France Ready To Shut Down Hadopi As It's 'Incompatible' With Digital Economy

from the well,-duh dept

It's amazing how frequently we still hear from entertainment industry folks or politicians pointing to Hadopi as an example of "success" in a three strikes program. Of course, the reality is that it has been a colossal failure by nearly every measure possible. The industry has had to seriously massage the statistics, but they can't deny the simple fact that it hasn't helped drive sales, which really seems like the key metric. In fact, the latest reports show that music sales -- including digital sales -- have continued to drop. Even more telling: the decline in sales in France has outpaced the decline elsewhere. In other words, nothing about Hadopi worked.

Even when Hadopi finally "convicted" someone, it was someone that everyone agreed didn't pirate songs. In the meantime, French users for services not tracked by Hadopi have skyrocketed. It was only a matter of time before politicians began questioning why they were spending so much money on a system with no real benefit. The result, as we noted a few weeks ago, was a recommendation to kill off Hadopi, though potentially to replace it with other bad ideas.

Either way, it looks like it's almost guaranteed that Hadopi is going away, a failure on nearly every level. What struck me as most interesting, however, is the reasoning given by the politician in charge of internet policy in France:
Fleur Pellerin, the French minister in charge of Internet policy, said during a recent visit to a high-technology complex in Sweden that suspending Internet connections was incompatible with the French government’s hopes of spurring growth in the digital economy.

“Today, it’s not possible to cut off Internet access,” she said. “It’s something like cutting off water.”
Well, duh. And while that's true "today" that was also true when Hadopi was put in place, and many, many people explained that to French officials. So we've got the French government recognizing that the program was a complete disaster. It cost too much, it shut off internet access which goes against any hope of "spurring a digital economy," it put guilt on innocent parties and it did nothing to help sales.

Given all of this, why is it that politicians still take the same RIAA/MPAA ideas seriously when they propose their latest braindead scheme to try to pretend they live in a different, non-digital era?
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Filed Under: copyright, france, hadopi, three strikes


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  • icon
    rw (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 10:11am

    Braindead

    Maybe it's time the world realized it's time to kill copyright entirely. After all it seems pretty much "braindead".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:45am

      Re: Braindead

      The only people more blind than those whose pay depends on it, are the people who believe that politicians will take chances on something they are being told could hurt the economy.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    silverscarcat (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 10:41am

    Finally...

    “Today, it’s not possible to cut off Internet access,” she said. “It’s something like cutting off water.”

    It may have taken something monumentally stupid, but it seems governments are slowly starting to understand that the net is too important these days to just unplug.

    As was said on Cracked.com awhile back, "it's like when the telephone was first introduced. Everyone knew that it would soon be expected for you to have one in your home. You weren't going to do all your work over the phone, just like no one expects you to do all your work over the internet, but you were expected to have one anyway."

    The internet is the norm for most people these days, not the exception.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:37pm

      Re: Finally...

      I didn't have a home phone until I moved home recently and couldn't get my internet connection without one. I would much prefer a DSL connection without a useless phone line.

      I miss cable.....

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 10:52am

    HADOPI vs Six Strikes

    Hadopi is a law, which means that France can get rid of it relatively easily. In the United States, six strikes is not a law but a private agreement between corporations ushered into place by the US government. Depending on the text of the secret agreement, six strikes may be a great deal harder to get rid of than any law would be.

    And then there are treaties...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 1:17pm

      Re: HADOPI vs Six Strikes

      If we HAD a legal system that actually protected our rights outlined in the bill of rights it would be struck down as unconstitutional as soon as a private individual harmed by it sued.

      After all, it's a violation of innocent till proven guilty. And if they just send your name to companies that want to sue you for law breaking, that's a violation of your right to privacy, and therefore an illegal search and seizure in a way.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 10:53am

    Mike says: "In other words, nothing about Hadopi worked."

    But then the very article he cites says: "A study by researchers at Wellesley College near Boston and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh that was published last year showed that the threat of disconnection was directing more French Internet users toward Apple’s iTunes store, a licensed source of digital music. Separate studies, commissioned by Hadopi, have shown a decline in illegal file sharing."

    Nothing dishonest about this. Not at all. Mike's the most honest person there is!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:11am

      Re:

      What do you believe more meta research for well known MAFIAA sympathizers or the own numbers the government collect all by themselves?

      Here is the thing, even if true and Hadopi really direct more people to iTunes, it also created a climate where people felt not like buying anything from the stupid people who were hurting them in one way or another, the fucking net result is negative sales numbers even with increase of use of legal channels.

