Communist era Czech TV commercials

Grok Headline matches for Communist era Czech TV commercials

Russia scraps Communist holiday

Russia scraps Communist holiday 12/24/2004 12:23 PM
Russia abolishes a number of key public holidays including the Soviet holiday marking the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.

Former Communist Nations Mark EU Entry
(AP)

Former Communist Nations Mark EU Entry
(AP) 05/01/2004 09:30 PM
AP - Revelers across ex-communist eastern Europe celebrated their historic entry to the European Union on Saturday amid scattered protests by demonstrators decrying a loss of national sovereignty.

Communist hymn is in copyright -
filmmaker fined

Communist hymn is in copyright -
filmmaker fined 04/09/2005 05:56 AM
Cory Doctorow: The Internationale is the hymn of the Fourth International Communist Party. My parents, being good reds, used to sing it every New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight, with all the comrades at the socialist New Year's gathered round the record player to sing along with the soundtrack from Reds. It is quite a stirring anthem, and has been translated into dozens of languages, and is sung the world 'round.

Weirdly, this 19th century song is still in copyright in France, and a French filmmaker has just been fined about $1300 for letting a character in one of his films whistle the tune (you can hear a very modern synth-pop take on the tune courtesy of Maxx Klaxon here).

The irony factor here is much deeper than, say, the irony surrounded JibJab's appropriation of Woody Guthrie's This Land. Guthrie was a socialist, sure, but the Internationale is a call to arms to abolish private property, eliminate international borders, and throw off your chains and rise up to smash the state. Hard to imagine that the long-dead creator of that song is having his wishes honored by French collecting societies shaking down people who make use of it for cash.

The 19th-century revolutionary hymn was written by Eugene Pottier in 1871 and set to music by another Frenchman, Pierre Degeyter, in 1888...

Under French law, "The Internationale" won't fall into the public domain until 2014 — 70 years of post-mortem protection plus extra time to cover the world war. Degeyter died in 1932....

[The film] hardly paid its own way, opening briefly in a single Paris theater and selling just 203 tickets, Le Monde reported.

Link (Thanks, Maximus!)

Communist China threatened by Internet
cafes

Communist China threatened by Internet
cafes 06/02/2004 03:56 AM
Hindustan Times Jun 2 2004 8:10AM GMT

List of Polish communist snitches
available online

List of Polish communist snitches
available online 02/05/2005 09:25 PM
Cory Doctorow: Marek sez, "In recent days, people in Poland have flooded the internet in search of the Wildstein's List, a list of 240,000 names of communist-era spys, informers and secret service agents that was secretly copied from The National Rememberance Institute (IPN) by a conservative journalist, Bronislaw Wildstein.

"The list instantly cropped up on many web sites, p2p networks, became available via BitTorrent, while the the term 'lista Wildsteina' (Wildstein's list) became a super-popular query at all Polish search engines. At one (onet.pl, the second most popular after google), people searched for it around 300,000 times a day comparing to just only 9,000 searches for 'sex', the former top query." Link (Thanks, Marek!)

Russian Communist Chief Says Poll
'Shameful Farce'

Russian Communist Chief Says Poll
'Shameful Farce' 12/07/2003 04:05 PM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 7 2003 3:42PM ET

Bill Gates Dusts Off The Communist
Argument For Those Who Don't Charge

Bill Gates Dusts Off The Communist
Argument For Those Who Don't Charge 01/06/2005 06:52 AM
When Bill Gates first realized Netscape was a threat to the company -- and that people were getting it for free, he told a group of people that Netscape was obviously being run by "communists," because capitalists would never give out anything for free. Of course, he eventually forgot this when he decided to bundle (read: give away for free) Microsoft IE into Windows, but apparently the concept stayed in the back of his head. Near the end of a mostly un-newsworthy interview Gates gave News.com, he claims that those people who are trying to change intellectual property laws are modern day communists. Of course, we just went through this basic argument, but let's try to simplify it one more time. Intellectual property laws are often artificial barriers in the marketplace to forcefully limit supply and increase the price of something over what the market values it at. That sounds a lot more like the centrally planned economies that are usually called "communist." Those who are looking to free up the content are simply saying let's see what the market can do when these products are freed from those government mandated barriers. History has shown that the increased efficiency usually broadens the market and offers new opportunities to make money (for example, by bundling...). So, while I certainly don't think that those who believe high intellectual property barriers are necessary are "communist," I do think they're being quite shortsighted in their economic analysis. And, while Bill Gates is obviously much richer than I'll ever be, much of that success came from the benefits Microsoft received from their use of "free" products (whether authorized or unauthorized) that helped build lock-in and establish Microsoft as the dominant platform in the market. To turn around and call that same behavior in others "communist" is simply wrong.

