Internet Blackout Coming To Show The EU Parliament It's Not Just 'Bots' Concerned About Article 13

from the this-is-a-big-problem dept

Last week Glyn mentioned that the German Wikipedia had announced plans to "go dark" this Thursday to protest Articles 11 and 13 of the EU Copyright Directive. And now it appears that a whole bunch of other websites will join in the protest (including us). While we won't go completely dark, we'll be putting up a banner in support of the many websites that do plan to go dark -- and we've heard that an awful lot of websites will be joining in. Supporters keep trying to dismiss these complaints as just being "bots" or the big internet companies, but lots of others will be showing that this is about the broader internet this Thursday. This is just one of many protests happening this week, with in-person protests happening all through the EU this coming weekend as well. Meanwhile there are lots of efforts to get MEPs to pledge to vote against Article 13 that has been gaining momentum as well. I have no idea if these kinds of protests will be as effective as the blackday back during the SOPA fight, but I can say that Article 13 will be way worse for the internet than SOPA ever would have been.

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Filed Under: article 11, article 13, blackout, copyright, eu, eu copyright directive, internet blackout


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  • icon
    Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 6:08pm

    Good luck with the protests, all of them

    However, I am concerned that some MEP's are not just as focused on the upcoming election as they are their ideological or monetary connections. From the ideological standpoint, killing user generated content will support their goals for a long time to come, and reelection is just not important. From the monetary standpoint, either the contributions received or the quid pro quo coming may be enough to overcome voter wrath.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 7:37pm

    So Google-funded wikipedia is going to hold the internet hostage again?

    Doesn't seem like a good idea for a company currently being accused of monopolization.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Stephen T. Stone (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 7:46pm

      Well, someone’s pissy about their favorite online encyclopedia having a spine.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 7:50pm

        Re:

        Not at all. I honestly think it is going to backfire.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 8:04pm

          Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

          Yeah it totally backfired last time they did it. That’s why SOPAs law of the land.... oh dear.

          And lastly please explain to the class how a private company can hold their own website “hostage” and how that is “the internet.” Show your work.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 8:15pm

            Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

            Also, you can just disable javascript.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Madd the Sane (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 10:04am

              Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

              This assumes that the black-out will be implemented client-side, not server-side.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

          • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
            identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 8:15pm

            Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

            Wikipedia's largest funder by far is Google; if Article 13 passes Google will have to start paying for the music it streams on YouTube. Wikipedia has become ubiquitous, it's almost like a public utility at this point. This is where the monopolization issues rear their head. Denying service to the public because you don't want to have to pay for music streams is a risky endeavour.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 8:49pm

              Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

              You could have said “I’m just talking out my ass and have no idea what the words, public, utility, and monopoly mean.” And saved typing a few words.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:12pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at y

                Hmm. What part of the above is not factual?

                link to this | view in chronology ]

                • identicon
                  Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:48pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing

                  Let’s start with google is pulling Wikipedia’s strings. Or Wikipedia is in any way shape or form a monopoly, since you know libraries still exist. You know basic stuff that makes it obvious you don’t have a fucking clue what you are talking about.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                    identicon
                    Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:59pm

                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laugh

                    “Let’s start with google is pulling Wikipedia’s strings.”

                    Wow you’re really naive aren’t you?

                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                    • icon
                      PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:17am

                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m l

                      You're free to post your supporting evidence and prove him wrong any time.

                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                    • identicon
                      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:04am

                      Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you, still

                      I’ll repeat this for the slow of learning.

                      “You know basic stuff that makes it obvious you don’t have a fucking clue what you are talking about.”

                      link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              XcOM987 (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:03pm

              Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

              So if google pays you for some sort or service would that instantly incur your wrath, would you be accused of nefarious things?

              I fail to see how Wikipedia is abusing anything, all they are doing it standing up for principles, and this is after there was exclusions put in place just for them in?

              Do you have any evidence of Wikipedia's wrong doings in this? that they are abusing some monopoly?

              For them to be a monopoly you would have to have no choice in alternative, but as far as I can tell, with a simple search that took me 20 seconds I found:

              Columbia Encyclopedia
              Digital Universe
              Encarta
              Encyclopædia Britannica
              Everipedia
              Everything2
              Interpedia

              And my personal favourite, Uncyclopedia

              Now I've not checked the validity of any of these, but it wouldn't be hard to, there are plenty to choose from.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:14pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at y

                Just because there are supposed alternatives doesn't erase the possibility of a monopoly occurring.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

                • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                  identicon
                  Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:29pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing

                  And yes, I absolutely believe Wikipedia is doing this at the behest of their biggest funder; the lies Google has used up to this point in trying to stop Article 13 mean no one should be surprised by that.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                  • icon
                    Toom1275 (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 11:15pm

                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laugh

                    the lies Google has used up to this point in trying to stop Article 13

                    [Asserts facts not in evidence]

                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                    • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                      • identicon
                        Rocky, 20 Mar 2019 @ 6:27am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I�

                        Uhm, those links are not citations of lies told by Google - those are links to opinion pieces that think Google is using scare-tactics and misinformation.

                        Perhaps you can help us and point to the specific text provided by the links where they accuse Google of lying?

                        Also, the first link is some guys blog that totally misunderstand and misrepresent what article 13 means in practicality - which I guess is on par for those supporting article 13.

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                        • icon
                          PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 6:30am

                          Re:

                          "Also, the first link is some guys blog that totally misunderstand and misrepresent what article 13 means in practicality - which I guess is on par for those supporting article 13."

                          Same as with SOPA and all the other things these guys support - it's not possible for them to support it without lying, and that includes lying about what people who oppose them are saying.

                          AC above can't post to anything other than openly biased opinion pieces from the very people trying to push the bad deal, because factual evidence is not on their side.

