Chris Dodd: Bogus Facebook 'Copyright' Declaration Proves Everyone Loves Copyright
from the and,-of-course,-they-really-don't dept
Over the past few days, a post concerning copyright claims began making the rounds on Facebook, presumably written in response to the news that Facebook would no longer be letting its users vote on site policies. This announcement arrived with the news that Facebook would also be combining profiles across various other services like Instagram.The message was a convoluted wordpile of misinformation that referenced non-applicable laws, when not misspelling potentially applicable terms ("BerneR Convention," anyone?). It read like a bad chain letter (is there any other kind?), encouraging Facebook users to repost it as their status in order to "protect" their "copyright" on their uploaded content. Here's the my-stuff-is-mine! post in all its glory:
In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention).Needless to say, the above statement does nothing to keep Facebook from using uploaded content according to its existing terms of service. Not only that, but the legal terminology thrown around like so much careless set dressing is all wrong. For one, the Berne Convention makes it unnecessary to "declare" your copyright. It makes that protection automatic. The privacy law referenced has nothing to do with privacy and the Rome Statute established a world court in Hague. All in all, it's a lot of words that do nothing but sound important and vaguely threatening.
For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!
(Anyone reading this can copy this text and paste it on their Facebook Wall. This will place them under protection of copyright laws, By the present communiqué, I notify Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The aforementioned prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents and/or any staff under Facebook’s direction or control. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of my privacy is punished by law (UCC 1 1-308-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).
Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are recommended to publish a notice like this, or if you prefer, you may copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once, you will be tacitly allowing the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in your profile status updates.
The simple fact that this semi-viral post is completely wrong shows how colossally screwed up our current copyright system is. People are still under the impression that copyright needs to be "declared" (usually with the © symbol). Many also seem to think that if they "declare" copyright and trot out a million limitations, everyone approaching their copyrighted content is obliged to follow every stipulation. Facebook users are picking up the clues that maximalists are dropping and cobbling together legal-sounding threats with nothing behind them. What Facebook users really want isn't the same thing maximalists want. Behind this flawed statement is the feeling that Facebook "gave" users a place to share their photos, etc. with friends and family, but now it wants to turn uploaded content into marketing tools.
Leave it to a maximalist to misunderstand what's really going on here. MPAA chairman Chris Dodd has cranked out a response to this bit of malformed Facebook-jamming that completely misses the point.
At a time when personal and artistic content is just a click away, copyright protection is more important than ever.But this has nothing to do with what Dodd calls "theft." The mangled, defensive cry of "copyright" has become the default response to any situation someone doesn't like. Its misunderstood power is waved around desperately like a talisman in an attempt to ward off bad things.
The Facebook incident demonstrates that the average Internet user recognizes this fact, especially when they feel their personal content -- photos, videos, ideas, etc. -- is in jeopardy. But it also provides average Internet users with some insight into the point of view of the creators of movies, music or other artistic endeavors whose work has been subject to online theft.
Dodd wants to make this about file sharing, but it's not even in the same city, much less the same neighborhood. Facebook users aren't worried that other users will download their creations and spread them around the internet. They're worried that their uploaded content will be used to push products and services, which definitely isn't why they uploaded photos, movies, etc. to Facebook.
File sharing is non-commercial infringement. The stuff that Dodd wants shut down isn't comparable to Facebook's actions. Someone can make the argument that file lockers are profiting, but it's not the individual users. What Facebook users were doing with photos, artwork, etc. has more in common with file sharing than it does with Dodd's overreaching attempt to tie his industry into the equation. Someone uploads a photo. Someone else clicks "Share." It spreads. Potentially millions of people see the photo, but it still resides safely in the originating user's account. That's file sharing. That's the same thing Dodd calls "theft." And that same thing (sharing) is what Facebook users want to continue doing without worrying that they're just generating content for a marketing machine.
He continues:
The livelihoods of these innovators depend on strong copyright protection policies so they can benefit from their work and continue to create more of it. Without robust intellectual property protections, innovation has no incentive to thrive.This again. "Without blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah." Whatever. More innovation and creation has occurred during this Age of Piracy than in any time previous. Give it up. There's some talk about collaborating with the "tech community," but that's been offered before with all the enthusiasm and sincerity of the limp handshake that accompanies a shot-down sales pitch.
Dodd sums it all up by dragging in the "little people" and attempting to equate the motion picture industry with Facebook users.
