Leaked Emails Reveal MPAA Plans To Pay Elected Officials To Attack Google
from the holy-fuck dept
Okay, it's no secret that the MPAA hates Google. It doesn't take a psychology expert to figure that out. But in the last few days, some of the leaks from the Sony Pictures hack have revealed the depths of that hatred, raising serious questions about how the MPAA abuses the legal process in corrupt and dangerous ways. The most serious charge -- unfortunately completely buried by this report at The Verge -- is that it appears the MPAA and the major Hollywood studios directly funded various state Attorneys General in their efforts to attack and shame Google. Think about that for a second.There's a lot of background here that's important (beyond just the MPAA really hates Google). First, as you know, the MPAA has certainly not given up on its SOPA desire to get certain websites completely blocked. The leaked emails reveal a lot more about that (which we'll get to). Second, a year ago, the MPAA hired a pitbull of an anti-piracy lawyer in naming Steve Fabrizio its General Counsel. Fabrizio has spent the last decade and a half or so deeply involved in litigating a bunch of anti-piracy battles at both the RIAA and the MPAA/RIAA's favorite big law firm, Jenner & Block. This is not a guy you hire if you're looking to innovate. This is a guy you hire if you want to get into knock-down, dirty legal fights.
Third, there is the role of state Attorneys General. A recent NY Times article detailed how lobbyists have figured out ways to effectively "lobby" state Attorneys General to do their bidding. Frequently, this is around getting the state AGs to drop investigations (and potential lawsuits) against companies. The article is somewhat eye-opening, as it's hard to distinguish much of what's discussed from straight up bribery. There is talk of lavish events, travel and dinners all paid for by corporate lobbyists for state AGs, often followed soon after with dropped, or reduced investigations. In one case, an AG told staff not to start an investigation into a public company without first getting his approval. Campaign funding is a big part of it as well, as these lobbyists dump lots of money into AG campaigns. And it's no secret that the state Attorney General position is often seen as a stepping stone to a Governorship or US Senate job.
We've discussed in the past that state Attorneys General are often the biggest grandstanders, as their main goal in certain investigations seems to be about generating headlines for themselves, rather than any real legal basis. More than four years ago, we wrote about Topix CEO Chris Tolles' experience being hounded by state Attorneys' General so they could get a bunch of headlines out of something in which everyone admitted Topix wasn't actually doing anything illegal. Along those lines, we've noted that popular tech companies have increasingly been a target for state AGs -- because they're almost sure to generate headlines. We've also noted that state AGs have been pushing for changes to federal laws, like Section 230 of the CDA, to allow them to further go after big tech companies for things like actions of their users.
Not surprisingly, Google has been a popular target for some state AGs. In the past, we've written about state Attorneys General from Nebraska and Oklahoma blaming Google for videos made by users, and about Texas' Attorney General going after Google for supposed antitrust violations (based on the same claims that the FTC later dropped entirely). But the state Attorney General with the biggest chip on his shoulder for Google has absolutely been Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who seemed to think that it was Google's fault that he could find counterfeit goods via search. A few months later, he was back blaming Google for infringement online as well.
This was no accident. What's come out of the Sony Pictures Leak is not just that the MPAA was buddying up to state Attorneys General, but that the MPAA was funding some of this activity and actively supporting the investigation. The leaked emails reveal that rather than seeing that NY Times article about corporate/AG corruption as a warning sign, the MPAA viewed it as a playbook. But not for preventing investigations but for encouraging and funding them. This appears to go way beyond that NY Times article. This isn't campaign donations or inviting AGs to speak at lavish events and paying for the travel. This is flat out paying AGs to investigate Google (even on issues unrelated to copyright infringement) and then promising to get extra press attention to those articles.
