SOPA/PIPA officially on ice. Let's hope that's where they stay >:

Started by Sabby, January 20, 2012, 12:46:58 PM

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Sabby

I am really relieved to see this, and very proud.

QuoteRocked by Internet protests, the U.S. Congress is postponing action on the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act.

Google's Censored Doodle
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was scheduled to call a vote for PIPA on January 24. That was before Internet users and prominent websites staged a day of protest on Wednesday, which included a censored Google Doodle and blackouts of Wikipedia, Craigslist and Reddit. In light of the protests, several lawmakers withdrew their sponsorships of SOPA and PIPA, while others came out in opposition to the bill.

PIPA, and its House of Representatives counterpart SOPA, would give the U.S. Attorney General powers to cut off ad dollars, payments, and search engine indexing to websites accused of facilitating copyright infringement. Critics argue that the bills are too broad and would therefore result in collateral damage and censorship. (RELATED: Just the facts on SOPA and PIPA.)

Harry Reed (D-Nevada)
Now, Reid is calling for changes.

“There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved," Reid says in a statement, adding that the Senate must take action to stop piracy.

PIPA/SOPA supporter Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), miffed by this sudden turn of events, offers his own statement. “I understand and respect Majority Leader Reid’s decision ... But the day will come when the Senators who forced this move will look back and realize they made a knee-jerk reaction to a monumental problem.”

Lamar Smith (R-Texas)
Meanwhile, in Congress, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) announced that consideration of SOPA is on hold indefinitely. A hearing on the bill in the Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to resume in February.

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith says in a statement. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

Callie Del Noire

RIAA/MPAA and the other backers will find a way to get it back on track. Under a new name and with new more subtle language, and that is why we have to stay alert for the next round. 

ReijiTabibito

You know, I find it very ironic that they're going to all this effort, spending money in the political arena and earning the enmity of both the Internet sector and a portion of the populace, when really all they have to do to cut down on piracy is drop the prices of CDs and DVDs a few bucks.

Anyone can feel free to correct me, but I feel like at least part of what fuels the piracy bit is that it's gotten cheaper to make CDs and DVDs (you can burn a CD for about a quarter), but the actual price hasn't gone down a whole lot, meaning the corps and the stars are taking more money for themselves.

Callie Del Noire

Quote from: ReijiTabibito on January 20, 2012, 05:04:14 PM
You know, I find it very ironic that they're going to all this effort, spending money in the political arena and earning the enmity of both the Internet sector and a portion of the populace, when really all they have to do to cut down on piracy is drop the prices of CDs and DVDs a few bucks.

Anyone can feel free to correct me, but I feel like at least part of what fuels the piracy bit is that it's gotten cheaper to make CDs and DVDs (you can burn a CD for about a quarter), but the actual price hasn't gone down a whole lot, meaning the corps and the stars are taking more money for themselves.

Actually the record industry is INFAMOUS for screwing their artists out of royalties. (One of the reasons a lot of artists do their own record label now is to get a better idea of what the distributors are making and to cut out some of the costs that the record companies use to screw them). Some of the most 'creative' accounting pratices out there are from the recording and media companies.

The major reason for the writer's strike a few years ago was that the Media companies didn't want to give writers (actors or anyone else) a piece of the online pie (streaming, downloading or so on). Record companies are very good at screwing over their own creative talent, I wish I could recall which blues man they lied to (and his family) for years while he slowly and painfully died because they didn't want to give him his promised medical coverage.  (It was cheaper.. by a small margin, to keep the lawyers dragging it out)

They inflate and conceal costs to keep CD prices up..they blackmail apple and every other online vendors to get a bigger piece of the pie (I seem to recall that one of the big sticking points with iTunes orginally was they wanted only WHOLE albums to be sold).

MPAA and RIAA are the strong arm division of some of the most crooked businessmen in the country.

Serephino

*nods*  A big part of the problem is the general population doesn't really feel all that bad for these assholes.  They got all upset because they couldn't afford their second vacation homes and private jets anymore, so they started putting a huge effort into catching 'pirates' and suing them for millions, even though most of them were slaving away on minimum wage.  And it was usually only over a few songs.  It took them catching someone with money and influence to stop that crazy train.  The idiots really should have known better.  The high paid team of lawyers figured out how to win and bitchslap the RIAA back with a counter suit.  They had to stop after that because any lawyer with half a brain could have used that as a precedent to screw them even more, which personally, I would have loved to see.

So really, what they did was take a small problem and make it worse by pissing people off.  The RIAA became public enemy #1 by taking a heavy-handed approach instead of figuring out how to change their practices to make their customers happy.  My boyfriend got mad at me for getting an itunes account because I've given up and started giving my money to those bastards.

