Canadian Music Industry Spokesperson Claims User Generated Content Supports 'Piracy'
from the extreme-nonsense dept
As the battle over Canada's copyright reform bill C-32 heats up, the industry is making increasingly bizarre statements. We already noted the claim by the CRIA that a cap on non-commercial liability amounted to a $5,000 compulsory license, but even more ridiculous is this latest claim, found by Michael Geist. J.P. Ellson, the Chair of the Canadian Council of Music Industry Association, claims that legalizing format shifting and user-generated content keeps "piracy" alive:Among Bill C-32's objectives is to put the pirate download and file-sharing sites out of business. But the provisions of the Bill that permit user-generated content and transferring digital files to other formats would in fact, keep the pirate flag flying and their sites in business.Yikes. First, format shifting of legally obtained content does not, in fact, "keep the pirate flag flying." As Geist notes, the allowance for format shifting (such as transferring music from a CD to an iPod) is carefully limited to only authorized copies, rather than infringing copies. The fact that this representative of the industry is effectively arguing against allowing users to transfer music to their iPod seems pretty ridiculous.
But the other claim is even more insane. "Permitting user-generated content" allows "the pirate flag" to keep "flying"? How? Seriously. This claim is so typical of the entertainment industry, which still seems to think the internet is a broadcast medium, by which they can deliver "professional" content to the masses. They still don't realize that the internet is, primarily, a communication platform, and user-generated content is a huge part of that. Suggesting that it should be illegal to clear the decks for the elitist notion of "professional" content suggests a complete lack of understanding of why people use the internet.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: canada, format shifting, user generated content
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Hm.
She's absolutely right.
Which just means the world is a better place with "piracy" in it.
"The recording industry: fighting piracy with totalitarianism, one lobbyist at a time. (TM)"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Hm.
definition - Piracy - hijacking on the high seas or in similar contexts; taking a ship or plane away from the control of those who are legally entitled to it.
definition - Infringement - A violation, as of a law, regulation, or agreement; a breach. An encroachment, as of a right or privilege.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Hm.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Hm.
"So many technologies could be better smashed if they didn't have significant non-infringing uses.
If we could only find a way to prevent people from using copy machines, youtube, and tape recorders in perfectly legal ways, it would be tons easier to gets these products banned."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Hm.
Anyway. On second read, he could mean "the provisions of the Bill would have the unintended consequence of keeping the pirate flag flying."
Why they would, he doesn't say. The CCMIA is pushing hard for "digital locks" (DRM), so it could be he's pushing to include a DMCA-style outlawing of circumvention, and the bill doesn't have it.
It still doesn't mean he's right, of course.
I also like this part of his blog post:
At heart, Canadians are honest and law-abiding people. In a truly legitimate marketplace governed by reasonable rules, I am confident more of them will choose to buy, and not steal, the music they enjoy.
There's nothing stopping those honest and law-abiding Canadians from buying music right now.
And there's no evidence, anywhere, that stopping the ability to "steal" music would result in anyone actually buying more. They would just do without it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Hm.
Oh, nice. Does this guy show up at a dinner party, compliment the lovely living room carpet then poop on it? Pat the kids on the head then slap them? Moan with pleasure as he chews the fabulous prime rib then spit it all over the hostess?
Don't allow Passive-Agressive Man into your homes, Canada!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
They ignore that every professional was once an amateur. They ignore that no artist creates in a vacuum. They ignore the billions of dollars other companies are making off of user generated content (Facebook, YouTube, etc). They ignore how much the ability to provide your own content and customization to a product or service is worth to the consumer.
I don't buy console games because they aren't easily modded. I rarely buy PC games that can't be modded. The concept of entertainment being a one way street has been wrong from the beginning.
Whether its written down in fan fiction or just daydreamed by the viewer, a viewer's mental and emotional interaction with "content" is inherent in its ability to succeed financially. The fan fiction doesn't have to be professional quality either. It's about wish fulfillment and the encouragement of that by the creator encourages more revenue.