Here's the Verge's summary of a key email (which the Verge doesn't even seem to realize why it's so damning):
May 8, 2014: Fabrizio to group. "We’ve had success to date in motivating the AGs; however as they approach the CID phase, the AGs will need greater levels of legal support." He outlines two options, ranging from $585,000 to $1.175 million, which includes legal support for AGs (through Jenner) and optional investigation and analysis of ("ammunition / evidence against") Goliath. Both options include at least $85,000 for communication (e.g. "Respond to / rebut Goliath's public advocacy, amplify negative Goliath news, [and] seed media stories based on investigation and AG actions.")."Goliath" is the MPAA's rather transparent "codename" for Google. CID stands for a "civil investigative demand" -- which is a form of an administrative subpoena, demanding information from a company, related to an investigation.
What seems to come out from these emails is that the MPAA, in coordination with the major Hollywood studios, agreed to willfully pay tons of money indirectly to state AGs (and Hood in particular) to get them to investigate Google (using the time and labor of the MPAA's favorite law firm -- and the one that Fabrizio just left). That goes way beyond anything discussed in that NY Times articles, and certainly smacks of serious illegality. It's difficult to see how this isn't bribing a public official to attack a company they dislike.
Not only that, but it shows that the MPAA and the studios were aware of Hood's plans well before they happened, suggesting that he or his office has been coordinating with Hollywood on their plans and that the specific CIDs are actually written by the MPAA's lawyers themselves:
A report from the previous February suggests that the Goliath group drafted civil investigative demands (similar to a subpoena) to be issued by the attorneys general. "Some subset of AGs (3-5, but Hood alone if necessary) should move toward issuing CIDs before mid-May," the email says.And, more recent emails (from just in October) show that they know that another CID is apparently coming and that the MPAA intends to use that CID for negotiating leverage against Google. This follows a claim that Google was pissed off at the MPAA for mocking its recent search algorithm changes to further push down sites that may link to infringing materials (it's not like we didn't warn everyone that the MPAA wouldn't be satisfied with Google's changes). Either way, the MPAA's Fabrizio brushes off concerns that Google has, telling the studios not to worry, that Google should be more willing to talk after Hood sends out his next CID:
After a dispute over Google’s most recent anti-piracy measures in October, Fabrizio suggested further action may be yet to come. "We believe Google is overreacting — and dramatically so. Their reaction seems tactical (or childish)," the email reads. "Following the issuance of the CID [civil investigative demand] by [Mississippi attorney general Jim] Hood (which may create yet another uproar by Google), we may be in a position for more serious discussions with Google."While the Verge report is focused on the "sexy" topic of the MPAA having an "anti-Google' (er... "Goliath") working group, the real story here is that it appears that this infatuation with taking down Google has extended to funding state politicians in their investigations and attacks on Google, even when it's on totally unrelated issues (the initial CID was about counterfeit drugs -- which is an issue that the MPAA likes to mock Google over by totally misrepresenting some actual, but historical, bad behavior).
And beyond that, the MPAA is showing that part of its plan is to fund "media stories based on" the Attorneys General investigations. Remember, so much AG activity these days is driven by what's going to get them into the headlines. Setting aside nearly $100,000 from the MPAA to get a state AG some headlines for an investigation paid for by the MPAA, using administrative subpoenas written by the MPAA... all designed to attack a company they don't like (which actually has done pretty much exactly what they'd been asking for in downranking sites that lead to infringing works), is really stunning.
I get that it's natural to dislike a company or organization that has undermined your business model. It happens. But there are different ways to respond to it. One is to innovate and compete. Another is to use the legal process to throw hurdles in their path. This is the distinction between "market entrepreneurs" and "political entrepreneurs" that Andy Kessler has described. What the MPAA appears to have done in the last few months, however, certainly suggests that the organization, with the help of the major studios, went beyond just lobbying and political pressure, to actually funding elected officials to try to attack a company they didn't like. And, at the very least, this also has to raise serious questions about Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and who he takes orders from. Is he really "protecting" the people of Mississippi? Or is he focused on gobbling up Hollywood's money and promotion?
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Filed Under: corruption, emails, hack, jim hood, lobbying, state attorneys general, steve fabrizio
Companies: google, mpaa, sony
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Holy shit.
