U.S. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee To Hold Hearings on Motown Recording Artists Copyright and Royalty Abuses

U.S. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee To Hold Hearings on Motown Recording Artists Copyright and Royalty Abuses

George Clinton and U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.                 

Music icon George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic has previously taken the lead on the issue of recapturing copyrights working with U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. Mr. Clinton has suggested to the Committee that Mrs. Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family may be interested in sharing her views in testimony.


U.S. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee To Hold Hearings on Motown Recording Artists Copyright and Royalt... Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Concert Review: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Live at the Cubby Bear (Thursday, 5/10/12 in Chicago)

Concert Review: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Live at the Cubby Bear (Thursday, 5/10/12 in Chicago)

Lakeview made their funk the P-Funk Thursday night as The Mothership descended upon the Chicagoland area once again...

At over seventy years of age, George Clinton shows little sign of slowing down.

Ever the innovator, he's worked tirelessly to educate young artists about copyright laws, is engaged in lawsuits that have the potential to change the way the industry deals with online royalties and copyrights and has even gone so far as to work in conjunction with Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (U.S. Representative from Michigan) on "The P-Funk Initiative" (H.R. 848), a bill aimed at protecting artist's rights.

And while so many musicians (young and old) struggle to try and figure out how to embrace the internet as an artist, George Clinton once again showed his ability to stay ahead of the curve recently completing a successful, online Indiegogo campaign to finance the restoration/preservation of his recordings as well as a series of studio upgrades.

He recently completed a mixtape with hip-hop artist Aleon Craft and luckily he still finds the time to tour.

To the tune of about two hundred tour dates a year.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Member George Clinton Supports Music Education: New Song Release includes Mayor Corey Booker and Dr. Cornel West

Dr. Cornel West and Mayor Corey Booker

In support of "Music Education", George Clinton, the Mother’s Hip Education Foundation and the Barack Obama Green Charter High School, New Jersey’s first High School focused on Sustainability will be hosting a special "Music Education" listening party event. George Clinton has partnered with the Barack Obama Green Charter High School, to find creative ways to develop a sustainable music education program. Using principles of sustainability, where solutions are best implemented locally, Mr. Clinton is focusing on the town of Plainfield, New Jersey, where he grew up and formed his groundbreaking group Parliament and Funkadelic.

Barack Obama Green Charter High School

The Barack Obama Green Charter School

The mission of The Barack Obama Green Charter High School also known as Obama Green is to prepare students to become informed, engaged and independent critical thinkers and to inspire leaders for sustainable development with a focus on our environment. Students have already started to reach-out to make a difference.

Two Obama Green students were selected out of 30 high school students from around the country and participated in a government sponsored watershed project in Japan; other students participated in the Nature Conservancy’s’ Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future program. Students have tweeted cotton manufacturers in China to discuss production, working conditions and economics. Obama Green also boosts the only school to have a mobile living wall. This wall is composed of
plants, an aquaponic system and live fish creating a self-sustaining system. With support from George Clinton, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and PSE&G, Obama Green is breaking new ground in developing an urban model for sustainability education.

George Clinton

George Clinton is one of the foremost innovators of funk music, and was the mastermind behind the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 along with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Parliament and Funkadelic captured 40 hit R&B singles, including No. 1 hits "Flashlight," "One Nation Under a Groove," "Aqua Boogie," and "(Not Just) Knee Deep." Clinton’s collaborators included keyboardist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Eddie Hazel, bassist Bootsy Collins, saxophonist Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley.

Dr. George Clinton and
U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr.

Clinton has become recognized as the godfather of modern urban music. Beats, loops, and samples of P-Funk have appeared on albums by OutKast, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul, Fishbone, and many others. As Clinton has said, "funk is the DNA of hip-hop and rap." In 1996, Clinton released the solo album The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership, which reunited him with Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins.In 1997, Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guitar Center’s Hollywood Rock Walk, and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the NAACP Image Awards. In 2002, Spin voted Parliament-Funkadelic No. 6 of the 50 Greatest Bands of All Time.

