MPAA's Chris Dodd Will Be The Chair Of 'Free Speech Week'

from the stop-laughing dept

Tue, Jun 18th 2013 8:44am — Mike Masnick

This seems a bit wacky. MPAA boss Chris Dodd has been named the chairperson of the "advisory council" for "free speech week" in 2013. Now, I'm assuming that most people have no clue what "Free Speech Week" is, but it's supposed to be a "celebration" promoting the First Amendment. That's why it strikes me as completely ridiculous that Dodd would be put in charge of it. While the MPAA was a major proponent of the First Amendment a few decades ago (back when there were efforts to try to censor movies -- which saw the MPAA stepping in to create a self-censorship regime known as the movie rating system), Chris Dodd's contribution to the MPAA has been to push SOPA, a bill whose main purpose was directly in contrast to the First Amendment and free speech by setting up a system for internet censorship. As Constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe pointed out at the time:

The notice-and-termination procedure of Section 103(a) runs afoul of the “prior restraint” doctrine, because it delegates to a private party the power to suppress speech without prior notice and a judicial hearing. This provision of the bill would give complaining parties the power to stop online advertisers and credit card processors from doing business with a website, merely by filing a unilateral notice accusing the site of being “dedicated to theft of U.S. property” – even if no court has actually found any infringement. The immunity provisions in the bill create an overwhelming incentive for advertisers and payment processors to comply with such a request immediately upon receipt. The Supreme Court has made clear that “only a judicial determination in an adversary proceeding ensures the necessary sensitivity to freedom of expression [and] only a procedure requiring a judicial determination suffices to impose a valid final restraint.” Freedman v. Maryland, 380 U.S. 51, 58 (1965). “[P]rior restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and the least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights.” Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart, 427 U.S. 539, 559 (1976).

It seems rather ironic that someone who was the main person behind a bill designed to take away free speech rights would then be put in charge of "free speech week."

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Filed Under: chris dodd, first amendment, free speech, free speech week, sopa
Companies: mpaa

122 Comments

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Ninja (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 7:59am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Awesome joke!

It's a joke, right?

Ahem. I say the Pope would fit as the chair of a "Gay Parade Week" just as well as Chris Dodd fits this role. (Disclaimer: I support homosexual marriage. Disclaimer 2: I see the grin in your face and no, I'm not gay ;P).
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Jeff (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:01am

Doubleplusgood
You have not crimestoped - therefore thinkpol will turn you over to minitrue for thoughtcrime joycamp. Once you are goodthink, you can be artsem for goodsex issue. Resume your prolefeed until thinkpol double-plus rectify you...
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- gorehound (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:42am
  
  Re: Doubleplusgood
  YEAH ! Doubleplusgood Corruption !
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Zakida Paul (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:48am

Is this supposed to be ironic?

Or is it just meant to give us all brain damage as we simultaneously face palm at the thought of it?
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- hat_eater, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:41am
  
  Re:
  No, it's supposed to show who's boss.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - art guerrilla (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 12:45pm
    
    Re: Re:
    another post crying out for the 'sad but true' category...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:49am

"MPAA's Chris Dodd Will Be The Chair Of 'Free Speech Week'"

Do we get to sit on him?
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- Zakida Paul (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:52am
  
  Re:
  I volunteer to do the sitting. I am rather heavy and might smother him.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Karl (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 4:44pm
  
  Re:
  Do we get to sit on him?
  
  As long as he doesn't get to sit on us!
  
  ...'Cause he's fat.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
horse with no name, 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:58am

I doubt he has engaged in any IP blocking to disable comments he doesn't like.

Free speech isn't just a phrase, it really means something. If you cannot do it yourself, it's hard as hell to call others out on it.
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horse with no name, 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:58am

I doubt he has engaged in any IP blocking to disable comments he doesn't like.

