Insane Entitlement: EMI Sues Irish Gov't For Not Passing SOPA-Like Censorship Law

from the wowzers dept

The sense of entitlement exhibited by the legacy players in the entertainment industry is now reaching positively insane levels -- highlighted by the news that major record label EMI (in the process of being acquired by Universal Music to make it the largest record label by far) is suing the Irish government because it feels the Irish government is taking too long to pass a SOPA-like law that would require ISPs to censor the internet and block access to sites it doesn't like. I'm not kidding. Apparently, because the legislative process is too slow, it feels the need to sue.

In another article on the lawsuit, EMI Ireland's CEO complains that the length of time it's taking the government to craft such a censorship bill is "leading me to believe it’s unlikely to satisfy the music industry’s requirement for injunctive relief."

Think about that for a second. The major record labels have such an insane sense of entitlement, they think that any bill they declare that they "require" must become law, or they can sue the government. More specifically, EMI is effectively confessing here that it's upset that the government isn't sharing the bill ahead of time with EMI or others in the industry. Again, the massive sense of entitlement of these guys is such that they expect that they get to write the laws, and when they're left out of the process, they get to sue over it. And yet, on every one of these laws, the people actually impacted by them -- the public -- get no real say or can't see them. Remember ACTA? The public was left totally in the dark, while RIAA/MPAA officials and others had pretty detailed access and the ability to help craft the bills. And yet, when EMI doesn't get to see a draft of a bill, and it makes them think that it won't go the way they want, they sue? Damn.
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Filed Under: blocking, copyright, entitlement, injunctions, ireland, pipa, protect ip, record labels, sopa
Companies: emi, riaa


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  • icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 10:57am

    That's not just normal, everyday, out-sized entitlement. This goes way past that into the realms of cartoonish supervillainy. This is Paul Macguiness-sized entitlement.

    Is the age-old phrase about to morph into "the entitlement of the Irish?"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    anonymous, 12 Jan 2012 @ 10:57am

    more info on torrentfreak about this. seems EMI are also complaining about the EU law it reckons should be applied too. it does, however, want to ignore the EU law on human rights and on the illegality of website blocking and internet disconnection of customers. no bias here at all, is there?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    bongo houzi (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:00am

    The Real Pirates

    I think everyone should read Buckminster Fuller's 'Spaceship Earth.' Especially the first section. He puts forth his theory about how humankind started down the path of accumulation and specialization. The ones doing the accumulating and forcing others into specialization were the 'Great Pirates' as he put it. They were, and are, basically parasites that take anything they see as valuable and make it their own while forcing everyone else to pay them to utilize it. It was, and is, a zero sum game because what they considered theirs was initially someone else's. Funny how that logic can be used by either side innit?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ima Fish (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:05am

    Copyright is different in Europe than in the US. In the US it's derived solely from the US Constitution, Article I, Section 8.

    However, in Europe, copyrights are bound up in "moral" rights. In other words, our Congress only has to follow what Article I, Section 8 provides. In Europe, countries have a moral right to protect copyrights.

    I'm not saying it's right, I'm just trying to explain it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:22am

      Re:

      The EU also has similar human rights issues on the flip side too. So it's not just that copyrights are considered 'moral' rights there but internet access and privacy rights are also much more fundamental there.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:35am

      Re:

      Even if that is true, no citizen (or corporation) has the right to have some sort of special treatment in regard to how the legislative process unfolds.

      The process is done whenever it is done, not when EMI wants it. Rushing laws through can only cause trouble.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Ima Fish (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:41am

        Re: Re:

        Look, I'm not arguing this is a good idea. I'm just trying to explain it.

        In the US this would be completely nuts. But in Europe, it's just nutty.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Berenerd (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:20pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          In the US, with the right amount of money, its a common thing.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Modplan (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:25pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          Moral rights apply to attribution and in some cases for your work to not be treated in a "derogatory" way. It has no relevance here AFAIK - I haven't heard of copyright itself being considered a moral right.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:05am

    I feel entitled to pass legislation that allows me to burn EMI property to the ground. I think I'm gonna sue the Irish Govt. Oh wait, I'm Brazilian. Can I burn them in Brazil to show my sympathy towards my Irish friends?

    On a side note, EMI is being incorporated by UMG, the same thet felt entitled to use contract loopholes with Google to takedown Mega Song? Talk about smooth corporate culture incorporation...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    el_porko (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:08am

    Pass a new law...

    Well if I were the Irish Government, I'd show EMI just how quickly that the government could pass a new law - banning complaining record lable companys from selling in Ireland.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:13am

      Re: Pass a new law...