      Do you fucking get it now?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:13am

      Re:

      "Separate studies, commissioned by Hadopi, have shown a decline in illegal file sharing.""

      Did you not read the part you're quoting. Mike is right! He says "Nothing worked". Cites an article, which admits that Hadopi commissioned studies, showing that such studies would be useless, being biased in Hadopi's favour by the very fact that Hadopi commissioned them.

      This isn't the first time you've done this. This isn't the first time you've tried to paint Mike wrong, only to end up quoting something that actually proves him right!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Baldaur Regis (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:16am

      Re:

      Your comment was thought-provoking, and could have led to a productive discussion on the merits.

      Until your last paragraph, which just makes you sound like an unimaginative 4 year-old. Why should anyone respond to your jackassery?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:21am

      Re:

      Those studies where from those people saying to look at the "net effect" wasn't it?

      Well the net effect seems to be that eventhough sales of iTunes grew, in the whole they just stopped buying more and started spending LESS!

      So really how do you defend that kind of crap?
      Heck in the US the RIAA stopped suing people directly because the industry monies got halved, that should be a very clear sign that if you bite the hand that feeds you, you get nothing and still the morons tried and tried and failed, now the studios want to go on the same route.

      Make no mistake, people are not stupid, you can try to hide yourself and use others as proxies but this is not the 80's, people can and will find out who is responsible, they all know from where the pain is coming and they will act accordingly.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        PaulT (profile), 4 Jun 2013 @ 12:35am

        Re: Re:

        "in the whole they just stopped buying more and started spending LESS!"

        Possible correction: many bought the same (or even more), but they spent less money in order to do so. They bought the 99c track they wanted instead of the $20 CD that used to be the only way to get it.

        This argument's never been resolved until the recording industry's lapdogs start realising that unbundling and competition from other media are at least as much to do with their problems as any pirate.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Franklin G Ryzzo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:52am

      Re:

      The increase is iTunes usage also happened to correlate with the release of a new iphone... but I imagine that's just coincidence and Hadopi had something to do with it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Vidiot (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:12pm

      Re:

      "... Separate studies, commissioned by Hadopi, have shown a decline..."

      They were very fortunate to produce a study which supported their own position, eh?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike Masnick (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 2:06pm

      Re:

      was directing more French Internet users toward Apple’s iTunes store

      ... so much so that sales are on the decline, huh?

      decline in illegal file sharing

      How is that a success if revenue doesn't increase? Seems like a blatant failure to me. Decreasing infringement without any corresponding increase in sales seems like a horrible failure.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 2:57pm

        Re: Re:

        I know you're just a pirate-loving scumbag, but some people believe that a decrease in piracy is a good thing, because, you know, it means that less people's rights are being violated. But, yeah, keep pretending like it's a complete failure. We all know you decided that up front just like you do with practically everything else. When you're ready to grow a pair and to stand behind your words, let me know. I won't run away like a coward and make all sorts of excuses and pretend like I can't answer your questions. I'll give you direct answers. Too bad you're too dishonest to ever do the same, Mike. I truly feel sorry for you. I can't imagine being so opinionated and vocal yet so afraid to discuss my beliefs on the merits. Toodles.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 3:07pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          You're really going to sit here and try to convince us that the MAFIAA works in the interest of people's rights?

          *cough* BULLSHIT *cough*

          Sorry, I had to clear my throat for a second....

          We all know that they are mainly (if not only) interested in making a profit and this shows that always fighting piracy does not make them the biggest profit.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 3:16pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Mike Masnick (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 4:01pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          but some people believe that a decrease in piracy is a good thing, because, you know, it means that less people's rights are being violated.

          Hmm. I don't see how that makes any logical sense at all. If the end result is *less money* being made and less people exposed to your work, doesn't that mean everyone's worse off?

          I have difficulty seeing how a situation in which everyone is worse off is a good outcome.

          I also am confused as to how arguing that a situation where everyone is worse off is a bad thing makes me a "scumbag."

          I'll clarify things for you, since you seem permanently and monumentally confused by your weird obsession and hatred for me. I don't "love" piracy. But I don't see any benefit to situations where everyone is worse off, and prefer scenarios where everyone is better off. I recognize that you have self-confessed a total ignorance of economics, but even the worst student in a basic econ class understands that making everyone worse off is bad.

          So why do you support such an outcome?