Free speech isn't just a phrase, it really means something. If you cannot do it yourself, it's hard as hell to call others out on it.
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- Niall (profile), 19 Jun 2013 @ 4:58am
  
  Re:
  Are all the trolls using the same playbook, or are they just sockpuppets?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
That One Guy (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:00am

Schedule for rest of month:
The KKK, in partnership with neo-nazi groups will be hosting 'Racial equality' week.

The Vatican, alongside several fundamentalist churches will be hosting 'Science' week.

And finally the White House, in partnership with the NSA and [REDACTED] will be hosting 'Government transparency' week.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:16am
  
  Re: Schedule for rest of month:
  The sad part is the last one already happened years ago.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - That One Guy (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:08am
    
    Re: Re: Schedule for rest of month:
    Let me guess, they just never told anyone about it?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Rapnel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:05am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Schedule for rest of month:
      They told everyone but not some people and they told everyone everything but not some things and these things were widely known except for a what's not known and everyone approved everything over and over again but not some things and not every time. I think that covers everyone except someone somewhere. So.. they nailed it by tacking it by licking it and sticking it to the wall temporarily but temporarily permanent and with a transparency transparently obvious to everyone but not anyone.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:01am

You misspelled weak!
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ScytheNoire, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:06am

What a joke
So the biggest group involved in censorship, from the movies you watch (watch This Movie Has Not Been Rated) to using Copyright as Censorship, is going to have their head boss be the spokesperson for Free Speech?!

America is the Land of Hypocrisy. What a joke.
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- This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
  
  Masnick = Frightened Little Girl, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:13am
  
  Re: What a joke
  So the biggest group involved in censorship, from the movies you watch (watch This Movie Has Not Been Rated) to using Copyright as Censorship, is going to have their head boss be the spokesperson for Free Speech?!
  
  America is the Land of Hypocrisy. What a joke.
  
  You know who else loves censorship?? Mikey!! He's blocking my IPs because he can't stand how I call him out on his bullshit. He's scared of debating me so he feels the need to play whac-a-mole.
  
  Yet I'm still here, ready to debate him. What's he so scared of? Hmm...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:14am
    
    Re: Re: What a joke
    Pics or it didn't happen.
    
    Are you so desperate that you have to resort to lying?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
      
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:16am
      
      Re: Re: Re: What a joke
      LOL! Ask Mikey yourself. He blocked my home IP, and then he blocked my phone IP. Yeah, like that's going to work. Here I still am.
      
      Just ask him yourself. Of course, he won't give you an honest answer because he isn't an honest person. But ask him.
      
      He's really this desperate to censor me now. It's awesome!
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:20am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Your phone IP?
        
        You mean mobile (3G/4G) address?
        
        All carriers that I know of (and I know a few) will attribute "random" IP addresses from a pool. It is impossible for Mike to block you, unless he is blocking and entire pool of addresses.
        
        You are lying you desperate sack of waste.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:27am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Yeah, like that's going to work.
        
        Speaking of work, are you unemployed? You seem to be here all the time. I'm sorry that you don't have a job to distract you from your "mild" obsession with Mike.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:37am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Phones don't even have IPs! He can no more block your phone IP than I can remove the law enforcement powers of a new born baby or cut off Clapper's furry tail because they don't exist in the first place.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Rich, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:43am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        EVERY device on The Internet has an IP. In most cases they are dynamically allocated as needed. So, blocking a particular phone is not really feasible.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        ltlw0lf (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 12:35pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        EVERY device on The Internet has an IP. In most cases they are dynamically allocated as needed. So, blocking a particular phone is not really feasible.
        
        Few devices on the Internet have public IPs. Many use RFC 1918 addresses and live behind firewalls and proxies. And many devices out there on mobile networks use APNs and gateways. Blocking the public IP address of these devices will block huge swaths of people.
        
