Comments on: Copyright lobbyists strike again

Hollywood, software firms play game of getting Uncle Sam to promote their interests in treaty talks with aplomb, says News.com's Declan McCullagh.

[kernl]

Oh boo hoo

Let me just tell you, my heart is just broken that it is now illegal in Central America to remove copy protection from DVDs and e-books.

In other words, it's illegal to steal. This may seem like the US exporting its laws, but somehow, I think "Thou shalt not steal" may be a good one. After all, it's been "on the books" for 5,000+ years.

Invalid reasoning

You say "In other words, it's illegal to steal". That's a totally inadequate shortcut.

Why should it be considered theft to do whatever is necessary to exercise your rights to fair use ?

You will understand this the day you can't read your own documents legally any more because you created them with a DMCA-enabled word processor.

This goes further the DVD thieft

To cover the DVD issue first. Have you ever had a DVD scratched or crack? Without a backup you have to fork out for a new one. I'm having to pay for new DVD's or not be able to watch some of my favorite movies. Being able to make copies is a good thing, specially with kids around. Yes, people are going to use that technology for the wrong reasons, but that is true of all technologies.
But this type of legislation, is far more reaching then DVD's. it could effect every type of media that you use. Ever borrow a book from someone? How about News papers? How about watching TV? There is one that they keep attaching. I don't have time to watch the show that was just transmitted over the air. So I record it. Am I in violation of the law? I would be if Hollywood had its way. The way things are going that is going to be a problem.

[Mister C]

Right On!

We all know that it is the role of Government to protect and enhance the assets of the corporations and the super rich but to adopt a liaise fair approach when dealing with everyone else. Come on, get with the program, this is the 21st century for crying out loud. What did you think the civil war was about, slavery, get real!

[hadaso]

Thou shalt not steal...

"Thou shalt not steal" really means "thou shalt not take form the public what is the right of the public.

Copyright infringement is not stealing, and is certainly not stealing in the way the ten commandments refer to. There was no copyright protection back then. Copyrights were invented much much later by humans and is not the word of god. They were invented to protect publishers who paid authors for their manuscripts form other printers who paid a bookstore for a printed copy (and then reproduced it and copeted with the first prnter). At some point in the 18th century around the time the US constitution was written ("framed") they were limited to 14 years (and optional 14 year extension) and were further limited to copying whole books. Some time around a 100 years ago the US supreme court ruled that copying recorded music was not copyright infringement. Later congress changed that by adding some very limited protection against copying recorded music. But during the past century, the century that turned the USA from the kand of the free to the land of the incorporated, congress has continually changed the copyright laws in ways that transfered most of the rights that used to belong to the public to the :owners" of copyrights, that happen to be those in the business of distributing (not manufacturing) copyrighted work.

If you say the infringing on copyright is stealing, then what you say is that the verb "to steal" means the same as "to not grant monopoly".

Most of the value the CD and DVD sales is not derived from the value of what's recorded on them, but from the value of public attention that is obtained by manipulating the public using mass media. When you copy a CD instead of paying $15 for it, you are not depriving the "potential seller" of that CD of compensation for their investment on the recorded material. You are depriving them of the right to compensation on their effort in trying to brainwash you and the rest of the public. And it is possible for you to do it because a change in the environment has invalidated some of their assumptions. So they are now manipulating congress to create an environment were they can once again cash on brainwashing people to buy their stuff.

You really have not clue at all

If you think ANY of the DMCA-style provisions introduced into the treaty have anything to do with stealing then you seriously have no clue whoatsoever.

These DMCA provisions HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH STEALING AT ALL. They establish artificial restrictions and protections on creative works. Of COURSE it is (and should be) illegal to decode DVDs and produce and sell bootleg copies. These restrictions go further. It makes it illegal to even make or sell a device or program that could be used to perform this task--EVEN IF THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IS NOT THE INTENDED USE. The result is that this treaty forces its signatories to (for example) forbid any company from making DVD players that do not honor the media cartel's "regional encoding" racket and do not cough up a license fee to some useless trade organisation to use their crappy decryption algorithm. Sure, those Chinese bootleg DVDs abhorrent, but if I have spent over $1000 on totally legal movies in North America MY RIGHT TO ENJOY THEM AS I WISH SHOULD BE PRESERVED EVERYWHERE, FOR ALL TIME. Right now, if I move to Europe all those DVDs become instantly useless due to the arbitrary region-code scheme that is nothing more than extortion. Now, not only is is legal, it is PROTECTED.

