MOVIE BUZZ: The Pirate Bay is announcing that as of today, April 1st, they've been acquired by Warner Bros. for approximately $13 billion. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

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The Best Links:

1. Warner Bros. Acquires The Pirate Bay
2. Press Release for Immediate Publishing! Warner Bros Inc Acquires The Pirate Bay AB

TECH BUZZ: Retired Stockholm professor Roger Wallis is on the fast track to becoming a cult Internet hero thanks to his performance at the ongoing Pirate Bay trial . A copyright law specialist who has studied how cassette tapes changed music creation despite strong resistance from the music industry, Wallis is testifying that entertainment execs are greatly exaggerating the losses they claim they've incurred due to file-sharing websites. Asked by the judge whether he wanted compensation for his testimony yesterday, he quipped that people could send bouquets to his wife. So far, she's received more than $5,000 worth of flowers.

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The Best Links:

1. Pirate Bay Witness’ Wife Overwhelmed With Flowers
2. Entertainment Lawyers Attack Pirate Bay Witness’ Qualifications
3. Interesting Stuff: A Partial Transcript of Wallis’ Testimony
4. A Good Day for the Roses: Pirate Bay Trial, Day 9
5. TPB trial witness: file-sharing not bad for music business
6. Twittering the #Spectrial
7. Pirate Bay Charges Dropped

Link: http://muxtape.com/

Muxtape, once the internet's bestest musical mixtapin' site, is back from the dead! Currently featuring bands including Francis and the Lights, Of Montreal, Girl Talk, Dan Deacon, Reggie Watts and more, Muxtape's new purpose is to be a place for “bands to promote their music and listeners to create mixes.” Welcome back, old friend.

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The Best Links:

1. Muxtape
2. Muxtape Is Back As A Mixtape Platform For Bands
3. The New Muxtape is Live
4. The Story of Muxtape (What Happened?)
5. Muxtape Shut Down by the RIAA
6. Muxtape on BuzzFeed

TECH BUZZ: In the wake of Muxtape’s shutdown, Mixtube functions in the same format, except all music is played via YouTube videos. And the war between free music and record label suits continue. United we listen, divided we pay.

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The Best Links:

1. Make A MixTube
2. “Mad Men” (What Would A Buzzfeed Post Be Without a Nod to Mad Men?)
3. “Favorite Mashups”
4. “Not Sure What Happens to the MixTube Audio if the Video Clip Gets Pulled, So Make and Email Around Your Playlist While You Can.”

POLITICS BUZZ: Nancy and Ann Wilson, John Cougar/Cougar-Mellencamp/Mellencamp, Van Halen and Jackson Brown ask McCain to stop using their music. Seems the Republicans can’t even steal their way out of their white stodginess. I say all for the better. If I see one more Democrat dancing to Fleetwood Mac I’m gonna slit my wrists with a cracked Rumors LP.

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The Best Links:

1. Heart’s Nancy Wilson Responds: “I Feel Completely F*cked Over.”
2. Heart’s Nancy and Ann Wilson Warn McCain Campaign to Stop Using Their Music
3. Jackson Browne Sues McCain For Using His Song
4. Mellencamp Asks McCain to Stop Using Tunes
5. Heart Did Not Give RNC Permission To Use “Barracuda”
6. Van Halen Mad At McCain Over Song Use

MUSIC BUZZ: Everyone’s favorite online mixtape genius site, Muxtape, is down today, after having been touched by the music police, aka the RIAA. It was only a matter of time (sadly), but we hope this gets resolved soon. Muxtapes are too good of a work distraction to be gone for long.

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The Best Links:

1. Muxtape, No Longer (For now).
2. A more in-depth look at the shut down: “No artists or labels have complained. The site is not closed indefinitely. Stay tuned.”
3. More bloggy takes on the site shuttering.