FC Now: Where Can Commercials Go Next?

FC Now: Where Can Commercials Go Next? 03/25/2005 03:55 PM
Over the few past years I've been playing around with the concept of Contextual branding. The notion of sending the right message, to the right audience, at the right time. Let's make the PSP for example. For some reason it...

Kerry has secured the vaunted
endorsement of North Korea's Communist
Party

Kerry has secured the vaunted
endorsement of North Korea's Communist
Party 03/06/2004 01:53 AM
Pyongyang Broadcasts Kerry’s Speeches .. You just knew this was coming .. this particular endorsement .. notable support .. this: .. Ouch

news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullS tory&c=StoryFT&cid=1078381535832&p=1012571727088
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Television Commercials Come to the Web

Television Commercials Come to the Web 01/19/2004 02:53 AM
Beginning this week, more than a dozen big Web sites will run full-motion video commercials from Pepsi, AT&T, Honda, Vonage and Warner Brothers.

Televion Commercials Come to the Web

Televion Commercials Come to the Web 01/19/2004 01:41 AM
Beginning this week, more than a dozen big Web sites will run full-motion video commercials from Pepsi, AT&T, Honda, Vonage and Warner Brothers.

Microsoft Office TV Commercials

Microsoft Office TV Commercials 01/27/2004 12:09 AM
-Water (30 seconds) In the face of insurmountable odds, unlikely heroes are born. Victory is yours with the new Microsoft Office System. -Screen (30 seconds) Great teams are forged over the hot coals of adversity. You have the new Microsoft Office System: It's a Cinderella story.

Over 50 Years of Presidential
Commercials

Over 50 Years of Presidential
Commercials 07/05/2004 09:02 PM
Yes, the election is still months away, but couldn't you do with just a few more Presidential campaign commercials? Of course you could. Especially when the feature folks you haven't...

Czech mate for IT offshoring

Czech mate for IT offshoring 12/10/2003 01:55 PM
vnunet.com Dec 10 2003 1:10PM ET

T-Mobile Prices in Czech

T-Mobile Prices in Czech 12/02/2003 12:35 AM
Correspondent Patrick Zandl writes with T-Mobile's pricing from the Czech Republic: The Czech T-Mobile locations will start charing in January, Zandl says. Pricing is well above the competition. Zandl notes that T-Mobile CZ charges 150 CZK (Czech crowns) or $5.50 US per hour, while Eurotel and WideNet charge a litlte over US$2.00. T-Mobile charges $6.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum in its US locations. T-Mobile CZ cell users can pay as part of their cell phone bill, in which case they can charge in 15-minute intervals. More information is available in Czech here....

Czech to Slovak translation

Czech to Slovak translation 03/13/2003 12:53 PM
Slovniky a data k dispozicii

Other News: Czech Car Computer

Other News: Czech Car Computer 01/22/2004 11:36 AM
"Czech out" this cool car mod with a Power Mac G4...

Football: Czech Rep v Denmark

Football: Czech Rep v Denmark 06/27/2004 12:59 PM
Latest team news and all the match stats ahead of quarter-final four in Porto.

Ten Czech Bus Drivers Caught for DUI
(AP)

Ten Czech Bus Drivers Caught for DUI
(AP) 07/28/2004 08:11 PM
AP - A police crackdown on bus traffic in the Czech capital caught 10 drunk bus drivers in a single day, police said Wednesday.

Davids Medienkritik: Neo-Nazi, Communist
Extremists Make Big Gains in German
State Elections

Davids Medienkritik: Neo-Nazi, Communist
Extremists Make Big Gains in German
State Elections 09/20/2004 03:16 AM
bad news in general, .. Davids Medienkritik .. (Link)

medienkritik.typepad.com/blog/2004/09/extremists_make.html
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TiVo plans to replace old commercials
with new

TiVo plans to replace old commercials
with new 04/07/2005 03:19 AM
One of the best things about watching TiVoed content is skipping through commercials. TiVo and Comcast have come up with a new feature they hope will keep you from hitting fast-forward.

