As I see it, this is just fail for the US. If the rest of the world doesn't follow suit (and this is a case where the RIAA probably doesn't have as much influence because it doesn't have to do with "you're stealing my copyrights" as much as with rates), the rest of the world can still build a healthy webcasting scene. I'm thinking Sweden, Russia, China...
What's weird about your argument, A1, is that the most public supporter of TPB has a seat in the European Parliament right now and they'r using the model of TPB as part of their platform. So I'll assume that TPB is about to turn into a "differences of opinion" issue rather than an absolute evil site. Infringement may be illegal right now, but every day more people realize that it's not immoral.
"Wal-Mart reserves the right, at its sole discretion, without advance notice, to change, modify, add or remove all or any portion of the Site or the Terms."
So it's double useless: unenforceable because it server no purpose and because the courts already have decided that you can't be bound to something that changes with no notification.
I wonder if the EFF will include it in the TOS watchlist...
1. Christian distances himself from the whole "politic" class of person. And he does it to gain credibility. What this tells us of our political class worldwide is very troubling.
2. At the end of the article, you can see the copyright notice from the financial times. This is REALLY troubling.
I don't know where I read it, but I'd love to: "putting tools in place that may lead to a police state is not good democratic hygiene". I'd vote for a pirate party here if there was one. I'll start one if I had the time and money.
And finally, I love the way he explicitly mentions TPB. That's as provocative as the name of the party itself. But it's also establishing a model that many people want to outlaw right away.
Free ebooks when you buy a book? Who would have thought of that??
But seriously, when Amazon first created the "digital library" I assumed I'll have a full Amazon Preview on the books I bought. Since books take so long to get here, I thought it would be cool to have such a feature. Here's to hoping that this is simply Amazon telling us what they're intending to do instead of an actual real patent (which will be more than absurd), and hoping that they're actually considering the service I always thought they should have.
I thought Salinger was supposed to be living in a cave or something. His last book was published in 1963. He's another great success of copyright law, laying on his laurels for over 30 years when he could have been writing. Instead, he chooses to prevent other people to write. I still don't get what good has copyright done to society, ever.
Also, two things:
1. Exactly that (people reprinting works) happened in Europe, and it happened a lot. We still got a lot of art. Society didn't have a problem.
2. I think, and this is speaking because I have a hole in my face and based on what I think only, that the fact that copyright exists makes it difficult to imagine how an artist can make money without it. I think (same disclaimer) that if copyright never existed, we would have thought of some other way to sustain artists by now.
Yeah... and also the fact that there's so much beer available now that the only reasonable option is not to charge for it and use it as the free part of some other business model.
I don't see what's wrong with Y making money of my work, either. It makes me more freely available, and more valued as an author. Example: I live in Argentina and I don't have access to a lot (and I mean a lot) of written material. If some Y in latin america decided to reprint stuff only available in the US or in Europe, I'll get to know many authors and their work will be more valuable (for them and for the other companies that want to profit with their work). I still think that served-first contracts (where X gets the first pass at my work) will be a good business model, and I think that if that the competition will make all the publishers come up with better products. Also, that's why I included the other ways to make money, because I realize that publication alone may not be enough in that case... but that only makes me a better professional. Finally, that still may be helpful for an author, but I don't see how it's helping society. I think that the good stuff will get written anyway even if the authors that are in it for the money don't want to publish if the business is not good enough.
The last three lines are something that all these companies should understand. On the risk of sounding like a stupid teen: We come from the internets, and we're legion.
But the last one actually endeared me to this guy. So true, yet so misunderstood.
And before this turns into a "fight" I'm really only interested in discussing the topic, because even Mike thinks copyright is useful in some situations and I simply don't see it.
I still don't see the greater good of copyright to society. I only get hypothetical situations where it helps an individual. And those, I really don't think are necessary. I can always write a book and publish online, get read and then get someone to print it for me (on a contract, not on copyright) and get money on that. Or on reading/writing jobs. Or on conferences. Or on presentations. Or on sponsorship.
Agreed. I have read it in full now and I think that part of it actually makes sense. In the same paragraph you quote, they say that if transparency is not very palatable because of what they're doing right now, they may need to change their business model to actually make it fair for artists and the public.
I have a very mixed feeling about the paper, though. I don't see what good copyright has done (ever) to the society, and the paper (and also the content creators) put it as fact. If the public knew and believed what good copyright has done to society, they will probably respect it more.
As it stands, the public perception (IMO) is that copyright only helps establish corporations that get so powerful that they get to decide what culture is good and what culture is not. The fact that indie labels are not great supporters (or at least, not great public supporters) of copyright reinforce that feeling. And young people will always be anti-corporation. So if the corporation gets hurt, the general perception (again IMO) is not "meh" but "cool".
