EU Hires IFPI Lobbyist To Lead On Copyright Issues; How Do You Spell Regulatory Capture?

from the shameful dept

Wed, Mar 30th 2011 12:18pm — Mike Masnick

The revolving door between companies and government isn't just a US phenomenon. Over in Europe, the EU Commission has hired one of the recording industry's top lobbyists to head up copyright issues, including the ongoing negotiations over ACTA and IPRED2. Prior to taking this new job Maria Martin-Prat's title was Deputy General Counsel, Director of Legal Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the IFPI. So now she gets to put in place the very one-sided policies that she lobbied for for years. That's what's known as regulatory capture, around these parts. Pretty amazing, really, that the EU would so blatantly abdicate the interests of citizens to a single industry.

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Filed Under: eu, lobbyist, maria martin-prat, regulatory capture
Companies: ifpi

33 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 12:29pm

Citizens are either pirating jerks or morons who buy stuff because they didn't realize they could pirate. Who would trust them with anything?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 12:38pm

Piracy is not in the interest of ANY industry.

Pirate websites make enough to support the small handfuls of pirates who run them, but it is marginal compared to what the actual content creators make from actually selling the same content.

ISPs would have subscriptions either way, and the costs to them of doing IP lookups is minimal compared to the record breaking and steadily increasing profits they post every year.

Sites with legitimate uses like YouTube have not lost market share as a result of implementing copyright filters and responding to take down requests.

Piracy only helps those who want to see industry destroyed in favor of libertarian fantasy and anarchism.
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him, 30 Mar 2011 @ 12:47pm

i wonder what sort of comments would have come if someone that was totally pro file sharing had gotten this job. someone like Rick Falkvinge, for example. that would have been interesting!
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Dark Helmet (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 12:48pm

Re:
Very loud noises!

Unrequested assertions without applicable evidence!

More assertions discussing figures without the ledgers to prove them!

Attempted concession speaking like he's talking to eight year olds that just want their lolcats!

Over the top conclusion using political scare words to give it weight!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 12:57pm

Re:
Copyright infringement is not in the interest of ANY industry.

False.
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AC2, 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:06pm

Re: Re:
In fact, optimal infringement (i.e., to negate deadweight losses) is in the interest of all industries.
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Jay (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:09pm

Re: Re:
*brings out the koolaid and a koolaid stand*
*puts up a sign*
Koolaid! One cookie!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:16pm

Re:
"ISPs would have subscriptions either way..."

Wait, I thought ISPs were making a living off of piracy? At least, that is your usual claim.

"...and the costs to them of doing IP lookups is minimal compared to the record breaking and steadily increasing profits they post every year."

Oh, that reminds me of Hollywood's record breaking and steadily increasing profits every year. Interesting.
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Gwiz (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:18pm

Re:
Pirate websites make enough to support the small handfuls of pirates who run them, but it is marginal compared to what the actual content creators make from actually selling the same content.

Ok, you are saying that the pirate sites are making a mere pittance compared to the content owners who are making tons. So why are the content owners so enraged about piracy then? Just being greedy?

ISPs would have subscriptions either way, and the costs to them of doing IP lookups is minimal compared to the record breaking and steadily increasing profits they post every year.

Costs would be minimal you say? I disagree, but for sake of argument let's say that is true - why wouldn't the content rights holder pay for it instead of making the ISP pay? Like you said in your first sentence, they are making money hand over fist, right?

Sites with legitimate uses like YouTube have not lost market share as a result of implementing copyright filters and responding to take down requests.

Probably true, but remember, it's still the content rights owner's responsibility to initiate the take down in the first place, as it should be. YouTube doesn't police for infringing content, they only react when notified by the rights owner via a take down notice as required to keep the their 512 safe harbor status and filter it from that point forward.

Piracy only helps those who want to see industry destroyed in favor of libertarian fantasy and anarchism.

Maybe, but I think the real reason there is copyright infringement in the first place is because it is simply human nature to share with others.
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Hephaestus (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:20pm

Re:
First ditto what Tim said ...

Second I am wondering if there is any undue burdens we can push onto other industries. Actually we can ...

We can get the auto makers to report who is speeding using OnStar and the cars GPS. This way the local authorities can easily monetize speeding tickets with out doing any work themselves.

I wonder if there is an undue burden we can push on the content and copyright types ... hmmm let me think about this for a while.
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FormerAC (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:29pm

How Do You Spell Regulatory Capture?
How Do You Spell Regulatory Capture?