                          link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • identicon
                            TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 6:43am

                            Re: Re:

                            They really do present an extremely strong argument for the opposition of the articles in question, don't they?

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

                        • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                          identicon
                          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:11am

                          Re:

                          Feel free to post exactly what they got wrong.

                          Are you suggesting Google/YT didn't say that Article 13 would make memes illegal?

                          Btw, who exactly are you trying to fool here? Anyone with a cursory knowledge of this issue knows it was designed to make Google/YT pay for the copyrighted content they profit from. This nonsense about "it hurts the little guy" is hilarious.

                          Google just wants the gravy train to continue. That's why you have their shills like Mike Masnick posting about it every day.

                          link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • icon
                            PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:18am

                            Re: Re:

                            "it was designed to make Google/YT pay for the copyrighted content they profit from"

                            It may have been designed to do that, but it's effect in reality will be far from it.

                            Also, if YouTube aren't paying for the copyrighted content they host, why did the major record labels close their old Vevo service in order to host it solely on YouTube? Why, it's almost as if you're lying about them...

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

                            • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                              identicon
                              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:37am

                              Re: Re: Re:

                              LOL uh what does Vevo have to do with this? Nothing.

                              I'm not sure why you're having trouble understanding this- it is not a secret that Article 13 is about YouTube; any member of the EU parliament would happily tell you that, and it's also no secret that Google/YT has been bombarding Brussels with lobbyists for months. If you're still having comprehension issues with these facts, maybe ask your helper to better explain it for you.

                              link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • identicon
                                TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:53am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                I'm not sure why you're having trouble understanding this:

                                It is not a secret that Article 13 is about shoveling all the money to the old boys who used to control everything, and they're the ones who are lobbying massively and spreading the nonsense about Google and YT.

                                If you're still having comprehension issues with this, maybe ask your mom to explain it to you, using small words.

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • icon
                                PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:04am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                "LOL uh what does Vevo have to do with this? "

                                Vevo is a video streaming service operated by the major record labels. That is, it was until they shut down their own platform so that they could host exclusively on YouTube. Which, unless you have some evidence to the contrary, they wouldn't have done unless YouTube hosting was much more profitable. Hence, you lied when you said they don't pay for the content they host. Is that easy enough for you.

                                "it's also no secret that Google/YT has been bombarding Brussels with lobbyists for months."

                                You spelt "RIAA" wrong.

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                                • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                  identicon
                                  Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:12am

                                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                  I'm curious- if you hate musicians so much, why do you feel the need to steal their creations? And please spare me the old canard about how evil you think record companies are- Google has stolen 1000X more from musicians in 15 years than every company combined in the history of the world.

                                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • identicon
                                    TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:15am

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    I'm curious: If you love musicians so much, why do you feel the need to steal their ability to self-publish? And please spare me the old canard about how evil Google is - the record companies have stolen 1000x more from musicians over the entirety of their history than Google has had the chance to in their years of operation.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                      identicon
                                      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:19am

                                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                      Your "I am rubber, you are glue" routine is sure to stop Article 13 all by itself! Real strong game you have there, bud! Be sure to let us know when you'll be picking up your Nobel Prize.

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • identicon
                                        TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:36am

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        Your rabid shilling with ignorance of facts and logic is sure to pass Article 13 all by itself! Real strong game you have their, bud! Be sure to let us know when you'll be picking up your big fat check from the lobbyists.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • icon
                                    PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:57pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    "I'm curious- if you hate musicians so much, why do you feel the need to steal their creations? "

                                    The real question is why you have to base everything you say on a false personal attack, especially against people who go out of their way to pay for content on a regular basis. That's the problem with you people - you think you're fighting against some evil but you're actually insulting your best customers.

                                    "Google has stolen 1000X more from musicians in 15 years than every company combined in the history of the world."

                                    Meh, compared to Hollywood Accounting and other illegal activities the companies you support have committed against artists for decades I doubt they've scratched the surface, even if you weren't lying.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                  identicon
                                  Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:17am

                                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                  I know you're a teenager, and maybe not all that bright, but there is more music on YouTube than just what was ported over from Vevo. Go have a look some time, you might be surprised what you find there.

                                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • identicon
                                    TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:35am

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    I know you're a 7 year old, and obviously not all that bright, but there is obviously no reason to port Vevo to Youtube if there's no monetary gain to be had. Try to actually understand what's being said sometimes, you might be surprised to find that logic actually exists.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • icon
                                    PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:02pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    "there is more music on YouTube than just what was ported over from Vevo"

                                    There certainly is. For example - the work hundreds of thousands of independent artists whose work competes with Vevo but might be vulnerable to false takedowns encouraged by Article 13. Not a coincidence.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • icon
                                Mike Masnick (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 10:33am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                I'm not sure why you're having trouble understanding this- it is not a secret that Article 13 is about YouTube; any member of the EU parliament would happily tell you that

                                If that were true, then they would have created rules that only targeted large platforms; but they did not. There were options on the table to do that, and they were all rejected.

                                Later on in this thread you lie and claim that the rules only target platforms with turnover of 20M Euros but that is false. That requirement only applies to those 3 years and younger. Once you are over 3 years old, it applies to all platforms that host user generated content.

                                If the EU had crafted narrow rules that only target YouTube, they might well have gotten support of the public. But you chose not to do that. I wonder why...

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                                • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                  identicon
                                  Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:46pm

                                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                  Lie? lol Why don't you tell us again how You Tube paying for copyrighted content is going to break the internet, Mr. Truthy.

                                  Feel free to point out exactly what other corporation is going to be "adversely" affected by having to pay musicians, you silly Google shill...

                                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • identicon
                                    TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:50pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    Why don't you tell us again how Youtube doesn't already pay for copyrighted material? I'd love to hear more lies about how Article 13 will only affect the pirates, Mr. Truth-Optional.

