Action is among largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States, Department of Justice confirms in statement to MTV News. By Rob Markman Swizz Beatz Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Megaupload’s problems continue to mount. On Wednesday, news broke that the popular file-sharing site had come under fire after Universal Music Group took issue with a promotional video featuring Universal Music Group artists like Kanye West , will.i.am and Diddy. Now, the site run by Swizz Beatz has been shut down. On Thursday (January 19), the federal government took the action against Megaupload.com, and also arrested several members of the company, hitting them with multiple racketeering and copyright infringement charges, according to a statement issued to MTV News by the U.S. Department of Justice. A federal indictment alleges that the site, which allows users to transfer large files, has generated more than $175 million in criminal proceed and costs copyright-holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated movies, albums and other materials. Swizz Beatz, Megaupload’s CEO, was not charged in the indictment which was handed down on January 5, and as of now, it is unclear how the producer/rapper’s involvement with the company will play into the case. The Associated Press reported that Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom (also known as Kim Schmitz) was arrested Thursday in New Zealand along with three others. The Department of Justice said that this is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States. The news broke a day after major websites like Wikipedia and Google protested against the U.S. House of Representatives’ Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA , and the Senate’s similar Protect IP act. Representatives for Swizz Beatz had not responded to MTV News’ request for comment at press time. Related Artists Swizz Beatz
We also check in with Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Constantine Maroulis and more ‘Idol’ alumni before season 11 kicks off. By Jim Cantiello Katharine McPhee Photo: Getty Images “American Idol” kicks off its 11th season Wednesday night with its first of eight audition episodes. But before we’re inundated with a new batch of contestants (many of whom we’ll forget about by June), let’s play catch-up with some noteworthy alums. Sure, our Kellys and Carries have remained household names throughout the years, but others — like Katharine McPhee and Leah LaBelle — are poised to have their biggest post-“Idol” years yet. Let’s check in with standouts from seasons one through five: Season One The One You Know : Kelly Clarkson’s fifth studio album, Stronger, is selling just fine, even if recent “Ron Paul sales bump” rumors were proven to be a bunch of hooey. The original Idol just kicked off her latest tour last week. On the radio, you’ll hear “Mr. Know It All” approximately 17 times an hour, until it’s replaced by new single “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” The Goofy One : Justin Guarini hasn’t released a full-length album since 2005’s Stranger Things Have Happened, but the inaugural runner-up kept busy in 2011 appearing in Broadway’s “American Idiot” as well as touring companies of “Rent” and “Chicago.” On a personal note, the crooner and his wife had a baby boy last April. And yes, since “Idol,” he’s chopped his signature “Felicity-meets-Sideshow Bob” locks. Season Two The One You Know : Clay Aiken can be seen in promos for the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice,” accusing a teammate of being patronizing — all in the name of charity. Although his last few albums haven’t made a big dent in pop culture, Clay still remains the fourth-best-selling “Idol” contestant ever, right behind the holy trinity. (That’s Underwood/Clarkson/Daughtry, obviously.) The One You Shouldn’t Count Out Just Yet : Most of America hasn’t paid much attention to the Velvet Teddy Bear since “Sorry (2004),” and Ruben Studdard finally realized fans like him best when he sings about calendars. Studdard kicked off 2012 with a well-reviewed single called “June 28th (I’m Single)” about his recent divorce. The catchy throwback jam is currently climbing the urban charts, so don’t be surprised if his upcoming album moves some serious units when it lands in March. The One You Had No Idea Was On “Idol” : Ashley Hartman had a six-episode stint on the first season of “The O.C.” as Summer and Marissa’s buddy Holly. Turns out Simon Cowell’s “You should act, not sing” critique was correct! Season Three The One You Know : Seventh-placer Jennifer Hudson spent 2011 promoting her sophomore album, I Remember Me, but her turn