on-demand media

The end of software ownership--and why to smile

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Larry Downes' bio below.

Consumer advocates are up in arms over a recent ruling by a federal court of appeals in Seattle. The decision, Vernor v. Autodesk (PDF), held that the terms of an end-user licensing agreement, or EULA, can change the sale of commercial software into a mere license, in this case a license that prohibits users from reselling their copy of the software.

The case involved an eBay seller named Timothy Vernor. Vernor bought several outdated copies of Autodesk's AutoCAD program from a business that had originally purchased the … Read more

Comcast adds Starz to On Demand Online trial

Cable giant Comcast plans to add movies from the cable channel Starz to its test of "On Demand Online," a new service its testing that allows Comcast subscribers to watch cable TV online at no additional charge.

Comcast is set to begin testing the service in the next few weeks with about 5,000 customers. And in addition to video content from Time Warner's Turner networks TNT and TBS, participants will also be able to view about 300 movies from Starz's lineup in standard definition. Some of these movies include Wall-E, Pineapple Express, and High School … Read more

Comcast and Time Warner team up to deliver TV online

Cable giant Comcast announced that it's working with media conglomerate Time Warner to deliver cable TV shows via the Internet for cable TV subscribers.

The companies announced on Wednesday that they will be testing a new service this summer offered by Comcast called On Demand Online. About 5,000 Comcast customers will be involved in the test. And they will get access to some of Time Warner's most popular TV shows from its TNT and TBS networks at no additional charge.

The companies plan to continue to work together to get more of Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting … Read more

Channeling TV shows to the Web

Cable operators and media companies are cautiously dabbling in on-demand online video, but this is one case where caution could be as dangerous as recklessness.

Recently, the nation's two largest cable operators have been talking about offering their cable lineup to subscribers online so they can view their favorite shows on their computers. And now, YouTube, the site Viacom sued for more than a $1 billion in 2007 and threatened to have shut down, is signing deals with big studios like Sony Pictures and Lionsgate, as well as TV network CBS. (CNET News is published by CBS Interactive, a … Read more