                                    Feel free to point exactly how Google will be the only one adversely affected instead of being one of the only ones able to actually bear the burden, you silly RIAA shill.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                    identicon
                                    Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:52pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    Gotta cut Pirate Mike some slack today, he just heard about the Grande Comm decision and isn’t feeling very well.
                                    Cheer up, Mike, at least your checks from Google are still coming every two weeks.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • identicon
                                      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:14pm

                                      Re: Copyright best and brightest out in force today

                                      Remember your mom said you have to wear your special helmet every day.

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • identicon
                                      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:22pm

                                      Re: Wooooooo “scary”

                                      Oh yeah he’s super upset the case might actually have a chance to prove how worthless it is in stead of being tossed out in the ash pile of history right off.

                                      Maybe come back when you have something more substantial than a wet fart in a hurricane.

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • icon
                                    PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:53pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    "Why don't you tell us again how You Tube paying for copyrighted content is going to break the internet"

                                    Because the internet comprises of a hell of a lot more sites than YouTube, and most of them don't have the same resources to battle against your lies? YouTube, who already pay huge amounts of money to the legacy industries might weather the storm, but most won't.

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
                                      identicon
                                      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:58pm

                                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                      Like who?

                                      Name them all.

                                      Post the names right here:

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • icon
                                        nasch (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:14pm

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        Name them all.

                                        Yeah Paul! Name every web site in the world that's smaller than YouTube. You can't can you? Check, and mate! Anonymous Coward wins this one! We all have to support Article 13 now.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • identicon
                                        TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:09pm

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        http(s)://..*

                                        Where * stands for header, site, and domain, as needed.

                                        Request complete. This is the final answer - any changes to the request will be considered to be goalpost moving and will bear a fine of no less than 4% of gross product for the fiscal year, or minimum 20 million euros.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • identicon
                                        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:42pm

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        “Says who!”

                                        You sound about as believable as Trumps former lawyer.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • identicon
                                        Rocky, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:45pm

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        Post the names right here

                                        ANY site that has UGC.

                                        Jeez, logical reasoning isn't your strong suit it seems.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • identicon
                                        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 4:15pm

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        Because everyone is smaller then Google. Here is a list of all 234,586,244 registered domains. Just subtract the ones Google owns.
                                        Here is a list
                                        I am not a pirate so you will have to pay if you want all the details. I am sure you are willing to pay for it though.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                      • icon
                                        PaulT (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 1:38am

                                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                        Post a list of all the sites on the internet apart from YouTube? That's what you're asking? That's stupid and desperate even by your standards.

                                        Here's just one: https://duckduckgo.com. Since you're allergic to anything related to Google, try using on of their competitors that you claim don't exist to search the web.

                                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • identicon
                                    Rocky, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:40pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    Lie? lol Why don't you tell us again how You Tube paying for copyrighted content is going to break the internet, Mr. Truthy.

                                    Hey Mr "Genius", did you miss the fact article 13 encompass ALL sites - not just Youtube and it's not specific to music, it's for ALL types of content under copyright.

                                    Google/YT could most likely afford it, but not all sites have deep pockets to handle it. Article 13 also totally changes the economic landscape for content, since ALL content handling would suddenly get VERY expensive the money for it has to come from somewhere. And somewhere in this instance is the people legally consuming the content, which means they much less value for the money spent which means less content will be sold.

                                    It's almost like those supporting article 13 thinks the money is just going to flow like rivers to the content creators if implemented. I don't think they understand market economics very well, especially in light of recent reports on how the growth of the digital entertainment market has slowed indicating that people doesn't have more money to spend on it.

                                    If you happen to run a fan-site for a musician, sorry, unless you can get an explicit license from the rightsholder of the content (photos, lyrics etc) in question you have to remove it. Yay! It's a win for the musicians, because only approved "fan-sites" will then exist!

                                    Rinse-and-repeat for any type of fan-site or commercial site which has UGC on it.

                                    How stupid can people be and still breathe...

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                  • icon
                                    Mike Masnick (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 4:56pm

                                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                    Lie? lol Why don't you tell us again how You Tube paying for copyrighted content is going to break the internet, Mr. Truthy.

                                    It's not. I mean, leaving aside the fact that YouTube already pays for copyright-covered content, I'm sure it could afford to pay more. I don't give a fuck about what this does to YouTube. I mean, look, the EU keeps fining Google a few billion every year. Take that money and distribute it to artists, if that's your goal.

                                    My issue is that this bill doesn't just target YouTube/Google. It hits EVERY OTHER SITE with requirements that are both insane and unworkable. On top of that, to comply with this law, any site will have to censor a ton of perfectly legal, non-infringing content, because the liability otherwise will be too big. Either that or shut down in Europe.

                                    So, no it's got fuck all with what it will do to YouTube. You want to tax YouTube because you're too lazy to find a workable business model? Go for it. But be a little fucking honest and admit that that's you're goal and get such a tax passed. Instead, you've got this ridiculous Article 11 and Article 13 that will have a major impact on basically every other site.

                                    Meanwhile, I will note that you HAVE NOT ANSWERED MY ORIGINAL QUESTION (did you think I wouldn't notice?). You LIED and claimed that Article 13 is just about YouTube. I showed you that it's not, and you changed the subject right back to YouTube. Why is that.. I wonder... It's almost as if you're paid to pretend that this is all about YouTube... who would do that...?

                                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • identicon
                                      Rocky, 21 Mar 2019 @ 2:41am

                                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                      On top of that, to comply with this law, any site will have to censor a ton of perfectly legal, non-infringing content, because the liability otherwise will be too big. Either that or shut down in Europe.

                                      It's even worse, if EU passes the copyright harmonization it still needs to be implemented as laws on the national level which most likely will mean discrepancies between EU member states in implementation.