Over the past decade, Clinton has continued to play sold-out shows across the globe, while a countless number of his songs have been licensed for film and television. Currently, he is compiling new and old songs for an exclusive online-only release, fighting for artist rights through the P-Funk Initiative (a bill drafted with Congressman John Conyers Jr. to protect against copyright and royalty theft), and blogging about these issues on his website, FunkProbosci.com.



Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Member George Clinton Supports Music Education:  New Song Release includes Mayor Corey Booker and Dr. Cornel West

When: Monday February 20th, 2012
           5:00pm – 8:00pm

Where: Barack Obama Green Charter High School
209 Berckman Street, Plainfield, NJ 07062
www.obamagreencharterhigh.org

Who: George Clinton, Parliament Funkadelic

What: George Clinton Promotes Music Education with New Jersey’s First High School                            Focused on Sustainability

Contact: Steven King, Co-Founder and Director of Sustainability and Programs, Barack Obama Green Charter High School,
mrstevenking@gmail.com, (917) 573-8816.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Funk Icon George Clinton to Receive Honorary Doctorate From Berklee College

Funk Icon George Clinton to Receive Honorary Doctorate From Berklee College

Funk Icon George Clinton to Receive Honorary Doctorate,

Perform with Berklee College of Music P-Funk Ensemble February 16 

January 5, 2012 – George Clinton crashed a Berklee P-Funk Ensemble rehearsal for an MTV special a few years ago. Next month, he returns to the college to teach a four-day residency, perform a concert, and accept an honorary degree.

At the concert, February 16, Berklee President Roger Brown will present Clinton with an honorary doctor of music degree in recognition for the funk icon's enduring musical and cultural contributions. Featuring performances of "I Wanna Testify," an early career doo-wop hit, "Mothership Connection," and other P-Funk classics, the concert will pay tribute to Clinton's musical legacy. February 13 to 16, Clinton will visit classes, interact with students, and rehearse with the Berklee P-Funk Ensemble. 

George Clinton Meets Berklee takes place on Thursday, February 16, 8:15 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. General admission tickets are $20 and $15. Purchase tickets at berkleebpc.com, call 617-747-2261, or visit the BPC Box Office. The BPC is wheelchair accessible. The concert is produced by faculty bassist Lenny Stallworth and Africana Studies, a focused area of study within the college's Liberal Arts Department.

About George Clinton 
George Clinton is one of the foremost innovators of funk music, and was the mastermind behind the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Clinton started his career with the Parliaments, a barbershop doo-wop ensemble, which scored a major hit with "I Wanna Testify" in 1967. Clinton then began experimenting with harmonies, melody, and rhythm, and taking cues from the psychedelic movement, forever setting himself apart from the Motown era.

By the early 1970s, the group’s tight songs evolved into sprawling jams around funky rhythms. They dropped the "s" from the band name and Parliament was born. Around the same time, Clinton spawned Funkadelic, a rock group which fused psychedelic guitar distortion, bizarre sound effects, and cosmological rants with danceable beats and booming bass lines. Funkadelic recorded a number of influential concept albums, including Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow, Maggot Brain, and America Eats It’s Young.

Parliament and Funkadelic captured 40 hit R&B singles, including #1 hits "Flashlight," "One Nation Under a Groove," "Aqua Boogie," and "(Not Just) Knee Deep." Clinton’s collaborators included keyboardist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Eddie Hazel, bassist Bootsy Collins, saxophonist Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley. On stage, spectacle ruled the day, with an enormous mothership, outrageous costumes, and marathon performances.

In the 1980s, Clinton emerged as a successful solo artist. He released Computer Games with the #1 hit single "Atomic Dog," produced The Red Hot Chili Peppers' pioneering Freaky Styley, and signed with Prince’s Paisley Park label. He also began to experiment with the urban hip-hop music scene, as a generation of rappers reared on P-Funk began to name-check him.

