I'm definitely not a footb.. erm, "soccer" fan, but I'm pretty sure that Tottenham Hotspur is a very old and very strong brand that is known all over Europe -- even I know that they've won a few UEFA cups.
They'd be mad to let go of their name, and I'm doubtful the Tottenham MP is trying to have them give up their name. He must be trying to legally blackmail them into staying in Tottenham! Really, how can he think he can trademark a place name??
To say that piracy is hurting the economy is a wild assertion that you really need to back up with some evidence. Moreover, piracy is actually not the problem, but a symptom.
The problem is that the economy has come to rely too much on intellectual (read: imaginary) property. Isn't the current economic crisis the result of relying on imaginary property (albeit of a different kind)?
This is proof that the US is bullying Sweden to disregard the democratic process and the interests of its people, while it instead favours the interests of US companies. It's not surprising, but it's certainly informative. It also gives us an idea of how much pressure world governments must be under to do everything the US says, seeing Sweden is following the checklist by the letter.
Non-news? That's right. You definitely don't want to know about it because you'll feel ashamed for letting your country interfere with democracy, and we'll be angry that our politicians are complete wusses that do everything a foreign government asks of them, despite the people being vehemently opposed.
But then again, you don't strike me as someone who has scruples. Just go hit that bottle already.
You claim that you are only told what to do by your members, and that you do only what is in your members' best interests. So why on earth are you supporting ACTA, and why are you supporting web censorship?
Unless your job is limited to doing "not exactly" what the RIAA is doing, and you are satisfied with supporting things like ACTA and COICA (whose ramifications you only superficially understand, apparently) just because the RIAA told you they're "good", your labels might as well go join the RIAA.
Ehm, we aren't talking about the indie labels, we're talking about A2IM. As you failed to see, the story was actually submitted to TD by the CEO of an indie label.
The more the artists/labels panic about piracy, the more money the RIAA-types are given to fight it. No matter how much the RIAA is despised by the general populace, they are still making shitloads of money for themselves and the lawyers they employ!
In other words, it's a successful business model that A2IM aspires to copy, if only they can stir panic within the labels that employ them. Those labels would be very wise to distance themselves from A2IM as soon as they can!
Interesting (and relevant) juxtaposition on Reuters:
Apple bans the Wikileaks apps, while Google knowingly keeps them. Makes me wonder if Google is serious about not liking censorship, after all...
Do we even need to ask? News Corp has made millions in campaign contributions, while Wikileaks hasn't. Also, Wikileaks is one of them new-fangled internet things, while The NY Times is a respected media organisation.
I made a similar comment a few days ago. While consumerism is out of control, runaway capitalism is an even bigger problem (and in a sense, the latter is the cause of the former).
By letting companies like Microsoft, Google, Pfizer, Coca Cola, Shell, Exxon, etc etc get so fucking big you effectively reduce every market to a handful of companies, while the rest are grossly out-marketed and eventually assimilated. In doing that, you lose innovation, competition becomes a lobbying game, and the rich become richer while the poor become poorer.
IP is a trick those companies are using to live beyond their means, by competing and innovating as little and as slowly as possible (an unwanted side-effect of letting them have so much power). I expect the end consumer sees little gain from all the outsourcing that is involved in the creation of a product; very often the reason for outsourcing is probably not to push prices down, but to push the profit margins up...
So, we need to be asking ourselves: How big is too big? How much profit is too much profit? How can companies be forced to compete not only for the most money, but also for the most social benefit? How can competition be rekindled?
I stand by my original phrasing. The press has historically held the power to wield public opinion, which gave them the power to make or break governments. e.g., Watergate & Pentagon papers.
The press still has that power today, but with the advent of the internet to a lesser extent. Unfortunately, the mainstream press is not as "free" as it used to be.
On the post: UK Politician Threatens To Sue Football Team For Infringement If It Moves, But Keeps Its Name
They'd be mad to let go of their name, and I'm doubtful the Tottenham MP is trying to have them give up their name. He must be trying to legally blackmail them into staying in Tottenham! Really, how can he think he can trademark a place name??
Gee, maybe York should sue New York...
On the post: DoD Blocking Access To Techdirt Because It's About 'Computers And Internet'?
http://xkcd.com/838/
Perhaps just a case of old-fashioned thought-policing.