                                      For those who don't understand what that means, theoretically you can be compliant with the law in one country but not others - so to be on the safe side any site operator would need to adopt a minimalist approach on what content they can allow.

                                      The problem already exists today to some degree, but since the language in the harmonization effort leaves it up to each country to specify what some terms should mean and what they should encompass, the problem will be magnified.

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                                    • icon
                                      Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 7:13am

                                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                      "My issue is that this bill doesn't just target YouTube/Google. It hits EVERY OTHER SITE with requirements that are both insane and unworkable."

                                      Except, ironically, torrent indexing sites where the only uploaded content is 20-digit string magnet links.

                                      So the legitimate consumer - and worse, any site even trying to be or become legitimate, gets the leadpipe treatment courtesy of the closest hundred copyright trolls, whereas the pirates keep sailing blithely on untouched.

                                      "You LIED and claimed that Article 13 is just about YouTube. I showed you that it's not, and you changed the subject right back to YouTube."

                                      And google. according to old Baghdad Bob article 13 is tailor-made to only hit youtube and google (unclear how). And the core of his argumentation remains that aside from those two actors everything else will remain untouched, all evidence to the contrary aside.

                                      "It's almost as if you're paid to pretend that this is all about YouTube."

                                      If anyone is actually paying that clown for, apparently, spamming a thousand threads with delusional ranting and ad homs then the jokes on them.

                                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • identicon
                                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:36am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                Again for the extremely stupid and or recent trauma victims.

                                “You know basic stuff that makes it obvious you don’t have a fucking clue what you are talking about.”

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • identicon
                            TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:22am

                            Re: Re:

                            Allow me to argue in the exact same amount of good faith as you yourself are:

                            Article 13 will make memes illegal. Anyone saying otherwise is lying to you.

                            Who are you trying to fool here? Anyone with a cursory knowledge of the issue knows that it's designed to force every little guy to go through the legacy gatekeepers only and is intended to kill off the wealth of self-publishing options available via the internet.

                            Gatekeepers just want their stranglehold on culture back. That's why you have their shills like you posting about it every day.

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

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                              identicon
                              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:41am

                              Re: Re: Re:

                              Any company with income less than 20M Euros is exempt from Article 13.

                              So, no.

                              link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • identicon
                                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:46am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                Not if they are more than 5 years old.

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • identicon
                                TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:51am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                And who are less than 3 years old, so, hahaha you're wrong.

                                But the little guys in question aren't the companies, they're the independent creators. So, again, you're wrong.

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                              • identicon
                                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 9:20am

                                Re: Re: Re: Re:

                                You forgot the " for 3 years" part of that. Silly rabbit..

                                link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • identicon
                            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:46am

                            Re: Re:

                            "it was designed to make Google/YT pay for the copyrighted content they profit from"

                            ... and yet that is not what will happen once implemented is it?

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • identicon
                            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:49am

                            Re: Re:

                            For example (from the first link):

                            Youtube says: “Rightsholders should work with platforms to identify the content they own, so the platforms know what is protected under copyright and can give rightsholders control to block if they choose.”

                            Translation: I, as a creator, should spend my life monitoring the gazzillion trillion hours of video on Youtube in the hope that I will find someone infringing my copyright. When this happens, I should notify Google/Youtube who will endevour to take this content down.

                            Which is not what it actually says, and the first text is actually from Article 13, not YT, and it says (in a stupid way) that rightsholders should inform the platforms what works the rightholders own and what license should be applied by the platform so the platform can identify the copyrighted works and and any infringers at which point the rightsholder can choose an action.

                            Also, the guy is totally oblivious to the fact how disingenuous his reasoning is since it's so focused on YT and Google and their revenue that he doesn't even reflect on how other sites will be impacted. No matter how dismissive the supporters of article 11 and 13 is, there is already an impact going on totally unrelated platforms.

                            The company I work for has a service oriented web platform where many things our corporate customers post to it is publicly visible. Much of the material that they post is reports, PR-material, financial statements and other things, but if Article 13 is implemented we can't no longer provide that facet of the service due to liability concerns, because just one infraction may wipe out a years worth of net income from the contracts we have for the service.

                            This also means some of our customers will migrate to other platforms that is hosted outside the EU, which is a double loss for the economy in EU. We have already lost some renewals of contracts due to the uncertainty what will happen, and everyone of didn't renew is planning on using a similar service in the US.

                            We have looked at filter technologies to see if we can remedy the situation, but since there is no working solution that are economically, practically and technologically feasible. We could hire someone to look through everything but that also kills the service financially.

                            And you are as guilty as the guy in the first link, because all you can see is all the money Google and YT makes, decrying how unfair it is without even thinking about every-fucking-one else that will take a financial hit if article 13 is implemented - you know, like real jobs disappearing.

                            Anyone cheering this on is blind to the fact that if companies find it too onerous to operate in the EU they will move to greener pastures where it's easier and cheaper to operate. Who the fuck in their right mind would want to run an internet business in the EU where you can be slapped with a fine that can wipe out a years profit or more?

                            In the end, everybody loses but especially the people living in the EU because there are fucktards who can't reason their way out of a wet paper bag even if their life depended on it.

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

                          • identicon
                            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:32am

                            Re: Re: I have such lovely projections to show you

                            “Btw, who exactly are you trying to fool here?”

                            link to this | view in chronology ]

                      • icon
                        Toom1275 (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:51am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I�

                        So... in your mind, lies told about google prove there were lies told by it?

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                      • icon
                        Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 5:48am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I�

                        Wait, you mean that out of three publications all of which are vested interests in themselves all three have opinion pieces where a largely ignorant mouthpiece blurbs about how evil Google steals money from starving artists and makes the claim that article 13 will fix this?

                        Gosh. What's next on your list of "evidence"? A revelation that a media marketing department actually markets for the media company?

