In reality all government imposed monopolies such as copyrights are taxes. They're artificially created rents the government makes us pay under force of law. The benefit to citizens was supposed to be large, vibrant, and free to use public domain. Which is obviously no longer a part of the bargain.
France's new law only makes the connection between copyrights and taxes more obvious.
"Honestly, I can't figure out what the pushback is over actually warning customers before they get insane overage charges?"
You're not thinking hard enough. Or too hard. The simple fact is that carriers make a ton of money on these charges. If they're forced to warn customers about these charges, they'll make less money. Seems simple enough.
As I've written about before, the copyright industry does not operate in a free market. They do not understand how to create and run businesses. They don't understand how to experiment with varying business models.
Their entire "business" is the collection of government imposed rents.
Their "magic bullet" is to have the government enact more mandatory rents to collect.
"Scouting-age kids don't know about space-shifting, or time-shifting, or fair use, or content licensing, or the difference between a performance right and a distribution right, or any of that stuff."
You're absolutely right. But the solution is not to pretend that burning your iTunes or Amazon songs onto CD is illegal. Nor is the solution to criticize bands such as Radiohead for coming up with alternative business models.
The solution is much more difficult, but needs to be done: Teach the truth. It's perfectly acceptable to burn your legally obtained music on CDs. It's perfectly legal for bands to experiment with different business models.
"create hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new jobs"
How could making competition illegal and putting up expensive and arbitrary tolls create jobs?! God, that's the stupidest thing I've read all day. (And yes, I've already been on Fark today.)
I read that article a few days ago. My son's a cub and I'm a cubmaster. I found it hilarious. My favorite was the part where they blamed Radiohead. Damn pirates, er, musicians trying alternative business models!
It doesn't matter, there are plenty of examples of trademarks where the copyrights were held by different entities. I'm still shocked that Paramount has a trademark on the Frankenstein monster. The one with the flat head and the bolts coming out of his neck.
Obviously Italy's tourism minister is from northern Italy. If she had been from southern Italy, the author would have been found dead already. Maybe with an ironic apple stuffed in his mouth.
Wow, what a low ball number. If you're going to pull a number out of your ass, it might as well be a million. That's how much I lost due to piracy over the independent movie I made of my kids while vacationing at Disney.
I remember the day an anonymous blogger unleashed a mean-spirited screed against a local politician. It brought down two high rises, killing thousands. It was a terrible day. I'll never forget it.
Europe uses "sweat of the brow" and moral rights as a basis for copyright. Thank God we don't in the US. Our copyright right is screwed up, but not that much.
"Guy Garvey, has decided to take a religious view on the matter"
Which is funny because property rights in the US are natural rights. "Natural rights" is another way of saying rights given by God. The purpose of the Constitution and the government is to protect those God given rights.
Copyrights and patents are not natural rights. They are government granted monopolies. Originally they were doled out to authors and writers as an incentive to create, but now they're doled out to middlemen, because middlemen such as Disney and Viacom fills the coffers of various IP friendly politicians.
As a copyright middleman, Jim Urie's solution to any copyright problem is to create new laws which would open new monopoly rents for him to sit back and collect. That's the only solution copyright middlemen ever have.
On the post: France Gets Taxpayers To Subsidize Music Downloads
France's new law only makes the connection between copyrights and taxes more obvious.
On the post: Could The Enterprise D Replica In Minecraft Be A Copyright Minefield?
On the post: Telco Opposition To Anti-Bill Shock Plans Doesn't Pass The Laugh Test
You're not thinking hard enough. Or too hard. The simple fact is that carriers make a ton of money on these charges. If they're forced to warn customers about these charges, they'll make less money. Seems simple enough.
On the post: Canon Creates Keyword-Based DRM For Copy Machines?
I can see plenty of organizations liking this, but I can also see them turning the feature off because the boss' email account was flooded with PDFs.
On the post: Verizon Wireless Math Strikes Again: Pay Much More For Less!
Re: Re: expensive!
On the post: Is It Legal For A UK Pub To Access A Greek Satellite System To Get Cheaper Football Games On TV?
Re: OMG... you mean....
On the post: Is It Legal For A UK Pub To Access A Greek Satellite System To Get Cheaper Football Games On TV?
the pub owner is paying! It's not like he hacked into a satellite feed and he's getting the games for free.
On the post: The Search For The Mythological Magical Business Model Bullet
Re: Sales of magic beans
On the post: The Search For The Mythological Magical Business Model Bullet
Their entire "business" is the collection of government imposed rents.
Their "magic bullet" is to have the government enact more mandatory rents to collect.
On the post: Boy Scout Magazine Says Don't Listen To Legally Burned CDs, As They're Too Similar To Piracy
Re: unfair to the scouts
You're absolutely right. But the solution is not to pretend that burning your iTunes or Amazon songs onto CD is illegal. Nor is the solution to criticize bands such as Radiohead for coming up with alternative business models.
The solution is much more difficult, but needs to be done: Teach the truth. It's perfectly acceptable to burn your legally obtained music on CDs. It's perfectly legal for bands to experiment with different business models.
On the post: Why Must Patent Supporters Rewrite History In Attempt To Have The Feds Subsidize Patents
How could making competition illegal and putting up expensive and arbitrary tolls create jobs?! God, that's the stupidest thing I've read all day. (And yes, I've already been on Fark today.)
On the post: Boy Scout Magazine Says Don't Listen To Legally Burned CDs, As They're Too Similar To Piracy
On the post: Forget Just Copyright, Now People Are Trademarking Music As Well
Re:
On the post: Italy Demands Apple Remove Joke iTunes App; Starts Legal Action Against App Author
On the post: LA Times' Propaganda Piece Claims Piracy Hurts Filmmakers Without Any Actual Evidence
Wow, what a low ball number. If you're going to pull a number out of your ass, it might as well be a million. That's how much I lost due to piracy over the independent movie I made of my kids while vacationing at Disney.
Damn pirates!
On the post: Illinois Mayor Claims Anonymous Bloggers No Different Than 9/11 Terrorists; Says Anonymity Is A First Amendment Challenge
Re: i also remember
On the post: Illinois Mayor Claims Anonymous Bloggers No Different Than 9/11 Terrorists; Says Anonymity Is A First Amendment Challenge
On the post: Band Claims File Sharers 'Are Going To Hell'
Re: Re:
On the post: Band Claims File Sharers 'Are Going To Hell'
Which is funny because property rights in the US are natural rights. "Natural rights" is another way of saying rights given by God. The purpose of the Constitution and the government is to protect those God given rights.
Copyrights and patents are not natural rights. They are government granted monopolies. Originally they were doled out to authors and writers as an incentive to create, but now they're doled out to middlemen, because middlemen such as Disney and Viacom fills the coffers of various IP friendly politicians.
On the post: My Challenge To Jim Urie Of Universal Music: Instead Of 'Drowning Out' Those You Disagree With, Let's Come Up With Solutions
As a copyright middleman, Jim Urie's solution to any copyright problem is to create new laws which would open new monopoly rents for him to sit back and collect. That's the only solution copyright middlemen ever have.
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