US Copyright Office, MPAA Celebrate Handing Hollywood Stars Their Own Special Copyright Monopoly Powers
from the oh,-phew,-the-mpaa-was-on-hand-to-help dept
So remember how we were just talking about WIPO passing a totally unnecessary new form of monopoly protection for Hollywood movie stars? The negotiations concluded with everyone -- including the US -- already "signing" the agreement, and now countries just need to ratify it. In a rather sickening display of cluelessness, the US Copyright Office put out an announcement about just how awesome it was that they were able to lock down some more culture to make a few Hollywood stars happy and able to block anyone from creating mashups or remixes of their work.Copyright Office boss, Maria Pallante, who incorrectly believes that copyright is "for the author first and the nation second," was overjoyed at being able to give Hollywood actors more power to lock up content they performed in, over which they have no copyright interest:
“The Beijing Treaty is an important step forward in protecting the performances of television and film actors throughout the world," said Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante.But, um, why do they need this? No one ever answers that question, because the answer is they don't need this. At all. It's just a way to lock up culture some more. It's sickening.
Not surprisingly, the Copyright Office's announcement plays up the fact that the MPAA was in Beijing to help the US negotiate. And, of course, Chris Dodd is just thrilled at how awesome this treaty is, and how it shows how "substantive" treaties can be created. Yeah, there's no regulatory capture going on here... none at all. And, um, who was there to represent the public's interest? Who was there to make sure that our culture wasn't locked up and that free speech and technology weren't stifled? No one. Pallante then says that:
"There was a renewed atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration among all of the delegations in attendance...."Well, you know, that's what happens when you only invite your friends, and leave the public and the public interest out in the cold. She might as well have just been more honest and said what the truth is: "For the Hollywood stars first, and screw the nation."
And I thought after the SOPA/PIPA and ACTA debacles, Hollywood and the US government has promised no more backroom deals signed just to support Hollywood...
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Filed Under: chris dodd, copyright office, hollywood, maria pallante, performer's rights, wipo
Companies: mpaa
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I'm over it I just don't approve of our government being run by the entertainment industry.....obviously you do. Not until all of your rights and freedoms have eroded away will folks like you stand up and do something about it........the liberal mindset, government will take care of you and always has your best interests in mind......right!
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Shouldn't that be ... You wouldn't download a star would you?
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I look forward to a bright future of more copyright restrictions.
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I know this was tongue in cheek, but I wonder what will happen when the actors who feel slated by the industry latch on to this and outlaw the distribution of their movies until they are better paid? How long before the industry secretly tries to change the law like they did with the sunset law on copyright where the author/artist got their copyright back after 35 years? Since the MPAA had their hands in it, I doubt it will be anything like that...probably just another law they can use to beat up technology companies.
Wonder if David Prowse will finally get paid?
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I sense a disturbance in The Force...
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I look forward to a day when everyone is wearing Google's VR glasses with attached camera, and the inevitable facial recog false positives on youtube for people who look similar to stars.
The next five years are going to be fun.
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And it bugs me writing that because we all know that a somewhat vocal minority would be saying such things. Heck, the usual ACs and bob have been saying that since SOPA, and that's because Google got dragged to the party late and only because a majority of, you know, the public actually made it known how they felt and Google felt they had to say something.
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Too funny.
While Google themselves did try to hide in the shadows as long as possible, they were pulling the strings via their astroturf groups- who were behind the SOPA propaganda lie campaign.
No need to try and rewrite history. Everyone knows what happened.
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You're right.
People heard about SOPA and PIPA, got mad, called on the internet to fight back, Google and Wikipedia decided to, even though they were against doing this, black out their websites for the day.
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You're absolutely right. So why are you trying to rewrite history?
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Hollywood supports the left wing hate liberals who believe that everyone should be their slave.
Since this is simply another form of slavery of the masses by the loony left then it must be good for the slave masters.