If the MPAA can actually spin this to make anyone but itself look bad, I’d actually buy a ticket to see it happen, because that’d be one hell of a show.
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The general public might get upset about "Disney bribes politicians" but they don't give a hoot about "MPAA bribes politicians," even though it's the same thing.
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MPAA Damned Well Better Care
I for one look forward to when all the Studios copyrights are transferred to Public Domain as the penalty for these heinous actions.
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I guarantee you the above post was carefully reviewed by Google's, er, Masnick's lawyer to steer him away from a libel lawsuit.
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"If anything done was illegal then you'd see an uproar. But there wasn't.
I guarantee you the above post was carefully reviewed by Google's, er, Masnick's lawyer to steer him away from a libel lawsuit."
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By whom and how much of an uproar must I see in order for me to conclude that something illegal has happened.
"I guarantee you the above post was carefully reviewed by Google's, er, Masnick's lawyer to steer him away from a libel lawsuit."
You keep repeating this deluded lie with no evidence and Mike's the one that's committing libel?
"oh hey, the truth got censored on Techdirt again."
You really are such a dishonest shill, given all the nonsense in your one comment alone you must really have something wrong with you if you expect posting such dishonest nonsense claiming that you are the bearer of truth is going to do anything for your position.
""In the post-SOPA world, we need to consider the extent to which a strategy presents a risk of a public relations backlash," Fabrizio continues"
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/12/7382287/project-goliath
Yeah, they think they should completely neglect the ethical ramifications of their actions and only focus on how it makes them look and what impact bad PR could have on their efforts to scam the public. Their very own words show what kinda low ethical standards IP defenders have yet they come here pretending to be moral authorities dishonestly using the artist as the poster child for their selfish cause. Despicable.
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Cavalry beat archers, with their ability to close quickly and overrun them before they could get many shots off.
Infantry beat cavalry, because they could use long spears to disrupt the heck out of a cavalry charge and panic the horses, throwing the whole group into disarray.
Archers beat infantry, because, infantry being much slower to move than cavalry (especially if they wore heavy armor) they were left exposed to devastating projectile volleys for a long time.
In the ancient tale of David and Goliath, we see the biggest, toughest guy around challenging the opposing army to a traditional rite of combat by champion: a "proxy battle" that avoided the wasteful slaughter of an actual battle. The record goes into great detail about his size and the size and weight of his weapons and armor. There's no doubt about it: Goliath was heavy infantry through and through.
After much consternation on the other side, a self-selected champion stepped up. When the king tried to outfit him as a heavy infantryman to match Goliath, though, he demurred; it wasn't what he was trained for. No, David was an archer, and he intended to fight as an archer. He used a sling rather than a bow and arrow, but that's still an incredibly lethal ranged weapon.
He stepped out onto the field, and Goliath's fate was sealed at that moment. People who don't understand the tactics involved call it a surprising victory on David's part, but in reality the only surprise here is that at no point did Goliath seem to understand just how screwed he was, until it was suddenly too late.
There is one aspect of his description that doesn't fit the heavy infantry profile: he had a shield bearer go before him. But a guy used to fighting in close quarters doesn't need someone else to carry his shield; shield bearers were for archers! Between that, his physical description, and the fact that he claimed David was attacking him with "staves" (plural), when he was carrying a single staff, it's likely that he had severe problems with his vision--which is a known side effect of gigantism--and the "shield bearer" was actually a guide.
Goliath died because he faced an opponent who was playing by different rules than what he was expecting, and he was too blind to notice until it was too late. Now who does that sound more like? Google, or the MPAA?
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Says the kettle in the mirror.
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I wonder what else is in that 14 TB smoking gun. Thanks guys!
Chris Dodd, tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail for Christmas! Yummy.
Have fun Google, but don't play with them. Just kill 'em nice and quick. Thanks. Merry Xmas! :-)
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The Supreme Court says...
Can we get them into a solitary confinement cell?
Would they prefer a needle or an electric chair?