These bills are another extreme measure.  They're trying to get the government to do their dirty work for them now.  It worked before when they got p2p file sharing made illegal.  But so much is on the internet now that they'll have to head into dangerous territory to accomplish what they want.     

Sethala

Quote from: Serephino on January 20, 2012, 09:18:30 PMIt took them catching someone with money and influence to stop that crazy train.  The idiots really should have known better.  The high paid team of lawyers figured out how to win and bitchslap the RIAA back with a counter suit.  They had to stop after that because any lawyer with half a brain could have used that as a precedent to screw them even more, which personally, I would have loved to see.

Any idea what that case was called?  I'd love to find out more about it... didn't even realize that's what had happened (I don't usually pay attention to news).

And personally, if I were to start a nonprofit group, it would be legal council and lawyers for people being sued or otherwise taken advantage of by big corporations.  That's what we could really use, I think.

Oniya

"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
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Haruki

This probably steps away from the discussion, but it relates to the bills cited in the topic title.

The problem is simply put.  The big conglomerates refuse to 'update with the times', unlike when they had to in the past.  Sure, they were forced to in the 1980s when we went from vinyl and 8-track cartridges to cassettes and CDs, but they seem to refuse to since 5-10 years ago (or are slow at it) adapt to the changing digital technologies and means of which people acquire their media.

So long as they keep on being slow at this, their problems will never end.

As for China, they don't give two shits.  They've been offering up bootlegs of U.S. media for many years.  And the media bigshots are just noticing it NOW!?  Sorry.  No excuses.  A simple eBay search 5 years ago would have turned up bazillions of bootlegs.   (eBay's actually starting to really crack down on this stuff nowadays).  Media companies just need to ignore China.  You can't stop what they do.

It should be noted, most (if not all) illicit file-sharing and other sites are not U.S. based, BECAUSE of already preexisting laws on the books.  Domestic ISPs won't host the sites due to current laws, for good reason.  They're mostly on servers in the eastern EU countries, China, and other rouge nations in the world where copyright law is hardly enforced.  They already don't give two rips about U.S. law as-is, so be it.

It's not right or wrong, it just 'is what it is'.

I put forth in another thread on this forum about this very issue, the thing that worries me most about these bills isn't so much what happens to the big media players, but moreso, the whole 'freedom from censorship' gig.  individual sites should be the final decision-makers on what is allowed and disallowed on their respective sites, not government.  Making government the censor of all the Internet would be dangerously China-esque.

In stating all this, I'm glad that the U.S. Congress has decided to shelve the bills.  In honesty, hopefully they scrap them entirely.  Media companies need to learn to use pre-existing laws to deal with piracy, and if those don't stop it, you learn to adapt, or go the way the capitalist system is set up for......the 'dodo'.  Out of business, that is.  Aside from mass media, the last thing the general population needs is censorship of the ability to speak / type freely.
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Callie Del Noire

Quote from: Haruki on January 21, 2012, 02:25:36 AM
This probably steps away from the discussion, but it relates to the bills cited in the topic title.

The problem is simply put.  The big conglomerates refuse to 'update with the times', unlike when they had to in the past.  Sure, they were forced to in the 1980s when we went from vinyl and 8-track cartridges to cassettes and CDs, but they seem to refuse to since 5-10 years ago (or are slow at it) adapt to the changing digital technologies and means of which people acquire their media.

So long as they keep on being slow at this, their problems will never end.

As for China, they don't give two shits.  They've been offering up bootlegs of U.S. media for many years.  And the media bigshots are just noticing it NOW!?  Sorry.  No excuses.  A simple eBay search 5 years ago would have turned up bazillions of bootlegs.   (eBay's actually starting to really crack down on this stuff nowadays).  Media companies just need to ignore China.  You can't stop what they do.

It should be noted, most (if not all) illicit file-sharing and other sites are not U.S. based, BECAUSE of already preexisting laws on the books.  Domestic ISPs won't host the sites due to current laws, for good reason.  They're mostly on servers in the eastern EU countries, China, and other rouge nations in the world where copyright law is hardly enforced.  They already don't give two rips about U.S. law as-is, so be it.

It's not right or wrong, it just 'is what it is'.

I put forth in another thread on this forum about this very issue, the thing that worries me most about these bills isn't so much what happens to the big media players, but moreso, the whole 'freedom from censorship' gig.  individual sites should be the final decision-makers on what is allowed and disallowed on their respective sites, not government.  Making government the censor of all the Internet would be dangerously China-esque.