Which is just another way of saying we have a government fully bought and paid for via political contributions and those who pay the piper get to call the tune.
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Ever wonder why no matter which side of the political spectrum is in power, the people get screwed?
Hint: because money trumps politics...
You need to look deeper if you want to find who's behind all of this legislation.
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Screw your silly flag waving. Go join a sports team cheer leader group or fan club and stay out of politics until you can grow up and stop playing into the divide and conquer games of the corporate oligarchy.
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Funny, I thought it was the "right wing hate conservatives" who own the corporations (who own most of the copyrights) who want everyone else to be their slaves!
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This is truly one of the best comments I've read in a while!
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More Garbage
Down With the MAFIAA !
Boycvott their products, their films in Cinema, and their streaming video revenues.
Save your Money and spend it on local Artists.Try going out of your house to the local club, film house, book readings, ETC.
OR Try Buying INDIE Art Online.
Or give a little money to a kickstarter Project.
I do not need nor care about any Content coming our thru MAFIAA.
They want to Censor me and Buy Our Politicians so I want to Censor them from my Wallet.I fully intend on doing this to them.
Go INDIE Please !!!
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No one owes them a living for doing mashups. If they don't like that they can go find another job.
See how things work?
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I said:
"People will still make all the mash ups they want in the privacy of their own home."
oh, and whoosh.
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"People will still make all the mash ups they want in the privacy of their own home."
"you are not allowed to make mash-ups in the privacy of your own home. Or anywhere else."
Its the law, freetard.
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http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/appeal-to-authority
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For a copyright shill, he sure doesn't respect the law he's supporting.
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Shame
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The problem is that some are more equal than others when it comes to this kind of "transparency".
Instead of completely meaningless political babble treaties, the treaties has become a corporate raid at getting as much "lock down"-legislation passed as possible.
Instead of having rather low-value and low-impact relatively impartial agreements we end up with higher impact and severely biased agreements.
I for one would prefer having no transparency at all, compared to this.
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Not me. These efforts are a direct and personal attack on me, my children, and my culture. Even if it's impossible to affect them (and I don't think it is), I at least want to know the nature of them. If I'm going to get punched in the face, I at least want to see it coming.
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Sounds like they just had a BBQ at a friends house. It is kind of easy to get along with everyone when you only let in the ones you get along with.....
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Unbelievable
I wonder what she thinks of celebrated photog Carol Highsmith? She is donating her images to the Library of Congress, and to the public domain. I guess Highsmith must be misguided.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/highsm/
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-12 5.html
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Seriously...
The only nefarious use would be to stifle clips and recordings of henious acts by the perps refusing to allow copyright, which is brain damaged. (It will get out anyway.)
So what the hell good does this do for anyone?
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Pallante on SOPA
http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Pallante%2011162011.pdf
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So you are telling me even if I purchase the rights to a song from the copyright holder the original performer can block me from using it even though he already gave the studio all the rights to make those decisions?
Sounds like a way for the studios to appease actors/musicians without having to give up any of their control.
Actor: I want control over who uses clips of me.
Studio: Well we are not giving you the copyright, controlling your work is how we make money silly we don't actually do anything you know.
Actor: Yeah well I want control of my performances so I guess we will need to write some new contracts or you can start looking for someone else.
Studio: No no we will just pay off some people and invent a new right! This way we can still profit from your work and you can block people, even after they pay us!
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Hope for the Senate
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the more the better
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It's time for action
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For example, if I can take a product and make it better, then sell the improved product on the open market, I shouldn't have to fear that the creator of the base product is going to sue me, because the products are different, there has been a perceivable improvement, and some original creation and innovation were put into the new product by someone other than the original creator. This kind of system might be more likely to encourage people to make things better rather than worry about the consequences if I try to make anything at all.
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I doubt Kelsey Grammer would let CBS sell Frasier DVDs as cheaply as they are at the moment (and that's not cheap, believe me).
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