        Phones don't usually have public IP addresses. Every mobile device I have from all four carriers have an IP address which is unaccessible from the internet (at least one carrier, I believe T-Mobile, uses 10.x.x.x for their network addresses but connections come from the 212.x.x.x network,) and blocking an IP address associated with a phone will likely result in a large population of users on that carrier being blocked.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:44pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        It's very easy with a simple cookie. No need for IP blocks and it will keep the newbie wondering how the device is banned regardless of the IP.
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        John Fenderson (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 3:18pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Don't most people disable cookies by default? They should.
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 4:38pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Use a 1 pixel invisible image named to create a unique CID and use that for tracking LoL
        
        There are other ways too, that don't involve the IP address or could be used with the IP address, so you can block just one individual from one IP address once he is flagged assuming he keeps using the same CID..
        
        This of course would just make him more sad
        
        There are ways to track people anonymously they are not very robust but there are ways, besides AJ is tech illiterate so he will fall for it and will not understand how is that people are tracking him.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:04am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        At least know your audience. You can get away with someone "blocking your phone IP" at some creationist blog, but here? You are outing yourself to be a liar.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:28am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Here I still am.
        
        And still fail with every . single . post. Tough shit.
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      - The Groove Tiger (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:02am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        Hey, maybe you should have thought twice before stealing all that IP.
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        Ferel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 12:49pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What a joke
        I see what you did there
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:36am
    
    Re: Re: What a joke
    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, I do not believe Techdirt's comment system contains IP blocking capabilities, if so how are you posting with a blocked IP?
    
    In any event I feel Mike would be more than justified to do so, its not that he doesn't want to talk to you (which he has an many occasions), its that he is sick of you irritating other people on his site, and so am I.
    
    This is supposed to be a forum for intelligent discourse about technology and its associated legal issues, not a troll site. If you want to troll, head over to 4chan or a similar site, otherwise get lost.
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    - This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
      
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:49am
      
      Re: Re: Re: What a joke
      So you're basically admitting Masnick doesn't have a prayer in an actual debate?
      
      Not surprised.
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    - Rapnel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:44am
      
      Re: Re: Re: What a joke
      Blocks, or block attempts, are a bad choice in general. Perhaps a thread collapse option would do nicely: report button and a collapse thread when reported message is first post in thread.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - apauld (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:58am
    
    Re: Re: What a joke
    "Yet I'm still here, ready to debate him."
    
    But you're a nobody. Not even a zero. You're an empty set.
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- Loki, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:30am
  
  Re: What a joke
  For a country increasingly run on Double Speak, this seems like a perfect choice.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:06am

Please feel free to correct me if I am mistaken, but Tribe's comments were directed to the first iteration of the SOPA bill, and the subject matter of his comments was subsequently addressed in the Manager's Amendment to the bill when the requirement for court intervention was added.

Your above commentary makes it sound as if Mr. Dodd refused to accept anything other that the original iteration. Moreover, you treat Mr. Tribe's comments as if only they are a correct analysis of First Amendment law.
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pegr, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:07am

Well, if WB can bust Kim.Com...
If Warner Brothers can take down Kim Dotcom in New Zealand with the promise of making a film there, why can't the MPAA be put in charge of the First Amendment? Makes perfect sense to me.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:07am

Not free as in beer. Or anything else.
...Now, I'm assuming that most people have no clue what "Free Speech Week" is...

And the appointment of Chris Dodd as the chair of the Free Speech Week Advisory Council would certainly seem to indicate that most people, including the purveyors of Free Speech Week, have no clue what Chris Dodd is.

Somewhere, someone "in charge" is having a facepalm-moment. One hopes...
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- Lowestofthekeys (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:15am
  
  Re: Not free as in beer. Or anything else.
  I think they know. They know he's a hand puppet cleverly disguised as a politician who lies to the American public with loaded language.
  
