Last week the online music service Spotify announced that it would be granting developers access to its music library by way of an app framework. In theory, now anyone can create an app that uses all of the songs that Spotify currently offers. For perhaps the first time in the history of digital music developers can focus on actually developing new digital music business models, not on surviving negotiations with every single record label.  In its way, this might be one of the biggest things to happen to the music industry since the introduction of iTunes.

On today's podcast, we discuss disruptions - or nondisruptions - in the music (here, here, here, and here) and pay-TV industries (here and here).  We also chat with Zak Homuth of Upverter about creating tools to design open source hardware, just what open source hardware means, and the Sleep-n-Tweet.

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(Update [7/7/2011]: The description of Jackson Browne's suit against former presidential candidate John McCain, and the court's holding, were initially inaccurate. Sen. McCain's campaign did not produce the ad [it was produced by a GOP group based in Ohio] and the court declined to rule on its fair use status. The post below has been updated accordingly.)

If you think the recent set-to between Tom Petty and GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The scuffle over Bachmann’s use of “American Girl” is hardly the first time a politician has come under fire for using a song without the artist’s permission. Backlash from angry artists has left candidates from 1996 Republican presidential nominee then-Sen.  Bob Dole (Sam & Dave’s “I’m a Soul Man” in 1996) to then-Sen. Barack Obama (again Sam & Dave, this time with “Hold On, I’m Comin’” in 2008) singing the blues. 

On today's podcast we update the status of the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger, walk through the intricacies of politicians licensing music for their campaigns, talk about IP protection surrounding attempts to 3D print a cube from the movie Super 8, and mark the death and life of social networks.  We also discuss the decision of civil society organizations to pull out of international open internet discussions at OECD and consider the ramifications of this week's Supreme Court ruling on minors' access to violent video games.

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If you have not had a chance to play with the Library of Congress’ new National Jukebox, stop reading this post and do it now.  The Jukebox is an amazing project that makes over 10,000 historic sound recordings from 1901 to 1925 available online.  These recordings, which span genres from opera to whistling (its own category) to novelty songs to speeches and everything in between, are fantastic examples of what is possible when you combine rich historical archives and the internet.  However, this project comes with a curious asterisk.

On today's podcast we discuss 3D/DC, the Senate hearing on the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Google's announcement of a music service, COICA 2.0 (aka PIPA), and Microsoft's purchase of Skype.  We also interview David Beren of TmoNews.com about how his community is reacting to the proposed merger.

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On today's podcast we discuss the nexus between Netflix, "cord nevers," and net neutrality, the future of Spotify and music services in the United States, and 3D/DC: 3D printing comes to the Nation's Capital.  We also interview Professor Jason Schultz about the website DoctoredReviews.com, which helps inform the public about problems with doctor-patient anti-review contracts.

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In this week's podcast, we talk Net Neutrality, the various troubles of Comcast, PK's Creator's Freedom Project, and interview Jane Litte about her project lostbooksales.com that tracks lost ebook sales due to restrictive licensing or incompatibility.

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