If I hadn't spent my youth in the 80's daydreaming of being a smuggler or a Jedi Knight, would I have still bugged my parents to buy me all the action figures or would I have grown up to spend so much money on Star Wars video games and watching the lesser-quality prequels in the theater more than once or bought a bunch of books and comic books about the extended universe? It even helps other industries. I ran up quite a few bills in the mid 90's chatting with fellow Star Wars nerds on CompuServe back when you paid for every minute you were on.
Never mind that some user-generated content is better quality than the so-called professional content anyway.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Tokyo Dance Trooper in Shibuya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJIQauCwqVc
Those are the things that create mythical status on things, when people naturally try to copy them and spread the word about those things.
Maybe George Lucas should sue the guy for infringement.
People have forgot were their fame and glory came from.
No amount of marketing will imprint a lasting impression if people don't identify with it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
shouldn't that be legal and not illegal
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
He was correct in the use of the word "to" following illegal, meaning "in order to" or "for the purpose of" but "to" has a lot of meanings so I could see someone reading the sentence the way you did.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
facepalm
At least then the record companies will have someone at their own level to argue against.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: facepalm
I do believe this has already occured! hehehe
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: facepalm
I think they're waiting on the orders to be totally filled in Quebec first.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Subject
I mean like...ummm...just wow.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
They're users too.
From the perspective of the internet as a communication platform, they are as much users as anyone else. It makes me laugh that they are scared to compete with free when so many argue that it's all about big budgets. They pretty much admitted that copyright isn't an essential incentive after all.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tjabo
'facepalm
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
If they get to make up bunk laws
What would be the punishment for both of those?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: If they get to make up bunk laws
What would be the punishment for both of those?"
Nothing if we go by past history.
George Bush knew about 9/11 ahead of time and there were no WMD in Iraq. What happened to him?
Not a damn thing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Oh, now I see it!
User generated content devalues professionally created content because it floods the "market with "poor quality" products, and that confuses the buyers...or something.
Bad users! They are destroying the entertainment industry with their arrogance and sense of entitlement! Stick to listening/watching to our crap.
I'm going to sleep now.
*Passes out on floor*
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
and just what the fucking hell are we paying a levy for
550 million ain't enough OH i see lets steal from the artists themselves since 1980
SO when my dad buys in canada that Bruce Springsteen album or tape THAT CASH ain't going to Bruce or any other musician.
THESE PEOPLE NEE DOT BE JUST PLAIN EXECUTED
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ALSO
OH and crck a dvdr
YOU get 20000$
even if your just making a back up.....
seriously get an honest cop in cnada and they will say it truthfully...they got better things to do then chase aorund people for music movies and tv eps
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: ALSO
NAMELESS.ONE can read? Breaking News right there.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
User generated content is most of the internet (Because anyone "using" it is a "user", see how that works?), and if they want to block that just so they can use it ONLY to sell their products, well, that's selfish. (and would pretty much turn it from "the internet" into "the worlds biggest shopping catalog)
I've pirated games before, have bought most of the ones I did, and don't see why they want to eliminate piracy so badly, as it doesn't actually make them lose money, just potential sales IF the "pirate" chooses not to buy their product, and with a price tag of 60-90 dollars a pop, I can see why people would want to test something before buying like 30 of them on top of the console or PC cost.
I have also purchased modded consoles and the like before, and now own a legit 360, simply because they continuously get "Banned" or "Bricked" causing you to have to buy an entire new console and mod kit to get all the free content (or whatever you modded) back, so in a way, the company still makes money off pirates as they have to keep buying consoles to mod (which cost a lot more than the individual games they might get for free)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Basically they're too stupid to be able to see that the internet isn't TV....and if it isn't what they're used to, they're damn well gonna throw a temper tantrum and bang their rattles and yell until daddy politician gives in......
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Point me in the right direction
[ link to this | view in chronology ]