Lobbyist
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Mike42 (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:44pm

The IP Golden Age
Read this, and note what she says about not building a factory. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/ff_adafruit/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm _campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29
I have seen this opinion mirrored in many places. Apparently, the US and other "innovative" countries will design and prototype the worlds products, while other countries will manufacture them. Wow! Aren't we lucky we're a creative and innovative country?
But wait! What's to stop the manufacturing companies from stealing the designs and using them without paying us? We know there's no way that any other country can beat us at smart design innovation, so we need to beef up all intellectual property laws everywhere so that the new Golden Age can occur!
This is great for creatives, but what about all the hard workers? You know, the ones who worked the lines, built the bridges and skyscrapers? What's that name for them, oh yeah, the MIDDLE CLASS? I guess they just need to move to one of the manufacturing countries, because there's no non-creative jobs here! Well, actually, I'll pay you a dollar to mow my lawn, then you can go!

Please, someone tell me I'm being paranoid, and that I should put my tin-foil hat back on and STFU. Please.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 1:55pm

I'm starting to think that this copycrap thing is a conspiracy by feminists to take over the world.

C'mon every time someone gets appointed in a government position it is almost always a woman.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 2:02pm

Re: The IP Golden Age
I think there is a potential for the U.S. government be confronted by a very large group of people like in Tunisia, if they keep thinking "IP" alone will generate jobs for everyone in America.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 2:13pm

Re:
Then you would see the real small minority scream out loud or SOL for short, bloody murder.

Instead you see a very large part of the population that saw the news, just shaking their heads in disbelief.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 2:18pm

Re:
Quote:
Piracy only helps those who want to see industry destroyed in favor of libertarian fantasy and anarchism.

WTF???

America was build on top of piracy, piracy was what allowed America to become one of the greatests nations in the world and you want to push back on that great tradition?

If it was not for piracy you probably wouldn't even have an entertainment industry to begin with.
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The eejit (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 2:56pm

Re:
Piracy and slavery are two of the key reason America exists at all. And that's not an assertion - that's from the mid-late 16th C.
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vivaelamor (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:09pm

Re: Re:
That's copyright, man.
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vivaelamor (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:13pm

Re:
"I wonder what sort of comments would have come if someone that was totally pro file sharing had gotten this job. someone like Rick Falkvinge, for example. that would have been interesting!"

Ah yes, someone who lobbied for companies who directly profit from stronger copyright is the same as someone who (AFAIK) didn't lobby for any companies at all. I suggest reading up on what regulatory capture is.
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vivaelamor (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:17pm

Re:
"I'm starting to think that this copycrap thing is a conspiracy by feminists to take over the world."

You do realise that not all feminists are women, don't you?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:29pm

Re: Re:
don't forget genocide.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:31pm

Re:
copycrap is the only thing standing between you and the international pedoterroristpirates
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:32pm

Re: Re:
course not, women could never organise a movement for political and social change, naturally it's led and directed by men, but crucially manned by women.
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vivaelamor (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 5:41pm

Re: Re: Re:
"but crucially manned by women."

Was that intentional? I'm clicking funny anyway.
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abc gum, 30 Mar 2011 @ 6:33pm

Of course there is no conflict of interest here at all
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 6:36pm

Re: Re: Re:
Hmmm...maybe is not a feminist conspiracy after all, maybe is a men conspiracy to discredit women as leaders by appointing them to take care of the trash on very unpopular positions LoL
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The eejit (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 1:39am

Re: Re: Re:
To ealry Americans, genocide was just an optional. Yay for epidemiology.
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The eejit (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 1:40am

Re:
No, just millions flowing out of the EU into the lobbyist's pockets, to pay them off again...
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Mar 2011 @ 11:18am

Re: Re:
Hollywood profits are not increasing. THEATER REVENUE is increasing because of increased ticket prices.

You do understand the difference between revenue and profit?
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Hephaestus (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 12:47pm

I had to point to this quote from torrent freak
"Pirate Party MEP Christian Engstrom is not happy with the appointment, to say the least. However, knowing the ins and outs of the European Commission and the dominance of lobby groups, it comes as no surprise.

�Welcome to the European Union, where the big business lobby organizations are calling most of the shots at the Commission, and where citizens are just seen as a nuisance to be ignored. I guess the only real news is that they don�t even bother to try to hide it any more,�"

"I guess the only real news is that they don�t even bother to try to hide it any more" ... This whole we can do anything we want attitude is going to come back and bite them on the ass in short order. This is something that will slowly build to a flash point in the collective consciousness.
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The eejit (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 2:49pm

Re: Re: Re:
Yes, revenue is income from that particular item, and profit is what happens before being taxed 0.2% of your returns (after marinading the books in a light kittensoul sause).
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The eejit (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 2:50pm

Re: I had to point to this quote from torrent freak
Will it involve umbrellas and latt�?
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2011 @ 10:15am

Criminals within IFPI
If you read here: http://zuerifluestern.wordpress.com, you see that some high ranking members at IFPI are involved in an international tax fraud: Ivo Sacchi and Beat H�gger. But it seems as if IFPI is using all legal means to supress this information, so don't wonder what the need lobbyists for...
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