Podcast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A podcast is a programme (usually audio, sometimes video) which is made available as a downloadable digital file. It is usually spoken word (e.g. a rebroadcast of a radio programme), usually released periodically as part of a series, and usually offered via web syndication. The podcast is the collection of all shows or episodes of a particular program series delivered in this manner[1].
podcast can refer not only to the content but also to the method by which it is broadcast, also called podcasting. A podcaster is the person who creates the content.
Special client software applications known as podcatchers (such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes, Zune, the Juice_(podcatcher) or Nullsoft's Winamp) allow users to subscribe to a podcast. They automatically identify and retrieve new files in a given series when they are made available by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files currently associated with that particular series. New files can thus be downloaded automatically by the podcatcher and stored locally on the user's computer or other device for offline use, making it simpler for the user to download content that is released episodically.
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[edit] Term
The term was invented by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in February 2004, along with other proposed names for the new medium.[2] It is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast",[3] the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which early podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting), allowing podcasts to be automatically transferred from a personal computer to a mobile device after download.[4]
Despite the source of the name, it has never been necessary to use an iPod, or any other form of portable media player, to use podcasts; the content can be accessed using any computer capable of playing media files.[5] A backronym has been posited where podcast stands for "Personal On Demand broadCAST."[6][7][8]
[edit] History
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Podcasting began to catch hold to the general public in late 2004, though during the 1998-2001 dot com era there were multiple 'podcasts' done by major companies including such as Real Networks and ESPN.com. Many individuals and groups[who?] contributed to the emergence and popularity of podcasts.
The most common audio file format used is MP3.
[edit] Trademarks
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On February 5, 2005, Shae Spencer Management LLC of Fairport, New York filed a trademark application to register PODCAST for an "online prerecorded radio program over the internet".[9] On September 9, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application, citing Wikipedia's podcast entry as describing the history of the term.[10]
As of September 20, 2005, known trademarks that attempted to capitalize on podcast include: Podcast Realty, GuidePod, PodGizmo, Pod-Casting, MyPod, Podvertiser, Podango, ePodcast, PodCabin, Podcaster, PodShop, PodKitchen, Podgram, GodPod and Podcast.[11]
As of February 2007, there were 24 attempts to register trademarks containing the word "PODCAST" in United States, but only "PODCAST READY" from Podcast Ready, Inc. was approved.[12]
On September 26, 2006, it was reported that Apple Computer started to crack down on businesses using the acronym "POD", in product and company names. Apple sent a cease-and-desist order that week to Podcast Ready, Inc., which markets an application known as "myPodder".[13] Lawyers for Apple contended allegedly that the term "pod" has been used by the public to refer to Apple's music player so extensively that it falls under Apple's trademark cover.[14] It was speculated that such activity was part of a bigger campaign for Apple to expand the scope of its existing iPod trademark, which included trademarking "IPODCAST," "IPOD," and "POD."[15] On November 16, 2006, Apple Trademark Department returned a letter claiming Apple does not object to third party usage of "podcast" to refer to podcasting services and that Apple does not license the term(s).[16]
[edit] See also
- Audio+
- Screencast
- Video podcast
- Social media
- Streaming media
- User-generated content
- iTunes
- Portable media player
- Web television
- Zune
- Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations Treaty
[edit] Syndication protocols
[edit] References
- ^ President and Fellows of Harvard College: "Podcast Production".
- ^ Ben Hammersley: "Audible revolution", The Guardian, 12 February 2004.
- ^ Oxford University Press | Podcast
- ^ Adam Curry's Weblog
- ^ - What is PodCasting?
- ^ Common Craft's video "Podcasting in Plain English"
- ^ Creative's definition of the term podcasting
- ^ Podcasting dictionary
- ^ PTO Letters of Protest: The "PODCAST" Paradigm
- ^ Podcast trademark rejection cites Wikipedia
- ^ Podcast Trademark Gold {PTG} Rush
- ^ List of US podcast trademarks
- ^ Podcast Ready
- ^ Apple cracks down on use of the word 'pod'
- ^ Podcast Trademark Controversy [Updated]
- ^ Apple letter.
[edit] External links
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Wikibooks has a book on the topic of |
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Look up podcast in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Creative Commons Podcasting Legal Guide
- iTunes Podcast Tech Spec
- PhoneCasting Podcast Directory
- Dr. Jonathan Sterne defining Narrowcasting
- Podcatcher List for Windows, Macintosh and Linux Computer Systems
- Open Source Podcast software for Joomla
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