Whether this happens infrequently or not, it is shameful. There have been many more examples of this kind of thing: outright thievery perpetrated on average citizens by corporations. However, it is particularly bad when it is done by a corporation in an industry that:
a) claims to need government support to continue to exist
b) claims to be wholly concerned with the artists' rights and happiness
c) vigorously pursues, through legal and quasi-legal means, their "share of the pie" -- including seeking multi-million dollar damage claims from copyright infringers
It is not really that surprising. Their accountants are too busy counting up how much damage one pirated song is doing -- they have no time to see if a measly artist has hit the "recoup" level yet.
Honestly, from the sound of things, you have to imagine that lots of people (including tons of foreign spies) long ago broke into State Department computers and had access to all of this info, based on reports like this.
Worse. It sounds an awful lot like those spies infiltrated the State Department and then actively mismanaged (sabotaged) the asset security project to ensure that they could continue to breach government networks.
Spy Leader: We know how to circumvent Windows already. Ensure that the iPost project doesn't look at anything else.
The idea remains illustrative. The corporate sponsorship embellishes the idea that big money can be involved even when the concepts of "free" and "connecting with fans" are used in a business model. You can see the Techdirt Insight community and other corporate ties and easily figure out that "commercialism" is not one of the things that this blog stands against. And advertising is still a valid way to monetize content, even though this blog has highlighted other innovative ways as well.
If the good teachers have a strong positive influence on people, then the education system has done its job. What better way to reap the benefits of that influence than by "keeping in touch" after the formal education is completed? Also, if I were a teacher, I would think one of the most fulfilling parts of the job would be seeing what students become as adults.
Note that this is not as bad as it seems though. In the bill: "Former student is defined as any person who was at one time a student at the school at which the teacher is employed and who is eighteen years of age or less and who has not graduated." So catching up with your old high school teachers would be fine.
Perhaps Summit is a big tax write-off for some really rich vampire. If people are sued into not talking about, writing about, or sharing their love of the Twilight series... finally it will start to lose money.
They originally thought: an undead creature who mopes and glitters in the sun? A love story where staring balefully clinches both hearts? This has to fail spectacularly and we'll reap capital losses out the wazoo. No such luck... now we'll litigate it into failure.
Just to clarify... the Copyright Term Extension Act is known as the Sonny Bono Act as a "tribute" to Sonny Bono who fought to have a similar act put in place.
Here's what Mary Bono said at the time of the Act's passing (and after Sonny's "passing"): "Actually, Sonny wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the Constitution. ... As you know, there is also [then-MPAA president] Jack Valenti's proposal for term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress."
The scariness of someone being able to stand up in front of a US government body and say that with a straight face. It really distresses me. "Well, we can't actually tear up the Constitution but we can do our best to bend it to the breaking point."
First of all, conflating means to combine two ideas into one. It is not a synonym for "confusing", which is what I think you're accusing the article of doing.
Secondly, the article never mentions piracy. No one is going to convince you that this site isn't a pro-piracy site, but I can say it again: it's not.
This particular article merely makes the point that free has a place in a business model. It ENCOURAGES businesses to think about what that place might be. It does not say: loss leaders (which by the way is just one variation of free in business models) are the same as piracy.
For example: as the cost of distribution approaches zero, giving away digital content is not even done at a loss. One model takes advantage of that non-scarce resource to help sell scarce ones. Try reading the primer on these kinds of economics that appeared here as a series a couple of years ago.
(My apologies if I got any of the technical details wrong... I'm just learning this stuff myself.)
I've noticed a few comments on TD lately that use blanket statements to describe groups of people.
- All police officers are corrupt thugs.
- All insurance companies will be hostile if you make a claim.
- All (insert profession here -- like lawyer or real estate agent) are thieves and liars.
There are valid reasons why people have these impressions. But it is a shame that a few members of the various groups have tarnished group reputations to such a degree that otherwise highly intelligent people stoop to such broad-brush characterizations.
I have been helped by cops and lawyers. I have made more than one claim to insurance companies and never had anything but polite and friendly assistance -- and no argument about payout.
From Wikipedia: The Kardashians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. Their leader, Robert George Kardashian was a Federation attorney, best known as one of the lawyers for, and a friend of, Lieutenant Commander O. J. Simpson of the Starship Mustaquit. Kim Kardashian is Robert's daughter, a lesser being, butt bigger than most.
I pulled those "facts" from various sources, but they could be equally suspect. I honestly try not to be ideological and would actually describe myself as a fiscal conservative and social liberal. Sorry to waste even a small amount of your time. (Not being sarcastic here either.)
If you're going to put in that much effort, why not just put up your own store?
So everyone jumped on Mike for this line, but I was thinking the same thing. If you're going to copy Apple (or NEC) so perfectly, why not spend the same effort negotiating to open an actual Apple or NEC store.
I think everyone interpreted Mike to mean 'why not ignore the brand and go solo,' but I interpreted it differently.