Intellectual property and copyright policies are, of course, important to the movie set designer, the lighting assistant, and the costume designer whose paychecks depend on these protections -- but they're also important to the millions of Facebook users around the globe, too. This latest viral post is a great reminder of that.This "copyright protection" you speak of, Dodd? Facebook users don't want that. They don't want other Facebook users to stop sharing their stuff or ask permission first or hold long discussions about licensing. They just want to share with each other. What they don't want is to see their stuff being used at the whim of a public corporation. This outcry, as misguided as it is, isn't about "stealing." It isn't about "getting paid." It's not even about "control." It's about sticking it to The Man. It's poorly thought out and badly worded and not even remotely close to an actual legal document, but that's what it is: a push back against perceived overreach.
Everyone who uses a "free" service knows they'll be paying for it one way or another, but when the piper starts collecting, people get upset. And, thanks to the copyright culture that pervades the US, the knee-jerk response is to shout "copyright" at the offenders until they back down, because they've seen the tactic used before. Just because you recognize the tactic, Chris, doesn't mean they're talking about the same thing. Facebook is all about individuals sharing content with each other, the same sort of behavior the MPAA frequently calls "theft." They don't want "strong copyright policies." They just want to feel it's their stuff, rather than Facebook's.
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Filed Under: chris dodd, copyright, declaration
Companies: facebook
Reader Comments
The First Word
“Re: Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
You better watch outYou better not cry
Pirate Mike
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's infringing and nice
OOTB is coming to town
He sees you when you're torrenting
He knows when you're online
He knows if you've been a pirate or not
So don't steal for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Pirate Mike
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
OOTB is coming to town
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
It's only Monetizing Mike and his band of 1% grifters such as the blob who ran Megaupload who want to profit -- at commercial scale -- off someone else's work who want to tear down copyright.
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
Useful citizen: So... what do you for a living?
OOTB: I press F5 all day long. I haven't figured out how to monetize it yet, but...
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Re: Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
...I know it has to be something to do with those damn pirates so I'll scream like a 4 year old in every thread! That'll teach 'em...
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
Out_of_the_blue, have a look at that link. Look at it, study it, look at the values presented. That is my Steam library, and what it is worth, although sadly it doesn't count DLC.
In case you don't wanna, it says that my games, without counting DLC, are worth a total of €826.
Get it...round it up, factor in DLC, and let's just say that on Steam alone, I've spent a thousand euro.
I also download games for free, but when I feel the value is right, I do pay.
Now, want to call me a 1% grifter again? Whatever the hell that is?
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
How can you live with yourself?
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
These idiots ignore those then reject me as a "pirate" who doesn't want to pay for content in the very next thread. It's great to prove them wrong to lurkers and other posters here, but don't think for a second that these obsessed fools will ever get it through their skulls that they're wrong about the very basis of their arguments.
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
> which you've created. Put it out for free, no one stops you.
Just for the record, are you saying it is okay for me to use a Creative Commons license for material that I create?
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
Just look it up.
If copyright existed back then, one of the two stories wouldn't exist today.
No one made money off of either story.
Yet it's still told and retold and both are famous.
Understand how the Public Domain works and maybe you'll start to understand.
Oh wait, you can't.
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
I bet they were stock in trade for many story tellers, and made them a living, in kind if not money.
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Re: Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
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Re: Everyone who benefits from it DOES love it!
Actually, not true. In fact, many people who benefit from things like copyright and patents and trademarks, while loving all those things to an extent, also have many issues with them and the way they are used by others. Or better said ABUSED by others.
Also, "Monetizing Mike" is most definitely not one who wants others to profit off the works of others. He has this website, you may have heard of it, called Techdirt. Where he routinely writes about the various methods through which artists, you know, those people who create the various works, can monetize their own content, and do so without having to turn over their content to others. Like studios, publishers and labels. Who technically better fit what you just said, people who want to profit off of the work of others.
Also, note that Mike has never said he wants to tear down copyright. What he has discussed, and I believe (based on what he's written), is for COPYRIGHT REFORM. Not abolishment. There is a huge difference between the two, however I could see how a copyright maximalist like yourself might not be able to distinguish between the two. What with perceiving anything less than further strengthening and expansion as a direct attack on copyright. But of course that's in conjunction with your inability to read (and comprehend) anything on this site, and more specifically anything that Mike personally writes.
And there is nothing wrong with profiting on a commercial scale off of someone else's work. Or do you have a problem with Netflix? Spotify? Pandora? Heck, Amazon? Ebay? Walmart? Want me to go on?
Because at the end of the day, there are numerous corporations who achieve huge financial profits from finding ways to monetize their positions in various service industries by selling the products, or better said WORKS, of others. But again, I wouldn't expect you to understand the difference before launching your "first" post/rant. Hell, if you did I expect I'd get a visit from the devil asking if he could borrow a sweater as hell unexpectedly froze over.
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Funny post from a Friend
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Re: Funny post from a Friend
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Re: Funny post from a Friend
I'm going to steal this and post it on my FB.
LOL
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You missed a point too...
Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.
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Re: You missed a point too...
