Largest Artist Community Group Comes Out Against SOPA & PIPA

from the protecting-the-artists? dept

Thu, Jan 12th 2012 1:54pm — Mike Masnick

Fractured Atlas, which claims to be the largest organization for artists, has come out strongly against SOPA/PIPA. The group notes that, clearly, it's in favor of helping artists, but that these bills are the wrong way to do so. It discusses both the problems with blocking, as well as the private right of action:

Fractured Atlas has the largest membership of any arts service organization in the country. As a non-profit, our raison d’etre is to support and assist the arts community in whatever ways we can. It should go without saying that we believe passionately in the importance of artists being paid for their work. We fundamentally believe in copyright and think it can and should be enforced. The problem is that these bills are the wrong way to do it.

The enforcement mechanisms in SOPA and Protect IP will have a dangerous, destabilizing effect on the technical fabric of the internet...

Yet, SOPA/PIPA supporters will continue to insist that they're doing this "for the artists"? Will Congress ever realize that the RIAA and MPAA don't represent artists? They represent the big major labels and Hollywood studios, who spend an awful lot of effort to figure out ways not to actually have to pay artists.

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Filed Under: artists, pipa, protect ip, sopa
Companies: fractured atlas

19 Comments

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Machin Shin (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:57pm

RIAA and MPAA do too represent the artists!! (the scam artists)
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Rekrul, 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:57pm

Will Congress ever realize that the RIAA and MPAA don't represent artists? They represent the big major labels and Hollywood studios, who spend an awful lot of effort to figure out ways not to actually have to pay artists.

They know, they just don't care as long as the "campaign contributions" keep rolling in.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:08pm

To the many of the members of Congress the companies that the RIAA and MPAA represent are the artists. All the performers and actors that make the music and movies are just that, performers and actors. They believe that only the studios are the real artists.

One of the studios biggest success seems to have been the ability to make people believe that they are the ones responsible for the movies and music.
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Joe Publius (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:10pm

Re:
I don't think they know. I'm cynical enough to see it as carefully executed plausible deniability.

As long as the Congresscritter listens to the lobbyist and no one else, which IMO would be pretty easy in DC surrounded by staff and more lobbyists, they can go on with their lives completely sure that what they're doing is for the artists/children/cat fanciers. Heck they'll even be rewarded with some cushy job as a "strategic advisor" or "historian" when they retire, and you only get rewarded for doing the right thing, right?
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anonymous, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:17pm

'Will Congress ever realize that the RIAA and MPAA don't represent artists?'

dont be so bloody ridiculous! Congress are 'encouraged' far too much by those industries to totally ignore that fact!
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:20pm

Re: Re: Right is Left, Black is White...
"and you only get rewarded for doing the right thing, right?"
In real life, people usually get chastised/fired/imprisoned/killed(/etc) for doing the right thing.

For reference see:
whistleblowing in general, wikileaks cables... I'm sure there's tons of other examples but no other come to mind (chime in, anybody?)

Of course, the logical premise most twisted when justifying such punishment is: what is 'right'?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:23pm

Re: Re:
... and you only get rewarded for doing the right thing, right?

Just-world hypothesis

The just world hypothesis describes a cognitive bias in which people believe that the world they live in is one in which actions have appropriate and predictable consequences. This phenomenon has been widely studied...[more]
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:27pm

I'm not sure if your title is correct
They claim to be the largest arts service organization (i.e. they find funding, health insurance, etc. for artists), not necessarily the largest artist community.

I have no clue what the largest artist community would be (maybe this is it?). I just think this is one that someone might call you on.
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simple simon (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:57pm

Calling It What It Is...
Obviously, SOPA = Support Our Political Allies.
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jupiterkansas (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:03pm

According to Congress, whomever owns the copyright is the artist.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:27pm

What are they some sort of artists union. I'll not be joining the site, the fees are quite outrageous. I believe they are just jumping on the bandwagon (so to speak) just to get new members.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:44pm

I just wonder how his content provider puppet masters feel about this?
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Suja (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:47pm

Re:
i think you nailed it
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Suja (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:50pm

Re:
that's because copyright doesn't care who is the real artist, just who "owns" it
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Suja (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:50pm

Re: Re:
just another failing of the system itself, not just congress
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TtfnJohn (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 6:28pm

Re:
Oh, $9.95 a month is outrageous? Goodness, that is awful, isn't it? More than a subscription to a porn site, do ya think?

I guess, as they're an advocacy group you COULD say they're some kind of loose union though they don't seem to advocate strikes, wage negotiations and other things unions do but I guess you COULD if you stretch it.

I have no doubt that they'll get some members as a result of taking that stand, they do stand to lose others of course so as an organizing tool it's probably not a great one.

What they are saying is that a free and open Internet is vital to artists of all kinds and this solution to piracy, including the ones they cite, are just the wrong way to go about this. As in messing with the DNS system isn't the way to keep the Internet free and open. And they're right.

As for what you posted immediately after this it makes little or no sense. Is it Mike you're referring to or the site the story is talking about? Or is it about anything at all?
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Adam Huttler, 13 Jan 2012 @ 6:23am

Re:
Fractured Atlas isn't a union. We're a national non-profit that supports artists and arts organizations. A full membership is indeed $95/year, but there's a whole lot of real-world stuff that buys you. There's also a large and dedicated staff of professionals who are always available to help.

Meanwhile, if you're only interested in our online services / community stuff, then membership is FREE.

As for the idea that we're "jumping on the bandwagon" to get new members... Wouldn't that be nice! The reality is that we've exposed ourselves to all sorts of fallout from taking this stand, since most of the arts industry has taken the opposite position. I respect my colleagues' position, but I believe it is misguided and uninformed in this case.
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Tracy Medberry, 18 Jan 2012 @ 7:55pm

Re: Re:
I am an artist who was previously a member of Fractured Atlas and always found them extremely helpful:) ... just sayin'.
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Djenny Floro, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:31am

This stand is dangerous !
This stand you take is dangerous for you, because those you oppose can crush people easily.

I think it takes courage to do that ! Keep it up, we're on your back for all we can !
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