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 4:17pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            I think his argument is solely moral without any economic regard. If you see piracy as the bane of human existance and see your own work as a sacred part of your soul there is an arguemnt that the copyright holder can see a decline in piracy as a win and even savour the downfall of paradise.

            Of course, if the guy feels that he is selling soul, we are dealing with someone in the paradise lost sphere of blind belief.

            I must stop writing here since I cannot come up with more references to certain works.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 5:49pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            I have difficulty seeing how a situation in which everyone is worse off is a good outcome.

            Because it's *YOU* deciding what's supposedly "best" for everyone. Why are you anti-choice? Why do you feel people should be denied the right to make their OWN decisions, hmm?

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 6:16pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              And you deciding what's best for everyone is somehow better?

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 6:47pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Wait, anti-choice? So the consumer's choice has no bearing at all in the equation, but MIKE is anti-choice? Wow, the clowns we get in here.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:51pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Anti-choice?
              That is rich coming from the guy trying to defend a granted monopoly LoL

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              PaulT (profile), 4 Jun 2013 @ 1:06am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              "Why do you feel people should be denied the right to make their OWN decisions, hmm?"

              That's funny. You're the ones who regularly defend an industry that blocks free international trade (region coding & windowing), block choice of format & devices (DRM, DMCA clauses that stop people legally decrypting CSS on Linux, etc.) and regularly work to block legitimate competition in the marketplace, especially those that work to the benefit of consumers.

              Why are YOU anti-choice, hmmm?

              link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Karl (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 5:52pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            So why do you support such an outcome?

            Well, that's AJ for you. It doesn't matter if copyright enforcement actually harms copyright holders, so long as their "rights" aren't "violated."

            link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2013 @ 7:03am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            I'll clarify things for you, since you seem permanently and monumentally confused by your weird obsession and hatred for me. I don't "love" piracy. But I don't see any benefit to situations where everyone is worse off, and prefer scenarios where everyone is better off. I recognize that you have self-confessed a total ignorance of economics, but even the worst student in a basic econ class understands that making everyone worse off is bad.

            So why do you support such an outcome?


            I'd love to discuss this with you in depth, but past experience shows that you'd just run away and dodge the difficult questions. When you're ready to actually have the conversation, you let me know. I'll be there. But you and I both know that you don't want to have the conversation. Nothing scares you more than discussing your beliefs directly.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          JMT (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 4:31pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          "I know you're just a pirate-loving scumbag..."

          And this is why you simply have no place in these discussions. You're an immature child trying to be heard by the adults. It'll never work; no matter what you say nobody will take you seriously when you post crap like that.

          "... but some people believe that a decrease in piracy is a good thing, because, you know, it means that less people's rights are being violated."

          The true basis of the anti-piracy crusade has never been about "violating rights", only 'lost' or 'stolen' income. If anti-piracy efforts do not result in more income to artists (not just copyright holders) then they are a waste of time and money, and don’t come near justifying the negative consequences.

          "I won't run away like a coward and make all sorts of excuses and pretend like I can't answer your questions."

          Why not? You do every other time.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:38pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          "When you're ready to grow a pair and to stand behind your words, let me know. I won't run away like a coward and make all sorts of excuses and pretend like I can't answer your questions. I'll give you direct answers. Too bad you're too dishonest to ever do the same, Mike. I truly feel sorry for you. I can't imagine being so opinionated and vocal yet so afraid to discuss my beliefs on the merits. Toodles."

          You do realize that your comment here is a response to Mike DOING JUST THAT, don't you? What, do you also yell at people to check for traffic after they've crossed the road when the traffic light had turned green, while their heads were turning from side to side?

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Pragmatic, 4 Jun 2013 @ 5:49am

          Re: Re: Re:

          I gave you a Funny vote for the amusing stupidity.

          some people believe that a decrease in piracy is a good thing, because, you know, it means that less people's rights are being violated

          How so? The Bill of Rights, which says we're innocent till proven guilty is being ignored to shore these grifters up.

          As for discussing your beliefs on the merits, from what I've seen in your comments you believe that Mike is "just a pirate-loving scumbag." Where's the merit in that?

          You also believe that "piracy" violates people's rights. Where's the merit in that?

          And that is why your comment got reported.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Niall (profile), 5 Jun 2013 @ 6:36am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Yes, well, the rights of the content controllers to swing their fists is being unfairly 'stolen' or restricted by our rights to having our noses intact!

            link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Karl (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 5:47pm

      Re:

      But then the very article he cites says:

      You omitted the two paragraphs following that quote:
      Yet the French music business remains deeply troubled. SNEP, a French recording company group, said Friday that industry revenue fell by 6.7 percent in the first quarter of the year. More alarmingly, revenue from digital outlets fell by 5.2 percent — the first quarterly decline — though the organization said several special factors played a role in this.