  More importantly, he is easy to control.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Baldaur Regis (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:44am
  
  Re: Not free as in beer. Or anything else.
  Free Speech Week is put on by The Media Institute. Other members of the Advisory Council are:
  Senator Gordon Smith, president and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters;
  Michael Powell, president and CEO, National Cable & Telecommunications Association;
  Caroline Little, president and CEO, Newspaper Association of America;
  Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO, Clear Channel (last year�s chair of the FSW Advisory Council);
  Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America;
  Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association;
  Walter McCormick, president and CEO, USTelecom;
  Mindy Hutchison, executive director, National Press Photographers Association.
  They know exactly who Chris Dodd is. They know Dodd is the man who said:
  "Candidly, those who count on quote 'Hollywood' for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake," Dodd told Fox News. "Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake."
  after SOPA and PIPA were defeated.
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  - Ruben, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:05am
    
    Re: Re: Not free as in beer. Or anything else.
    In other words, The Media Institute is a just a circle jerk of entertainment industry bigwigs.
    
    "Free Speech Week"- what a joke.
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  - That One Guy (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:06pm
    
    Re: Re: Not free as in beer. Or anything else.
    And suddenly it makes perfect sense why he was chosen to lead it...
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:08am

are you fuckin' kiddin' me? even if he was nothing to do with the entertainment industries, you couldn't have a bigger tosser in charge!!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:11am

As Constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe pointed out at the time:

The notice-and-termination procedure of Section 103(a) runs afoul of the �prior restraint� doctrine, because it delegates to a private party the power to suppress speech without prior notice and a judicial hearing.

And the same argument has been made about the notice and takedown section of the DMCA, yet that argument has been shot down every time. Just because one person makes the argument doesn't make it so, Mikey.

Of course, you're just going to regurgitate what Tribe said and then run away when challenged on it because the fact is that you're not capable of discussing the merits of it yourself. You run away from debate because you don't have the actual goods to debate me with.

And you know it.

Bawk!! Cluck!! Go ahead and try your hardest to block my IPs and censor me, Mike. Nothing makes you look sadder than having to censor me because you can't stand that I point out how stupid you are.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:12am
  
  Re:
  [citation needed]
  
  Also, block your IP? WTF are you talking about nutcase?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
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    Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:14am
    
    Re: Re:
    Yep, Mikey is desperately blocking my IP addresses now. Mr. "I Hate Censorship and Anyone Who Plays Whac-A-Mole is Stupid" is censoring me and playing whac-a-mole.
    
    Yep, that's how desperate Mike is for me to stop reminding everyone that he's too scared to debate me.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:16am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      If Mike is blocking you, how the fuck are you posting here?
      
      Also, be careful what you answer, because I am technically knowledgeable enough to know when you are lying.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Masnick = Two-Faced Censor, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:18am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Simple. Proxies. I'm sure he'll start blocking those, and then I'll just more to another one and another one and another one.
        
        I'm not going anywhere, Mikey. Why are you making yourself look like such a fool with this whac-a-mole??
        
        Why are you censoring me? LOL! Scared much?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:20am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Crazy stalker guy puts more evidence of his crazy stalker behavior on website. Film at 11.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Masnick = Total Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:25am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Just wait. I'm working on a series of posts where I'll go through all the times Mikey ran away from a debate like a little girl rather than defend his own words.
        
        This is going to be fun!
        
        How many thousands of examples can I come up with? Stay tuned!!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:32am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Man, you really have a lot of free time on your hands.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:38am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        It's summer, so I guess there's no school. You'd think he should have a job, but I'm not one to judge. I wonder what his friends and family think of him using all his free time to cyber-stalk Mike?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Lowestofthekeys (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:42am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Joe has this on his wall: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2chq906&s=6
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:12am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        That's a rad toupee you've got Masnick sporting there.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Lowestofthekeys (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:20am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        This was from his Tiger Beat days. Mike ousted Lief Garret from the running for "sexiest mid-sentence photograph."
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:56am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Masnick brought this on himself. When someone is as flagrantly intellectually dishonest as he is, they're going to have to live with the inevitable consequences.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:46pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Hypocrite much?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:21am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        You realize that in my state, what you are doing is harassment and illegal?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:23am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        You do realize that Mikey trying to block my IP and censor me is exactly the thing that he whines about other people doing all the time, right?
        