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                  • identicon
                    Rocky, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:07am

                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laugh

                    Please provide citation av any lies Google have presented in regards of Article 13.

                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                    • icon
                      tex2us (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:15am

                      Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m l

                      A gentlemen's word needs no citation. Also, Google is the root of all evil. By default, they must be lying.

                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                      • identicon
                        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:29am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I�

                        John Smith, a gentleman?

                        Right, and John Steele was going to win the fight against Judge Otis Wright.

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                      • identicon
                        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:43am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I�

                        Just like the doctors who killed a bunch of women and children by not washing their hands - confusing a directive to follow for an intrinsic property of their own virtue as only privileged tosspots can.

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                      • identicon
                        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:44am

                        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you,

                        "A gentlemen's word needs no citation. "

                        I spoke him, he says he didn't do it.

                        link to this | view in chronology ]

                • icon
                  Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:34am

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing

                  "Just because there are supposed alternatives doesn't erase the possibility of a monopoly occurring."

                  mo·nop·o·ly
                  /məˈnäpəlē/
                  noun: monopoly; plural noun: monopolies; noun: Monopoly

                  1. the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service. "his likely motive was to protect his regional monopoly on furs" a company or group having exclusive control over a commodity or service. "areas where cable companies operate as monopolies" a commodity or service in the exclusive control of a company or group. "electricity, gas, and water were considered to be natural monopolies" the exclusive possession, control, or exercise of something. "men don't have a monopoly on unrequited love"
                    1. trademark a board game in which players engage in simulated property and financial dealings using imitation money. It was invented in the US and the name was coined by Charles Darrow c. 1935.

                  Unless you're referring to the boardgame, Baghdad Bob, it's painfully obvious you don't know what "monopoly" means or how it "could occur".
                  Because quite frankly if we have a dozen alternative sources to obtain information, all of which are similarly priced (free) and of equivalent quality then, by definition, a monopoly situation CAN NOT occur.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:00am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at y

                Honestly I think Jhon prefers Conservapedia.

                But let's consider another approach to this: according to John Sanford Smith, if AT&T or T-Mobile or Comcast is the largest ISP in an area and puts all of its competition out of business, that's not a monopoly that warrants the FCC's attention.

                But suddenly, despite all the other free dictionaries Jhon could be using, Wikipedia now counts as a "monopoly".

                Again, because we needed more proof that Jhon has as much credibility and reliability as a used condom with a hole snipped at the top.

                Bonus points for irony: Jhon's been busily quoting the Wikipedia article for the Statute of Anne to push his "copyright says fuck the consumer" perspective for a couple of weeks. Based on his interpretation of copyright, he's stealing!

                link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Madd the Sane (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:39pm

              Re: Re: Re: I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you

              Wikipedia's largest funder by far is Google;[…]

              [Citation Needed]

              […]if Article 13 passes Google will have to start paying for the music it streams on YouTube.

              How is the former statement related to the latter?

              Wikipedia has become ubiquitous, it's almost like a public utility at this point.

              Like internet access in general, right? …No?

              This is where the monopolization issues rear their head.

              Who has a monopoly on what? Wikipedia may have a "monopoly" on online encyclopedias, but you can always use another online encyclopedia if you so choose. This is less a case for ISPs, even if you include a cell network as an ISP (I don't). The same goes for Google: it has the majority for search engines, but you are not forced to use Google. You can just as easily use Bing.

              Denying service to the public because you don't want to have to pay for music streams is a risky endeavour.

              …And Wikipedia and streaming music is related… how? If you mean Google being the main funder of Wikimedia Foundation, then citation is still needed.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

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      identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:05pm

      Re:

      Facebook just censored Trump's director of social media. No anti-conservative bias there!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:18am

        Re: Re:

        Not at all. Anti-asshole, anti-corruption, etc. but not anti-conservative. It's not Facebook's fault that so many corrupt assholes are congregating on one side of the political spectrum.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
          identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:36am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Discovery will eventually determine who is right.

          What's done in the dark is always brought to the light.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:46am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Yes, I too look forward to the day your name shows up on a subpoena. It's going to be nice to finally stop calling you John, oh sorry, Jhon Smith.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
              identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:55am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Michael Masnick,

              Your user is harassing me. Please ensure this conduct ceases. It is being reported to the police.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:15am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                Yes, Masnick. Please also report that this user threatened others he disagreed with with anal rape.

                Don't fight battles you can't win, Jhon.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Glen, 20 Mar 2019 @ 7:56am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                I'm pretty sure such report will result in an eyeroll.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:39am

                Re: Petards and the hosting thereof

                Yes please also report this your for threatening to kill you by wishing you would die in a fire. The Keebler elf cyber-assassain squalid has been notified at their Tree Fort Of Doom!

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:06pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                Responding to a person on a public forum after they voluntarily posted there is pretty much the opposite of harassment.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 7:20am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                " Michael Masnick,"

                "Your user is harassing me. Please ensure this conduct ceases. It is being reported to the police."

                While you report that, please don't forget to include the asshole who threatened all of the "aspies" on this thread with anal rape.

                Oh, wait, that was you, which any actual police investigation would show if they care enough to investigate at all. Silly me.

                Also, "your user is harrassing me" might be viable if you want to lodge a complaint to a screwdriver that its handler is being mean to you but I fail to see how it can apply on any form of forum where the commenters happen to not be inanimate objects.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:05pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            "Discovery will eventually determine who is right."

            Then the right wing will cry about some conspiracy when the truth that they're being banned for being dicks is correctly determined.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:05am

        Re: Re:

        That’s nice. Completely off topic but still nice. Good job Facebook. Now back to the issue at hand...

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        nasch (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 10:11am

        Re: Re:

        Facebook just censored Trump's director of social media.