      Meanwhile, SNEP said the number of visits to illegal music sites by French Internet users had risen by 7 percent between January 2010 and January 2013, to 10.7 million.

      Nothing dishonest about this. Not at all. You're the most honest person there is!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Dave, 4 Jun 2013 @ 10:59am

      Re:

      As we say in the UK, OOTB is spouting his usual brand of complete and utter b*ll*cks.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 10:56am

    Simple

    Given all of this, why is it that politicians still take the same RIAA/MPAA ideas seriously when they propose their latest braindead scheme to try to pretend they live in a different, non-digital era?

    They're paid to.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:13am

    You're quite the intellectually dishonest slimeball, aren't you Masnick?

    They're switching to fines instead of strikes.

    A little factual information for those that are interested in the truth instead of Masnick's usual piracy cheerleading.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      silverscarcat (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:17am

      Re:

      Citation needed

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:18am

      Re:

      Says the person who possesses little to no reading comprehension skills. Yes, Hadopi itself is switching to fines (automatic fines, still relying on the same level of evidence as before, so gonna love how that's gonna turn out), but those outside of France who support Three Strikes are the ones pointing to Hadopi saying it's a great success. That's what Mike means by the opening sentence.

      Jebus, can you honestly try just a little bit harder please when it comes to your attacks? Instead of proving Mike as an intellectually dishonest slimeball, you've just proven yourself as a severely intellectually challenged slimeball, one who doesn't bother to read things over before making an attack.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 1:44pm

      Re:

      You're ignoring the fact that the services who are complicit lose subscribers. Who exactly will pay the fines then?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Zakida Paul (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:17am

    I hope they do get shut down.

    The activities they (and others) engage in are nothing more than legalised extortion.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:21am

    Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

    Telescreens can't work without teh internets.

    Anyway, going after the pirate sites and file hosts directly is better in several ways. -- Of course Mike is even more against that, though he admitted to the figures here:

    Study: Megaupload closure boosted Hollywood sales 10%

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/08/megaupload_piracy_study/

    Mike pretends he lives in an academic study, where you can "give away and pray" yet get paid for entertainments, and corporations are all beneficial, especially Google.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:24am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      That study lacks the fourth dimension abnormal creature.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Zakida Paul (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:24am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      Same tired, biased study that does not consider all factors that would have lead to the conclusion.

      Get some new schtick please.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:26am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      Have you ever comprehended anything that you've read? Genuinely curious.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:30am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      You've been proven wrong on that "study" many a time already. Why keep trotting it out as though you're going to convince anybody? Your comment is pointless.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:32am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      Would it kill you to bypass the propaganda and send us directly to the study?

      http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2229349

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:33am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      "Mike pretends he lives in an academic study, where you can "give away and pray"..."

      And about this.

      Valve.

      Hats.

      Nuff said.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      silverscarcat (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:36am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      Hmm...

      Again with that false study that ignores the recession the U.S. and Western Europe was in thanks to Wall Street and the banks?

      Again with the false study that ignores how the economy in the U.S. only just started to slowly recover just before the SOPA/PIPA protests?

      Fact: Megaupload was shut down.
      Fact: Movie sales jumped 10%

      Conclusion: OMG! See! Megaupload was taking money from the studios!

      Facts that are ignored...

      Recession, home closures, job losses, money being funneled to Wall Street banks and helping the rich out instead of helping those who need it.

      Hmm...

      I think that those ignored facts are probably the reason that the studios got a 10% income buff, not megaupload.

      Correlation does not equal causation, ootb.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 4 Jun 2013 @ 1:15am

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      When are you going to stop lying?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    tr, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:35am

    Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

    I think you missed the pertinent quote from the article, you yourself linked: but it's worth noting that IDEA itself was created last year with funds provided by the MPAA.

    I don't think your 'study' proves much really, & seriously - how many people pirate movies via storage lockers? it's counter-intuitive - p2p is the way to go, ala bittorrent etc.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:23pm

      Re: Yeah, it runs up against the need for monitoring.

      A lot of people download movies through storage lockers. As long as you know what you're doing, it can be easily done and there's no way to track downloaders, unlike with P2P.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        ProphetZarquon, 3 Jun 2013 @ 7:42pm

        Re: Storage Lockers vs P2P

        "no way to track downloaders" Are you kidding?