        Hypocrite much, Mikey? LOL!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:26am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Still makes you a CRIMINAL.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:27am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        LMAO!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:26am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        No, he's not trying to censor you, you have become a drag who not longer posts anything even tangentally remotely on topic.
        
        All you do is derail, ad hom, and insult, and as you aren't contributing to ANY form of discussion within the comments, your one on one beef with Mike is not appreciated.
        
        I also doubt he's actually blocking you and it's most likely because you're trying to spam links while posting about milk.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Joe's rants are pretty fun to watch unfold. I imagine he finally snapped because Masnick wouldn't give him the answer he wanted.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Niall (profile), 19 Jun 2013 @ 5:03am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I'm actually finding it more amusing just ignoring the pink links, reading the responses, and guessing which flavour of 'bawk bawk' is hidden away.
        
        The sooner everyone stops taking the bait, the better.
        
        Except then we'll get even more threads made up of mostly pink links.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Pragmatic, 19 Jun 2013 @ 6:11am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        That's what happens when "debate" means "agree with," as it does for the likes of A.J.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Masnick = Spineless Censor, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Of course he's trying to censor me. You guys are too funny. All I do is remind him about how he runs away every time rather than defend any of the stupid shit he says. He can't stand it. He won't stand up to me because he can't. I make him look like a fool every time. Somebody needs to bring this asshole down a notch, and I'm glad to do it. Bawk!!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:30am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        LOL!
        
        It's okay Joe, we know your asshurt because you lost your 4 year argument with Mike.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Masnick = Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:33am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        How can I lose when Mikey runs away every time?? LOL!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:35am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Ah, so you admit you are asshurt?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:49pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        He has beaten your arguments down several times and you simply insult him when you loose (and repeatedly there after).
        
        Its like trying to argue with a 4 year old so he just ignores you (exactly like you do with children).
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:28am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Oh, and technically, what you are doing could be considered a violation of the CFAA as you may be outside TechDirt's Terms of Service.
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Why do you think he's hiding behind a proxy?
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Didn't think you'd have a snappy comeback to that. Now who's scared, Crazy Stalker Guy?
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:31am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I think he finally got blocked. I guess those proxies skillz were bunk.
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:26am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I'm kind of impressed you know how to use proxies, Joe.
        
        I figured the dinosaur mentality of that group of capitalists you love so much would have infected you by now.
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        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:32am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I'm kind of impressed you know how to use proxies, Joe.
        
        Child's play.
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:35am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        No, but seriously you know about proxies, but you didn't know not to use a copyrighted logo of a dodgeball team when grandstanding?
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:49am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I wouldn't give joe all the credit on proxies. He also uses his wife's laptop to flame, on multiple occasions.
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        This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:05am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I skip over all the comments on this blog except the ones that are censored. I've learned that they're the only ones worth reading.
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        That One Guy (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:13am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Now see, there's low standards, no standards, but I think this is the first time I've seen someone with negative standards, such that one only considers spam and tantrum throwing to be worth reading.
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        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:22am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Your left hand finger must be tired from all that clicking.
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    - RD, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:35am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Posting in EVERY article "milk it! milk it! coward! pirate! bawk!" is considered having a *conversation* now? Lets be clear: you arent interested in having any kind of meaningful discussion. At all. You prove it with every post. You dont get to then turn around and try to take Mike and the site to task for something you yourself are unwilling to do.
      
      I am going to keep posting this every time you roll out your bullshit lies.
      
      Also, you have proven you deserve to be censored. If Mike found a way to block you off the entire site, many here would not shed a tear OR feel that is was in any way wrong for him to do so, simply because you only come here to be a disruption and are an attention whore.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:17am
    
    Re: Re:
    I wouldn't believe anything Joe says, he's a lawyer.
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    - This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
      
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:21am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      I wouldn't believe anything Joe says, he's a lawyer.
      
