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PayPal reverses its ban on 'obscene' e-books

After vocal outrage from authors, e-publishers, and free speech activists, PayPal has shifted its "acceptable use" policy on e-books containing certain erotica content. The online payment company announced today that mostly books with images will be under scrutiny.

"First and foremost, we are going to focus this policy only on e-books that contain potentially illegal images, not e-books that are limited to just text," PayPal spokesman Anuj Nayar said in a statement today. "The policy will prohibit use of PayPal for the sale of e-books that contain child pornography, or e-books with text and obscene … Read more

Close Quarters expansion for Battlefield 3 looks insane

Those who adore a symphony of gunfire and explosions should pay close attention to the upcoming Battlefield 3 downloadable content pack Close Quarters.

Due this June, this four-level package seems slightly different than Battlefield expansions of old. Close Quarters (for PC, Xbox 360, and one week earlier on PS3) feels and looks like a scene you'd normally expect from a Call of Duty release.

The tight-knit, destruction-filled vertical maps in the explosive trailer below may leave you breathless at times. Players will undoubtedly find it tough to resist firing off salvos of rockets at one another in these settings. … Read more

Two ideas for handling content aggregators, attribution

Here's the simple truth about news on the Internet: Any original article can be (and often is) quickly rewritten and redistributed across the Web--sometimes in ways that credit and direct readers back to the original source, sometimes not.

Now some optimists hope to establish codes of conduct for so-called content aggregation, the NYT's David Carr reports.

Although aggregators can often send a lot of traffic to the site where an article first appeared, that's not always the case.

Last year, for example, writer Simon Dumenco wrote a column for Advertising Age on Steve Jobs' death. Soon after, … Read more

PayPal demands 'obscene' e-books be pulled

Mark Coker, the founder of e-book publisher Smashwords, got an alarming e-mail from PayPal's enforcement division last month. It was an ultimatum telling the company to pull certain books with "obscene" content from its inventory, Coker said in a blog post.

"Their hot buttons are bestiality, rape-for-titillation, incest, and underage erotica," he wrote. "PayPal gave us only a few days to achieve compliance otherwise they threatened to deactivate our PayPal services."

Smashwords isn't the only e-book publisher targeted by PayPal, according to the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), similar emails were also … Read more

GigaOm acquires media blog paidContent

GigaOm, one of Silicon Valley's best-known blogs, said today it has acquired the assets from ContentNext Media, parent company of media blog paidContent, from publisher Guardian News & Media.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

"PaidContent is the leading voice covering the evolution of media, an area that is very important to us," said Paul Walborsky, CEO of GigaOM. "Integrating our teams will enrich our editorial coverage and expand our footprint immediately in two markets that are critical to our growth - New York City and the United Kingdom."

In addition to paidContent.org the other … Read more

Three founding execs depart Demand Media

Three founding executives at Demand Media announced their resignations today after six years with the content farm.

Larry Fitzgibbon, Joe Perez, and Steven Kydd, who were all executive vice presidents, are leaving the company they helped create, a company representative told CNET, confirming a story first reported by PaidContent.

Fitzgibbon oversaw international operations, while Perez was in charge of product and Kydd handled video. Michael Blend, Demand Media's executive vice president of Media & Marketplace for the company, will assume most of their duties.

A company representative said their simultaneous departures were merely a coincidence.

"The three of … Read more

Kodak mulls bankruptcy protection

Logitech tries to reinvent the mouse with the Cube, the next Xbox may have built-in DVR functionality, and venerable Kodak lays plans for bankruptcy protection if it can't sell its patents.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Kodak mulls bankruptcy protection DVR coming to Xbox? Apple hunting for iTV content deals Nintendo sells 4 million 3DS units Music sales up for first time in seven years Barnes & Noble may spin off Nook business Logitech's boxy mouse Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (HD) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS HD

BBC programming coming to Netflix in U.K., Ireland

Netflix has signed an important deal as it readies its streaming service for customers in the U.K. and Ireland.

When Netflix launches there early next year, the company will offer access to a wide range of BBC programs, including "Torchwood," "Spooks," "Little Britain," and "Fawlty Towers." Although the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the BBC content will be offered to Netflix users the day the streaming service launches overseas, the companies said.

Netflix has been signing a host of deals with content providers over the past several weeks, … Read more

A more secure SD for HD content

Panasonic, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony, and Toshiba today announced an agreement to develop new content-protection technology for SD cards and embedded flash.

Dubbed "Next Generation Secure Memory Initiative," the press release claims the as-yet undeveloped technology will be based around public key encryption. Based on the release's limited information, it sounds like it will create unique IDs that will tie a variety of fixed and mobile CE devices to you, making content producers less nervous about allowing you to download--rather than just stream--DRM'd content to devices they currently can't control, like phones and tablets. … Read more