as Weight Watchers’ official spokesperson kept her skinny body in the spotlight and earned her a book deal. The Oscar winner’s turn as Winnie Mandela has yet to be released in the U.S., but she’ll appear as a nun in the Farrelly Brothers’ “Three Stooges” big-screen update this year. Might we suggest a remake of Lily Tomlin’s “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” next? The One We Can’t Stop Rooting For : Fantasia, Fantasia, Fantasia. Your 2010 album Back to Me was full of retro nuggets like the Grammy-winning “Bittersweet” and shoulda-been-a-hit “Collard Greens and Cornbread,” but just when your music career gets back on track, your life spins out of control. Here’s hoping you can turn your personal drama into big-screen gold when you star as Mahalia Jackson in your first official feature-film role. The One You Shouldn’t Count Out Just Yet : Leah LaBelle barely made the top 12 back in 2004 — when she was a cocky 17-year-old with shaky vocals living under the shadow of a Bulgarian pop-star mother — but the 25-year-old just made headlines by getting signed to L.A. Reid’s Epic Records under the guidance of heavyweights Jermaine Dupri and Pharrell Williams. Seriously! The One You Had No Idea Was On “Idol” : Soap fans might remember Duke Buchanan on “One Life to Live” before he was killed by a tornado in 2006. The Matthew Morrison look-alike got his start on “Idol” as a semifinalist. Season Four The One You Know : In 2011, country megastar Carrie Underwood starred in a hit film, “Soul Surfer,” reached her 11th #1 single on a duet with Brad Paisley and finally surpassed Kelly Clarkson as the biggest-selling “Idol” winner ever. She’s got a new album on the way and hinted that she’ll be participating in “something special” with Steven Tyler, fueling a rumor that she’ll be taking the CMT “Crossroads” stage with the new “Idol” judge and — randomly — ’90s band Sugar Ray. The Goofy One : Constantine Maroulis finally got some respect with a Tony-nominated turn in Broadway’s “Rock of Ages” in 2009. Constantine fans might be bummed that he won’t be reprising the Drew role in the big-screen adaptation coming out in 2012, but keep your eyes peeled, because director Adam Shankman gave him a quick walk-on appearance as a producer. The One You Had No Idea Was On “Idol” : Prior to winning the sixth season of “Nashville Star,” Melissa Lawson made it to the top 75 during Hollywood Week on “Idol.” Season Five The One You Know : Daughtry’s 2011 album Break the Spell went gold in December. Chris and the band will be hitting the road for their second headlining tour this March. The One You Shouldn’t Count Out Just Yet : Katharine McPhee’s career has been full of starts and stops. But now that she’s on NBC’s high-profile midseason replacement “Smash” (including an inescapable ad campaign that claims to be “introducing” McPhee to America’s living rooms), expect to see the season five runner-up reach new heights. You saw her hobnobbing with Hollywood’s elite at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. Twelve months from now, you may just see her onstage holding a Globe of her own. The Goofy One : Taylor Hicks got some love last April when Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert invited him to appear on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” during Colbert’s cover of Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” a performance that instantly went viral and showed that Hicks is still as charmingly offbeat as you remember. The other goofy alum of season five, Kellie Pickler, is ready to show her mature side with a traditional country album, 100 Proof, out next week. On Thursday, Jim will check in with standouts from seasons six through 10. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes MTV News Extended Play: Kelly Clarkson Related Artists Katharine McPhee
Thousands of sites blacked out to protest SOPA legislation. By Gil Kaufman Google’s homepage to protest web piracy bills Photo: Google A big black bar over the typically animated Google home page logo. No quick searches on the English-language Wikipedia. Those two internet giants are among the nearly 7,000 sites that voluntarily went dark or posted calls to action on Wednesday (January 18) in a protest against the U.S. House of Representatives’ Stop Online Piracy Act and the Senate’s similar Protect IP Act. The Act is designed to prevent online piracy and copyright infringement by giving the government and large corporations the ability to shut down sites accused of copyright infringement without a trial or hearing. The point of the legislation, according to the Washington Post is to stop foreign web sites that sell pirated and