President Signs ProIP Bill Into Law; White House Gets Copyright Czar
from the don't-you-feel-safer? dept
Apparently, having our elected politicians completely lie to the President, combined with various business groups using totally made up numbers about the so-called "costs" of piracy was enough to convince President Bush to sign the ProIP bill into law, and accept the addition of a "Copyright Czar" position to the White House. It also strengthened copyright laws, yet again, despite little evidence they needed any strengthening. This law is nothing more than a weak attempt to prop up some struggling businesses who made the mistake of clinging to an obsolete business model far too long. All it will actually serve to do is to limit more creative forms of expression and much more innovative business models from being allowed to thrive.
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Filed Under: congress, copyright, copyright czar, pro ip, white house
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Re:
Sorry the republicans have lost all thier power, you should have grabbed the deal with the rest of the defense contractors when you had the chance.
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Copyright Czar and Drug Czar
"A question. Since a comparison has been made between the drug czar and the copyright czar, would the copyright czar begin to employ the same tactics as those found in the war-against-drugs? The New York Times just recently reported "NATO Agrees to Take Aim at Afghan Drug Trade".
So will we be seeing the use of military force worldwide to seize illicit CDs and DVDs in the obscure corners of the world? Initially this may not be the case, but czar's attempt to aggrandize their power as demonstrated by expanding our efforts in Afghanistan to now include an anti-drug effort. Using the military as a US "police force" to enforce our laws outside of the US detracts from its mission of protecting the US.
Somehow I think that we would be spending more (money and lives) on these police efforts than the CDs/DVDs would be worth. In a free market system, it should not be the responsibility of the government to protect your business model. If you can't make money, too bad."
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Re: Copyright Czar and Drug Czar
Yes, again, protecting property rights is why we have governments, protecting governments is why we have armies.
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just can't wait..
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Re: just can't wait..
I download things, sure, but I download things from artists who WANT me to download them. I doubt the RIAA can detect that subtle difference however. :(
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Re: Re: just can't wait..
To the MPAA/RIAA: we gave you your chance, now it's our turn. You have been written out of our wills so don't expect a great inheritance.
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
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Re: I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
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Re: Re: I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
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This could be a good thing...
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ProIP
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Re:
The Europeans were doing that the week before the US decided to Nationalize US banks. So he's actually following suit with the rest of the world. I also think there are a few other countries that are doing the same thing if I am not mistaken.
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Czar
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Rediculous
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This is great!
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Oops
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Ugh.
While some IP legislation is necessary in this society of software, this era of electronics, it most definitely needs to be revisited and re-legislated. Innovation can be had, but not if there's a glass ceiling of what people can do before big business alliances sue and your inspiration is left crushed and mangled.
At first, reading this blog pissed me off. But then I realized it wasn't the blog or its writers. It is the increasingly idiotic practices that are upheld and NOT updated to reflect the current state of technology's role in society. It is what happens in this world that, as another commenter hinted at, maximizes business success at the cost of what is right for the people.
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Today's xkcd Comic
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Horse Sh!t
This has been one of their prime goals for years, just wanting to shove every American citizen's head up their azz so the only thing they can do is pay their way out of everything. Pretty soon they will be monitoring all your traffic and telling you that you can't do this because its incriminating and you can do that because you are a 'mockery' to the system. Yet at the same time, they will make sure to charge you at each turn to better their capital gains and further the stranglehold they have around your obedient neck.
People will be offing themselves into oblivion, left and right. Foreclosing homes, forfeiture of property and god awful atrocious trials for someone who had a few ripped movies being sent to jail for 3 years so they can intimidate every motherfukker in the entire country into doing what they want.
Better start figuring out where you want to be in the next 3 years, because the United States isn't going to be on your list. That is of course, you enjoy being monetarily raped into enslavement so the corporate elites can get their money and precious totalitarian control.
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Re: Horse Sh!t
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Re: Re: Horse Sh!t
This wonderful stimulus would be enough to support nearly every family victim to the hurricane in Orleans. However, lets pay off the fucking banks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown
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Hm, an epidemic of suicide brought on by financial crisis. Lets now start our war on piracy and go door-to-door slamming a mallet on your privacy so we can get you all, "More quality and creativity from the entertainment industry."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_re_us/financial_crisis_violence
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So, lets all create a new government agency who's sole job is to run around putting people into the iron zoo and stealing peoples electronics.
Perhaps it will be easier for them to move after they get foreclosed; can't be carting around all those heavy electronics, now can we? Now that I think of it, what a thoughtful gesture. I reverse my standpoint and thank thy wonderful PRO-IP.
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How Much Money do you need?
It was just a matter of before the MPA and RIAA got organized enough to lobby congress in a big way. This really shouldnt surprise anyone. Especially from a president who said the best way for citizens to handle the terrorist threat is to go out and shop!
Can someone please tell Bush, "YOU HAVE A COUPLE MONTHS LEFT IN OFFICE. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE". 700 Billion dollars to private for profit business (AIG, Freddie, Fannie). Hey you could easily figure the economic impact from the loss of money from MPA and RIAA. After these lobby groups get stronger I wonder how much tax payer money will go to the RIAA and MPA to keep them in business? That is what we are talking about here right? If you are a huge corporate business you no longer are subject to taking loss. You just funnel money to the right government people. Democracy is dead. I wonder just how far in we are going to go when it comes to capitalism?
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Re: How Much Money do you need?
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Re: Re: How Much Money do you need?
The chance of them appointing somebody like Larry Lessig would be A) for the people (decreases chance of likelyhood from 100% -> 50% and B) Intelligent (decreases chance from 50% to .001%).
When was the last time our government did something smart and for the people?
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Re: How Much Money do you need?
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Ummm
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always good to know where words come from
Ah well, at least we have the best government money can buy.
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And if they want to try and seize my computer or my home for downloading some movies, they're going to have a real fight on their hands. I wonder how it would look in the news if they had to shoot me to steal my property for downloading movies...
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IP Protection
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