Learn to govern - please study this fundamental right we have.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Since when are Governments in the business of protect a certain industry from another? They should ALLOW more competition and even encourage it - not try to protect the old businesses.
Most of these companies pay big money for campaigns.. they expect a ROI from the palms they grease.
Silly man. Being against IP enforcement is soon going to be illegal. Why on earth would I want to leave a paper trail!?
Because - if we don't ALL put our foot down on these rights being taken from us and given the corporations - the corporations will end up being the only ones with rights.
You people like to try and remain willfully blind to these facts because you want to try to rationalize your ripping off of musicians.
That is a generalization that is untrue. Many of us, for whatever reasons, simply do not download 'pirated' music or software.
But many of us will in fact INSIST upon being able to use technology that exists to:
Backup our media.
Convert it to different formats that are far more flexible than those offered.
Additionally, many of us already own music on Vinyl/Cassette/CD - where the media is bad or old or of poor quality. Since we have already purchased the songs, and could (if the media was good) rip them to digital format - why would it be a problem to get a copy of what you already purchased? After all; it's said that there an 'intellectual property' portion to media that we also 'purchase rights to' when we buy the physical media - does that go away just because it's a Cassette?
Plus, if we are buying a 'license' to listen to music - why isn't the RIAA/MPAA/whatever media company providing us with said 'license'?
If I did in fact purchase this mythical 'license' to listen to the music... where is it?
Microsoft provides a sticker/paper for the license they sell. If I have this license, I can install Windows from any media and use my license key to activate it... which is clearly value to the customer that all these other entities fail to even attempt to provide.
Funny thing about this whole copyright/technology/pirate debate is this...
Three inventions that are now looked at as 3 *critical* turns in human history, perhaps 3 of the most important 20 inventions in all of human history... did/do the exact same thing as new media on the internet - copy.
First we have the Gutenberg press. What was it's purpose? To copy media. No other real purpose. Copy it in mass, actually - that was it's claim to fame. I'm sure it put many scribes out of work - if not all of them, at least 95%. Luckily for humanity the scribes didn't convince the king that it was 'infringing' upon them. Else, so many more people would have remained illiterate....
Then we have the phonograph. Probably the only reason a 'music industry' even exists today. Prior to that, sheet music and live performance was it. At that time, music was one of the very worst paid professions a person could go into - heck, Mozart was broke all his life practically. Luckily for human history, the sheet music companies and those that ran the theaters didn't petition the king to destroy their invention due to copyright issues.
I mean - what would have happened if Handel's family would have insisted on royalties for the first real recording and blocked it's production if they didn't get their demands, which would have been likely at the time. He died in 1759, so that's not totally an impossibility.
(The phonograph cylinder recordings of Handel's choral music made on June 29, 1888 at The Crystal Palace in London were thought to be the oldest known surviving musical recordings,)
Then finally we have the camera. A device that could run literal circles around any painter. No more were multiple hour long sitting sessions necessary for a photograph and eventually the art of making these pictures 'motion' has lead to one of the largest industries in the history of man.
In all of these cases, many multiples of Artists, Corporations, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Common Folks, small business and others have made much proft from. In turn these inventions spawned untold numbers of improvements and progress from.
Pretty much all modern media owes it's existence to devices that copied media. Without these copying devices, we wouldn't be having this debate, because the entertainment industry wouldn't even exist.
Proof is that entertainment industry in 1750... what was it? :)
Copyright infringement is a crime! If you engage in copyright infringement you go to jail! Crime is illegal!
A lot of people here don't argue with that at all - I don't.
BUT - taking value AWAY from your customers is a crappy way to do business. The customers KNOW 20 bucks for 15 songs is a RIP OFF.
How much does it cost to make a MP3? We know how much it costs... maybe 1 cent for the power involved.
Customers want to feel as though they are getting their money's worth; that's never changed. What has changed is the obviousness at how bad the music industry is shafting the consumers.
Some companies 'get it' - NetFlix is a good example. How are they making money with 'free' movies on the web?
Still - it makes me wonder how the music industry EVER made any money at all, with broadcast radio being free for the last 100 years...
On the post: Another DNS Provider Comes Out Against SOPA
I'm not kidding either.
On the post: Kansas Governor Apologizes After Staff Gets High School Student In Trouble For Tweet About The Governor
Dear Mr. Governor,
Learn to govern - please study this fundamental right we have.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Sincerely,
A Taxpayer
On the post: Sen. Joe Lieberman Asks Google For A 'Report Blog As Terrorist' Button
- Mark Twain
On the post: Sen. Joe Lieberman Asks Google For A 'Report Blog As Terrorist' Button
That's because there's far less of it then people like him want us to believe.
If there's more to be fearful of, that gives those in office more power.
On the post: NY Times & LA Times Both Come Out Against SOPA & PIPA
On the post: Coming To Plates In Europe: Patented Vegetables, Produced By Conventional Breeding
On the post: Sarkozy Worried About The Internet 'Stealing Audience Share' From 'Regulated' TV Services
Most of these companies pay big money for campaigns.. they expect a ROI from the palms they grease.
On the post: Senator Wyden Promises To Read Out The Names Of Those Who Oppose PROTECT IP
Do you honestly think they will stop after PROTECT IP and SOPA are purchased?
No and if we fail to make a stand for our rights - we won't have any left.
If you choose to sit and play the quiet game - remember this concept when it hits home - and it will, eventually.