        Facebook's automated systems mistook his actions for those of a bot, and prevented him from doing something on the platform for a short time ("mentions" or something, I don't use FB so I don't know exactly). At no time was he prevented from posting to FB, the action was not taken by a human, and it was not in any way content related.

        No anti-conservative bias there!

        Correct.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:45am

      Re:

      This reply thread is ridiculous. Why is it so hard for y’all to stop feeding the trolls? They don’t care what you have to say, and none of the facts and logic you bring to the table will make them care. There’s countless other ways to contribute to comment sections besides giving a troll what they want. Just flag the trolls and move on.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:46am

      Re:

      You're aware that Wikipedia hosts user-generated content and would have to withhold all new articles and edits for review before allowing them to be published if Article 13 goes into effect, right? And you're also aware that Wikipedia is a not-for-profit organization that can barely afford to keep its doors open? And that hiring all the necessary reviewers to satisfy Article 13 would bankrupt them and Wikipedia would cease to exist?

      You seem to be a Wikipedia fan but also an Article 13 fan. So... which is it? Those two things are mutually exclusive.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    StopACTA2, 19 Mar 2019 @ 9:18pm

    Don't forget to join the EU wide protests on march 23:

    http://bit.do/stopacta2

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:04pm

    It won't work this time. The EU already knows it's coming and if anything this will help Article 13 pass.

    The best way to "stop" Article 13 is to let it pass and then tally up the damage it will supposedly cause. In a world where someone in Kenya can assemble almost a thousand books, put them on a DVD, SELL those illegal copies to people in developing countries who express a dire NEED for the titles (meaning it truly is lost sales), Article 13 is necessary, plus it is definitely in the public interest to ensure that people who pay full price aren't paying more than thieves, and that criminals are in no way enriched, first by sales of illicit works, and again by marketing to the distribution list it creates, plucking off the "whales" they can scam with live seminars (that also allows them to use piracy to destroy reasonably priced e-book competition).

    Masnick publishes so many articles in his opposition to Article 13 that he almost seems rabid. He'd probably accomplish more by restricting it to a few per week, where all the stuff in his articles are condensed into a digest with links (that would still exist under Article 13).

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Madd the Sane (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:26pm

      Re:

      Masnick publishes so many articles in his opposition to Article 13 that he almost seems rabid.

      If someone had a gun to your head and is weighing the options to shoot or not shoot, you'd bet you'd be "rabid" to persuade the person not to shoot you.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        That One Guy (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:40pm

        Man with tree in eye decries sliver in eye of other man

        What's particularly funny about the 'rabid' accusation is that if typing up handful of articles over something that is of great concern is an indication of being 'rabid', what does spamming multiple comment section with mass-lies and/or laughable bullshit make good old Jhon?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

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        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:38am

        Re: Re:

        And now the threat line has been crossed.

        If someone is facing a long prison term, you bet their loyalty would be tested.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:13am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Threatening other people with long prison terms... check! You really enjoy hoisting yourself on your own petard, don't you Jhon?

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:40am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Bring it on you impotent, old, fuckwit.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:51am

          Re: Re: Re:

          You sound like another tinfoil sociopath I know. Even discussion of a violent act amounts to a threat of violence against you. Hey, narcissist... Not everything is about you. I know that's hard to believe (for you) but seriously, the world revolves around an entirely different axis.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

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        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:43am

        Re: Re:

        Michael Masnick,

        You are being reported to the police for allowing harassment and now an implied death threat against me on your site.

        If you continue to allow others to harass me, it will be treated as retaliation against a witness.

        You are also on notice to put a litigation hold on all content posted to this site over the past year.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:49am

          Re: Re: Re:

          One of your buddies literally told Masnick to die in a fire.

          You yourself have claimed that nobody reads this site.

          Never mind that the above is a hypothetical scenario with no specific identification behind the pronouns used, to describe a situation where a person would reasonably expect to behave in a certain way when under threat.

          I really don't think the police is bending over backwards and scrambling the army, navy and air force because some anonymous crybaby got his walking stick shoved in his ass again.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
            identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:57am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Michael Masnick,

            Your users are harassing me on this site. This is being reported to police in addition to the implied death threat made against me in this thread.

            Please ensure this conduct ceases immediately.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:12am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              John, John, John.

              You've been made fun of for a year and counting. You've consistently considered this amount of verbal smackdown to be more than sufficient for the police to come charging down the street, guns blazing, to kill off anyone and everyone who disagrees with you.

              The fact that none of that has actually come to fruition, once again, suggests that you're doing nothing more than desperately hoping someone believes your bluffing.

              Masnick lets your friends tell him to jump in a fire, and allows you to threaten oral rape of other posters here with a chainsaw.

              I really don't think he's going to stop people beating you with logic.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Stephen T. Stone (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 4:58am

              You know, exposing your impotence like this time and time again does nothing to make you look good.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                That One Guy (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:55pm

                Re:

                Hence why I'm pretty sure it's an actual fetish for them. When no-one believes anything they say, and posting yet another impotent 'threat' results in nothing but mockery, the fact that they keep doing it would seem to suggest that they get something out of it.

                Or they're completely delusional such that they at least believe what they type.

                Either way, not a very good look, but always good for a guilt-free laugh at least.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:53am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Bro the cops are like your doctor now.
              They won’t even see you lol

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:41am

              Re: Crybaby Jhon

              You gonna get you big brother to beat me up next Jhon boy?

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2019 @ 11:15am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              John:I demand you shut down and arrest everyone on that site immediat-
              👮‍♂️:DOOOOORK!

              link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:59am

          Re: Re: Re:

          I almost wish you weren't trolling, so I could see the look on the faces of the cops when you claim that the above is any kind of a threat against your person. I don't know if it would be bemusement or them trying desperately to hold back their laughter.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Madd the Sane (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 9:12am

          My bad…

          Okay, bad example. Here's one you can relate to more:

          A person is pondering cutting your salary to a tenth of what it is now. Even if you get a couple hundred million per year, you bet you'd be "rabid" trying to convince the person not to do that.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          nasch (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 10:12am

          Re: Re: Re:

          lol, guys this should be flagged funny, not troll. This is hilarious!