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As history shows, copyright lobbyists are very privacy hostile, with pushing all kind of nasty snooping activities to ISPs for the sake of copyright enforcement. So it's completely hypocritical for Dodd to pretend that common users have the same interests with the copyright lobby. No, interests are diametrically opposite - copyright lobby wants to become the Big Brother and to know everything that users do. Common users on the other hand want their privacy and don't want any Big Brothers to interfere with their on-line life.
As far as Facebook users go, it's quite surprising for them to complain, while still using it. Facebook was never designed to be controlled by users. It's a for-profit business, built on exploiting users' profiles. You can't escape it. Those who quite reasonably don't like such tradeoff and want "for people, by the people", should not use Facebook altogether, and should use privacy respecting / open / decentralized social networks (like Diaspora, Friendica and etc.). Otherwise such complaints don't sound sincere enough.
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Re:
it reminds me of those morons who complain about "OMG MAFIAA DOESN'T LET US USE whateverpopular MUSIC IN OUR MODS" but yet they use/support the same system that controls them
dont like it dont support it, im still trying to convince somebody to boycott hollywood movies but they keep wanting me to see them because "IT LOOKS COOL" - ugh!
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Re:
Facebook is not the place to be for anyone but most "think they need" to be there (social pressure, business, information, to spam their message or whatever they think they get out of it).
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The main thing it shows
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You're flat LYING here:
Nope. The "file-sharing" that's in controversy with Dodd and the MPAA is the data of someone else's $100M movie put on a file host for anyone to download. The copyright owner in NO degree agrees to that: quite the opposite. It's nothing like Facebook. -- COMMERCIAL SCALE INFRINGING is why you fanboys yell about the Megaupload case: you can't use it to steal highly valuable content any more. The grifters yell about the shut-down because they can't "monetize" someone else's property.
Since you're flat out lying, not just slanting to a view, I'm taking note of your name -- for the first time -- and putting you on my list of pirates.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
Why are you making $100 million movies? WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION?!?!?!?!?
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
/s
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
Dread Pirate Roberts .. check
Edward Teach .. check
Mike The Terrible.. check
Jack Sparrow... che..wait, he's Dizknee
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
OOTB's imaginary representation of Mike Masnick's ego: - 1
The ego of everyone else who reads OOTB's posts: ...the amazing amount of Schadenfreude broke the scale.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
/Godwin
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Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
OOTB is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
OOTB is coming to town
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Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
You better not cry
Pirate Mike
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's infringing and nice
OOTB is coming to town
He sees you when you're torrenting
He knows when you're online
He knows if you've been a pirate or not
So don't steal for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Pirate Mike
I'm telling you why
OOTB is coming to town
OOTB is coming to town
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
You seem to pretend those who stand up against copyright abuse are pirates.
Arrg! Avast ye, matey! We've a white whale on yonder! Man the cannons, boys! This be ugly!
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
...seems odd.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
Oh man, I just have to say it.... OotB you just got burned!
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
We both know he has neither the balls to respond, nor the intellect to formulate anything coherent.
To quote another post here, don't hold your breath, lest OOTB be responsible for murder.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
What I am mad about is loosing all the custom Android roms that I kept trying to download only to find they were hosted on Megaupload.
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Re: Re: You're flat LYING here:
Ugh. You're not alone in that sentiment. And what's worse is a surprising amount of tools used in conjunction with various ROMs and Android in general were also hosted on Megaupload, some of which are no longer being developed by the developers. Meaning they are completely lost to us.
The only good thing to come of that was now there are cyber lockers/hosting sites dedicated solely to Android and the various developers putting our tools, toolkits, ROMs, etc. Meaning we won't lose too many things the next time this happens.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
blasphemy! and just in time for christmas do we get a lump of coals in our stockings? i am on that list?? make sure you put "THE BIGGEST YOUTUBE PIRATE EVAR" next to my name, oh and a picture of a retarded cat because retarded cats are cool
I WANT MY COAL DAMMIT
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
Can I be on it? Please?
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
He's making a list. He's checking it twice. He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice. OO-TB is an insane clown.
LOL fucking idiot.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
A list? What are you, Nixon's head?
P.S. Please post The List ASAP. I'd like to see who else has been declared a pirate by this esteemed vicarious-producer-of-$100M-movies.
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
[citation needed or GTFO]
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
Oh and commercial scale infringing needs to be for COMMERCIAL purposes and also needs to be proven.. I'll state that again PROVEN in court otherwise people like yourself and Dodd are just spouting unproven allegations and false rhetoric that people like myself (Non-American citizens) find offensive and if you are making a list.. better make it private otherwise I will find you, I will sue you (and the US 1st Amendment holds no water for me...think "Gutnick" for case law), and I will make you suffer equitably and make a public mockery of you using every single one of your incoherent ramblings on TD and other places to further drag you down the rabbit hole you so badly want to go!
