them, describing it as an extra 2.4 grades at GCSE across eight subjects for all pupils in the current stock of grammars.

For the small minority of the poorest pupils in grammars – those on free school meals – it works out as 3.9 grades, which is half a grade per subject compared with pupils at other types of schools.

Tipping point

Research author and associate director at EPI, Jo Hutchinson, said the decline in the benefits of grammar school education would be seen most in areas with more selection.

These are the areas where parents tend to want more grammars, according to polling cited by the study.

Ms Hutchinson acknowledged that high achieving schools would be dumbed down.

She said: “When we add more grammar school places to an area, these schools will have to fill their places with children who are further down the ability scale.

“They will pick the next most able children and the raw potential of these pupils will be lower.

“In the areas where there are more places, the benefits are going to be more diluted for those children in the grammar schools, as they become more like mixed ability schools.”

She believes that those not in grammar schools will also suffer because “the bunch of children who are left behind are a bunch of lower attaining children”.

She said this situation would be exacerbated further by requiring grammar schools to take a quota of poorer children, as has been suggested by Prime Minister Theresa May as a way of boosting social mobility.

‘Weak argument’

“In a quota system – whether it’s free school meals or parents on lower income – they are going to be a group that is lower attaining on average.”

This would dilute the high achieving nature of the schools faster, she said.

The report identifies a “tipping point” at which the positive effects of attending a grammar school start to reduce and the negative effects of not attending one increase.

This was when 70% of the top quarter of high achieving pupils at the end of primary school acquired a grammar school place.

Overall, the report debunks government claims that expanding grammar schools will boost social mobility.

Superficially, it says, grammar schools appear to do well in closing the attainment gaps between poor children and others studying in them

But when researchers took into account the high achieving nature of the very small minority of disadvantaged pupils who reach grammar schools, most of this difference disappeared.

‘Lower incomes’

The study said if more grammar school places were created in areas where parents wanted them, this would lead to a net loss of 7,000 GCSE grades for the poorest pupils in areas where selective schools are concentrated.

It also found that proposals to increase the number of grammar school places in England were unlikely to improve attainment overall.

The Department for Education is understood to be researching the impact of more grammar school places, as well as running a consultation on the plans announced earlier this month.

It said: “Our new approach would ensure any new selective schools prioritise the admission of pupils from lower income households or support other local pupils in non-selective schools to help raise standards.

“We are clear that relaxing restrictions on selective education can and should be to the betterment, not at the expense, of other local schools.”

Malcolm Trobe, acting head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It clearly shows that creating more selective schools will not raise overall educational standards in England and is likely to widen the attainment gap between rich and poor children.

“The government must now listen to the evidence and abandon its misguided policy.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Brexit: UK universities consider EU branches

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

University library

UK universities could open campuses in Europe to offset the effect of Brexit, some vice-chancellors have suggested.

The higher education sector largely supported remaining in the UK and since the vote, has voiced concerns about the financial implications of leaving.

Universities fear losing research funding, students and staff in the event of a “hard” Brexit.

But some universities are considering expanding into Europe as a way round the problem.

The University of Kent has had a centre in Brussels for almost 20 years, for more than 200 postgraduate students from 60 countries, and also runs branches in Paris, Athens and Rome.

These sites are recognised by relevant legal and educational authorities in each country and allow the university “to develop and foster connections that enable our students to gain important access to professional networks”, said a University of Kent spokesman.

Other universities could follow suit as Brexit negotiations gather pace.

“You can imagine a situation post-Brexit where UK universities are operating as aggressively in Europe as they are in China and India and elsewhere, Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, told the Guardian newspaper.

There is evidence that UK universities are already losing out on research collaboration with European partners.

British universities, in collaboration with small businesses, receive £850m in research grants each year from the European Union.

‘Reassurance needed’

Universities also worry that they would find it harder to recruit students and staff from EU countries if freedom of movement restrictions were brought in and the rules on fees for EU students were changed under the UK’s new relationship with the EU.

EU students currently pay the same fees and have the same access to loans as UK students – and Universities UK president Dame Julia Goodfellow has already called for reassurance for those who have already started degrees at UK universities that these arrangements will last for the duration of their courses.

