Spanish Film Academy President May Be Fired For Listening To Fans Who Don't Like New Copyright Law

from the how-dare-you-talk-to-the-people dept

Thu, Jan 27th 2011 1:08pm — Mike Masnick

We were just talking about how some Spanish politicians simply ignored the fact that the legislature rejected the plan for a new US-driven copyright law, leading to widespread outrage among Spanish citizens. Reader Dodo points us to an astounding bit of followup. Apparently, the president of the Spanish Film Academy, Alex de la Iglesia announced his plans to resign as president of the Academy in a couple weeks (after the Goya awards -- the equivalent of the Oscars) in protest of the new law. He initially supported it, but was convinced otherwise after talking to people on Twitter about it (Google translation of the original Spanish). While he claims his decision is because he believes that "pitting creators against the web is a mistake," and noting that politicans have refused to listen to the people, his critics are claiming that "his compulsive passion for Twitter has played a dirty trick" on him. Not only that, but the Advisory Board of the Film Academy is threatening to oust him before his resignation, because of his being "tricked" by the internet. Apparently just talking the consumers and film fans and getting their opinion is prohibido in the Spanish Film Academy.

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Filed Under: alex de la iglesia, copyright, culture, film academy, spain

18 Comments

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Marcus Carab (profile), 27 Jan 2011 @ 12:39pm

I really look forward to the day that "Twitter" is no longer seen as a dirty word and a free pass to dismiss whatever someone is saying.
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Hephaestus (profile), 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:25pm

Here we go again ,,,
and the law will be passed ... the pirate party will have alot of new spanish members, encryption usage will go up, new tools will be created, and it will slow down piracy for 2-3 months until people start using VPN and other downloading methods.

Oh wait ... I forgot after Swedens anti-piracy law everyone already know how work around this... never mind the 2-3 months slow down.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:29pm

Re: Here we go again ,,,
Is that the type of advice you give in your consultancy? People actually pay for that sort of crap?
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:37pm

the legislature ignored the legislature?
Mike -

Your claim that "Spanish politicians simply ignored the fact that the legislature rejected the plan for a new US-driven copyright law," may be your goofiest ever. The "Spanish politicians" you are referring to are part of the legislature. The "legislature" never "rejected" the IP provisions of the bill. Indeed, the full legislature has yet to even vote on the bill. The reality is that a subcommittee in the Senate amended the bill to remove the IP provisions. However, as with every legislative system, there are various points at which amendments to legislation can be introduced. What happened this week is that the IP provisions were reintroduced to the legislative package through an amendment process. The legislature will still have an opportunity to vote on the entire bill.

I realize that reality doesn't always gin up the sort of moral panic you are fond of, but this is a bit much even for you.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:43pm

Re: the legislature ignored the legislature?
Where were you on his last post where he was asking for just this sort of clarification on the Spanish legislative process?
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Bruce Ediger (profile), 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:48pm

Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
Is this the type of trolling you give for your Evil Corporate Overlords? Evil Corporations actually pay for that sort of crap?
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:52pm

Re: Re: the legislature ignored the legislature?
he was cowering anonymously i assume
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 1:55pm

Mike, Mike, Mike. Only the opinion of big corporate shills count. Counter opinions of others are tricks designed to destroy an unfair plutocracy in favor of meritocracy. Can't have that.
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The eejit (profile), 27 Jan 2011 @ 2:05pm

Re: the legislature ignored the legislature?
Which effectively circumvents the intent of lawmaking. The legislature voted against the bill with a considerable supermajority.

So the solution must be to AMEND CURRENT LAW INSTEAD in favour of maximalists. Smart.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 2:38pm

He is learning one of the basic things of life that seperates us from the lower species:

Don't shit where you eat.
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DOlz (profile), 27 Jan 2011 @ 4:12pm

Re: Re: Re: the legislature ignored the legislature?
No, he was bravely cowering anonymously.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 4:23pm

Re: Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
Yes. As Mike has pointed out several times in the past, many (or most) IP maximist comments often originate from law firm IP addresses (and, please, don't confuse the two).
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 8:48pm

Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
Well maybe you should see history then.

Short list of failed technologies that didn't catch on because of restrictive copy protection schemes.

- DIVX (not to be confused with DivX the Codec format), created by lawyers nonetheless.
- Flexplay (a.k.a. DVD-D, ez-D)
- SACD - Super Audio CD
- DVD-Audio
- MiniDisc
- DAT - Digital Audio Tape, this one is historic, it is the one that the RIAA lobbyied heaavily against in the 80's threatning any manufacturer with lawsuits and finally passing the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (AHRA)

Consumers everywhere voted down with their wallets every attempt to impose restrictive copyright schemes, it was no use to them, it diminished their capabilities, it took away the value that it had and people in droves opted out of such schemes, so you are confronted with the reality that consumers don't want DRM and are willing to stay away from it and the pipe dream that somehow sharing will go away.

Mr. Hephaestus just outlined some things people could do and are doing right now to bypass your wishes and it is not a localized phenomenon it is a global trend, with people who couldn't agree on anything else coming together to find solutions to this specific problem, I don't think you grasp how serious this alone is, this is not a fad, this is not an impulse, this is and unspoken agreement of the entire glob that things need to change and go in the other direction now.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 9:06pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
That is sort of one of the problems of TD, more than willing to out certain people but not others.

Thankfully, I don't work in a law firm. I'm on a cow.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2011 @ 5:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
Who is outed? Does it say your name? Does it reveal your address?

Allow me to present your very own argument:

"If you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide."

Yeah, I copied it, sue me shillboy.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2011 @ 6:01am

Re: Re: Re: Re: the legislature ignored the legislature?
No he was just too scared of the big nasty snowflake that he thinks *snigger* reveals who he is, where he lives and his inside leg measurement.... apparently. Ooooh you naughty snowflake.
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Hephaestus (profile), 1 Feb 2011 @ 6:35am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
"Thankfully, I don't work in a law firm. I'm on a cow."

What kind of Cow? ;)
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Hephaestus (profile), 1 Feb 2011 @ 6:54am

Re: Re: Here we go again ,,,
"Is that the type of advice you give in your consultancy? People actually pay for that sort of crap?"

Actually close and yes they do. Denial, and blaming an imaginary foe are very common traits in failing businesses and governments. Piracy is the imaginary boogie man of the content industry. It blinds them to everything else that is occuring around them. "piracy is killing the content industry" it can't be proven one way or another, and it denies all the competition they are now facing from inside and outside of the individual industries.
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