Oz TV makers sue Apple ... if the Courier readers were PM

The Courier Mail roll out their new election campaign gimmick. Also, Sky's cameraman is either a Julia Gillard supporter or drunk, and are young journos burning out?

Oz production company sues Apple. The production company behind entertainment sketch show The Ronnie John’s Half Hour, which featured actor Heath Franklin’s popular impersonation of Chopper Read, says it has been left with no choice but to take legal action against Apple for approving an app which used sound bites from the show.

But app developers and intellectual property experts say the issue raises some complex issues about how copyrighted material is used in apps and whether it is Apple or the developer who is responsible for ensuring copyright infringements don’t occur. One intellectual property expert says the likelihood of Jigsaw Entertainment winning the case is extremely slim, while developers say app makers need to make sure their software is free of copyright violations.

The app in question, titled the Chopper Soundboard, was discovered by Jigsaw a number of weeks ago. Chief executive Nick Murray says Jigsaw contacted Apple, but it has received no reply and has hired a team of lawyers as a result. — Patrick Stafford of SmartCompany.com.au

If they were PM, heaven help us. The major news websites have rolled out all sorts of bells and whistles to cover the election campaign, from the News.com.au application that tells you who to vote for — “Are you a dictator or democrat? Tyrant or tolerant?” — to the ABC’s ‘Hot or Not’ social media-fed issues agenda.

But perhaps our favourite gimmick is brought to us by News Limited tabloid The Courier Mail, which is asking its readers to upload videos explaining what they would do if they were prime minister. We can only hope they one day get the chance, with responses like these: “I would make all weekends three days,” says Christina; “I would make cabaret compulsory,” says Catherine; “I’d make all make-up free,” says Alex; and finally says Ellen, masterfully: “I would get rid of boat people unless they had a use”. — Jason Whittaker

Sky’s shaky election coverage. The cameraman was clearly a Julia Gillard supporter — and drunk. This wasn’t even live…

Washington Post scoop two years in the making

“It took two years to prepare and includes a 5,400-word article and multiple interactive databases. Yet The Washington Post’s ambitious investigative package called ‘Top Secret America‘ on the far-flung US intelligence apparatus was also unusual for another reason: its Monday release.” — New York Times

Online journos: burnt out chasing Google hits

“Young journalists who once dreamed of trotting the globe in pursuit of a story are instead shackled to their computers, where they try to eke out a fresh thought or be first to report even the smallest nugget of news — anything that will impress Google algorithms and draw readers their way.” — New York Times

You don’t need a pay wall if you’re well-read

“The debate is always black and white: put up a paywall or lose money. But the Daily Mail‘s website is getting so big it needn’t do either.” — The Guardian

The Twits back the BBC