I guess I shouldn't be shocked at the shortsightedness of a good number of the previous comments here, but...
This is not an issue of whether or not stealing is right or wrong. It's not a question about the legality of copyright infringement. Any of you who are writing arguments stating that people just should have obeyed the laws are completely ignoring the actual subject entirely. Any of those who are arguing back are just feeding into their bickering.
This is an issue concerning the methods by which the law is being enforced. Mike has pointed out multiple times that the law has been placed squarely in the hands of a private enterprise (yes, I do think the RIAA and MPAA are actually enterprises). Even if they are not enterprises...the law enforcement of copyright has been given to a private organization. As he has also pointed out, that means that we are being governed by private ambition rather than the government we elect!!!
We need to focus on the actual issue at hand. No matter that some of you feel that students SHOULD be prosecuted under law...that's fine. I firmly stand by that myself. However, I CANNOT stand by and watch the rights that I have enjoyed being taken away slowly by ignoring the abuses against my fellow citizens. The government is NOT a tool of enterprise...the government is representative of the people...and, according to the U.S. constitution, protective of the minority - not catering, but preventing abuse against them.
This abuse is the real problem. That's what Mike is getting at. You have to put aside the other discussions because the abuse THRIVES off of this division...
Interesting name there...some sort of reference to a long-time dead philosopher?!? Maybe...anyway...
I think the issue that this specific line addresses is the issue of abuse. Abuse in the sense of using a filing for an intent that was not specifically granted the plaintiff. Hence, the abuse is inherent in the fact that the granted primary purpose for these lawsuits is not to "make examples of potential lawbreakers", but to provide a means for those who have been victimized by copyright infringement a means to recouperate actual losses.
This is, in no way the crux of their argument. It only provides a rather straightforward way of discrediting the arguments of the RIAA.
@ Anonymous Coward:
I don't find anything wrong with Neeson having lost before. It just shows that he's human. In fact, I'm more inclined to believe that he's probably not backing this venture because he personally believes in it, but because it is either a class choice or he believes in fighting the abuses of the system. Either way, I'm more excited that someone talented is actually taking the time and money to fight back against the RIAA at all...The biggest advantage that I feel Neeson actually has, besides his own experience and expertise, is the youth and energy of the students he's teaching...while they may not have the experience, they may have the advantage of quicker minds, and certainly they have the advantage of legal precedent...the RIAA has been abusing loopholes for too long...inevitably, someone has always called such tactics in the past. It's probably the RIAA's time to get shut down for their abuses.
On the post: Students Dropping Out Of School To Pay RIAA Settlement Fees?
Wow...
This is not an issue of whether or not stealing is right or wrong. It's not a question about the legality of copyright infringement. Any of you who are writing arguments stating that people just should have obeyed the laws are completely ignoring the actual subject entirely. Any of those who are arguing back are just feeding into their bickering.
This is an issue concerning the methods by which the law is being enforced. Mike has pointed out multiple times that the law has been placed squarely in the hands of a private enterprise (yes, I do think the RIAA and MPAA are actually enterprises). Even if they are not enterprises...the law enforcement of copyright has been given to a private organization. As he has also pointed out, that means that we are being governed by private ambition rather than the government we elect!!!
We need to focus on the actual issue at hand. No matter that some of you feel that students SHOULD be prosecuted under law...that's fine. I firmly stand by that myself. However, I CANNOT stand by and watch the rights that I have enjoyed being taken away slowly by ignoring the abuses against my fellow citizens. The government is NOT a tool of enterprise...the government is representative of the people...and, according to the U.S. constitution, protective of the minority - not catering, but preventing abuse against them.
This abuse is the real problem. That's what Mike is getting at. You have to put aside the other discussions because the abuse THRIVES off of this division...
On the post: Big Guns Come Out In Effort To Show RIAA's Lawsuits Are Unconstitutional
Re: Some DOGMA here?
I think the issue that this specific line addresses is the issue of abuse. Abuse in the sense of using a filing for an intent that was not specifically granted the plaintiff. Hence, the abuse is inherent in the fact that the granted primary purpose for these lawsuits is not to "make examples of potential lawbreakers", but to provide a means for those who have been victimized by copyright infringement a means to recouperate actual losses.
This is, in no way the crux of their argument. It only provides a rather straightforward way of discrediting the arguments of the RIAA.
@ Anonymous Coward:
I don't find anything wrong with Neeson having lost before. It just shows that he's human. In fact, I'm more inclined to believe that he's probably not backing this venture because he personally believes in it, but because it is either a class choice or he believes in fighting the abuses of the system. Either way, I'm more excited that someone talented is actually taking the time and money to fight back against the RIAA at all...The biggest advantage that I feel Neeson actually has, besides his own experience and expertise, is the youth and energy of the students he's teaching...while they may not have the experience, they may have the advantage of quicker minds, and certainly they have the advantage of legal precedent...the RIAA has been abusing loopholes for too long...inevitably, someone has always called such tactics in the past. It's probably the RIAA's time to get shut down for their abuses.
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