The intention of the URL is undoubtedly for use on the "wire" where a teletype machine clackety-clacks out a story. Why, just yesterday, Mr. Smith stood up to filibuster to save his boy's club and reporters rushed to the phones to file their stories. I overheard one smart cookie say that she thought it was "just swell" that she could type in a web page now to find out more about the story. "Looking up my own research gave me paper cuts that hurt like the dickens!"
Re: Er, so? Big consumers can also be BIG PIRATES!
So, ramp up enforcement. Increase penalties. Educate the younger generations about what they should be paying for.
Oh, you have done all those things already? Do more!
Make copyright enforcement supersede the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Make the penalty for sharing a single song life in prison. Make repeat infringers face the death penalty. And make "Paying For Culture" a mandatory course starting in Grade 1 and introduce forced hypnotism in remedial after-school sessions for kids who "don't get it."
The big pirates will become a thing of the past. But they'll all be in jail, dead, or brainwashed into being just like everyone else. So they STILL won't have changed into big legitimate spenders on content.
My point: you can commission a study that says: how much would these people pay if the world were totally different? Or you can see the hint from existing studies about how a good, cheap, convenient method for getting content might actually improve profits if embraced by the content industries.
- tax breaks for the rich will drive the economy, create jobs and enrich the general populace
- people who get healthcare for free will abuse the system so much that it becomes financially unsustainable
- if you put average people in charge of their own retirement savings fund, they will make more personally relevant decisions and come out ahead in the long run
- pirates are evil seafaring criminals who rape and pillage and give nothing back to society
When in fact:
- the gap between the rich and poor has widened drastically and the biggest, richest companies are increasing shareholder value by "off-shoring" their workforces, resulting in continued high unemployment rates
- Canada's "free" healthcare system, while expensive and in trouble, is still more cost-effective than the HMO-driven "Cadillac" system in the US which denies healthcare to many people every year
- most people do not have enough put away for retirement and there are serious problems with diversification and "asset allocation" in the average person's retirement portfolio
- pirates are evil seafaring criminals who rape and pillage and give nothing back to society (oops, that one was true)
Hephaestus, you said two things that made me think: "dedicated to eradicating infringement" and "maintain profitability". I don't disagree with your analysis, but we can see that it is incredibly shortsighted of them.
Imagine if the **AAs were instead dedicated to helping their members become more profitable instead of fighting a losing battle against progress. That would change their focus and it would result in more profitability for them in the long run.
If you look across the economic and political spectrum today, you'll see that more and more "leaders" have latched on to ideology to shape every decision they make instead of actually looking at the facts in front of them. This is true for politicians who still say that "trickle-down economics" works. It is true for media company executives who believe that consumers should pay more and pay often for the same content in different formats.
The easy way to remember this: paper has an 'er' in it and stationery is the paper while stationary is the adjective for unmoving. Thus, 'my stationary stationery' is a valid phrase for your unmoving paper.
Thank you Marcus... since you had already made that point in what I was responding to I didn't feel the need to re-state it in my comment. But the AC apparently had his secretary print out my comment on a separate sheet of paper.
On the post: EMI Doesn't Pay Royalties, Or It Does, But To The Wrong People, Or It Doesn't, Or Maybe It Does...
Edge Case?
a) claims to need government support to continue to exist
b) claims to be wholly concerned with the artists' rights and happiness
c) vigorously pursues, through legal and quasi-legal means, their "share of the pie" -- including seeking multi-million dollar damage claims from copyright infringers
It is not really that surprising. Their accountants are too busy counting up how much damage one pirated song is doing -- they have no time to see if a measly artist has hit the "recoup" level yet.
On the post: State Department Spent $1.2 Billion On An Asset Monitoring System... That Ignores All Non-Windows Equipment
Worse. It sounds an awful lot like those spies infiltrated the State Department and then actively mismanaged (sabotaged) the asset security project to ensure that they could continue to breach government networks.
Spy Leader: We know how to circumvent Windows already. Ensure that the iPost project doesn't look at anything else.
Spy Underling: Yes, Mr. Gates.
On the post: Blink-182 Rewards Fans Who Uploaded Unauthorized Clips On YouTube
Re: CORPORATE sponsorship.
On the post: Judge Realizes That Nearly All Of The 23,322 People Sued By US Copyright Group Aren't In Its Jurisdiction
Re:
On the post: New Missouri Law May Make It Illegal To Friend Your Former Teachers On Facebook
Note that this is not as bad as it seems though. In the bill: "Former student is defined as any person who was at one time a student at the school at which the teacher is employed and who is eighteen years of age or less and who has not graduated." So catching up with your old high school teachers would be fine.
On the post: Summit Entertainment Commences Criminal Legal Action Against Twilight Fan Who Shared Images From Movie
They originally thought: an undead creature who mopes and glitters in the sun? A love story where staring balefully clinches both hearts? This has to fail spectacularly and we'll reap capital losses out the wazoo. No such luck... now we'll litigate it into failure.