What if we go only house arrest, who's gonna pay for all those GPS ankle bracelets (and does it include the janitor)?
If the corporation is a trade association (like the MPAA) are all members equally guilty (after all, if when robbing a bank one of the crew kills someone, then the whole crew is guilty of that murder because it was 'during the commission of a crime' (or something))?
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Re: The Supreme Court says...
...that corporations are people. Let's think about that.
Think about them hiring a hitman to take out people(corporations) they don't like , It would be prison time for the avg citizen , but the MPAA will walk away giggling.
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Re: The Supreme Court says...
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate-accountability-history-corporations-us/
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These emails are very close to a smoking gun that could get AG's and the MPAA in serious legal shit.
These emails were pilfered in a hacking attack which is claimed (and some proof has been found) by a group funded by North Korea.
NK instigated this attack on Sony to try and pressure Sony Pictures to halt the release of The Interview, a comedy about journalists assassinating Kim Jong Un.
So if this pans out, fucking Seth Rogan and James Franco will be responsible for the downfall of the MPAA?!?!?!
I fucking love it.
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... so they can ask the MPAA why they didn't get lucrative bribes and pre-written legal filings too.
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No, AG's very rarely prosecute themselves (or their brethren).
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And where else and how much?
Mind-boggling. Still I'm sure there must be a 'national security', 'children', 'terrorism' defence somewhere that will be trotted out in a moment or two.
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And yes, they tend to bash environmentalist groups, so yeah, they do pretty much the same thing.
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Re: And where else and how much?
Europe or rather the EU. The 4 year long antitrust investigation of Google by the EU was instigated by "FairSearch" which has Microsoft and Oracle among its members. Two companies which have been severely "outcompeted" on their home turf by Google (in the right way by innovating better and cheaper products) and therefore are trying to hit Google by manipulating European politicians including Margrethe Vestager from my country Denmark sadly :(
The irony is complete when you check their website (http://www.fairsearch.org) and see their attempts to demonize Google, claiming that Google's strategy is: "Open, Dominate, Close"... A thinly veiled attempt at making Google appear as "evil" but also perhaps to make people forget that Microsoft's own internal policy for years was: "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish) and was one of the reasons that Microsoft itself was pulled through antitrust investigations. Furthermore, EEE was not an expression invented by competitors to make their "enemy" appear evil, but Microsoft's own "official" internal policy... sigh :(
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Need somebody to vote for who would take their money and then give them the finger.
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Continuum
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Why Mississippi?
A smart politician running against against these AGs might use this info to his advantage.
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Speaking of which, when we get a bit further along this path, our corporate masters will go and 'fund' candidates based upon whatever their pet peeves are. The problems are that there are so many issues, many of them may have no corporate sponsors at all, and while the richest corporations will get their candidates in, no corporation has enough clout (yet) to buy, erm 'fund', all the candidates. So there will still be fighting, between rich consortium A and rich consortium B, and if we are lucky, rich consortium's right on through the alphabet.
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While I'm sure that was (as least partially) sarcastic, this is oftentimes how politics works at the national level.
That's part of why the copyright hearings are all about "Silicon Valley vs. Big Media" (and neither the public, nor actual artists, are involved at all). Both have skin in the game, and both are heavily funded.
So, the Senate announces some possible legal changes, and hold committee meetings and hearings. The "big money" guys are invited. Both sides dump lots of lobbying money into whichever Senators are part of the committee, and whichever side pays the most, is the one whose talking points are repeated verbatim by the Senator in the meetings.
In the end, little if anything is done, and nothing changes. Nothing, that is, except the Senators' pocketbooks.
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She couldn't afford it in any sense of the word. Lawsuits are a rich man's game, that's why most people settle.
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Except of course Google didn't, the Internet did (and of course their own ineptitude to see the writing on the wall).