counterfeit goods by imposing restrictions that would force U.S. companies to stop selling online ads to suspected pirates, processing payments for illegal online sales and refusing to link to sites suspected of piracy in search-engine results. “There’s no fundamental First Amendment right to engage in thievery. Nor to advertise thievery,” said Motion Picture Association of America spokesperson Howard Gantman. A few days before the blackout action, Republican Texas Congressman Lamar Smith told Reuters that he did not understand why the protesters were so adamant about protecting offshore operators. “It is amazing to me that the opponents apparently don’t want to protect American consumers and businesses,” Smith said. “Are they somehow benefiting by directing customers to these foreign websites? Do they profit from selling advertising to these foreign websites? And if they do, they need to be stopped. And I don’t mind taking that on.” Among the sites that are participating in Wednesday’s protest: Reddit, Mozilla, WordPress.org, MoveOn.org, TwitPic, BoingBoing, Flickr, the Cheezburger network and Epic Games. Though many major Hollywood movie studios, record labels and networks such as Viacom (MTV News’ parent company), NBC-Universal and Fox News have given support to the legislation, web experts have warned that it could severely cripple the ability of the internet to function by adding huge new costs and rules that would seriously restrict the freewheeling personality of the ‘net and stall innovation. As an example, they say that if an crowd-sourced site like Wikipedia posts an item that links to a site that provides access to copywritten material it could result in sanctions or a takedown of Wikipedia. In essence, it would require tech companies to take a fine-tooth comb to sites bursting with user-generated content. They’ve also objected to a provision that would remove the rogue sites from the internet’s virtual phone book, so that if a U.S. user put in that web address it would seem as if the site didn’t exist. “Imagine a world without free knowledge,” read the Wikipedia home page on Wednesday morning. “For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.” Members of Congress have been taken aback by the visceral reaction from technology companies and online users, who may have already made headway in stalling the legislation. Just weeks after both bills seemed close to passage, Senate Democrat leaders have said they will not vote on a version of the bill opposed by many of the tech companies and are seeking a slow down of passage and possible revision of their bill. The White House has also signaled that it is concerned about the phone book provision in the bills, which its sponsor said they plan to remove. Several major opponents have submitted a counter proposal that would allow them to police themselves with oversight by an international nonprofit that hunts down online rogues. Editor’s note: Viacom, the home of MTV Networks, continues to be in support of SOPA.
Hot damn, Diddy did it again. Not everyone thinks Sean (Diddy) Combs rules. The hip-hop star and entrepreneur has been hit with a lawsuit over the name of his “Empress” perfume for women. Empress Hair Care is claiming Combs went ahead and stole the regal name for its Sean John scent, knowing full well he had no right to use the name, according to documents filed in a U.S. District Court in New York on Jan. 10. In February 2010, Combs had reached out to the Texas-based company, asking if a deal could be worked out where he could use the Empress name. The hair-care company declined to do business with him for fear it would lead to market confusion. Lawyers for Sean John attempted to trademark the name “Empress Sean John” but ran into similar problems. The plaintiffs say Combs was undeterred and released the fragrance anyway, along with the contested name. Empress Hair Care, which sells products for women of color, is crying foul and claiming infringement of a federally registered trademark and unfair competition. MAC Cosmetics and Estee Lauder are also named in the lawsuit. This seems like the kind of problem that should go away easily if Diddy just throws enough money at it. Riiiiight? Source More On Bossip! Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner: Here Are Some Current And Future Celebrity Stepdads Handling Their Biz With The Kids Out Of Pocket Old Heads: Mama Jones Starts Twitter War With Olivia???? Canada Dry: Tattoo Artist Claims That Drake Waited In His Car And Sent His Bodyguards To Confront Him Elsewhere In The World: J.R. Smith’s Sister Goes H.A.M. In The Stands At Chinese Game, Choking Out Broads And Catching Fade With An Old Head!
Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe music video with added lyrics for a better listening experience. To purchase Under the Mistletoe album and more, click this link: tinyurl.com All rights for music and video goes to UMG, VEVO and all associated with Justin Bieber and his record label. Lyrics were added for the widespread and distribution on Justin’s music to the public, intending no copyright fraud or infringement, rather to support the sales of his music. I claim no right nor ownership over this video. http://www.youtube.com/v/QYNRQ9CWviI?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Link: Mistletoe Music Video and Lyrics – Justin Bieber
After devolving into a series of direct-to-video sequels (with a 2012 anime film on the way), Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi action farce Starship Troopers , based on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel, is reportedly getting rebooted at Sony under producer Neal Moritz. Onboard for scripting duties are writing partners Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, who most recently earned credits on Thor , X-Men: First Class , Fringe , and Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles . (They also wrote Agent Cody Banks . Yep.) There’s just one question: Who could possibly fill Casper van Dien’s bug-stomping boots? [ Vulture ]
‘I Was Here’ and ‘End of Time’ will be featured on upcoming ‘Live at Roseland’ DVD. By Gil Kaufman Beyonce in her “I Was Here” music video Photo: Columbia Just because Beyonc
Gaga does a little story time, reading the intro to her Terry Richardson-shot tome in a new video. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic Lady Gaga’s Terry Richardson-shot photo book hits stores in less than a week, and as such, she’s decided to give her fans a sneak peek — with a little Mother Monster Story Time. In a new video posted on her YouTube channel, Gaga reads the intro she penned for the book, an essay about her relationship with Richardson that’s long on literary flourish and also serves as an examination of self, not to mention a rallying cry for those on the fringes of society. It is, to say the very least, very Gaga. Reclining on a couch in a black, sequined outfit (with matching chapeau), LG cracks the tome — which, she notes, is “dedicated to the Little Monsters, naturally ” — and pores over her prose. And somewhere, Terry Richardson is undoubtedly blushing. “Sometimes it seems as though I’ve waited my entire life to be photographed by Terry Richardson. With Terry, the relationship extends beyond the photograph, and if you’re lucky, he will teach you something truly profound about yourself,” she reads. “I have discovered through him that shame is an obsolete notion and apology is an injustice to any performance. … To say he is a free spirit is a tremendous understatement and to say that he, or I, make people uncomfortable is spot on. “Terry finds beauty in the most intricate and unassuming of places. His photography beckons the question over and over again: ‘Should there ever be limitations in art?’ Because when he captures me in a moment of such tandem and artistic human purity, I’m convinced the answer is that we must push the boundaries of culture through love and acceptance,” she continues. “There is no moment too strange, no angle unflattering … and never a time that I feel embarrassed or unsafe. Awaked in me is a perverse liberation inspiring me to feel that it is OK to view yourself as hyper-human. This is how Terry views me. I am so real, he says, that I am unreal.” Those seemingly “hyper-human” moments include unfiltered photographs taken over the course of 10 very hectic months, that feature of Gaga in dispose, including “waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, in the shower,” as she explained to MTV News earlier this year. “The thing about Terry, if you know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that’s sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture,” she explained. “He could come backstage and he would say, ‘Oh my God, the fans! ‘ And I’d say ‘I know …’ And he’d say, ‘Baby, wow! ‘ And then he’d film me, like, peeing in a cup and, like, ridiculous things.” What are you expecting from the Lady Gaga photo book? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga
Did you ever do that thing where you draw a face on the side of your hand? That’s approximately the idea behind the video for indie rockers Jacuzzi Boys ‘ single Glazin’ …approximately. Only instead of hands, the faces are drawn on six female fans’ crotches, with their (there is no delicate way to put it) vaginas serving as the mouths for these oddly cute, mildly disturbing and utterly gashtastic puppets. The band maintains that the video was made by six anonymous female fans who call themselves The Jacuzzi Girls, and that althrough they didn’t solicit the video, being big fans of furburger they loved it: “This is so insane & beautiful… We’re speechless! This is hands down the coolest thing a fan has ever done…We’ll now call this the “official” video for Glazin’! It’s a masterpiece! “, they said in an email to the girls. Their record label Hardly Art wasn’t so enthusiastic, taking down the original video and re-posting it in a heavily censored form. But it wasn’t the fact that 90% of the video consists of cooze closeups that made them nervous- they cited “libel and copyright infringement” as the reason for cutting vaginal tributes to Fidel Castro , Homer Simpson, Jabba the Hut, Insane Clown Posse’s Violent J, LeBron James, and Ronald McDonald (yes, really) from the video. Luckily, they left behind plenty of poon for us to ogle (or maybe just stare at in slack-jawed disbelief), so check out the Glazin’ video after the jump!
twitter.com No copyright infringement Please like/comment/sub and add me http://www.youtube.com/v/5wasjUFOGFI?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata See the original post here: Justin Bieber – Mistletoe – On Screen Lyrics [Studio Version]