      LOL! I'm not a lawyer. But the fact remains that Mikey is so desperate to censor me that he's engaging in a useless game of whac-a-mole with IPs. Ask him yourself (just don't expect an honest answer, since it's Mikey after all).
      
      You'll see my snowflake shift as I move to a new proxy. There's thousands of them. I can move around all day.
      
      I'm not going anywhere, Mikey. And you know it. This bullshit only strengthens my resolve. And you know it.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:24am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Are you sure? You certainly love to lie about the ip blocking.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:31am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Unemployment is really starting to drag on you, isn't it? That's a shame. I would wish you luck in trying to find a job, but I don't think you'll find one if you're posting here all day, every day.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2013 @ 1:37am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Most honest people would actually consider that they were doing wrong if they were rightly removed for undue harrassment.
        
        You however, labour under the delusion that you are owed discussion when you have no legitimate argument to address.
        
        You refuse to face the undisputable fact that you're wrong. In that regard, you are a coward.
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    - Baldaur Regis (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:12am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Lawyer joke time!
      From The Money Pit:
      Walter: It's a big house, we'll divide it up! You stay in your half, I'll stay in mine!
      
      Anna: That is such a dumb idea. Sometimes it amazes me you ever passed the bar.
      
      Walter: I'm sure it does, you've never passed a bar in you life.
      
      Anna: You are so much less attractive when I'm sober.
      
      Walter: Thank goodness it's not that often.
      
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- Rapnel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:26am
  
  Re:
  Ahah, so you are just another one of those perverse maximalist copyright law manipulator cunts! Now that we know what it is that you actually care about the rest of us will continue not caring. Oh and thanks for nothing.
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- apauld (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:06am
  
  Re:
  So you've taken the couple of recent times when this site had a lot of traffic, and thus took a bit of time to load as Mike blocking you? Ha. Why would he bother? Your only impact here is to be cannon fodder for the intelligent folks that hang out here.
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- DP, 19 Jun 2013 @ 10:17am
  
  Re:
  Mike.....stupid? Blimey, old cock.....Pots, kettles and the colour black come to mind. You are a very sad person.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:19am

April 1st?
In other news, Dick Cheney to give all of his money to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
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This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

out_of_the_blue, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:20am

Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
That's where you pirates go wrong. Copyright is in that sense a deliberately created area of limited speech. -- But SOUNDLY based on common law that someone else's $100M movie is NOT in any sense yours.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:22am
  
  Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
  Yes, no matter how shitty that box office bomb was, you need to pay $15 to watch it.
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  - This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:08am
    
    Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
    Yes, it's so shitty that you break the law to watch it. LOL
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    - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:14pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
      Where did anyone say they watched it?
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    - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:16pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
      Where did anyone say they watched it?
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    - Rapnel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:41pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
      And yes, so shitty, that you'll manipulate the entire premise to make it as difficult as possible for as much money as possible to access when all I have to do is ask and I can get it for free. Friends in need are friends in deed.
      
      Broken law should be broken.
      
      Broken business plan should break.
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- RD, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:39am
  
  Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
  "Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
  
  That's where you pirates go wrong. Copyright is in that sense a deliberately created area of limited speech. -- But SOUNDLY based on common law that someone else's $100M movie is NOT in any sense yours."
  
  Thats right you stupid fucking pirates! Pointing to where something actually resides is THEFT and ILLEGAL and WRONG!! How DARE you actually talk about someone else's property, or point out ALL the places it exists online! THIEF! STEALER! IMMORAL!! You and your factual information! You and those EVIL THIEVES that make the phone book should be SHOT! YOU ARE TELLING PEOPLE WHERE STUFF IS!! HOW DARE YOU!! HOW CAN YOU JUST TAKE SOMEONE'S PROPERTY LIKE THAT BY POINTING OUT FACTUALLY WHERE IT RESIDES??? DO YOU HAVE NO MORALS?? THIEF!
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  - Milton Freewater, 18 Jun 2013 @ 2:35pm
    
    Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
    "Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content."
    