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Six words
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Like something out of bad fiction
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Appeasing the *AA's
It is slowly dawning on Google that this might not be wise. Sadly they have not learn anything. Cooperating directly with the studios because the MPAA is ungrateful, it is like drinking poison directly from the vial to avoid the poisoned cup.
http://torrentfreak.com/furious-google-ended-mpaa-antipiracy-cooperation-141212/
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Re: Appeasing the *AA's
While the MPAA and Google will probably patch things up in future, the emails also suggest reasons why the MPAA might have given Google a frosty reception.
First up, the MPAA had no time to assess the changes Google had put in place, so had no idea whether they would work. Welcoming changes that fail to perform in future is clearly something the MPAA would want to avoid.
But intriguingly the emails suggest that the MPAA were trying not to affect another external matter from progressing.
“We were also sensitive to the fact that Mississippi [Attorney General] Hood is expected to issue a [Civil Investigative Demand] to Google sometime this week; we did not want an unduly favorable statement by us to discourage AG Hood from moving forward,” the MPAA email reads.
So they knew that AG Hood, who they had been and are working with to attack Google was planning on issuing a legal demand of Google, and rather than admit that 'hey, Google is trying to work with us, maybe you don't need to be so gung-ho against them', they intentionally downplayed Google's efforts in order to avoid interfering with Hood's actions.
Google has been bending over backwards in a vain attempt to appease those parasites, and all it's gotten is more daggers in the back, and more complaints that they 'aren't doing enough', oftentimes with the barely vieled insinuation that Google is intentionally ignoring piracy for nefarious purposes.
It's beyond time Google grew a spine, told the *AA's to take a hike, and stopped trying to appease groups that will never be satisfied as long as Google exists.
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And that's it really!
It have been evident for years. To the extent that i wonder if Google is infected the way Sony were. Instead of pushing for PromoBay to make "pirates" "audience" at their home turf, they let the monopolists pretend they are the only legal offering. Instead of giving a few tens of percent extra for ad money that were channeled to flattr, by noticing that the money would stay within Googles sphere where Google probably would earn most of the money back, they help their enemy. And flattr would be a good deed at the same time! Flattrs creator were jailed just for talking about one of the monopolists targets.
And the list goes on. The list of good deeds not done. "Don't do evil" is a joke now, and trigger derisive laughter. Many citizens have good reason to prefer Googles offerings, be it search, fiber, software or projects. But their trust is squandered, and if they become replaced by something better it would put a smile on many faces. I doubt they understand it might do them in.
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But do it legally.
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It could probably do the same to the RIAA, albeit for less money.
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Cut the cord. If you need to cure insomnia, just insert that previously purchased, extremely valuable, piece of plastic into the dvd player.
My SO wants a new camera. Came home the other day telling me about a great sale on a sony camera. I don't care if they are giving them away, I refuse to put another piece of shit with their name on it out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOgwQZd9eDc
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what this shows more than anything, more than the disgraceful ways elected officials are acting and who with, it shows the lengths an industry will go to get what it wants. and done forget the relationship now between the members of Congress and the MPAA boss Dodd! anyone who still thinks he isn't up to the armpits it shit with collusion from his former colleagues, must be stupid, blind or both!! and remember the way out of nothing suddenly came cooperation from governments almost everywhere, the UK and now Australia being two key countries! it would be interesting to find out if Brandis in Aus was part of the bribery trail!
now we sit and wait for what happens next. if there is nothing done, we know the MPAA has 'encouraged' certain people to try to cover this up. if there is something done, and i hope there is, because how can the MPAA and the various AGs deny their parts, it needs to be serious. one reason being that the MPAA is making Obama look a complete pussy! it has basically taken over the operating of legal industries in a multitude of states and that dont look good for him!!
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To come here and lie doesn't give your position credibility it only makes you and your position look bad.
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Until then the government has no legitimacy in enforcing bad, undemocratically bought and paid for, laws intended to serve the interests of a few and the enforcement of such laws should rightfully be viewed as a bad thing.
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In fact I'll take that one step further. Until IP laws are fixed to serve the public interest if you don't openly oppose the enforcement of our current IP laws I see no reason to take your moral opinion seriously on the matter.