Branches within the EU could allow UK universities to retain research links and European funding while also allowing them to continue to attract staff and students.

The Guardian quotes one vice-chancellor as saying that institutions were “window shopping” for the EU countries with the most co-operative regulatory regimes.

Germany, Finland, the Republic of Ireland and the Baltic states are said to be emerging as the preferred options of some universities.

Alistair Jarvis, deputy chief executive of Universities UK, said British universities faced “significant challenges”.

“British universities can thrive post-exit with the right support from government,” said Mr Jarvis.

“To thrive post-exit, we need government to take action to make the UK an even more attractive destination for talented university staff and students from around the world and develop new policies and funding to enhance international research collaboration.”

‘Brain drain’

Oxford University says it has no plans to expand overseas, though vice-chancellor Louise Richardson has voiced concerns about losing staff to other countries.

“Our academics might decide to leave if they’re concerned that they may not be able to get their research funded in the future.

“There are many universities in the world who would be thrilled to have them and who are approaching them,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told the BBC that formal negotiations to leave the EU will probably begin early in 2017.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Academies encouraged to open selective schools

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Students in library

Academy chains are being encouraged to set up selective schools under government plans that include expanding grammar schools in England.

Separate units for high-ability pupils are also being encouraged within their existing chains of schools.

Schools standards minister Nick Gibb told academy bosses new selective schools would bring more choice and flexibility to the education system.

The National Union of Teachers said the majority of children would lose out.

And the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said this undermined the current consultation on increasing selection in the education system if ministers were already pitching the idea.

Mr Gibb was speaking at a conference organised by Academy Ambassadors, an organisation that supports academies bringing skilled businesspeople on to the boards of academy trusts.

He said the government’s proposals were “asking how some existing non-selective schools, including academies, could become selective – if they wish”.

‘Wrong priorities’

He said: “The consultation also proposes entirely new selective schools being established as free schools, to widen choice, to bring more flexibility, and to challenge those areas of the country where too few pupils are entered for the EBacc combination of core academic GCSEs.

“Some of the schools in your trust may wish to introduce selection by ability.

“Your trust may consider establishing a new selective free school or you may look to expand using the routes that are already available.”

He added: “The consultation will also look at how we might encourage multi-academy trusts to establish single centres in which to educate the most able pupils.”

Mr Gibb said this was already possible for academies through the non-selective admissions process, as the most able were identified after they had been admitted to an individual school.

Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “Once again ministers are demonstrating that they have the wrong priorities for education, instead of focusing on how we can deliver a world-class education for all pupils in all schools in England.

“The government is pursuing its plans for a costly restructure of the school system which all education experts oppose and in which the majority of children will lose out.”

Malcolm Trobe, ASCL acting general secretary, said: “The evidence indicates that increasing selection will not have the same effect as the policy imperative, which is to improve social mobility and improve overall education quality in this country.

“The most appropriate step now is to collate evidence and await the outcomes of the consultation before taking any decisions.”

He also suggested the special units for the most able pupils within chains appeared to seek to create an absolute academic elite.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Scots teachers are ‘dangerously overstretched’ by vacancies

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

school exam

There were nearly 730 teacher vacancies in Scotland’s schools as pupils returned after their summer break, figures have shown.

A freedom of information request by the Liberal Democrats showed 388 primary teacher vacancies and 341 for secondary schools as of 9 August.

Argyll and Bute recorded the most vacancies at 200.

The Scottish government said the figures represented only 1.5% of the total workforce.

The area with the second highest vacancy rate was Aberdeen, where 86 vacancies were recorded, followed by the Borders at 47.

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Tavish Scott said teachers would be “dangerously overstretched” unless action was taken to address the shortages.

‘Increase pressure’

His party has called for a penny increase in income tax in order to raise money for education spending.

He said: “Thousands of pupils faced the prospect of going back to school without a dedicated class teacher in place.

“This can only increase pressure on other teachers and make life more difficult for those pupils who need the most support.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman said ministers wanted the “right number of teachers with the right skills” .

She added: “Where there is an issue, this tends to be in specific areas where local factors, such as house prices, can be an important part of the problem.