On the post: Stuxnet Increasingly Sounding Like A Movie Plot
On the post: Senator Wyden Calls Out Content Companies For Wanting To Censor The Internet
Re:
The problem is that the economy has come to rely too much on intellectual (read: imaginary) property. Isn't the current economic crisis the result of relying on imaginary property (albeit of a different kind)?
On the post: Once Again, More State Dept. Cables Show Swedish Copyright Enforcement At The Behest Of US
Re:
On the post: Once Again, More State Dept. Cables Show Swedish Copyright Enforcement At The Behest Of US
Re: this is normal practice
Non-news? That's right. You definitely don't want to know about it because you'll feel ashamed for letting your country interfere with democracy, and we'll be angry that our politicians are complete wusses that do everything a foreign government asks of them, despite the people being vehemently opposed.
But then again, you don't strike me as someone who has scruples. Just go hit that bottle already.
On the post: Indie Music Association Comes Out In Favor Of Seizing Domain Names Of Blogs That Promote Their Music
Re: A2IM
Unless your job is limited to doing "not exactly" what the RIAA is doing, and you are satisfied with supporting things like ACTA and COICA (whose ramifications you only superficially understand, apparently) just because the RIAA told you they're "good", your labels might as well go join the RIAA.
On the post: Indie Music Association Comes Out In Favor Of Seizing Domain Names Of Blogs That Promote Their Music
Re: Re:
On the post: Indie Music Association Comes Out In Favor Of Seizing Domain Names Of Blogs That Promote Their Music
Re:
On the post: Indie Music Association Comes Out In Favor Of Seizing Domain Names Of Blogs That Promote Their Music
Re: Reap what you sow
In other words, it's a successful business model that A2IM aspires to copy, if only they can stir panic within the labels that employ them. Those labels would be very wise to distance themselves from A2IM as soon as they can!
On the post: isoHunt Appeals Process Begins
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Will Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, BofA & Apple Terminate Relationships With The NYTimes For Revealing Military Secrets?
Re: Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Will Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, BofA & Apple Terminate Relationships With The NYTimes For Revealing Military Secrets?
Apple bans the Wikileaks apps, while Google knowingly keeps them. Makes me wonder if Google is serious about not liking censorship, after all...
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN228216820101222
On the post: Will Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, BofA & Apple Terminate Relationships With The NYTimes For Revealing Military Secrets?
On the post: Second Humble Indie Bundle Does Even Better Than The First
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Switched to Linux
Or, you can add yourself manually to the vboxusers group.
On the post: Winklevoss Twins Still Trying To Get More Of Facebook
Re:
By letting companies like Microsoft, Google, Pfizer, Coca Cola, Shell, Exxon, etc etc get so fucking big you effectively reduce every market to a handful of companies, while the rest are grossly out-marketed and eventually assimilated. In doing that, you lose innovation, competition becomes a lobbying game, and the rich become richer while the poor become poorer.
IP is a trick those companies are using to live beyond their means, by competing and innovating as little and as slowly as possible (an unwanted side-effect of letting them have so much power). I expect the end consumer sees little gain from all the outsourcing that is involved in the creation of a product; very often the reason for outsourcing is probably not to push prices down, but to push the profit margins up...
So, we need to be asking ourselves: How big is too big? How much profit is too much profit? How can companies be forced to compete not only for the most money, but also for the most social benefit? How can competition be rekindled?
On the post: Harvard Newspaper Staff Apparently In Need Of A Lesson On Copyright Basics
Re: Re:
On the post: Harvard Newspaper Staff Apparently In Need Of A Lesson On Copyright Basics
Euphemism for "patent trolling"?
On the post: Why Are US Publications Downplaying The Significance Of Some Of Wikileaks' Leaks?
Re: Re: Re: Answer...
They can take punches at each other, so they both lose in the end. Or, they can shake hands and promise to leave each other alone, so they both win.
On the post: Why Are US Publications Downplaying The Significance Of Some Of Wikileaks' Leaks?
Re: Re:
The press still has that power today, but with the advent of the internet to a lesser extent. Unfortunately, the mainstream press is not as "free" as it used to be.
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