Voters should work together to oppose any candidate that doesn't openly advocate for reducing IP lengths and changing them to better serve the public interests and not just the interests of those that bought and paid for them.
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Who wants to take bets that this won't get picked up in any of the mainstream newspapers?
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Dec 12th, 2014 @ 1:44pm
Who fuckin cares? Papers? What r they
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This Just In!
In a surprise move, major media companies, in concert with many state AGs, have today announced a new initiative promoting mandatory email encryption.
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You look at this and compare it with the government attitudes and wonder why the citizenry here believes the government is headed in the wrong direction?
All this shows just how far along we are in becoming fascists. Only we have arrived and the pot is near at boil for the frog.
It's a sad commentary that the foundations this country has been built on have crumbled leaving ruin in its wake.
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iceberg
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Probably something like that.
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sounds like a crime
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So are they doing this in Europe too?
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Re: The Streisand Effect.
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#Paid4byMPAA
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MPAA won't suffer a thing over this
It's cute because there won't be in the news. The US Legacy Press isn't about to hold their content buddies accountable for anything.
Same goes for their partners in Gov.
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Re: MPAA won't suffer a thing over this
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After Dodd basically said pass the laws we want or we won't pay you anymore and no one bothered to investigate, it should be really clear that corporations get their own system.
Our leaders are bought and paid for.
They will abuse their office & their oath to serve the people they represent to serve those who gave them a check.
While the country spirals down the shitter, look at how much money is being funneled into pet projects that help the few at the expense of the many. And they do this for what appear to be really small checks when one considers the benefits being reaped.
With Liberty and Justice for those with the biggest checkbook.
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Why the hell did it work?
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It's hate
The word you're looking for is not "dislike", it is "hatred". Only the latter brings the Captain Ahab style pursuit that the MPAA is undertaking against Google.
Worse, hate is unreasoning. This is why nothing Google does will ever satisfy MPAA. Only Google's utter destruction will appease them.
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So why?
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why prosecute?
Forget writing your congressman. Write your state bar.
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Hello supreme court here is your money corruption.
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So he can properly erase I mean oversee the Sony hack investigation.
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Its pretty much open knowledge that he tried to shake down Google for cash (for himself) and said he'd "go after them" if they didn't pony up.
Now he's getting what in his tiny racist piggy-eyed mind is 'revenge' for Google basically telling him to go fuck himself.
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What about what AC1 wrote is unclear to you? I assume AGs have an oath of office where they swear to uphold the Constitution, so breaking his oath of office. I know bribery of an elected official and extortion is illegal, but perhaps campaign finance law is so fscked these days, this is just how it's done. Barratry perhaps, as in abuse of the judicial system, or malicious prosecution?
I'm sure any DA can easily come up with a hundred more. They did for Aaron Swartz.
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However, I guess what constitutes illegal activity is based on what the government chooses to prosecute (and what courts choose to convict). If you break the law and there is no one to prosecute you then did you really break the law?
Certainly what is happening here should be illegal. Copy protection laws themselves are a result of corruption that should be (and probably is) illegal via back door dealings, secretive meetings, and revolving door favors. These laws, the way they stand now, certainly aren't democratically passed and so it stands to reason that in all likelihood illegal activity (or activity that should be illegal) was behind copy protection extensions and the current state of IP laws.
"The series details many tactics involved in Project Goliath, including hiring former attorneys general as counsel"
Sounds like a conflict of interest.
"and targeting officials at the state level where lobbying dollars may stretch farther."
Trying to use lobbying dollars to get AG's to go after Google. Sounds illegal. At the very least it should be. Do you support this type of activity?
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/12/7382287/project-goliath
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I'm sure you wouldn't be saying the same thing if it was Google doing it.
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It seems fairly telling of your own ethical perspective that you don't seem to think there's anything at all wrong or illegal about an industry group agreeing to FUND and COORDINATE (including writing the subpoenas) an investigation by various state Attorneys General of a company they dislike.
Lobbying for it is one thing. Funding it and being involved in it, is another. But if you think that's fine, well, that says a hell of a lot about you.
