The War On Sharing As An Infographic Of Europe

from the where's-the-battle-of-moscow? dept

Mon, May 23rd 2011 2:08pm — Mike Masnick

We already covered the RIAA's subpoena to Box.net, but ReadWriteWeb has a post on the story that's worth pointing out, because it highlights this absolutely wonderful infographic that Ashley Angell put together a few months ago, mapping out the "War on Sharing" as an infographic:

Definitely click through to see the full image, and to Angell's explanation for the graphic. I'm sorry I missed this when it first came out, but happy I eventually spotted it.

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: infographic, sharing

30 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 1:53pm

next step
They need to continue this into the Middle East, Asia, Russia, and Australia to show all the legal things the proponents are fighting.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 2:19pm

What a nonsense, they added battles to a map, though the battles have nothing to do with where they were located.
At least that's the case with MP3.com.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
drewmo (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 2:21pm

Confused
I'm really confused... What is the connection to the countries shown in the infographic? I was expecting an explanation somewhere...

Are the populations or geographic size of the countries labeled proportional to the size of the networks they're labeled with? That can't be, because the UK is simply "compact disks" and the Pirate Bay is just in the ocean, and why would Germany be "proponents of copyright"?

Is this supposed to be some sort of analogy to WWII?

Seriously, I want to understand this infographic, and what point it's trying to make by connecting these sharing tools to European countries. I clicked through to the hat-tipped sites and I still don't see a coherent explanation of WHAT is going on in this infographic.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 2:37pm

All I see is a laundry list of guilty verdicts and settlements.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Thibault, 23 May 2011 @ 2:57pm

This is a pretty bad analogy to WWII, as it engages countries that are not necesseraly proeminent in the copyright war.
Frankly here, isn't France, Sweden and Italy should be black?
The idea is good but taking the WWII map is clearly missing the point of a potentially good info.

F.
Try again.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The eejit (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 2:57pm

Re:
And all I see is a trade union that does nothing but sue. Your point?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 3:08pm

Every major country in Europe is used in the infographic except for Greece. Some sort of subtext going on there?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Wizz (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 3:34pm

Or maybe the author doesn't know the Ottoman Empire no longer exists.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
scarr (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 4:31pm

Ashley mustn't know Godwin's Law.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ashley Angell, 23 May 2011 @ 6:16pm

Infographic
Hey guys, I became aware of this post from Twitter and I wanted to say "hi" (I made the info-graphic).

I wanted to provide some context for its creation, as well as to answer any possible questions. This is the only place I will do this on the subject (other than the comments on the original link).

Basically, I made this as my submission for a college assignment for a new subject on Web Media. Our brief was to create a Reflective Web Media Creation and post it on the web. the *vast* majority of my peers did YouTube videos, but I thought I'd do this; since I have always been interested in trending new media and modern war history.

Indeed, this is supposed to provoke discussion about the effectiveness of copyright proponent policy (sue every breach we find) and the battles of World War 2 (which didn't work out so well for the Germans in the long run).

To be honest, I never suspected that the info-graphic would ever be considered any good, so this is all a bit of a surprise that anyone cares at all! And no, I hadn't heard of Godwin's Law, until I read @scarr's comment (and I wouldn't have done WW2 if had, but it still was a very funny comment, kudos).

This is more about the battles than the geographical circumstance. In hindsight (as my lecturer commented on my 'pitch' actually, but it was too late to change) I should have chosen the Vietnam War, and used the analogy of the guerrilla skirmishes and tactics that both sides use in the copyright "war".

I am very open to constructive criticism and I am happy to answer any questions people might have. My website is linked in the article, and you can get me there, or alternatively I'll check here from time-to-time and update as needed.

Thanks.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jay (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 7:49pm

Re: Infographic
How about the War on copyright akin to either the war on terror or the war on drugs?

There's a similarity to all three that can not be ignored. Essentially, it's a war on an idea. The idea that you can use enough force to effect change, yet in all three areas, the war has failed.

Sadly I can't find Wired Magazine's global drug trade routes, but it would be great to see other parts of the world, based on research, as they have been attacked for the perpetual war on piracy.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 7:52pm

From the linked article:

This means that most of the people attacked by the RIAA are regular people simply enjoying media on their own terms.

Most "regular people" likely do not have 100's, and perhaps 1,000's, of music files on their computer in a "share file".