“We are spending £88m this year to make sure every school has access to the right number of teachers.”

the spokeswoman said that teacher vacancies arose across Scottish local authorities “continuously throughout the year”.

“These figures represent less than 1.5% of the total workforce and in the time since they were compiled many of these vacancies will have been filled”, she said.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Welsh university tuition fees pegged at £9,000

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Student fees

Welsh university tuition fees will be pegged at £9,000 next year despite colleges in England being given the go-ahead to charge up to £9,250.

Students from Wales will be able to claim up to £4,954 in grants and borrow the rest, wherever they study.

The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the Diamond report into higher education and student finance.

One senior academic has warned that Welsh universities could become “second rate” if they could not increase fees.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: “This decision gives certainty for those who want to go to university for the academic year 2017/18, giving people the option to study where they choose, including in England where tuition fees are set to increase.”

Currently, students from Wales pay the first £3,900 of their annual tuition fees, with the Welsh Government paying up to £5,100.

As well as the tuition fee grant and loans, Ms Williams announced a means-tested maintenance grant of up to £5,161.

‘Second rate’

She has argued that living costs are a bigger barrier than tuition fees to poorer students going to university.

The UK government linked its permission for higher fees at English universities to better teaching, with the new maximum of £9,250 possibly increasing by inflation in future years.

In August, Swansea University vice-chancellor Prof Richard Davies warned higher education in Wales risked becoming “second rate” if colleges could not increase their fees as in England.

Responding to Friday’s announcement, he claimed there had not been “enough time for the Welsh Government to look at this properly since the announcement in England”.

“I hope they find some way of allowing for inflation,” he added.

The National Union of Students president Fflur Elin welcomed the news.

She said: “We want to ensure that students from all backgrounds can access high quality courses. The cost of the courses should not be a barrier.”

Welsh Conservatives education spokesman, Darren Millar AM, said: “We welcome the move towards means-tested maintenance grants and the anchoring of tuition fee costs.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Sri Lanka bans schools from imposing dress codes on parents

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Schools in Sri Lanka have been banned from imposing dress codes on parents visiting the premises.

It comes after a poster outside one elite private school, which dictated what women should wear when picking up their children, sparked an outcry.

The notice said that saris and loose dresses were allowed – but not skirts, or strappy or sleeveless tops.

Several state and private schools in Sri Lanka have been known to turn away parents because of their outfits.

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka’s education minister, told the BBC that many parents, especially mothers, had complained to him about the restrictions.

“Schools cannot decide what attire parents should wear,” he said.

“Mothers especially were facing problems because of these dress codes… Most working mothers don’t always wear saris. Some have uniforms, and they are compelled to wear a sari in the morning just to drop their children off at school, and then change to go to work.”

Mr Kariyawasam said he had sent a circular to all schools, telling principals they could not place restrictions on what parents wore.

He said: “Any mother will know how to dress to attend a school, and a dress that is appropriate to the school environment should be fine.

“The world has changed now. We should also adapt with that. We should have laws that help the public, not hassle them.”

school poster
Image captionThe poster said that sleeveless or strappy tops were not allowed

The poster was put up last week by St Joseph’s College in the capital, Colombo. It showed 16 pictures of women in a variety of outfits, with tick marks against half and crosses against the rest.

Another leading private school, St Peter’s College, said it also had a similar notice outside its gates.

“This is a boy’s school after all and we have a notice so that women know what they should and should not be wearing,” an office member said.

The poster attracted widespread criticism online, with many feeling the rules were unfair to women.

“Do they realise we live in a tropical country? Moreover, where is the board for dads?” one user wrote on Facebook.

Others defended the dress codes. One teacher said they were needed because “a lot of parents, particularly young mothers today, wear inappropriate clothing to boy’s schools”.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

More support call for children with special needs

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Children

Many children with special needs are not getting a fair chance in schools, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales has said.

Sally Holland said new legislation by the Welsh Government aimed at improving the provision was “a one in a generation opportunity”.

Almost a quarter of Welsh pupils have special needs.

The Welsh Government said the new law would “transform the expectations, experiences and outcomes for children”.