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BTW, private persons, including juridicial persons, participate to varying degrees in terms of funds/labor/in-kind/etc. in all manner of governmental investigations by all branches of state, federal and local governments. Your singling out this instance leads me to believe that this is an area of law, politics and practice in which you have not had much exposure.
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I've spoken to multiple people about this -- including in the offices of two AGs, a variety of lawyers and lobbyists -- and NONE have heard of coordination and funding to the levels described by the MPAA.
That you seem to think it's no big deal, again, appears to reveal a lot more about you. Care to 'fess up to anything?
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Just like they falsely accuse you of working for Google and wrongfully claim that MU was an illegal operation (despite the fact that what the MPAA is doing here is much more illegal or at least ought to be), their main definition of illegal is whether or not something furthers their agenda. They don't care about the law. The hypocrites.
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Simply ignoring the facts you don't like doesn't just make them go away.
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Bullshit. On stories about folks like Kim Dotcom, or on ICE takedowns of sites (with no due process) you're usually the first one on here slamming us for even suggesting that these sites might not have actually broken the law.
And, just a few days ago you were the one suggesting that WE had done something wrong in a *fully disclosed* sponsored post.
So in your demented and twisted world, posting a fully disclosed sponsored post is morally questionable, but PAYING FOR an Attorney General to investigate a company you dislike, including WRITING the subpoenas is perfectly fine.
All your comments do is show how morally bankrupt you and your cronies are.
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I think that pretty much sums them up. They are intellectually incapable of believing that no, *not everyone is out to rob them*. Google has finally realized they've been bending themselves into a pretzel attempting to appease a tyrant which will never listen to reason.
Either that, or this is the bunch who've sold their enforcement services to clueless rights holders who mistakenly believe these jerks can fix this for them. They're making big bucks as long as they can keep the MafiAA believing that line. There's no way these jerks want that gravy train stopped.
I suspect these guys are scraping the bottom of their barrel, and the rights holders are starting to clue in, wondering why they're spending so much for these guys, yet they never seem to produce any results, other than making more people hate them for their efforts.
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Not that it will register, but pushback on this over at FB came from well-respected professionals in the field of law. We do have relatively thick skins when it comes to personal attacks, especially when such attacks are made in response to noting significant logical inconsistencies in a published article while offering nothing of substance to address the inconsistencies. Even so, it would be nice to just once hear you express a contrary opinion without resort to childish behavior.
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Oh, wait.
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I can easily find garbage based on countless variations of the above quote, regularly used for mudslinging. Yet you will never point it out and sing the praises of the MPAA constantly.
The point of that response is so blatant, a toddler can figure it out. Goes to show how obtuse copyright fanboys are.
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"The plans for the hyperspatial bypass have been available for review by all in the planning office on Alpha Centuri, and since you've not bothered to avail yourselves of that we must conclude ..."
Not everyone cares to be on Facebook (myself included). Why fragment the discussion? Post it here (as an AC if preferred). Failing that I must conclude this is merely an attempt to dilute criticism of certain recent events.
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Meh. Regardless of the issue or the stance taken on the issue, there are always others who are skilled in the law who will not share that opinion. That such counteropinions exist is not even worth mentioning (it would be worth mentioning if they did not!).
If this were a journalism piece rather than opinion and commentary, then perhaps you would have a good point if you said that the article should at least mention what the counteropinions are -- but it is not.
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Actually, I find it amusing that you fail to note that the same commenter who initially said "yawn" has since admitted (1) that he is taking back the "yawn" comment (2) that he was unaware of the full details when he made that comment and (3) now admits that the issue "is more worthy of scrutiny than my initial reaction indicated."
Many of the initial commenters only read part of the report and did not look at the details.
Either way, I see no chance of you not continuing your kneejerk defense of the MPAA as you have done for years.
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Similarly, I note that you refuse to admit that just last week you appeared to be accusing us of unethical dealings in running a (fully disclosed) sponsored post, but appear to have no qualms assuming that the MPAA's ADMITTED plan to PAY for an AG investigation must be fine.