Clinton has become recognized as the godfather of modern urban music. Beats, loops, and samples of P-Funk have appeared on albums by OutKast, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul, Fishbone, and many others. As Clinton has said, "funk is the DNA of hip-hop and rap." In 1996, Clinton released the solo album The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership, which reunited him with Bernie Worrel and Bootsy Collins.

In 1997, Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guitar Center’s Hollywood Rock Walk, and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the NAACP Image Awards. In 2002, Spin voted Parliament-Funkadelic #6 of the 50 Greatest Bands of All Time.

Over the past decade, Clinton has continued to play sold-out shows across the globe, while a countless number of his songs have been licensed for film and television. Currently, he is compiling new and old songs for an exclusive online-only release, and blogging about artist rights issues on his website, FunkProbosci.com. 

Contact: Berklee College of Music 

Nick Balkin, 617-747-2247, nbalkin@berklee.edu

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Motion Picture Association of America Supports Stop Online Piracy Act

Motion Picture Association of America Supports Stop Online Piracy Act

Hello, My Name Is...
By Howard Gantman

It’s been only two days since the bipartisan House Judiciary committee leadership introduced a highly anticipated bill to crack down on foreign rogue websites that steal and profit from counterfeit goods and stolen creative content like books and movies and music. Yet those who seem to side with the rights of these rogue websites over the rights of American workers and businesses, are taking every step possible to confuse the public, falsely characterize its provisions and mislabel the bill.

For a clear and concise explanation of the Stop Online Piracy Act, Chairman Lamar Smith has put out a fact sheet that summarizes the bill and will clarify any uncertainty about what it does.

And for those who want to get their facts right about its name: It’s called the Stop Online Piracy Act.

So let’s stop playing games. More than 2.2 million hard-working, middle-class people in all 50 states depend on the entertainment industry for their jobs. They work behind the scenes in production, and in small businesses like equipment rental, transportation, construction and food service. Millions more people work in theaters, video stores, retail, restaurants and other businesses that depend on entertainment. For all of these workers and their families, digital theft means declining incomes, lost jobs and reduced health and retirement benefits.

We thank the bill’s initial co-sponsors, Representatives Lamar Smith, Howard Berman, Marsha Blackburn, Mary Bono Mack, Steve Chabot, John Conyers, Ted Deutch, Elton Gallegly, Tim Griffin, Bob Goodlatte, Dennis Ross, Adam Schiff, and Terry Lee for introducing this bill and recognizing the importance of protecting American workers and businesses.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Stop Online Piracy Act Summary

Stop Online Piracy Summary
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Arts+Labs Statement on Introduction of Stop Online Piracy Act

Arts+Labs Statement on Introduction of Stop Online Piracy Act

By Arts+Labs on October 28, 2011 1:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

New York, Oct 28, 2011 - The introduction in the House of Representatives of legislation to combat the theft of U.S. intellectual property represents an important step in the fight to sustain American creativity and support individual innovators.  The newly-introduced Stop Online Piracy Act, along with the PROTECT IP legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this year provide a way to push back against rogue websites that seek to profit from digital counterfeiting and piracy.

While adjustments will be necessary to reconcile the House and Senate bills and secure the votes for final passage, Arts + Labs endorses the key premise in both measures: namely, that all actors in the Internet ecosystem must play a role in helping protect the rights of those who create content while fostering innovation.  Ultimately, these twin goals help fight the digital theft that robs the U.S. economy and threatens creativity.  We also are pleased that the proposals recognize the critical need for substantial due process safeguards and the central role of federal law enforcement.

Arts + Labs offers a special thanks to House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R- Texas) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich) for working across party lines on this economically critical measure.  We also applaud the similar bipartisan efforts of IP Subcommittee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va) and Ranking Member Mel Watt (D-NC) and the eight other co-sponsors.

We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the needs of creative communities, as well as those who provide Internet services and sustain its commerce, are fairly represented in this legislation to protect, preserve, and enhance the American workforce.