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:46am

          Re: Old man yells at Masnick

          “You are also on notice to put a litigation hold on all content posted to this site over the past year.”

          You too bro. In case I want to go back and have a hearty laugh at all your grade school projection, impotent threats, little white lies, and big black stodgy ones.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 11:54am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Try this one on for size:

          I hope you get hit by a train which then collides with another train, both then catch fire and a freak lightning storm zaps all your ashes into atoms.

          Like that? It's not a threat, just a fervent desire. But feel free to report it if you can find anyone who will ignore your foil hat and listen to what you have to say.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 7:25am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Let's not forget how Baghdad Bob/Jhon/Blue expressed how all us "aspies" on this thread who were being mean to him should be subjected to aggravated rape.

            Of course, him threatening others or implying threats is a different kettle of fish which I'm sure the hypothetical long-suffering police officer to investigate these threads is sure to acknowledge, right?

            link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:20am

      Re:

      " people in developing countries who express a dire NEED for the titles (meaning it truly is lost sales)"

      Or, it means that the publishers are overcharging by such an amount that potential customers were unable to obtain the books any other way.

      What's your obsession with a decade-old story from Africa that was resolved without the need for the shit you support being pushed in Europe, by the way? Are you that unable to find anything relevant?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:47am

        Re: Re:

        The piracy is ongoing. This site has allowed death threats against EU government officials, and now an implied threat against me.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:51am

          Re: Re: Re:

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
            identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:52am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Time will tell.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

          • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
            identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:53am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Michael Masnick,

            Your user is attemting to extort my silence regarding reporting the death threat against me here to the police. That is a federal crime punishable by up to ten years in prison. 18 USC 1513

            Please ensure this conduct ceases immediately.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:09am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Extort silence? Why? Because you hypocritically posted threats against Asperger's sufferers?

              Cry me a river and get over yourself.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 7:29am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                "Extort silence? Why? Because you hypocritically posted threats against Asperger's sufferers?"

                Silly AC. It's different when Baghdad Bob/Jhon/Blue does it. He's on the side of major media companies, he has the right to threaten other people with sexual assault.

                I actually wish the police WOULD investigate. Slim hope, but it would serve him right when the first one to go before a judge ends up being him himself, on a hate crime charge.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:01pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Michael Masnick,

              Your user is attemting to extort my silence regarding reporting the death threat against me here to the police. That is a federal crime punishable by up to ten years in prison. 18 USC 1513

              Replace "Michael Masnick" with "Teacher" and it makes sense as to how mature this commenter acts.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                That One Guy (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 10:17pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                "Teacher Teacher Teacher, they keep kicking my chair and calling me names!"

                "Did you ever stop kicking their chair and calling them names?"

                "That's not important, what matters is that they keep kicking my chair and being mean to me!"

                link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2019 @ 3:19pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              Fuck off. Whiny little shit sucker

              link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          PaulT (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 1:39am

          Re: Re: Re:

          "The piracy is ongoing"

          As it was before the internet existed and will do long after your attempts to destroy it have failed to stop piracy. So?

          "This site has allowed death threats"

          It really hasn't.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:06am

      Re:

      You sound worried bro.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:44am

        Re: Re:

        Someone made an implied threat to shoot me. Couldn't care less whether or not Article 13 passes.

        The police, should they choose, now have a level of probable cause they did not before.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:01am

          Re: Re: Re:

          "Someone made an implied threat to shoot me. "

          Where? Not in this thread, unless you're wilfully misrepresenting what was written.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:06am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Couldn't care less whether or not Article 13 passes.

          You seem to have a delirious glee in posting about your belief that it will pass.

          The police, should they choose

          A year of said police doing fuck all suggests that they chose not to.

          You, on the other hand, chose to remain anonymous.

          You have yourself to blame for the fuck all the police cares for you.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:15pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          “Couldn't care less whether or not Article 13 passes.”

          Ahahahaha, bro all you do is make impotent threats and talk about how article 13 will wipe out those filthy pirates. You can’t even keep your lies straight.

          “The police, should they choose, now have a level of probable cause they did not before.”

          Well it is true you threatened to rape a guy, so yeah. But I’m pretty sure the police are aware of what an impotent old liar you are, so they’d probably just treat it as protected opinion as you have no actual way to carry out said threat.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    AFK, 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:27pm

    My few words: Article 11 causes giving references to be punishable by law, and that is really bad idea only because references are one the easiest ways to confirm/ learn more about article/ news credibility.

    Article 13 on the other hand is attempt to create worldwide masscensorshipmachine because Your leaders with the little help from lobbyist refuse to think of the consequenses of that action.
    And that causes proper Blackout.

    Had to check that I dont get profits/ gifts from VPN- providers before writing that...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Madd the Sane (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:41pm

      Astroturf

      The astroturfing is strong in this article. Better get the industrial heater out to kill it off.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:57am

        Re: Astroturf

        "The astroturfing is strong in this article. Better get the industrial heater out to kill it off."

        Yeah, the copyright troll(s) are out in force over this one. Assuming we can count Baghdad Bob and all his assorted sock puppets as a multiple. I honestly don't see why not given the schizophrenic way he often undercuts the same logic he painstakingly presented three posts earlier.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    That One Guy (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:48pm

    'If you're only there to screw me over...'

    I have no idea if these kinds of protests will be as effective as the blackday back during the SOPA fight, but I can say that Article 13 will be way worse for the internet than SOPA ever would have been.