The Freaky Universe of McDonald's
Commercials

The Freaky Universe of McDonald's
Commercials 06/05/2005 11:30 PM
supported the dream McDonaldland .. eviler business .. artikel

stayfreemagazine.org/archives/24/mcdonalds-commercials.html< br />track this site | 2 links

Coming Soon to a Retailer Near You:
Custom Commercials

Coming Soon to a Retailer Near You:
Custom Commercials 12/29/2004 04:11 PM
In 2005, retail technology executives predict targeted, customized commercials will be piped into dressing rooms, shopping carts and checkout lines.

Would Satellite TV Providers Ditch
Commercials?

Would Satellite TV Providers Ditch
Commercials? 01/03/2005 02:58 PM
With all this talk about the battl es convergence creates, one potentially interesting one is whether or not pay TV providers would ever experiment with ripping out commercials from programs. Already, some "premium" channels come without commercials and satellite radio has tried the "commercial-free" game also. However, plenty of existing TV stations come with lots of commercials, leading to the possibility that a pay TV provider could, in theory, offer a DVR service that would get rid of commercials. That, at least, is the speculation after it was revealed that UK satellite TV provider BSkyB has received a patent for a DVR device that skips ads automatically or that can just record portions of shows (such as just recording a favorite band's appearance on a music video station). Of course, it seems a bit questionable as to how this is patentable. Commercial skip technology has been around for a while, and is hardly "non-obvious." Also, BSkyB responds in the article in a way suggesting they just got the patent to use it to charge anyone else who dared to offer such features, while having no plans to offer the feature themselves. Still, it does raise some interesting questions about whether or not part of the battle is going to come from pay TV providers (both cable and satellite) and the broadcasters. There have already been a few very public battles about how much certain channels cost to get included in a pay TV offering -- and it's not hard to see the cable and satellite providers eventually respond by threatening to cut out commercials to get some more leverage in the negotiations.

Bad Commercials Trigger DVR Fast
Forwarding

Bad Commercials Trigger DVR Fast
Forwarding 04/05/2005 02:15 PM
While the story linked here is mostly about yet another overhyped prediction saying that TiVo-like DVR devices are "a threat to commercial advertising," there are two interesting points that seem obvious -- but haven't gotten much attention in these debates. The first is that, while everyone figures out how to fast forward through commercials, some people apparently forget until a bad commercial comes on. In other words, they're fine watching a commercial that seems interesting, amusing or relevant -- but when the bad commercials come on, they realize they are wasting their time. The second point is that users of DVR's, while fast forwarding through commercials do tend to be paying close attention to what's on the TV, looking for "heavily branded screenshots" that indicate it's time to stop fast-forwarding. While this idea has been taken and tweaked to lead to TiVo' s popup ads during commercials, it does make you wonder if advertisers will start designing more TiVo-friendly commercials which would be heavily branded, even for people fast forwarding through. It might also mean that some TV shows could try a branded intro shot, with a statement along the lines of "Stop fast forwarding NOW!" which could also be sponsored by various brands -- though, that could annoy non-DVR using watchers.

TiVo Users Watch More Commercials

TiVo Users Watch More Commercials 05/26/2004 12:20 PM
Our LA-based sister-site Defamer has a great write-up about a recent study that shows people that use a TiVo (or other DVR) may actually be watching more commercials than those that watch regular TV. The boil down is this: people...

Video Games As The Modern Car
Commercials

Video Games As The Modern Car
Commercials 02/16/2004 12:57 AM
Apparently, the car racing video game Gran Tourismo has been so popular helping automakers sell cars to young adults, that many car companies are starting to put out their own video games and are setting up places to play the games in dealerships. The article talks about kids who play Gran Tourismo and get so involved in modding and driving a specific car that they want that car in real life as well. However, now that the automakers are realizing this is a good way to sell cars, some are wondering if the fad is over, suggesting that as soon as the folks in suits figure something out, the kids know better than to stick around. Still, it's yet another example of companies realizing that you're better off creating promotional items that people want, and then getting them out there into the world.