        Maybe if you use a VPN or Proxy (TOR, etc) system you could avoid having your download tracked... But you could P2P through a VPN just as readily.

        In addition, many locker sites require login for download as well as upload. Even that aside, an ISP could monitor any download that isn't encrypted and search warrants (or warrantless searches) will reveal visitor IPs to the web server.

        I download TB/mo and upload even more. I've had one DMCA notice for a file I never had, two years ago.

        (If you have a problem with something on the Internet I suggest you stop looking at it, as it isn't going away or conforming to your deluded preconceptions of propriety any time soon.)

        Bottom line: Use a basic ad-block. Use HTTPS everywhere. Avoid using trackers in P2P. Set Encryption in your torrent client to Forced and disable Legacy.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          ProphetZarquon, 3 Jun 2013 @ 7:44pm

          Re: (You)

          My apologies if (this part) came off as insulting. It should have read (If anyone has ~)

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:42pm

          Re: Re: Storage Lockers vs P2P

          I meant no easy way to track, unlike P2P where (unless using a VPN) your IP address is broadcast publicly. When I connect to a cyberlocker to download a file, only the cyberlocker has records of that and so far, I haven't heard of a case where a cyberlocker was subpoenaed in a copyright infringement lawsuit (if they have, please correct me).

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 4 Jun 2013 @ 12:30am

            Re: Re: Re: Storage Lockers vs P2P

            You be wrong, GoDaddy in the US bends backwards for law enforcement, others do too when they hear "terrorrism", "children" and "piracy".

            Even Megaupload did it and their efforts in trying to help out law enforcement where used against them in a court of law.

            Business don't have the luxury of saying no to law enforcement.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:50am

    A quote from Upton Sinclair in re these politicians

    It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.

    Thus endeth the lesson.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
      identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:48pm

      Re: A quote from Upton Sinclair in re these politicians

      Works perfectly for Mike and piracy.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Rikuo (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 1:10pm

        Re: Re: A quote from Upton Sinclair in re these politicians

        I agree 100% with you. Mike earns his income from this site by writing articles. The site's readers want to hear stories about pro-copyright people and organisations completely failing or being hypocritical, so he writes what his readers want. So yeah.

        Ohhh...you're implying that Mike somehow earns money from the continued existence of copyright infringement. Uhh...no. Not at all.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Niall (profile), 5 Jun 2013 @ 6:53am

        Re: Re: A quote from Upton Sinclair in re these politicians

        I'm sure that even if piracy went away, there'd be enough stories about corrupt/stupid politicians, corrupt/stupid artists, corrupt/stupid corporations and corrupt/stupid lawyers to keep him quite busy!

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:53am

    Automated fines are probably worse. Especially when there is no real system of appeal.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    BW (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 11:58am

    Having worked with many lawyers for many years, and...

    Therefore the breeding stock of politicians, I can assure you that they are ALMOST uniformly brain-dead when it comes to technology. In fact, and in many ways, an anti-technology bias is "hard-wired" into the legal system. Rules of jurisprudence mandate against email as a delivery system - even if it were securely encrypted.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:25pm

    as far as the entertainment industries are concerned, the only good thing for them and yet another bad thing for everyone else was that the everyone else had to pay for this shit! no freaking wonder the industries didn't want to be involved in it's implementation. like the rest of the ideas they go grovelling to governments with. they are only good because they dont have to fund them in any way at all. they would get the benefits, if ever there were a scheme dreamed up that could work, but they definitely dont want the expense or the embarrassment when it all turns to crap. i wonder how much longer politicians can get away with backing this nearly dead business model before something serious comes back and bites them hard in the arse??

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 12:32pm

    dont forget that this was implemented because Sarkosy was married to a member of the entertainment industries, maybe not a particularly good or famous one, but a member none the less and that he had been screwing god knows who, wanted to keep his marriage together and this was a way of keeping her quiet (from what i read)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Violated (profile), 3 Jun 2013 @ 3:00pm

    DEA

    This is why the UK's Digital Economy Act is officially in a coma and where we just await the day they stop wasting millions on this doomed scheme.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2013 @ 6:19pm

    Let's not forget that after funding to HADOPI was cut, they responded by sending out more letters.

    So they proved that with a lowered salary, they could do more.

    No surprise that the usual trolls aren't smelling the bullshit, though. If more money gets funneled to the RIAA and its international clones who cares what the money is used for?

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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