      A better plan would be to arrest and detain any EMI rep as terrorists without trial, or to refuse them entry.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        el_porko (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:42pm

        Re: Re: Pass a new law...

        No, thats the way the US does it.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          That Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 8:06pm

          Re: Re: Re: Pass a new law...

          Incorrect, they would never arrest a corporate drone that pays them. However their own citizens and innocent people, your right on target.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:10am

    What a great idea, I think I'll go drop my expensive car insurance and then total my couple year old car. That way I can sue the government for not passing a bailout to bail out car owners without insurance.

    Oh, and those college tuition loans? I should have been entitled to free government scholarships to cover those costs because I'm a part of a lot of minority groups, such as the following.
    -Young people that still wear watches (9/10 don't bother with them anymore studies find!)
    -Follower of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (if race qualifies for government scholarships then why not followers of wacky religions no one has ever heard of! That clearly makes their followers a minority group! Plus if I declare myself clergy in the church of the flying spaghetti monster it makes me immune from the draft!)
    -I'm at least a third generation German decedent American citizen, maybe even 4th or 5th generation, I don't know! Surely German Americans, even ones who aren't sure what generation number in America they are should be entitled scholarship cash to!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:16am

      Re:

      Where do I apply to the church flying spaghetti monster?

      Your comment is funny but the truth behind it when in contrast with this article is just appalling. And yet those imbeciles are there messing with our laws with the support from clueless and/or bought politicians.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Atkray (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:01pm

      Re:

      ummm I hate to break it to you but your religion is not really a "wacky religions no one has ever heard of".

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      That Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 8:14pm

      Re:

      HOW DARE YOU!
      HE BOILED FOR YOUR SINS AND YOU PRETEND HE IS UNKNOWN!!!!

      “Accept His Noodly Magnificence into your heart, into your soul, and ye shall forever be free. R'Amen.”
      ~ Ragu on Pastafarianism

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      charlie, 13 Jan 2012 @ 6:51am

      Re:

      What does this even mean?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:36am

    Behold....

    Witness the desperation of a legacy player in its death throes.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:40am

    Why is this so shocking? That's what the lobbyists paid the politicians to do. EMI just wants them to do the job they sent them there to do.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      John Doe, 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

      Re:

      You are right, it is more like they are suing for a breach of contract. They want the legislation they paid for.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Violated (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:51am

    Lunch

    EMI now walks into the lion's cage. Let us hope they get eaten.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    gorehound (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:54am

    FRAK YOU EMI

    An unlimited supply
    and there is no reason why
    i tell you we were all of frame
    they only did it 'cos of fame
    who?

    EMI EMI EMI
    too many people had the suss
    too many people support us
    an unlimited amount
    too many outlets in and out
    who?

    EMI EMI EMI
    And sir and friends are crucified
    a day they wish that we had died
    we are an addition, rules by none
    never ever never
    and you thought that we were faking
    that we were all just money making
    you do not believe we're for real
    or you would lose your cheap appeal?
    oh don't you judge a book just by the cover
    unless you cover just another
    and blind acceptance is a sign
    of fucking fools who stand in line
    like

    EMI EMI EMI
    unlimited edition
    with an unlimited supply
    that was the only reason
    we all had to say goodbye
    limited supply EMI
    there is no reason why EMI
    I tell you we were all of frame EMI
    they only did it 'cos of shame EMI
    I do not need the pressure EMI
    I can't stand those useless fools EMI
    unlimited supply EMI
    hello EMI goodbye IRM

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      m@, 13 Jan 2012 @ 7:02am

      Response to: gorehound on Jan 12th, 2012 @ 11:54am

      They should make this the Irish national anthem. Then whateverlabel owns roadrunner could sue them since this is kind of sung to the tune of it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Charles K. (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:01pm

    We Irish like our entitlements:
    - Guinness
    - Potatoes
    - Independence from Britain
    - A music industry afforded the full protection of the State from paying income taxes, effective competition, adapting to the marketplace and/or catering to consumer demand.

    /rant

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Larry, 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:35pm

      Re:

      The Irish are independent from Britain? When did that happen?

      Oh, and Irish are only entitled to Harps. Guinness is 3 shillings extra!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        jrms, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:04am

        Re: Re:

        Where have you been for 90 years?
        Irish Independence:
         -  Declared 24 April 1916 
         -  Ratified 21 January 1919 
         -  Recognised 6 December 1922 

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        PaulT (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:35am

        Re: Re:

        Making a joke, or just another ignoramus who can't tell the difference between Eire and Northern Ireland?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lord Binky, 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:04pm

    When you make up the rules you play by, then you will understand how they feel.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:06pm

    I thought EMI was divided between Sony Music and UMG? Did that not happen? How can a company that does not exist any longer sue anyone?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    JP (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:51pm

    To Use A Patent Argument ...

    If You Can't Innovate … Litigate!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Duke (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:12pm

    EMI may actually be entitled to this...

    The thing most reports on this case seem to miss is that this isn't just EMI (now mostly being sold off to Universal and Sony) suing the Irish government for not doing what they want, they're suing the Irish government for failing to implement certain provisions of EU law (probably parts of the IPR Enforcement Directive 2004/48 - which should have been implemented by April 2006).

    If I remember correctly, in the November ruling, the Irish judge noted that what EMI wanted wasn't possible under Irish law, but should be under EU law, and so the law needed to be changed.

    Suing the government over failure to implement a directive (particularly when they think they're losing money over it) is quite normal in the EU.

    [Disclaimer: I haven't read their actual filing, so I could be wrong.]

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Acslawarecrooks, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:03pm

    What about this legislation

    I read on torrentfreak that in nov 11 the European court issued a ruling against a Belgian anti piracy group saying that ISPs could not be asked to filter Internet content for copyright enforcement  purposes.

    http://www.iptegrity.com/index.php/internet-trials/720-sabam-v-scarlet-court-rules-that -isps-cant-be-asked-to-filter

    1. Why have we not heard of this important issue
    2. Does this mean that what EMI is demanding is illegal?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Acslawarecrooks, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:14pm

      Re: What about this legislation

      Just found another site which says this ruling affects ALL European countries
      https://publicaffairs.linx.net/news/?p=6253

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Duke (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:30pm

      Re: What about this legislation

      1. You should have heard of it if you read TechDirt, as it was reported here.
      2. No. That ruling merely set an upper bound on what copyright enforcement people can demand; in that case, SABAM wanted the ISP to actively monitor all their traffic and magically filter out potentially infringing content, and the CJEU said that was far too much. Lesser degrees of enforcement may be fine.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Acslawarecrooks, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:36pm

        Re: Re: What about this legislation

        Aah yes, you are right about it being about specific forms of censorship, however isn't this what EMI want the Irish government to do, they want them to stop infringement anyway necessary.

        What I meant about not hearing about it was that when I googled it, there was no other news site reporting about it ( mainstream) , you can guarantee if it had gone the other way then it would have been splashed all over

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 2:03pm

    Insane will be if they win :)

    When you can sue the government for not passing a law that is just priceless.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:05pm

    Suing The Govt For Obeying The Law??

    From the linked item:

    In November, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that national courts could not impose injunctions on ISPs to install filtering software, a key component in the music industry’s battle against illegal filesharing.

    In December, the Data Protection Commissioner ruled that elements of Eircom’s ‘Three Strikes’ system - that cuts off internet access to customers caught downloading free music - broke privacy rules.

    The most recent Irish High Court decision, in 2009, ruled that Irish ISPs cannot legally be forced to cut off customers for copyright reasons.


    So EMI is suing the Irish Government for obeying the law??

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Duke (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:47pm

      Re: Suing The Govt For Obeying The Law??

      The problem is that there are several competing directives in this area of law, to grossly oversimplify:

      - The Copyright Directive 2001/29 (sometimes the InfoSoc Directive) sets out a lower bound for what must be covered by copyright in all EU member states.
      - The Enforcement Directive 2004/48 (sometimes IPRED) sets out a lower bound for what sort of remedies must be available in MSs for copyright infringement.

      - The Electronic Commerce Directive 2000/31 sets out various limits on the liability of ISPs (including website hosts),
      - The Data Protection Directive 95/46 sets out how personal data of individuals can be collected.
      - The Authorisation Directive 2002/20 which places limits on what ISPs can be made to pay for.

      Basically, the first two set out what *must* be put into law, in order to 'protect' copyrights, and the second three set out what *can't* be done, even to 'protect' copyrights. Over the last few years there have been a number of cases across the EU where courts have tried to find the right balance between these (such as the DEA judicial review in the UK (back in court on Monday, iirc), the SABAM v Scarlet case mentioned above, the Infopaq(?) case a while back and these Irish cases). It's a big mess.

      Iirc, in the last Irish case, the judge found that the proposed measures (the private agreement one ISP had reached with EMI) went too far, and so was illegal under EU law. However, he also noticed that the existing Irish law didn't go far enough either. So now EMI are suing Ireland (using the EU principle of state liability for not fully implementing the relevant EU Directives (probably IPRED) and thus causing EMI some sort of damage (although it could be a challenge for them to prove it).

      [As mentioned above, this last part is mostly speculation as I haven't seen any of the paperwork from the new filing.]

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        erigena (profile), 14 Jan 2012 @ 6:55pm

        Re: Re: Suing The Govt For Obeying The Law??

        I liked Duke's analysis and IMO it is correct as far as it goes

        However, the 2000 copyright act in Ireland should have anticipated all these problems. In 2000, the Internet was a reality and frims like MP3.com had already had their day;

        http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2000/en/act/pub/0028/index.html

        The problem is that the act was drafted by criminals. In a rather famous incident, while the act was being drafted, the member of Parliament piloting the Copyright and Related rights Bill 2000 got a record contract for his son David Kitt through Warner Bros;

        "Kitt has a charmed life and he escaped public opprobrium before when it emerged that in 2000 he had given a demo tape of his son, singer David Kitt, to Dennis Woods, head of Warner Studios and chairman of Phonographic Performance Ireland. This would have been an exchange hardly worth mentioning were it not for the fact that Kitt was then piloting the Copyright and Related rights Bill 2000 through the Dáil; that this legislation benefited PPI members and that the PPI, one of the organisations most affected beneficially by the act, lobbied the Government strongly."

        See also

        http://davemarsh.us/?p=951

        you all would do us Irish people a favour if you boycotted us while we sort out our country. No more bailouts, please

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Amit Shaw, 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:08pm

    Nice One. Thanks.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    dave, 13 Jan 2012 @ 4:54am

    law degrees

    there are WAY too many lawyers in the world.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Happy Daze, 13 Jan 2012 @ 8:15am

    AMERICAS I HATE YOU!!!! stop ruining the world stupid twats

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    erigena (profile), 14 Jan 2012 @ 2:37pm

    Finally the music companies are suing Ireland for failure to have any implementable copyright legislation;

    http://entertainment.ie/music/news/EMI-launches-lawsuit-against-Irish-state/97275.ht m


    Even the most "cynical/daring" comments on this topic really don't get it. Ireland has not been run as a normal state since 1998 or so, and there was every indication from back then that the music industry - in the mid 90's perhaps the biggest in the world pro capita - began to be used for the creation of huge scams



    We can start with the admittedly labyrinthine narrative on

    http://seanonuallain.com/id2.html

    To summarize; musicians start to notice that their song copyright registrations are altered when they attempt to repatriate them from Britain and the USA to the nascent Irish music "rights" organization (IMRO). Companies close to the government suddenly "own" part of the songs. The musicians check further, and notice that they are credited with writing songs that don't exist, often spelled in Gaelic with a letter missing.

    They get the police involved; one of the police is made a job offer he can't refuse, but parliamentary questions keep the investigation going. It is possible that the government simply wanted to find out what we knew.

    Then someone in IMRO's London counterpart panics and - lo and behold! - it is revealed that Shay Hennessy, chair of IMRO, HAD STOLEN HUNDREDS OF COPYRIGHTS AND WAS USING IMRO TO PERPETUATE THE THEFT. Quis cutodies cutodiet? AS it happens, the police investigation was aborted with a leak to the papers

    http://www.politics.ie/forum/current-affairs/36672-corruption-dpps-office.html

    Hennessy was the main advisor on the copyright act that has caused this snafu;

    http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4602230-1.h tml

    It is important to remember that, when referring to Ireland 1997-2011, we are not talking about a modern democracy; it is a third world country, with the prime minister paying a fortune of taxpayers' money to promote the musical and other "artistic" careers of his daughters and their partners, including the horrible "PS I love you".

    U2, among many others, took advantage of the artists destroyers' exemption, which allowed them trade with dissolved companies and steal at will from far better musicians than them.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mohsin Ali, 20 Feb 2012 @ 9:35am

    Comment

    In Pakistan we have already SOPA law passed and our Government has blocked many sites with illegal content.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Maher Singh, 29 Mar 2012 @ 5:51am

    Latest Gadgets

    The problem is that the act was drafted by criminals. In a rather famous incident, while the act was being drafted, the member of Parliament piloting the Copyright and Related rights Bill 2000 got a record contract for his son David Kitt through Warner Bros.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Arsie Organo Jr, 10 Nov 2012 @ 8:14am

    Anti-Cybercrime In Philippines

    Reading your articles reminds me so much of SOPA and now the temporarily restrained bill here in our country that aims to monitor our online and social activities. I hope our government can be more open and study this act before they pass the bill.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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