    Making a large, public demonstration(or many) of how unhappy the public is with the EU trying to screw them over is a good start(and nicely exposes the politicians who tried to dismiss it as nothing but 'bots' as liars and/or deluded), but I think the best weapon will be a promise of returning the favor. Make clear that anyone voting for it will be voted against in any and all future elections, whether or not Articles 11/13 passes. Make clear that that vote will have the potential to decide all future votes for everyone involved, and that the wrong choice will result in consequences and I suspect that at least a few of the politicians involved will fold to public pressure, hopefully enough to scuttle the train-wreck.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
      identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 2:48am

      Re: 'If you're only there to screw me over...'

      Won't matter.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:28am

        Re: Re:

        He said, trembling and clenching his fists, ready to rail at Anonymous Cowards who dared disagree with the great John Smith.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:17pm

        Re: Re: 'If you're only there to screw me over...'

        That’s all you got left bro. That’s sad even by blues standards.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    stopacta2 (profile), 19 Mar 2019 @ 10:59pm

    Protest to save our internet

    Thank you everyone joining the blackout protests. For full map showing the street protest locations with details visit:

    http://bit.do/stopacta2

    For further information visit:

    https://stopacta2.org

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Max (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:47pm

      Re: Protest to save our internet

      Dammit, I fucking HATE living in a city too small to even have an anti-A13 demonstration. And don't even THINK about "well start one yourself": no Facebook; no Twitter. ...Really...?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 6:10am

    A public service

    When the protests go live, I will raise a toast to John Sanford Smith and his buddies out_of_the_blue and Hamilton, for their public service of demonstrating exactly what kind of person actually supports this article.

    I imagine they've done quite a bit to convince people that it's a bad, bad idea, and I salute their service to the public good.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:08am

    My favorite part of Techdirt is when the users that supposedly are all about "free speech" just reflexively censor any post that has an opposing opinion.

    Absolutely helps to define the site and the people behind it for those that might be stopping by.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:14am

      Re:

      My favorite part about TechDirt is that you can still see flagged posts, which means they aren't censored, there's just a warning that says "This is stupid, read at your own risk."

      Absolutely helps to define the quality of the flagged comment for those that might be stopping by.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:21am

        Re: Re:

        Hiding speech is censorship.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Glen, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:38am

          Re: Re: Re:

          It really isn't. Those that chose so can still access it.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          TFG, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:40am

          Re: Re: Re:

          My favorite part about hiding posts on Techdirt is that literally anyone can see it with a mouse-click.

          There's a fun game to be played: It's called "guess the content!" When you see a hidden post, try to figure out what was said just from the responses to it. Then, once you have a gist of it, you click on the hidden post to open it up and take a look, and see how close to the mark you are! It makes it worth opening up the flagged post, as otherwise the flagged post just really isn't worth bothering with 9 times out of 10.

          And boy-o, if I can see what was hidden instantly, it ain't censorship. It's just a community saying "this was stupid. Read at your own risk."

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:50am

          Re: Re: Re:

          The Bill Of Rights, which includes the first amendment, addresses things the government is not allowed to do. (even tho they ignore it)
          It says nothing about what private business is not allowed to do.

          Are there any local ordnances which address free speech? If so, do any of them address its applicability to private business?

          Seems you are complaining about having to wear a shirt while at the local restaurant.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:18pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          Crying about having a warning put in front of your brain drool is still throwing a tantrum over the results your own behaviour.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 8:23am

          Re: Re: Re:

          "Hiding speech is censorship."

          When government does it, yes, or when government assists in doing so.

          Article 13 and article 11 borderline bona fide censorship.
          user input on a private forum? Eh, not so much.

          But hey, Baghdad Bob, why am I not surprised to see that this too is a topic of which you know zip and nada.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 8:27am

      Re:

      Free speech does not exclude people from responding. Reporting your drivel is not censorship, it's telling the asshole to leave the room.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        That One Guy (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:31pm

        Re: Re:

        It's not even that, it's telling people 'that person currently relegated to the corner where you can't hear them is an asshole, but if you really want to hear what they have to say you can go over and listen. Don't say we didn't warn you though.'

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 12:00pm

      Re:

      Dissenting opinions are not hidden. Assholes and lies are.

      Everyone can recognize the distinction between those apart from the assholes whose posts are hidden.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:30pm

    Just heard that people are getting emails that offer 50€ to attend the protests.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 1:34pm

      Re:

      Just heard that people are getting emails that offer 50€ to protest the protesters. Proof not needed.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:46pm

        Re: Re:

        Just heard the first poster got paid 3 fiddy an hour to lie about article 13 on TD.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:10pm

      Re:

      Can I play too???

      I just heard that Trump will give everybody $100 for voting for him next election!!!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2019 @ 4:26pm

        Re: Re:

        ... Trump will promise to give everybody $100 for voting for him next election - and then deny he ever said that.
        ftfy

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      That One Guy (profile), 20 Mar 2019 @ 3:39pm

      'No one's protesting! I mean it's just bots! I mean...'

      Even assuming that was true(and I have no reason to believe it is, as 'they're being paid to show up' strikes me as a desperate ramping up of the 'only bots are protesting!' lies from before), one wonders how that stacks up to the 'donations' that may or may not have been promised for any politician who votes for it...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Mar 2019 @ 8:27am

      Re:

      "Just heard that people are getting emails that offer 50€ to attend the protests."

      Oh, wow, so you've "heard" that someone's putting up a few hundred million euro as if it was monopoly money.

      Yeah, you know, I'm pretty sure every newspaper in the world would be all over a story like that if it was any kind of true. Hell, if anyone was willing to put up that kind of money they might as well just outright buy the entire EU parliament for the next few terms. that sort of money's enough to run and win half a dozen US presidential campaigns.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2019 @ 3:27pm

      Re:

      Now you know who pirated your e-mail list.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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