Cutting the ties that bind, AI on the copyright warpath, Costco's magazine play, and a NESS discount!

This weeks Content Aware features new subscription rules, yet another big tech vs copyright battle, more of Google shenanigans as well as a shoutout to our friends at NewzDash and Polemic Digital.

Published: 10:16, 25 October 2024

Laws are such small things
Much of the debate around AIs being excused from stealing your work is that although it apparently has enough value to help them already be worth trillions, they say that by the time their machines are done with it, it's not worth anything. Which sounds like the opposite of what a transfoming machine is meant to do and also to our our resident transformer Robatron Corbidge has a look at the trickle of opinion that AI should be excused copyright.
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Are you prepped for "Click-to-cancel"?
The FTC's new gym membership "Click-to-cancel" rule forces subscription sellers to make cancelling a sub as easy as signing-up (or easier, if the sign-up was in person), and clamps down on convoluted journeys, hiding of T&Cs, and sneaky recurring billing. If you sell subscriptions to US consumers, you've got 180 days to get your subs journeys and unsubscribe mechanics shipshape. No shock about which opponents are suing against the regs already, by the way.
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UK's AI copyright wobble
The new UK government is considering an opt-out system for IP owners which would force them to manually decline content scraping by AI companies. Merely having this possibility said out loud is a win for the AI lobbyists which have been beating a merry path towards starstruck new ministers, but it's by no means a done deal and there is much time left for the industry to mount its own lobbying to scupper such a "deal".
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Big Tech vs copyright episode 37245
Microsoft set out its stall on copyright when its AI boss echoed the pirate's poem that all data becomes "freeware" when it hits the web (Assumedly not cracked editions of Windows or any other software though? Or any books written by MS wonks? - Ed). Now his boss CEO Satya Nadella is the latest to parrot the AI CEO's mantra that we need a new framework for copyright and "fair-use".
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The impact of AI labels on content perception
As AI content rises in commonality, so have calls for its presence to be signified. Such a requirement is heavily hinted at in the EU AI Act as a future need, in fact. Here, a new study shows that signifying to readers that any part of the article being created by AI can have negative effects on its trust rating.
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Open Source view
Mr Open Source and the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, shares his opinion on AI and ChatGPT, and why he decided to more or less avoid it for now.
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Take with both hands, give back with one...
Microsoft and OpenAI are offering select media outlets up to $10 million to explore usage of its AI tools. This initiative, in collaboration with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, aims to enhance local media through AI applications like transcription and content summaries.
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Costco for the win
Retail goliath Costco uses its monthly magazine to deliver distinct services and products to their customers and stand out against rivals like Walmart, which became essential to the business. With around 15.4 million copies mailed out each month, the magazine is no joke.
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Our friends at NewzDash and Polemic Digital have brought together another impressive lineup of speakers for this two-day livestreamed event.

With sessions covering AI overviews, Google algorithm updates, local news SEO, technical SEO, Google Discover, and semantic SEO, if you’re in any way involved in SEO, NESS 2024 is not to be missed.

Register for your spot today and use code glide2024 for a 20% discount