By Reuters | Updated: 9 July 2020

Google’s YouTube is not required to hand over the email or IP address of users who upload films illegally to its video platform, Europe’s top court ruled on Thursday, saying there must be a balance between protecting personal data and copyright.

The case came before the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) after a German court sought guidance on what video platforms must do to combat film piracy in a case concerning German film distributor Constantin Film Verleih.

The company, which had distribution rights to the films Scary Movie 5 and Parker in Germany, had asked YouTube and Google to provide the email addresses, telephone numbers and IP addresses of users who had uploaded those films illegally onto YouTube in 2013 and 2014.

Constantin Film took its case to the German court after Alphabet subsidiaries Google and YouTube refused to supply the details.

The CJEU backed the US tech companies.

“When a film is unlawfully uploaded onto an online platform, such as YouTube, the rights holder may, under the directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, require the operator to provide only the postal address of the user concerned, but not his or her email, IP address, or telephone number,” judges said.

They said EU countries could opt for more protection for intellectual property rights holders but there must be a fair and proportionate balance between various fundamental rights.

A YouTube spokeswoman said Google and YouTube were committed to protecting copyright and safeguarding privacy of their users and their data.

“Today’s CJEU decision provides the legal clarity on what information is appropriate to share with rights holders in case of a copyright claim,” she said in an emailed statement.

© Thomson Reuters 2020

Amazon Echo and all the other Alexa-enabled devices are finally getting the Spotify support. On 26 July Friday Spotify announced that each its Premium and free tier subscribers can now use the music streaming service with Alexa on Amazon Echo gadgets in India. The Swedish firm additionally detailed a number of Alexa voice instructions that its customers can utilise, from taking part in playlists to podcasts. The Spotify support will be gradually rolled out for other-Alexa enabled devices but for now, it is only available for Amazon Echo users, Spotify says it will soon be available on other Alexa-enabled devices, including Fire TV models and mobile devices.

As of now, Amazon Echo users can access music from various audio platforms including Apple Music, JioSaavn, Hungama Music, and other third-party apps. With Spotify adding to the list, the users will get a plethora of options to choose from. Spotify in a statement revealed that the new feature will be available to the premium and free-tier Spotify users in India.

So here’s how you access your amazing playlist on Spotify from Amazon devices. Spotify gives you access to over 50 million songs so before everything, it is important for you to download the app first. Post downloading the app, go to the Alexa app, and visit Settings > Music > Link New Service and then select Spotify. Users will then have to key in their Spotify username and password. If users would like to make Spotify their default music service on the Amazon Echo device, they can also enable Default Services.

Once the consumer has linked their Spotify account with Alexa, they will use the Spotify app to play content material on their Alexa gadgets by saying “Alexa, Spotify connect”, thereby making the Alexa system discoverable within the music streaming app. Alternatively, customers can search for Devices Available on the now taking part in the display screen of the Spotify app, after which choose the Echo system they need to hear on.

Spotify had initially added help for Amazon Echo gadgets again in 2016, however just for premium subscribers and in choose markets. The streaming service’s free tier customers additionally received entry to Alexa-enabled gadgets in November 2019, however the identical was restricted to pick out markets. Spotify can be already accessible on Fire TV Stick dongles.

Spotify is one of the most preferred apps because it gives you an option to personalize your music experience. So when you sign up through the Alexa app, Spotify will ask you about your favourite artist, and provide curated playlists that match your musical taste and personalized playlists like Daily Mix. The playlists are available on Alexa and they are updated based on your listening activity. To listen to your playlist just give a command saying, “Alexa, play my Daily Mix 1 on Spotify”. You can also create your personal playlist on the Spotify app for example ‘Bollywood Dhamaka’ and ask Alexa, to play it.

As talked about, Spotify detailed a bunch of voice instructions customers can utilise to regulate the music streaming service on an Amazon Echo system. These are:

Playlists

• “Alexa, play my Daily Mix 1 on Spotify”
• “Alexa, play Bollywood Acoustic on Spotify”
• “Alexa, play Chai & Classics on Spotify”
• “Alexa, play my <name> playlist from Spotify”

Movies

• “Alexa, play Street Dancer 3D songs on Spotify”
• “Alexa, play Kabir Singh songs on Spotify”

Songs

• “Alexa, play Malang on Spotify”
• “Alexa, play Dance Monkey on Spotify”

Artists

• “Alexa, play Badshah songs on Spotify”

Artist Radio

• “Alexa, play A R Rahman Radio on Spotify”

Genres

• “Alexa, play chill tracks on Spotify”

Music Alarm

• “Alexa, set alarm for 6 AM with meditation music on Spotify”

Spotify Connect

• “Alexa, Spotify Connect on Kitchen Echo”

Podcasts

• “Alexa, Spotify connect” after which choose the Podcast on the Spotify app. It will play on the linked Echo system.

Netflix chief Reed Hastings and his philanthropist wife on Wednesday gave $120 million (roughly Rs. 913 crores) to historically black US colleges to fund full-ride scholarships for students.

The gift by the Netflix co-founder and his wife, Patty Quillin, to Spelman College and Morehouse College — two Atlanta universities — and the United Negro College Fund was touted as the largest-ever contribution by an individual in support of such scholarships.

“Both of us had the privilege of a great education and we want to help more students — in particular students of color — get the same start in life,” Quillin and Hastings said in a statement.

“Historically black colleges and universities have a tremendous record, yet are disadvantaged when it comes to giving.”

The money is to be spent during the coming decade to pay for 200 students to attend full 4-year college programs.

Quillin and Hastings said they hoped the scholarships help “reverse generations of inequity in our country.”

Hastings, who as a younger man spent time in the Peace Corps and teaching high school-level math in Swaziland, and his wife have a history of philanthropy aimed at education.

Apple recently launched a $100 million (roughly Rs. 761 crores) initiative to combat systemic racism, and Google has committed $275 million (roughly Rs. 2,092 crores) to help black artists on YouTube, help fund African American small businesses and other projects to support the community.

© Thomson Reuters 2020