    Of course it is.
    
    Free speech means that the government cannot define content as infringing as an excuse to punish us for accessing it.
    
    Free speech has nothing to do with content creators trying to stop other people from plagarizing and unfairly redistributing their work. But that's apples and oranges.
    
    50 psycho posts per day on TechDirt do not make your same old BS overreach one bit more legitimate. You will always be wrong, and people who agree with you will always be a bigger threat to content creators and users than "piracy."
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    - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 7:14pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Free speech is NOT links to infringing content.
      Rejigger your sarcasm detectors.
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This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

out_of_the_blue, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:31am

NOR is stopping the transfer of MONEY a limit on free speech.
Tribe makes clear the COMMERCIAL aspects -- which are widely held to be regulable, but don't ask me for a cite -- "the power to stop online advertisers and credit card processors from doing business with a website,"

That puts it into the commercial realm, NOT a limitation on persons. (Corporations aren't persons, besides that it's still not their speech which is stopped, but money transfers.)
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:33am
  
  Re: NOR is stopping the transfer of MONEY a limit on free speech.
  "don't ask me for a cite "
  
  We wouldn't dream of it. We know you have a debilitating fear of using Google to find information.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 9:51am
    
    Re: Re: NOR is stopping the transfer of MONEY a limit on free speech.
    That's not quite accurate.
    
    blue has a debilitating fear of having to prove himself.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:23am

This is no more ironic than Obama receiving a transparency award in private with no news reporters allowed.

It's all backroom dealings and pat each other on the back. There is no real substance to this.

And that is what makes a mockery of the whole thing.
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RyanNerd (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:26am

April Fools day has been moved
The new date(s) are now October 21 and continues to October 27th. Coincidentally this coincides with Free Speech Week.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:03am
  
  Re: April Fools day has been moved
  No those are just Fools on parade.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:36am

That's like having Hitler be the chair of Freedom of Religion week.
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Michael, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:36am

This just in
This just in!

The following is a list of terms not to be used during the kickoff celebration of free speech week:

- Fair use
- Censorship
- Mash Up
- Artists Rights (unless referring to the MPAA support of them
- HADOPI (unless referring to it's recent success)
...

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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:42am

could someone be so bold and say who decided on having this completely bias, one sided, selfish prick as chairperson? someone has to take the honour!!
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Uriel-238 (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 10:49am

Two minutes of free speech.
I'm with Jeff. Free Speech Week sounds pretty much like Hate Week. I guess calling it Freedom Week or America Week would be too obvious.
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- Rapnel (profile), 18 Jun 2013 @ 1:43pm
  
  Re: Two minutes of free speech.
  Patriot Week. Seems legit.
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Wolfy, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:12am

It's not so much the ignorance that some trolls' opinions demonstrate, but the willful ignorance that they demonstrate that is so offensive. Too bad there's no bounty on trolls and their ilk.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2013 @ 11:28am
  
  Re:
  Well, one shouldn't be offended by simple ignorance. We all start out ignorant. It is how one behaves with regards to their ignorance that can carry offense.Offer Expiration Reminder
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Anonymous, 18 Jun 2013 @ 4:52pm

This reminds me of a certain organization that claims to be pro-freedom and pro-First Amendment, but has taken stands against "piracy" and, in some cases, in favor of censorship. No, I'm not talking about the MPAA or the RIAA. This organization calls itself the Free Speech Coalition.
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The Real Michael, 18 Jun 2013 @ 6:30pm

"It seems rather ironic that someone who was the main person behind a bill designed to take away free speech rights would then be put in charge of 'free speech week.'"

This is a rather underhanded way of mocking the public, in retaliation for opposing SOPA. Think "Patriot" Act.
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jimman, 18 Jun 2013 @ 8:06pm

insert bad joke here.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jun 2013 @ 1:40am

April Fools?
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allhomemeters (profile), 16 Mar 2021 @ 5:36pm

Great Article
Great Article ... https://allhomemeters.com
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