On the post: Senator Wyden Promises To Read Out The Names Of Those Who Oppose PROTECT IP
Because - if we don't ALL put our foot down on these rights being taken from us and given the corporations - the corporations will end up being the only ones with rights.
I'm not willing to live in chains.
On the post: Senator Wyden Promises To Read Out The Names Of Those Who Oppose PROTECT IP
On the post: Swedish Study Shows File Sharing And Music Buying Go Hand-In-Hand
It was free music, from the customer's point of view.
On the post: Aaron deOliveira's Favorite Techdirt Posts Of The Week
Maybe their peak was in 1820, before any recording devices that could infringe... oh wait...
If it wasn't for recording devices the music industry wouldn't exist - period.
On the post: Wayne Coyne Of The Flaming Lips On Twitter, Pirate Sites, Coldplay v. Spotify And How To Use 'All Technologies' To Reach Your Fans
You people like to try and remain willfully blind to these facts because you want to try to rationalize your ripping off of musicians.
That is a generalization that is untrue. Many of us, for whatever reasons, simply do not download 'pirated' music or software.
But many of us will in fact INSIST upon being able to use technology that exists to:
Backup our media.
Convert it to different formats that are far more flexible than those offered.
Additionally, many of us already own music on Vinyl/Cassette/CD - where the media is bad or old or of poor quality. Since we have already purchased the songs, and could (if the media was good) rip them to digital format - why would it be a problem to get a copy of what you already purchased? After all; it's said that there an 'intellectual property' portion to media that we also 'purchase rights to' when we buy the physical media - does that go away just because it's a Cassette?
Plus, if we are buying a 'license' to listen to music - why isn't the RIAA/MPAA/whatever media company providing us with said 'license'?
If I did in fact purchase this mythical 'license' to listen to the music... where is it?
Microsoft provides a sticker/paper for the license they sell. If I have this license, I can install Windows from any media and use my license key to activate it... which is clearly value to the customer that all these other entities fail to even attempt to provide.
On the post: Wayne Coyne Of The Flaming Lips On Twitter, Pirate Sites, Coldplay v. Spotify And How To Use 'All Technologies' To Reach Your Fans
Three inventions that are now looked at as 3 *critical* turns in human history, perhaps 3 of the most important 20 inventions in all of human history... did/do the exact same thing as new media on the internet - copy.
First we have the Gutenberg press. What was it's purpose? To copy media. No other real purpose. Copy it in mass, actually - that was it's claim to fame. I'm sure it put many scribes out of work - if not all of them, at least 95%. Luckily for humanity the scribes didn't convince the king that it was 'infringing' upon them. Else, so many more people would have remained illiterate....
Then we have the phonograph. Probably the only reason a 'music industry' even exists today. Prior to that, sheet music and live performance was it. At that time, music was one of the very worst paid professions a person could go into - heck, Mozart was broke all his life practically. Luckily for human history, the sheet music companies and those that ran the theaters didn't petition the king to destroy their invention due to copyright issues.
I mean - what would have happened if Handel's family would have insisted on royalties for the first real recording and blocked it's production if they didn't get their demands, which would have been likely at the time. He died in 1759, so that's not totally an impossibility.
(The phonograph cylinder recordings of Handel's choral music made on June 29, 1888 at The Crystal Palace in London were thought to be the oldest known surviving musical recordings,)
Then finally we have the camera. A device that could run literal circles around any painter. No more were multiple hour long sitting sessions necessary for a photograph and eventually the art of making these pictures 'motion' has lead to one of the largest industries in the history of man.
In all of these cases, many multiples of Artists, Corporations, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Common Folks, small business and others have made much proft from. In turn these inventions spawned untold numbers of improvements and progress from.
Pretty much all modern media owes it's existence to devices that copied media. Without these copying devices, we wouldn't be having this debate, because the entertainment industry wouldn't even exist.
Proof is that entertainment industry in 1750... what was it? :)
On the post: DOJ Two Step: It Should Be A Criminal Offense To Lie About Your Age On Facebook... But We Probably Won't Go After You For It
Why would they even remotely consider Facebook more important?
On the post: EU Parliament Warns The US To Stop Censoring The Internet
On the post: A Look At Three Popular Sites That May Be In Trouble Under SOPA
What if 'pirated' copies of items are sold on E-Bay, Craigslist, or a local newspaper's classifieds - then they would be just as liable, correct?
This would apply to any site that might sell used items or perhaps new items from small businesses.
On the post: SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want
I'm sure SOPA will be just as effective.
On the post: Company Sues Ex-Employee Because He Kept His Personal Twitter Account & Followers
Plus, they have more rights than citizens anymore.
But this should be a lesson to current employees there - don't go the extra mile; you'll get sued for it.
On the post: And Then There Were Three: Bye, Bye EMI
A lot of people here don't argue with that at all - I don't.
BUT - taking value AWAY from your customers is a crappy way to do business. The customers KNOW 20 bucks for 15 songs is a RIP OFF.
How much does it cost to make a MP3? We know how much it costs... maybe 1 cent for the power involved.
Customers want to feel as though they are getting their money's worth; that's never changed. What has changed is the obviousness at how bad the music industry is shafting the consumers.
Some companies 'get it' - NetFlix is a good example. How are they making money with 'free' movies on the web?
Still - it makes me wonder how the music industry EVER made any money at all, with broadcast radio being free for the last 100 years...
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