Oh and that's not an idle threat either. Now fuck off and go play with the traffic
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Re: You're flat LYING here:
I hope it's got enough room for 4-6 billion people.
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Nitpick... Bern
An additional question would be "which one?"*) The german wiki lists five.
*) 1886, of course.
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https://identi.ca/doc/tos
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Re: Shmerl
>>>>>>solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting your notice stream.
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Wait, what?
There's so much fail here...
First, does he really think that nobody understands the point of view of the maximalists? I think their perspective is widely and clearly understood. But understanding a point of view does not necessarily mean agreeing with it. Perhaps that's where he got confused.
He also seems to think that people who agree that there is value in the idea of copyright must necessarily think that the current implementation of copyright law is a good thing. That's obviously wrong.
Also, does he really think that all, or even most, artists share the same point of view regarding copyright law? If he does, then I think that it's he who has a severe lack of understanding.
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Re: Wait, what?
He should know, as the MPAA robs them blind via their accounting practices. However accounting is the ONLY creativity he is responsible for.
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Re: Wait, what?
no
(if he did he wouldn't be one of the MAFIAA's mouths)
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I wouldn't call ....
I thought it would be best to never respond to a troll whining because like bullies, all they want is attention along with the thought that they can get someone riled up. This apparently gives them some kind of warm feeling. (Where? I don't know, care, and I don't want to know.) But, you are clearly not a troll and calling you one would be an insult to trolls.
You are obviously a paid flunky, a typing monkey, or some form of corporate yes man whose job is to lurk here and post negative remarks against your corporate practices. I write this because no sane person walks into a lion's cage and says, "Eat Me". If you can't get the analogy, don't bother.
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Re: I wouldn't call ....
I am doubting he is human, since he just says the same thing over and over again, with different words.
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"Chris Dodd is an Asshat" copyright 2012 Alan Bleiweiss All rights reserved. Any reuse, retransmission, sharing, copying or other replication of "Chris Dodd is an Asshat" expressly forbidden without prior written consent of the copyright holder.
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When I first came here, the goal was to expose Masnick for what he is (a piracy apologist), and effectively neuter this blog.
I am very proud to say: Mission Accomplished.
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Re:
If your "mission accomplished" was to have a bunch of trolls publicly and consistently derail discussion with no intent to contribute aside from calling everyone else a pirate, and you consider said occurrence a significant achievement, you are an extremely miserable individual with an extremely miserable axe to grind.
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Re:
Ha ha ha just like Bushie huh?
FAIL
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Re:
The jr. high level however has little to do with the site and more to do with people taking things down to YOUR kind of level, and OotB's and bob's and AJ's and the other merry band of miscreants/trolls. But the discussions are still there as well as the logical and reasonable and respectful back and forth conversations/comments.
In fact, it could be said that your mission has failed spectacularly. You and yours have gone out of your way to paint this site in a bad light, which has caused others to come "check out this Techdirt site", then actually stick around and listen to the reasonable points that Mike (the non-piracy apologist) and others have made and been making for some time now. Heck, SOPA alone generated a vast influx of new readers to the TD community, thanks largely to the actions of trolls like you coming here and attempting to discredit the site and make things seem like they were being blown out of proportion.
I've found it telling that some articles garner more trolls posting than others. And it's almost possible to tell how scared the trolls and lobbyists and what have you are by how many people there are attempting to derail the conversation. The worse they are, the better TD is doing and the more people actually listen to what's being said here.
You fail. Your fellow trolls fail. And we're starting to see many people seriously consider the need for copyright reform due to the actions of people like yourself. So yeah, mission accomplished. Your doing Mike's job for him.
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Pot Kettle
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In a way, this does show a point...
But now, just check any online gallery. DeviantArt, YouTube, SoundCloud to give just a few examples. A sizeable quantity of artists decide to slap a copyright notice that explicitly prevents anybody else to copy, reupload, sell or remix any part of the work in any shape of form (sometimes with almost those literal words). Why do they do that? Fear of having their work plagiarized? Fear of not being able to earn money out of their works (even though most of such artists never profit from them anyway)? Whatever the reason, they wouldn't fear if the artistic circle promoted derivation and sharing instead of repressing it as vehemently as possible.
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I'm also friends with a number of professionals in the comic book business and it always seems like the lower the professionalism of the artist, writer, whatever, the higher the chance that they'll post something like this. In other words, artists who post comic book pages they've worked on (which would be ripe to steal) don't post these "copyright" notices. Yet people who are barely above the level of hobbyists take great pains to make sure their copyrights are enforced... and like the post above says, these kinds of people rarely have anything worth sharing/ stealing in the first place!
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