TiVo Users May See More Commercials...
Sort Of

TiVo Users May See More Commercials...
Sort Of 05/26/2004 02:41 AM
There have been studies in the past that showed that TiVo (or similar DVR users) often can recall the commercials they've fast forwarded through. Now, Dave Pell from Davenetics points us to a new study that actually suggests DVR users see more commercials - even though they're just fast forwarding through them. Basically, the people most likely to have and use a DVR device are the same people who were likely to simply channel surf when commercial came on in the past - meaning they saw very few commercials. Now, however, while they may be fast forwarding through the commercials, they are still at least "seeing" them - and possibly getting some brand recognition. In fact, the survey suggests the net impact of advertising on DVR users may be positive. Of course, it might help if broadcasters and advertisers continued to look at more creative advertising solutions. As Dave suggests, "The first advertiser to shoot commercials in slow motion wins."

Czech out this Microsoft Office
alternative

Czech out this Microsoft Office
alternative 09/08/2004 04:24 PM
Software602 updates its productivity package, which started as a creation of Czech hobbyists.

Czech official quits after protests

Czech official quits after protests 08/21/2004 05:49 AM
Head of the Czech government office Pavel Pribyl resigns after a protest over his record as a senior police officer.

Czech Republic delays 3G rollout

Czech Republic delays 3G rollout 12/08/2003 07:17 PM
Telecoms.com Dec 8 2003 6:16PM ET

Czech cop fires at jaywalker (Reuters)

Czech cop fires at jaywalker (Reuters) 07/20/2004 12:38 PM
Reuters - A Czech policeman has been relieved of his duty and faces a criminal investigation after taking a crackdown on traffic violations too far when he shot at a pedestrian crossing against a red light.

Outraged Czech Cop Shoots at Jaywalker
(AP)

Outraged Czech Cop Shoots at Jaywalker
(AP) 07/20/2004 07:58 AM
AP - An angry police officer allegedly shot at a man who ignored a red traffic light and crossed a busy street in a southwestern Czech town, authorities said Tuesday. The bullets missed the pedestrian.

Another Speakeasy-like Service in the
Czech Republic

Another Speakeasy-like Service in the
Czech Republic 10/28/2003 11:09 PM
The WSJ reports on a service in the Czech Republic that lets users sell their Wi-Fi connections to their neighbors (link good for seven days): This offering isn't as good as a similar one from WideNet and Wia in the Czech Republic which will do the billing for customers. The WSJ article covers a company called CzFree.net which requires customers to buy over $800 worth of gear and then allows them to sell connections to their neighbors. There is no mention of CzFree.net handling the billing, which I think is pretty key. I wouldn't want to have to deal with trying to make my neighbors pay me for something. Also, it doesn't appear that CzFree.net has a deal with a landline broadband provider, like WideNet does, which makes the legality of reselling connections questionable....

Czech premier offers resignation

Czech premier offers resignation 04/09/2005 09:37 AM
Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross offers to resign in the wake of a dispute over his financial affairs.

New Czech coalition deal reached

New Czech coalition deal reached 04/13/2005 10:59 PM
Leaders of the Czech Republic's three-party governing coalition will form a new cabinet, after Prime Minister Gross steps down.

Clear Channel Cuts Commercials To Just
Most Of The Time, Instead Of All

Clear Channel Cuts Commercials To Just
Most Of The Time, Instead Of All 07/19/2004 02:51 PM
I tend not to listen to very much radio at all, but when I do flip around the dial, it does seem like commercial radio these days is pretty much all commercials, all the time. Well, it looks like Clear Channel is starting to realize that while they may own all the radio stations out there, they're facing competition from satellite and internet radio (as well as people listening to their own music via CD players and digital music players). So, today, they've made a big splash by announcing that all of their radio stations will now have fewer commercials -- though, they don't say by how much. Of course, if you read between the lines, the announcement is also stating (though, not explicitly) that in doing so, Clear Channel is also going to raise advertising fees. They're trying to limit supply to push up the price, but this is coded as: "more effective opportunities and value for their advertising dollar."

'1984' among greatest Super Bowl
commercials

'1984' among greatest Super Bowl
commercials 01/22/2004 01:00 PM
Apple's legendary "1984" commercial has been nominated for CBS' "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials" television special, which will air on Saturday, January 31 at 9:00 p.m...

Czech Supermodel Injured in Tidal Wave
(AP)

Czech Supermodel Injured in Tidal Wave
(AP) 12/28/2004 11:25 AM
AP - Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova, who appeared on the cover of 2003 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, was injured and her photographer boyfriend is missing after the pair were caught up in the Asian tsunami disaster, a spokeswoman for the boyfriend said Tuesday.
Grok Description matches for Communist era Czech TV commercials
GrokA matches for Communist era Czech TV commercials

Communist era Czech TV commercials

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