Watch out, sparky, your hypocrisy is showing.
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That there's some quality cut + paste for a mobster's defense attorney. Jurors, pay no attention to the blood stains in the MPAA's trunk, you just don't have all the facts.
--
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As I will not be carried over to FB, that tends to engender an impasse. We appear able to communicate here, even anonymously on your part, yet that's insufficient for your purposes?
The author here would do well by his readership to note that there are others who are skilled in technology and who do not share his opinion. I tend to concern myself more with ethics and morality, and since law appears to have little if anything to do with those, it tends not to concern me much.
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You are usually among the first on this site to condemn those you dislike as obviously having done illegal things and, as mentioned, just last week implied that we were doing something wrong in running a fully disclosed sponsored post. Yet you seem to have no problem with a secretive attempt by a private party to both fund and coordinate (including writing the subpoenas) investigation by a state AG.
This says a lot about you. None of it good.
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You're a joke.
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Enlighten me
Seriously, what's the big deal? All Americans are corrupt.
Every non American knows that for a fact. That US politicians are corrupt is so well known has led the Chinese to publish a list of rates covering how much it costs to bribe each level of American snivel serpent.
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And that's just nice, a citizen of a country where the authorities go out of their way to actively persecute and kill minorities calling me a bigot.
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If the shoe fits....
In this case, your statements calling all Americans corrupt is pure bigotry.
So, if you don't like being called a bigot, stop acting like one.
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Priceless
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!
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Seriously, there's scum everywhere, it's in the US, it's in China, and I can guarantee that, wherever you happen to live, it's in your country too, whether you realize it or not.
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What else could be expected from a criminal organization.
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The MPAA should be banned
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Re: The MPAA should be banned
Who's going to arrest them?
The police are too busy killing Americans of colour, beating up pregnant women and children, harrassing and intimidating the people taking video of them beating up pregnant women and children and killing Americans of colour.
The FBI are too busy hatching plans for false acts of terrorism, covering up CIA and NSA fuckups and cvolluding with the idiots from TSA and Homeland Security.
The CIA and NSA are too busy waterboarding terrorists, conducting ineffective torture campaigns, listening in on the millions of recorded phone calls they collect every day,watching sites like Techdirt and collecting enough information on Mike Masnick to enable their corporate masters to send him to Gitmo.
Who's going to file the documentation to arrest the MPAA and the RIAA perps?
Not the various state and federal AG's and judges-they're too busy taking handouts from the AA's.
Not the many Senators and Congress people who have been bought off by the lobbyists.
In short, it's not going to happen.
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MPAA is just like the taxicab companies
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More Rico Act violations for the MPAA Rico Gang
Now, no congress critter can speak out against Google, ever, or they will be accused of criminally accepting bribes, slander, perjury, corruption, etc...
Looks like Google just received at a minimum, 2 years worth of free protection from Government accusation about anything.
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I think Sony should sue Techdirt
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About all of this
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Man, the education system truly is failing, I see. Can you at least read? Go back up to the top and start over. The story's all there, though you may need to click on a few links to get more than the top view of it.
TL;DR: Hollywood is bribing politicians (Attorneys General) to attack people (specifically Google) who Hollywood believes is helping other people (you?) "steal" (infringe copyright) from them. Have fun.
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Here's where the US judicial system has gone very wrong. Your chief means of oversight of the lawyers in a state is a politician. We all know what politicians are like. They'll feed off stuff no self respecting zombie would and do things that would shame a sewer rat. It's no wonder the USA is so fucked up!
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Must stop IP theft - barracade Hollywood
We must not let any trace of these incredibly valuable ideas escape this powerhouse of creativity into the outside world of ordinary, kind, generous people, who might commit the heinous crime of sharing it with each other. As Hollywood descends into cannibalism, we should provide on-site assistance by the state attorney generals who have been so helpful to date, who can offer this protected community both contractual advice and calories.
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