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Is the world ready for another portable music format? DataPlay">http://www.dataplay.com/">DataPlay Incorporated thinks so. On March 12, the Boulder, CO–based company announced an agreement with Bertelsmann">http://www.bmg.com/">Bertelsmann Music Group to release new titles later this year on miniature pre-recorded discs, which are about the size of a quarter.

Recorded music was a $14.3 billion business in the United States last year, according to the newly published 2000 Consumer Profile from the Recording">http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Released March 13, the report details who music buyers are, what they are buying, and how much they are spending.

Last week, the US Secret Service reported that, assisted by the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) New York Anti-Piracy Unit, it had executed two search and seizure warrants in Queens and Manhattan, resulting in what the agency called "the break-up of a massive counterfeit music operation." The Secret Service reported that approximately 20,000 recorded CD-Rs and 1200 masters were seized from the Queens and Manhattan locations.

Tweaks can rear their pointy little heads in the most unexpected of places, as Stereophile's inimitable Jonathan Scull discovered recently when he stubbed his toe. In Fine">http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/325/">Fine Tunes #33, J-10 reveals the floor screw tweak and many more.

Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, audiophile recording label Delos">http://www.delosmus.com/">Delos International is not abandoning the DVD-Audio format. A quick call to the Hollywood, CA–based company cleared up some confusion created when a few people noticed that "DVD-A" doesn't appear anywhere on the Delos homepage.

Where does "fair use" end and piracy begin? Can consumers have open access to digital information and entertainment while respecting the rights of the creators of such content? Is there an inevitable collision between consumers and the rights of intellectual property owners? Can a happy balance be found in a world of high technology?

A few weeks ago, we ran an itemhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10957/">item; concerning drummer Billy Higgins' declining health and rapidly growing medical expenses. Apparently, his fans have come through generously, because we just received the following: