Organization Overseeing Six Strikes Agreement Between Labels And ISPs Includes Advisory Board To Try To Keep Tech Folks Happy

from the better-than-nothing dept

Mon, Apr 2nd 2012 7:55pm — Mike Masnick

As we get closer to the RIAA/MPAA and the major ISPs rolling out their "voluntary" six strikes agreement, turning those ISPs into Hollywood's private police force, details are finally coming out about the Center for Copyright Information (CCI), the organization that the RIAA/MPAA were setting up to manage the six strikes effort. In a move that's at least slightly surprising, and shows that they realized they couldn't completely one-side this entire thing, CCI will be run by Jill Lesser. Lesser was a managing director at The Glover Park Group (a lobbying firm), but also on the board of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a group that is often on the correct side of these issues. That said, Glover Park was also one of the key lobbying firms that the MPAA used to promote SOPA.

However, lots of folks are pointing to the fact that CCI has also set up an advisory board with some familiar names of folks who have fought for consumer rights repeatedly. As Greg Sandoval reports at News.com:

CCI's advisory board will include a large number of privacy and technology advocates, including Jerry Berman, chairman of the Internet Education Foundation and founder of the Center for Democracy and Technology; Marsali Hancock, president of iKeepSafe.org; Jules Polenetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum; and Gigi Sohn, president and CEO of Public Knowledge.

This is, at the very least, a nod to the fact that the entertainment industry can't just completely control how this system works. Of course, it's an open question how much power this advisory board will actually have, and how much of this is really window dressing. In fact, the actual power to run CCI is in the hands of a separate "board of directors" which is entirely made up of entertainment industry and ISP representatives.

The "good news" is that many of the folks on the advisory board are certainly not at all shy about making their voices heard if they feel they're being ignored, and Public Knowledge's Gigi Sohn is not one to go away quietly on these issues. As she told Sandoval:

"It was not an easy decision for me to join this Advisory Board," Sohn said in a statement. "I did so because I saw the need to be an advocate for the rights of Internet users and to provide transparency."

Sohn said that one of the first things she wants to see once CCI is up and running is to abolish any kind of service suspension.

"I will ask at the appropriate time," Sohn said, "for the ISPs to promise not to interpret the agreement's 'temporary restriction' provision as allowing for suspension of user Internet accounts."

This whole thing will be worth watching closely, and I'm glad that at least a few good people are on the advisory board, but we'll see what happens when the actual "strikes" start issuing.

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Filed Under: gigi sohn, jill lesser, six strikes
Companies: cci, center for copyright information

32 Comments

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CJ (profile), 2 Apr 2012 @ 8:18pm

Just because it looks good...
Means nothing. It may start off as better than one sided. But everyone is replaceable. Give them time as soon as they turn negative against the RIAA/MPAA they will replace them one by one until they have their whole team in place. Then it turns into a consumers worst nightmare.
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The Mighty Buzzard (profile), 2 Apr 2012 @ 8:43pm

Meh
I really don't care. I'll say it here and I'll tell them the same when I call to bitch at them for the first notice I receive: You're doing a great job of stimulating the anonymizing VPN industry but you're not going to stop anyone who stop anyone who is determined to share files.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Apr 2012 @ 9:20pm

Just because 'good' people maybe on some advisory board now doesn't mean 'good' people will always be on such boards in the future.
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wallow-T, 2 Apr 2012 @ 9:23pm

Today's quote:

"The notion that artists and creators, and even the big companies that finance, produce and deliver their creations, don�t have the right to own and control their distribution, simply cannot be."

Jill Lesser, executive director, CCI
http://www.copyrightinformation.org/node/707

So, officially, CCI has got the whole King Canute thing going on. I guess Gerd Leonhard's "The End of Control" is not on their reading list.

CCI also offers a page about how illicit MP3 files might give your computer a virus.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Apr 2012 @ 9:26pm

One person on a board will be voted down and then out when it becomes convenient for this to happen.
What it comes down to is actions, that's when we will see what the true plans are for this six strikes organization.
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Nathan F (profile), 2 Apr 2012 @ 9:29pm

With the reports coming out of France showing that HADOPI isn't doing what they were expecting (is anyone outside the Recording and Movie industry surprised?), one would think they would hesitate to do something that might draw the Public's ire...

That was a joke, haha..
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The Mighty Buzzard (profile), 2 Apr 2012 @ 10:03pm

Re:
Oh they have every right in the world to own and control their products. Right up until the point that they take currency in exchange for them.
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Pixelation, 2 Apr 2012 @ 10:24pm

I wonder why?...
Like the comments above, my first thought was suspicion. I'm not sure exactly what it is but I just don't trust the recording industry. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up. I wonder why?...
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:07pm

Translation: People who agree with Mike are "good people." People who disagree are "bad people."
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:29pm

Whack-a-Mole
Whack-a-mole is the game they WANT to play because it provides a lot of opportunities to restrict and invade privaciy; very much like drugs and terrorism.

I wish the public would realize how crazy copyright right math is, but now we know the value of having education end in 3rd grade (and still get elected for congress).
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:31pm

Re:
Reality: TAM cannot read.
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Zem (profile), 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:35pm

Just waiting for it
As we have seen, the big guys infringe as well.
So if we are vigalent, watch and wait, we too can use this new tool.

Imagine the fun to be had when a major studio gets locked out after their 6th strike.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 2:46am

Re:
At worst they may be considered "bad people"; if you disagree with the people who disagree with Mike you get to be called "two-faced", "slimy" or "chubby".
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 3:28am

Re: Meh
$ ls /media/DVDIV/Movies | grep 2011
Battle Los Angeles (2011).iso
Blitz (2011).iso
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).iso
Contagion (2011).iso
Drive Angry (2011).iso
Fast Five (2011).iso
Final Destination 5 (2011).iso
Green Lantern (2011).iso
Hanna (2011).iso
I Am Number Four (2011).iso
Killer Mountain (TV 2011).iso
Limitless (2011).iso
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).iso
Priest (2011).iso
Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011).iso
Red Riding Hood (2011).iso
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011).iso
Sanctum (2011).iso
Season of the Witch (2011).iso
Source Code (2011).iso
Sucker Punch (2011).iso
Super 8 (2011).iso
The Adjustment Bureau (2011).iso
The Mechanic(2011).iso
The Rite (2011).iso
Thor (2011).iso
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).iso
X-Men: First Class (2011).iso

No need for the interwebz to be a pirate LoL
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abc gum, 3 Apr 2012 @ 4:53am

Six strikes lol - more like six wild unsubstantiated accusations amongst hundreds of impersonators making it near impossible to tell the difference because they all look like extortion. I look forward to the scams perpetrated by shysters and cons filling my inbox with threats and innuendos.

Rather than asking others for handouts, maybe the content clowns should go get a real job like everyone else.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 5:05am

It's still a violation of our civil rights taking away our Internet for mere accusations, no matter what talking heads they put on a panel to try to make it look 'official' and 'balanced'.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 5:29am

Come to the dark side Jill, we have payalola.
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Moneky with Attitude, 3 Apr 2012 @ 5:58am

I hope I get a strike
Already spoke to my Legal Advisors and family, we will fight, we will make noise, and we will shove it up their collective ass..
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dave blevins (profile), 3 Apr 2012 @ 6:31am

Should work both ways
Why, oh why, can't we get these "deals" to be 2 way: if it is n strikes and out for users, it should be n strikes (invalid or in erro) and no more accusations for accusers.

How many gagzillion invalid accusations has MPAA and RIAA make and yet they can still grind 'em out?
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 8:01am

I think that you need to understand that the current totally open internet with full on infringement at all times isn't workable for anyone. Even the "new business model" guys are starting to realize that there is a ton of money in selling content (even at low prices) that is lost to piracy.

Economically, the current internet situation is a disaster. Anyone figure that perhaps the current depression / recession / correction / slowdown whatever you want to call it is in fact in part caused by the internet?

You don't think?

Consider the consolidation of wealth to companies like Google. They are sitting on a huge amount of cash, doing nothing. They are a money pit, the economy keeps shoveling money into the pit and it doesn't come back. That is money that use to be in magazine ads, radio ads, tv ads, etc... all of those businesses have shrunk. Google makes the profits, and the money doesn't get re-invested in any meaningful way.

Consider the death of the record store, the video rental store, and the like. Replaced by automation, by piracy, and by apathy. Those jobs all disappeared, and didn't come back.

Consider Facebook, Twitter, and the like where people spend more social time instead of having actual face to face real life social time. They don't go out for coffee, they chat online.

I am really starting to wonder if all the "new business model" living isn't in fact what is hurting us the most.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 8:54am

Re: Meh
Good luck with that anonymizing VPN, the government can decrypt your packets and then you're fucked. At that point they will have a reason to watch you. You're pirating days are numbered ARRRR Matey.
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Benjo (profile), 3 Apr 2012 @ 9:33am

Re:
Google? The company that is pretty much building a fiber optic network out of pocket in Kansas City with an almost guarantee to not make money off of it? The company that is constantly upgrading and providing new (Drive) free services? I think you are confusing Google with Apple (they actually have more money than they know what to do with).

Your speculations are uninformed and baseless, devoid of any sort of reasoning or backing except for perhaps your 'gut feeling'.

Feel free to update your speculations with *any* supporting material.
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gorehound (profile), 3 Apr 2012 @ 11:22am

Re: Just because it looks good...
Does not mean krap to me.MAFIAA wants a War and they will get it.Just wait till people get harassed and we will see what we shall see.
In the meanwhile Hollywood know this:
You will never see a dime from my Wallet for the rest of my life.I am going to Censor you as you try to do with me.
I am perfectly content supporting any local acts and INDIE Films/Music/Art.
Good Riddance.USA shall wake up when those threatening letters start arriving.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 11:53am

Re:
It is Mike's website where he is free to state an opinion. Most other places you'll hear the reverse; that anyone who agrees with Masnick/anyone with similar ideas is bad and those who disagree are good.

I can see disagreeing with TechDirt's message and still coming here to hear the other side for open-mindedness or to be familiar with the dissenting arguments or whatever, although I don't see how you justify lame comments like this. It's not as if TD is specifically writing mean things about you. Do you think there's even a chance this lame comment will have someone go from being on the fence to supporting copyright maximalism? Would you really want someone so easily swayed supporting your opinion anyway?
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2012 @ 12:29pm

No customers, no isp.
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wallow-T, 3 Apr 2012 @ 12:54pm

Re:
For most Americans, high-speed access to the home is a duopoly. You can pick the cable TV company, or you can pick the old-fashioned phone company. Since the last-mile ISPs are no longer required to make their facilities available to competitors, no competition is possible. The investment in last-mile wiring is too great.

So, most Americans will not have the option of switching to an ISP which is not participating in the CCI program.
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wallow-T, 3 Apr 2012 @ 1:37pm

After some reflection on the content of the CCI website, I think that the copyright industries have decided to launch an cultural war against a social movement (sharing). The CCI website is this war's version of "Reefer Madness."
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 3 Apr 2012 @ 4:34pm

Re: Re: Meh
Its a shame that the group running this isn't the Government.
Its not even a legal requirement.

This is the same failed tech that they used to sue dead people and people without computers with a new name.

This time they have a system where you can fight back against wrongful allegations... for a fee.

Expect lots of lawsuits as service providers decide pissing of consumers was a bad idea. We might even finally get one of the acronyms put in charge of the internet carriers, and then they will be fucked. No more monopolies, common carriers, ya fun!

This isn't the government, this isn't law, its remotely quasilegal and its going to result in a big change that will screw the ISPs.
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abc gum, 3 Apr 2012 @ 5:41pm

Re: Re:
"For most Americans, high-speed access to the home is a duopoly."

I'd like to see that study.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 4 Apr 2012 @ 12:54am

Re:
OMG your so right...
Once upon a time we had to pay ice men to cut and bring us chunks of ice, now we have boxes in our homes that keep food cold and don't need ice!
We should TOTALLY ban freezers and put those ice men back to work.

Society moves forward, unless your a member of either **AA.
Infringement is not a problem law can fix, it is a sign that they are not meeting the market demands. They can bitch and whine how they want control, but the point is there is a HUGE worldwide market with money and they often refuse to provide the material. Or they raise prices to levels that make no sense, and then are surprised people look for other ways to get it.

They are terrified of the "death" of the little plastic disc, despite how much money digital distribution will save them. They spend more time and money worried about how it COULD be infringed and the trillions of dollars they think they will loose, and screw themselves out of a market hungry for their content and ready to pay.

BTW bonus points trying to blame it all on Google, what was the last great thing brought to us by the **AA's? Oh yeah... SOPA.

Game, Set, Match.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 4 Apr 2012 @ 12:56am

So step 1 is figure out which ISPs service the **AA's and their leadership.
Then run those IPs through "You have Downloaded" and submit reports.
Wait for them trying to explain how it doesn't apply to them.
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wallow-T, 4 Apr 2012 @ 9:16am

Re:
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Copyright groups and the ISPs states that this program is aimed at residential customers only, so planning to frame the (presumed business-class) connections of the **AA groups does not work.
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