Furthermore, it forces copyright protection to last for decades longer than is justifiable. What benefit does the creator of a work gather decades after he/she has died? NONE AT ALL. The only beneficiaries are large corporate entities that hold claim to the copyright. Walt Disney has nothing to lose if "Steamboat Willie" becomes public domain--he has been dead for decades. Michael Eisner, Disney board of directors and large shareholders are the ones who might lose a few dollars--but what justification do they have to demand a government-protected revenue stream from crateive works they not only didn't create--they worent even born when they were created!

Lest you think I'm a "commie", it is precisely BECAUSE of my belief in free enterprise that this sickens me. The RIAA/MPAA cartel is NOT free enterprise--it makes obscene amounts of money in large part because it has won so much government protection. Given the rapid decline in the overall quality of mainstream movies, music and television programming it is evident that the ever-growing protections afforded under copyright law have started having the opposite effect of what copyright law was brought in to do--foster creativity and development of culture.

[quasarstrider]

How about DVD region control?

You know, the technology which forbids you to play the DVD you bought in Europe on your USA player or vice-versa.

Or non-skipable DVD portions.

The DMCA protects all these indirectly. It is the zenith of free markets for sure.

"Intellectual property" = bullshit

These are tactics by greedy billionare companies to squeeze even more money out of broken government systems, and it pisses me off. If they want to make more money they should create better products. If these companies think they can get by with putting strangeholds on innovation and exporting the very worst of copyright laws into other countries, they're sadly mistaken, because intelligent free thinking people will fight them every step of the way.

[Mister C]

Error!

I believe I have found a logic fault in your argument. "Intelligent free thinking people will fight them every step of the way". In a media awash in, and controlled by Rovo-sapiens (as in Karl Rove), what are the chances that this will even make the 6 o'clock news, much less be given any reasonable debate. The sheep will be told "this is good for business", "so go back, eat your dirty laundry, and let us run the world". Well, maybe they won't come right out and say the second part but that is what they mean.

[hadaso]

SO... No IT industry for central America?

Or perhaps now the BSA members would be able to use central America as a source of cheap programmer workforce?

Luckily there are still countries in America that the US is not strong enough to use this tactics on, like Brazil...

[jmaximus9]

Treaty is a fraud

CAFTA has nothing to do with free trade, and everything to do with big biz give aways. In theory I am in favor world wide open trade, but in practice we average American's aways end up getting screwed and badly.

http://jmaximus.blogspot.com

[GrandpaN1947]

If this treaty is a fraud...

then our government and the laws it creates is a fraud.


Hmmmm, you might have something there.

[R. U. Sirius]

I own these words

If you are reading this, you are in violation of copyright law. These are my words and I own them. I demand payment from you forthwith. I've worked hard to learn and compose these words, and for you to read them and copy/paste them violates my rights.

Sincerely,

R. U. Sirius Conglomerate Inc.
Proud Member of the RIAA, MPAA, NRA, and IRS.

[cpudrewfl]

your forgot one

******* association

[cpudrewfl]

you forgot one

I own these words
Posted by: Ru Sirius
Posted on: August 3, 2005, 4:15 PM PDT
Story: Copyright lobbyists strike again
If you are reading this, you are in violation of copyright law. These are my words and I own them. I demand payment from you forthwith. I've worked hard to learn and compose these words, and for you to read them and copy/paste them violates my rights.

Sincerely,

R. U. Sirius Conglomerate Inc.
Proud Member of the RIAA, MPAA, NRA, and IRS. and a s s hole association you forgot that one

I fear not

you see, my Grandfather (name of Edwin) spoke many of those words to me one damp Tuesday afternoon on Mistley waterfront (for the uninitiated Mistley is on the river Stour which borders Essex and Suffolk in England.)
Now, the place where these words were spoken is close to where the Angles and the Saxons first met and so where English was first spoken. Therefore please return those words to me (if you send a stamped, addressed, envelope I will happily cover postage).

ps - like the thought