###

Arts+Labs is comprised of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, AT&T, Broadcast Music, Inc., Cisco, Microsoft, NBC Universal, Songwriters Guild of America, Verizon and Viacom.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

U.S. Copyright Office Priorities 2011

U.S. Copyright Office Priorities 2011
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Stop Online Piracy Act of 2011

Stop Online Piracy Act
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Register of Copyrights Names Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs

Register of Copyrights Names Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs

Register of Copyrights Maria A. Pallante has named Michele Woods to the position of Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs. The appointment was effective on October 23, 2011. Woods has extensive experience in both domestic and international copyright policy, including through prior positions with the U.S. Copyright Office. She has headed the Office of Policy and International Affairs for the past year on an acting basis, and before that served as Senior Counsel for Policy and International Affairs from March 2009 to October 2010.

"The position of associate register is a critical position within the Copyright Office and the greater copyright community," Pallante said. "Michele’s talents and experience are tremendous assets to the office and greatly appreciated by all who work with her."

The Office of Policy and International Affairs (PIA) is responsible for an important portfolio of copyright matters that includes analysis and support on copyright legislation, policy studies, and review of foreign copyright laws. Enforcement and anti-piracy efforts are also an important focus for PIA attorneys, who frequently serve on U.S. delegations to international organizations and in trade and other international negotiations with foreign governments.

Prior to joining the Copyright Office, Woods was in private practice in Washington, D.C., most recently from 2000 to 2009 as counsel in the Intellectual Property and Technology group at Arnold & Porter LLP. Her copyright practice included a wide range of domestic and international copyright policy, legislative, litigation and counseling matters. Woods litigated extensively and appeared before numerous United States federal courts, the Copyright Office, the Copyright Royalty Board, the former Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels and the Copyright Royalty Tribunal. She was also with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.

Woods received both her J.D. and LL.M (in International and Comparative Law) degrees from the Duke University School of Law. She received an A.B. from Princeton University and a Master of Studies from Oxford University. Since 2003, she has been an adjunct professor at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, where she teaches an upper-level seminar on international intellectual property.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Sound Recording Simplificaiton Act of 2011

Congressman Jared Polis is the first to respond to Congressman Conyers' call to action for copyright reform.

Congressmen Jared Polis and John Conyers, Jr.

Sound Recording Simplification Act of 2011

This is the section that is proposed to be stricken from the U.S. Copyright Law:

(c) With respect to sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, any rights or remedies under the common law or statutes of any State shall not be annulled or limited by this title until February 15, 2067. The preemptive provisions of subsection (a) shall apply to any such rights and remedies pertaining to any cause of action arising from undertakings commenced on and after February 15, 2067. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 303, no sound recording fixed before February 15, 1972, shall be subject to copyright under this title before, on, or after February 15, 2067.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

George Clinton praises John Conyers on copyright stance

Jeffery Thenisch, John Conyers, Jr., and George Clinton

Getting a shout-out from singer George Clinton this week was Rep. John Conyers Jr. for his work on copyright law and making sure artists get the royalties to which they're entitled.

Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic fame was in town this week to announce the launch with DC Netcast Media Group of an application that allows users to remix top hits.

"With the encouragement of Congressman John Conyers Jr. and Detroit's rich history of music and innovation," Clinton said in a press release, it makes sense to launch the app in Motown.

Next year, the copyright law that governs royalties expires and Conyers, D-Detroit, has taken up the charge in Congress to make sure artists aren't shortchanged.

According to Clinton's rep, he'll announce the release of his Motown Album in Detroit during the street dedication ceremony of John Conyers, Jr. Blvd., tentatively set for November. Washington Boulevard from Cobo Center to Adams Street will be renamed.

Medical Discoveries Through Creative Commerce

Here is an excellent example of what is meant by "creative commerce".  Gamers were able to scientifically solve a protein structure simply over the internet, for free.


We need to recognize that the time has come to unleash the spirit of creativity and innovation for the world to share, online.

One point for crowdsourcing: Gamers solve protein structure of AIDS-like protein

A small group of enthusiastic gamers on a site called Foldit recentlysolved the structure of a protein found in an AIDS-like monkey virus. The structure had stumped scientists for over a decade; the gamers, incredibly, cracked it in less than three weeks.