But Ms Holland said the current process for assessing children was long, laborious, and difficult for parents to navigate.

“We’ve really got to get it right, and make sure that the legislation starts to sort out some of the long-standing problems,” she said.

She added that the system needed to be simplified and made more accessible.

“This is a real turning point in Wales about where we put our resources; where we put the ever-decreasing budgets there are for local authorities,” said Ms Holland.

“I think we have to provide these children with the best possible chances. Every child in Wales should have an equal chance to reach their full potential.”

The family of one child in north Wales told the BBC’s Post Cyntaf programme that their son was so distressed in school he refused to attend for almost five months.

He has now moved to another school. His parents claimed his previous school failed him.

‘Transform expectations’

A Welsh Government spokesperson said it was “committed” to ensuring schools and teachers meet the learning needs of all learners, including those with special needs.

They added: “We have recently published plans for a new law to transform the expectations, experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs. The Children’s Commissioner’s office have been contributing to the our development work on the Bill.

“Almost a quarter of pupils in Wales currently have some kind of special educational need (SEN) and the Bill will protect and strengthen the rights of this significant group.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

University of Aberdeen staff face compulsory redundancies

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

University of Aberdeen

Compulsory redundancies may happen at the University of Aberdeen’s medical school due to a low uptake of a voluntary severance and early retirement scheme.

BBC Scotland revealed in July that jobs were to go after academic staff were informed that the university was looking to save £1.5m.

The scheme remains open until 30 September.

It is understood it has only achieved savings so far of about £100,000.

‘Strongly opposed’

A university spokesman said: “The voluntary severance and early retirement scheme currently in place at the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition remains open.

“We have informed staff in the school that the university has commenced a consultation process through the joint consultative committee on redundancy avoidance (JCCRA) with regard to criteria for compulsory redundancy due to the current progress of the scheme.

“We appreciate this situation may be unsettling for colleagues within the school but we will continue to keep staff updated and support is in place for those with any questions.”

University and College Union Scotland Official Mary Senior said: “We are currently in consultation with the university over its plans and are strongly opposed to any compulsory redundancies.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Oxford head rejects sponsoring schools

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Louise Richardson

The head of Oxford University has rejected calls from the government to sponsor schools.

Louise Richardson says Oxford was “very good” as a university, but had “no experience” of running schools.

The call for universities to help set up schools was part of the proposals to expand grammar schools.

But Prof Richardson said to become involved in the government’s plans for changing schools would be a “distraction from our core mission”.

The government’s Green Paper on grammar schools proposes that universities should have to either sponsor a school or help set up a new school – otherwise they would not be able to charge higher tuition fees.

About 60 universities, including Birmingham and King’s College London, already sponsor or support schools – and the government argues that the expertise of universities should be harnessed to improve schools and drive social mobility.

But Oxford vice-chancellor Prof Richardson said that her university should focus on what it knew best, which was delivering higher education.

Oxford was named as the best in the world in global rankings published on Wednesday.

“We’re very good at running a university. But we have no experience of running schools, so I think it would be a distraction,” said Prof Richardson.

“We’re deeply sympathetic to the idea of social mobility through education – and we have extensive relationships with schools.”

But she said it was “insulting” to head teachers and school leaders to think that universities could step in and do a better job of running schools.

The university revealed earlier this year that it would be admitting the highest proportion of state school students for at least 40 years.

This followed spending of £6m per year on outreach projects with schools, encouraging state school pupils to apply.

But Prof Richardson said that such work was separate from running a school and that the university should not take on activities that would “distract our time, energy and resources”.

The Oxford vice-chancellor also argued for the importance of free speech and for allowing university students to hear views they might find “objectionable”.

And she said she opposed both the government’s Prevent anti-extremism strategy and students who wanted to have “safe spaces”, where views they found offensive would not be allowed, on campus.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “There are already some excellent examples of universities sponsoring schools – they have expertise that can really help improve our education system, and it’s in their own interests to improve attainment in schools.

“With 1.25 million children in underperforming schools, we have put forward new proposals, asking how our world-leading higher education sector can help make more good school places available.

[Source:- BBC]

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