I think if they want to change they need the rhetorics and the transparency, but they also need to shed the "corporation" look and feel they have. They need to be hip like Apple or Google, not a dinosaur like Microsoft or IBM. That simply will not work in music. And if they do it wrong (as in, obviously feigning to be hip), the backslash will be even greater. Once again, talking the talk will not work.
Not being such great supporters of copyright will be a nice first step...
On the other hand if the RIAA did take artists and fans fairly, and legislators were actually working on the public interest, the story may be quite different. Talking the talk will make them less trustworthy, not more. Specially with papers like this. Stating "whether it is true or not" implies that they will be willing to lie. I don't understand how lying is conceived as a technique to construct ethos and credibility. At least they accept they're unethical and non-credible.
On the post: Dear AP: The Point Behind A Data Format Is To Make The Data Easier To Use, Not Harder
On the post: Why The New Webcasting Rates Are A Death Sentence For Webcasters
On the post: From Russia, With Stupidity: Band Must Pay Fines To Itself
On the post: Christian Engstrom Explains The Pirate Party's Position: Freedom To Communicate; Freedom From Privacy Invasion
On the post: Why Does Wal-Mart Need A 3,379-Word Terms Of Use For Its Twitter Account?
"Wal-Mart reserves the right, at its sole discretion, without advance notice, to change, modify, add or remove all or any portion of the Site or the Terms."
So it's double useless: unenforceable because it server no purpose and because the courts already have decided that you can't be bound to something that changes with no notification.
I wonder if the EFF will include it in the TOS watchlist...
On the post: Cheap Trick: More Afraid Of Being Ignored Than Ripped Off
On the post: Christian Engstrom Explains The Pirate Party's Position: Freedom To Communicate; Freedom From Privacy Invasion
1. Christian distances himself from the whole "politic" class of person. And he does it to gain credibility. What this tells us of our political class worldwide is very troubling.
2. At the end of the article, you can see the copyright notice from the financial times. This is REALLY troubling.
I don't know where I read it, but I'd love to: "putting tools in place that may lead to a police state is not good democratic hygiene". I'd vote for a pirate party here if there was one. I'll start one if I had the time and money.
And finally, I love the way he explicitly mentions TPB. That's as provocative as the name of the party itself. But it's also establishing a model that many people want to outlaw right away.
On the post: Would Amazon Offer Up Free eBooks With Advertising?
But seriously, when Amazon first created the "digital library" I assumed I'll have a full Amazon Preview on the books I bought. Since books take so long to get here, I thought it would be cool to have such a feature. Here's to hoping that this is simply Amazon telling us what they're intending to do instead of an actual real patent (which will be more than absurd), and hoping that they're actually considering the service I always thought they should have.
On the post: Is There Really An Idea/Expression Dichotomy In Copyright?
He didn't insult Mike personally (this time); he just dismissed the opinion of everyone that doesn't agree with him.
On the post: District Court Bans 'Catcher In The Rye' Sequel; Since When Did The US Ban Books?
On the post: District Court Bans 'Catcher In The Rye' Sequel; Since When Did The US Ban Books?
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
1. Exactly that (people reprinting works) happened in Europe, and it happened a lot. We still got a lot of art. Society didn't have a problem.
2. I think, and this is speaking because I have a hole in my face and based on what I think only, that the fact that copyright exists makes it difficult to imagine how an artist can make money without it. I think (same disclaimer) that if copyright never existed, we would have thought of some other way to sustain artists by now.
On the post: Unlike The AP, It Looks Like Reuters Recognizes The Future
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
On the post: Unlike The AP, It Looks Like Reuters Recognizes The Future
But the last one actually endeared me to this guy. So true, yet so misunderstood.
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
I have a very mixed feeling about the paper, though. I don't see what good copyright has done (ever) to the society, and the paper (and also the content creators) put it as fact. If the public knew and believed what good copyright has done to society, they will probably respect it more.
As it stands, the public perception (IMO) is that copyright only helps establish corporations that get so powerful that they get to decide what culture is good and what culture is not. The fact that indie labels are not great supporters (or at least, not great public supporters) of copyright reinforce that feeling. And young people will always be anti-corporation. So if the corporation gets hurt, the general perception (again IMO) is not "meh" but "cool".
I think if they want to change they need the rhetorics and the transparency, but they also need to shed the "corporation" look and feel they have. They need to be hip like Apple or Google, not a dinosaur like Microsoft or IBM. That simply will not work in music. And if they do it wrong (as in, obviously feigning to be hip), the backslash will be even greater. Once again, talking the talk will not work.
Not being such great supporters of copyright will be a nice first step...
On the post: Could The RIAA Stop Piracy By Coming Up With A More Compelling Story?
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