Despite using advanced crystallography technology, scientists at the University of Washington kept encountering roadblocks while trying to discern the protein’s structure. This led them, in a self-proclaimed “last ditch effort”, to begin an online protein folding competition. They offered several potential molecular structures on Foldit’s 3-D interface, and then asked players to tweak them so that, just as in real life, they emitted the lowest possible energy. Within days, a group called The Contenders submitted an answer that fit the X-ray data almost perfectly. The scientists, in an article in Nature last week,proclaimed that this was “the first instance that we are aware of in which online gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem.”

This development has huge implications for the future of crowdsourcing, or of using large groups to perform tasks typically done by individuals. In this case, gamers applied critical reasoning and spatial intelligence to a problem traditionally dominated by subject matter experts. Seth Cooper, lead designer and developer of Foldit, said in an interview on MSNBC that the players’ lack of biochemistry backgrounds may have actually worked to their advantage. Unaware of traditional rules governing biochemistry, Foldit players were able “to be really creative and come up with a lot of different interesting solutions.”

Scientists may even be able to study the gamers’ unconventional folding techniques to improve existing crystallography software. Bradford Graves, a protein crystallographer at the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, believes this is at least as important a contribution gamers can make to science.

Before scientists start opening a suite of unsolved mysteries to gamers, however, there are several issues to keep in mind.

A screenshot of a protein structure on Foldit

First and foremost, we must consider the value being generated through these crowdsourced molecules, and how that will eventually translate in monetary terms. Who owns the intellectual property on a collaborative, crowdsourced protein structure? Ben Sawyer, co-director of theSerious Games Initiative, warns that in the worst-case scenario, these puzzles could be “exploitative” to gamers who do not fully understand the financial value of their discoveries. This question will prove especially relevant in cases where a pharmaceutical drug is developed from a Foldit discovery (that is unlikely to be the case with the AIDS-like protein). Sawyer advises both Foldit and the scientific community to think carefully about what an optimal risk-reward ratio would look like.

We should also determine the audience for which a crowdsourced protein structure would be valuable. Many scientific groups, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry but also at the university level, tend to keep their work secretive. Sawyer asks, “How do you get people to solve [protein structures] without having your competitors also see it?” In such instances, open-source software could actually prove counter-productive. Bradford Graves contends that in addition to the secrecy issue, the pharmaceutical industry may see limited value because “the structure may not get you anything in and of itself; it’s what you do with it that really counts.” Given this, Foldit may see limited application to institutions focused on basic science.

Finally, we do not yet know if this concept can scale. If we open countless scientific puzzles to the general public, Foldit will also need scientists at the back end to evaluate the answers that come in. The only way games like Foldit will work is if you have a dedicated team to parse out the good molecular structures from the bad. In an ideal scenario, the scientists should also be able to give gamers feedback, thereby educating them in the process. It is yet to be determined if Foldit can develop the capacity to do this.

These caveats aside, Foldit is in many ways a game-changing (pun intended) concept. It provides a platform for gamers to interact, and potentially solve, pressing issues in the real world. Game designer Jane McGonigal said in a 2010 TED talk that most games today are played to escape from “real world suffering,” from “everything that’s broken in the real environment.” Serious games like Foldit show us that a meaningful bridge can in fact be created between the online gaming world and the real one.

Brandon Weiner playing jazz outside of John Conyers' Office in Detroit

Here is a young Detroit jazz musician, Brandon Weiner, who took to the streets in front of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.'s office at the federal building.

These are the ones who will preserve the musical legacies of Detroit.


Congratulations, Brandon, this is your digital debut.  Make it happen!

The Jazz Education Network

On behalf of the JEN Board, we are extremely proud to announce the Honorable John Conyers as our keynote speaker at the JENeral session on Saturday afternoon! As you are no doubt aware, Rep. Conyers was behind the H.CON.RES57 legislation declaring Jazz as a a National Treasure! Visit the resolution at this url: http://www.hr57.org/hconres57/html


Further, Rep. Conyers will be assisting in a panel discussion along with William Brower, Larry Ridley, and Jackie Harris titled: Federal Government Support For Jazz – The Next Opportunity! You certainly will not want to miss that one!