If by "simply enjoying media on their own terms" it is meant that P2P distribution to anonymous people throughout the world is just fine, then I must disagree with the linked article's author.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
drewmo (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 8:43pm

Re: Infographic
Wow Ashley, thank you for taking the time to give more explanation. If nothing else it is a nice illustration of just how many copyright conflicts of this sort there have been in recent history. I was confused because I was sure there was some meaning I was missing, defining an analogy I didn't quite get. Thanks for your clarification.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 8:52pm

Re:
Anyone who spells "hundreds" and "thousands" like that is automatically wrong.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 9:30pm

Re:
Sharing is stealing and stealing is a crime and do you know who commits crimes? Criminals.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
G Thompson (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 10:21pm

Re: Re:
Hate to disagree, but a Trade Union at least has a sort of democratic process where its members, large and small, get a say in what it does. The MPAA/RIAA of the world do not even attempt to listen to their artists or do things in their best interests.

I would be more inclined to say
And all I see are Egotistic Feudal Lords that do nothing but sue, and whine about their vassals dying.

Though More and More I keep seeing them as Daleks...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2011 @ 10:39pm

Re: Re:
sharing is not stealing and sharing is not a crime and do you know who can not read dictionary? Illiterate.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The eejit (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 11:27pm

Re: Re: Re:
No, that's what we think of them - from their About page:

"The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies."

Admittedly, it's not woth a bits it using, but that's what they say about themselves. IT doesn't matter that they hold sway over the labels, it'ss till a Trade Union.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The eejit (profile), 23 May 2011 @ 11:30pm

Re: Re: Re:
There's a /sarc tag missing, I suspect; Poe's Law, however, si in place.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
yomgui, 24 May 2011 @ 12:21am

just another anti french joke on techdirt
appart from an opportunity to say something bad about the french (and techdirt rarely miss an oportunity to do that),
I fail to see how napster is related to france.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
G Thompson (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 12:29am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Oh well..

back to plan B..

They're Daleks who want artists as cybermen and everyone as Oods!

Hmmm seems I am now an 'Insider,' and can see inside Mike's brain.

Oh My Dog! It's full of stars.....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
darryl, 24 May 2011 @ 12:50am

Copyright and world war, nice,, whats next ?
I have to admit, but it is a very pointless graphic, it does not show anything.

but it is right down Mikes alley, trying to confuse and muddy the issues.

Trying to show everyone how in Mikes mind such a simple thing can be made to look very complex.

And if he has to scour the web for peoples "assignments" to put forward his "case" then so be it.

It's very sad, that Mike has to resort to this tactic, but it also shows that Mike, (like most true file pirates) has little or no ability for original thought.

After all, it is so much easier to Google search for dirt and copy/paste..

"then wait for the google cheques'

Comparing copyright, to WW2 is just sick, pointless racest, and likely to incite further hate...

Good work TD, nice muck raking.... Way to play on something very important to promote the most trivial..

What will it be next???

Copyright verses world hunger ?

or copyright and abortion ?

what about copyright and religion ?

im sure there are lots of emotive subjects that you can tie purile copyright too.

But the end result is probably not the result that you are seeking, but it does tend to show you for what you are, and how you think (or not).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
alex (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 1:18am

Re: Confused
Same. I have no idea what the countries are meant to represent.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Mr Big Content, 24 May 2011 @ 3:15am

Re: Copyright and world war, nice,, whats next ?
I sense we are essentially on the same wavelength, but you need to express yourself more persuasively, rather than just arguing semantics. Otherwise you just make the freetards look good.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The eejit (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 3:54am

Re: Copyright and world war, nice,, whats next ?
Dude, paragraphs. Even an idiot like me knows how to use them. And the graphic is semi-relevant as it shows what came from where with assistance to where the RIAA overstapped its bounds.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jeni (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 4:19am

Re: Copyright and world war, nice,, whats next ?
@darryl, Do you realize you sound quite petty? Every time I see remarks like yours about Mr. Masnick my respect for him rises a notch.

The map is very creative and shows quite a bit of research. I don't see anywhere on it how the artist was/is aiming for a World War or depicting racism.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 6:13am

Re:
Most "regular people" likely do not have 100's, and perhaps 1,000's, of music files on their computer in a "share file".

Funniest thing I've read all day. Admittedly, its only 9:13AM here.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Chargone (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 6:24am

Re: Re: Confused
... think ww2 and the german blitzkrieg.
only here, instead of tanks, it's law suits.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
nasch (profile), 24 May 2011 @ 3:19pm

Re: Re: Re:
Hate to disagree, but a Trade Union at least has a sort of democratic process where its members, large and small, get a say in what it does. The MPAA/RIAA of the world do not even attempt to listen to their artists or do things in their best interests.

Your mistake is in thinking the members of the MPAA and RIAA are artists. The members are the movie studios and record labels respectively, and they definitely have a say in what the organizations do.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
darryl, 24 May 2011 @ 7:59pm

Re: Re: Copyright and world war, nice,, whats next ?
good for you Jeni

do you also reaslize you too sound quite petty in your 'complaint'.
[ link to this | view in thread ]