On the post: Mexican Senate Calls On President To Reject ACTA
Re: Go Mexico
On the post: UK Court Orders BT To Block Access To Usenet Site Hollywood Hates
Re: Re:
Here's what Mary Bono said at the time of the Act's passing (and after Sonny's "passing"): "Actually, Sonny wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the Constitution. ... As you know, there is also [then-MPAA president] Jack Valenti's proposal for term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress."
The scariness of someone being able to stand up in front of a US government body and say that with a straight face. It really distresses me. "Well, we can't actually tear up the Constitution but we can do our best to bend it to the breaking point."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act
On the post: 'When Stuff Is Free, We’re More Likely to Buy'
Re:
First of all, conflating means to combine two ideas into one. It is not a synonym for "confusing", which is what I think you're accusing the article of doing.
Secondly, the article never mentions piracy. No one is going to convince you that this site isn't a pro-piracy site, but I can say it again: it's not.
This particular article merely makes the point that free has a place in a business model. It ENCOURAGES businesses to think about what that place might be. It does not say: loss leaders (which by the way is just one variation of free in business models) are the same as piracy.
For example: as the cost of distribution approaches zero, giving away digital content is not even done at a loss. One model takes advantage of that non-scarce resource to help sell scarce ones. Try reading the primer on these kinds of economics that appeared here as a series a couple of years ago.
(My apologies if I got any of the technical details wrong... I'm just learning this stuff myself.)
On the post: Sony's Insurer Says It Shouldn't Have To Pay For Cost Of PlayStation Network Hack
Re: Re: Re: Get Out Of Paying
- All police officers are corrupt thugs.
- All insurance companies will be hostile if you make a claim.
- All (insert profession here -- like lawyer or real estate agent) are thieves and liars.
There are valid reasons why people have these impressions. But it is a shame that a few members of the various groups have tarnished group reputations to such a degree that otherwise highly intelligent people stoop to such broad-brush characterizations.
I have been helped by cops and lawyers. I have made more than one claim to insurance companies and never had anything but polite and friendly assistance -- and no argument about payout.
On the post: Star Trek In The Age Of Intellectual Property
On the post: Kim Kardashian Sues Old Navy For Hiring Actress Who Looks Like Her
Re: Re:
On the post: Industry Suppressed Report Showing Users Of Shuttered 'Pirate' Site Probably Helped Movie Industry...
Re: Re: Ideology Driven Decisions
On the post: Sincerest Form Of Flattery? Copies Of Apple Stores So Convincing Even Employees Think They Work For Apple
So everyone jumped on Mike for this line, but I was thinking the same thing. If you're going to copy Apple (or NEC) so perfectly, why not spend the same effort negotiating to open an actual Apple or NEC store.
I think everyone interpreted Mike to mean 'why not ignore the brand and go solo,' but I interpreted it differently.
On the post: AP Finally Learns That On The Internet, You Can Link To Other Sites
On the post: Industry Suppressed Report Showing Users Of Shuttered 'Pirate' Site Probably Helped Movie Industry...
Re: Er, so? Big consumers can also be BIG PIRATES!
Oh, you have done all those things already? Do more!
Make copyright enforcement supersede the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Make the penalty for sharing a single song life in prison. Make repeat infringers face the death penalty. And make "Paying For Culture" a mandatory course starting in Grade 1 and introduce forced hypnotism in remedial after-school sessions for kids who "don't get it."
The big pirates will become a thing of the past. But they'll all be in jail, dead, or brainwashed into being just like everyone else. So they STILL won't have changed into big legitimate spenders on content.
My point: you can commission a study that says: how much would these people pay if the world were totally different? Or you can see the hint from existing studies about how a good, cheap, convenient method for getting content might actually improve profits if embraced by the content industries.
On the post: Industry Suppressed Report Showing Users Of Shuttered 'Pirate' Site Probably Helped Movie Industry...
Ideology Driven Decisions
It stands to reason that:
When in fact:
On the post: Industry Suppressed Report Showing Users Of Shuttered 'Pirate' Site Probably Helped Movie Industry...
Still Shortsighted
Imagine if the **AAs were instead dedicated to helping their members become more profitable instead of fighting a losing battle against progress. That would change their focus and it would result in more profitability for them in the long run.
If you look across the economic and political spectrum today, you'll see that more and more "leaders" have latched on to ideology to shape every decision they make instead of actually looking at the facts in front of them. This is true for politicians who still say that "trickle-down economics" works. It is true for media company executives who believe that consumers should pay more and pay often for the same content in different formats.
On the post: Lawyer Trying To Trademark Bitcoin Threatens Techdirt With Bogus DMCA Takedown
Re: Grammar nazi
On the post: Belgian Newspapers 'Give Permission' To Google To Return Them To Search Results
Re: Re: Re: robots.txt
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