Congressman John Conyers, Jr. has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over 40 years. He is the former Chairman of the House Government Operations Committee. He presently serves as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Congressman Conyers is a founding member and the Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus.


Congressman Conyers is well known as a patron of the arts, and is renowned for his love of jazz. In his role as a federal legislator, he has successfully fought for greater recognition and funding for jazz. In 1987, the Congress passed Conyers’ House Concurrent Resolution 57 designating jazz a “national American treasure.” In 1990, the Congressman won passage of a resolution commemorating tap, a form of dance closely associated with jazz. That measure designated May 25th, the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, as National Tap Dance Day. Also in 1990, Congressman Conyers won passage of appropriations legislation awarding the Smithsonian Institution with funding to establish a comprehensive jazz program, including the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.


Since 1985, Congressman Conyers has hosted a Jazz Issue Forum and Concert at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. These have events have provided a platform for the discussion of many issues of profound concern to the jazz community, while presenting and celebrating many significant artists.
Congressman Conyers has repeatedly been honored for his activities in support of this art form, having received the Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Award from the American Federation of Jazz Societies, Downbeat Magazine’s Special Achievement Award, WBGO FM’s Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Award, and the Jazz Journalist Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Most recently the D.C. Jazz Festival who has created the John Conyers Jr. Jazz Advocacy Award in his name honored Congressman Conyers.


Congressman Conyers has been supportive of efforts to present live jazz to the public in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through his past service as a director on the boards of such organizations as Capital City Jazz Festivals, Inc., and District Curators. He has also served in the past on the boards of the National Jazz Service Organization, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

George Clinton spearheads creative commerce initiative through innovative digital musical mobile technology in Detroit

George Clinton spearheads creative commerce initiative through innovative digital musical mobile technology...

Netflix’s week goes from bad to worse

Netflix chief Reed Hastings began the week admitting "arrogance" in a lengthy apology to subscribers, only to have his damage-control efforts blow up in his face by confusingly splitting up the company's streaming and DVD businesses.

But on Thursday, Hastings' fortunes--at least PR-wise--seemed like they were about to change. He was introduced onstage by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg at the social network's annual developers conference with some big news: a partnership with Facebook that will allow users to watch movies or TV shows with their friends, one of several new social apps Zuckerberg highlighted during his keynote.

However, Hastings quickly pointed out that a privacy law is currently preventing Netflix and Facebook from launching the app in the United States.

Congressional lawmakers are now reviewing the law--the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988--as a prelude to eventually overturning it, Hastings said.

"Unfortunately, we will not be offering this feature in the U.S. because a 1980's law creates some confusion over our ability to let U.S. members automatically share the television shows and movies they watch with their friends on Facebook," Michael Drobac, director of government relations at Netflix, explained in a post. Drobac noted that "some forward-thinking members of Congress"--including Reps. John Conyers, Henry Waxman and Darrell Issa--have introduced legislation--H.R. 2471--that would overturn the 1988 law.

Until then, though, Facebook users in 44 other countries will soon be able to watch, say, "Blue Crush 2," or another one of its 20,000 titles together--but not here.

Meanwhile, Hastings' brutal week is about to go from bad to worse.

According to All Things D's Peter Kafka, the Dish Network is holding a press conference at 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday "and the odds are very, very, very good the satellite TV company will use it to introduce a Netflix-style streaming service of its own."

As Kafka points out, the company's invitations for today's event boast the unveiling of a "stream come true." That's the innovation that everyone, even Hastings, thought Dish would eventually do with Blockbuster, which it acquired for $320 million in April.

"The good news, if there is any, for Hastings and Netflix is that [the launch] isn't creeping up on anyone," Kafka wrote. "So that should (theoretically) cushion any blow."

Still, from Netflix's perspective, the Dish-Blockbuster announcement couldn't have come at a worse time.