In stating all this, I'm glad that the U.S. Congress has decided to shelve the bills.  In honesty, hopefully they scrap them entirely.  Media companies need to learn to use pre-existing laws to deal with piracy, and if those don't stop it, you learn to adapt, or go the way the capitalist system is set up for......the 'dodo'.  Out of business, that is.  Aside from mass media, the last thing the general population needs is censorship of the ability to speak / type freely.

Agreed. I've been to Hong Kong (pre and post change over) and I can tell you this. Their conception of 'IP Protection' is near non-existant. The stuff you could get in Shim Shou Po and other sections of the mainland side of Hong Kong is nothing but impressive. That isn't to say that things have changed over the years.

The first time I went through Hong Kong you could get way wicked deals on software. Name it.. if it existed, you could get it in Hong Kong. Photoshop? (this was back in version TWO days), Windows? Easy. Nothing too it.

The last time I went though, we saw more DVD/Game bootlegging. You could get gameboy carts with like.. 50+ games on them (or more). Playstation, Genesis and so on. The only thing that slowed the pirates down was things like Nintendo's cartridges. Otherwise it didn't matter. You could get 'Black CDs' like the old playstation games no problem.

The secret to beating the pirates is to provide a better SERVICE than them. The owners of Steam proved it. iTunes proved it. You got a LOT of execs who are still stuck in the 'we set that market' sort of outlook. The Publishing Industry is part of this too with the ebooks issues.

They aren't used to the idea of NOT being in control of every little step. And with the media tools available today.. Recording companies and big publishers are seeing more and more folks going to digital alternatives or in the case of books, print on demand services, that can easily undercut their market models.

They have yet to learn a very valuable lesson in that to truly succeed..they have to adapt or die.

This idiotcy with the SOPA/PIPA laws.. it isn't going to stop the hard core pirate..they'll still know the tricks to find the sites.. DNS denial won't work on them..

Sabby


ShadowFox89

 That was the most random thing I have ever seen on this or any forum.
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Oniya

Quote from: ShadowFox89 on January 22, 2012, 08:15:36 PM
That was the most random thing I have ever seen on this or any forum.

You need more Oatmeal in your diet.  *nods*
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
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TheGlyphstone


Serephino


Chris Brady

Truth be told, I'm sad that SOPA/PIPA are STILL there.  As a Canadian, this will affect me, because of all the sites I go to, which uses copyrighted material.  Like gaming blogs and reviewers.  Hell, those sites would be gone within the week of this passing.

I'm kind of curious as to why they aren't pumping up Kim Dotcom's (Of Megadownload's fame) capture as a 'win' for a SOPA like legislation...  Ignoring the fact that the man was a real life Blofield/Bond villain with a rap sheet about as big as his NZ mansion.
My O&Os Peruse at your doom.

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Callie Del Noire

Quote from: Chris Brady on January 23, 2012, 11:03:26 PM
Truth be told, I'm sad that SOPA/PIPA are STILL there.  As a Canadian, this will affect me, because of all the sites I go to, which uses copyrighted material.  Like gaming blogs and reviewers.  Hell, those sites would be gone within the week of this passing.

I'm kind of curious as to why they aren't pumping up Kim Dotcom's (Of Megadownload's fame) capture as a 'win' for a SOPA like legislation...  Ignoring the fact that the man was a real life Blofield/Bond villain with a rap sheet about as big as his NZ mansion.

I think he never met someone he didn't want to embezzle from.

Serephino

I'm guessing it hasn't been canned yet because they're hoping people will forget about it.  Attention will get focused on something else, and they'll pass it in the middle of the night behind our backs.

Chris Brady

And sadly it will pass in some format.  Because no one will remember why it's bad, except a small few, because of some other threat to national decency will over shadow SOPA.
My O&Os Peruse at your doom.

So I make a A&A thread but do I put it here?  No.  Of course not.

Also, I now come with Kung-Fu Blog action.  Here:  Where I talk about comics and all sorts of gaming

Oniya

I wouldn't write that ending so quickly.  The whole economic crisis has awoken a sleeping giant.  There are a lot of people who are no longer just accepting what the politicians are spoonfeeding us.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Serephino

Yes, but there will probably end up being something else for people to get upset over.  It seems like every other month the Republicans are doing something else to piss people off.  A new issue will arise, and people will be so busy protesting that they'll forget about SOPA, thus, allowing it to pass quietly and unnoticed. 

Our only hope against this is people watching Congress closely, and not just focusing on the issue of the week.  If it's ever brought back out of the closet the public will need to be made aware again in order to keep opposing it. 

Callie Del Noire

Quote from: Serephino on January 24, 2012, 02:59:47 AM
Yes, but there will probably end up being something else for people to get upset over.  It seems like every other month the Republicans are doing something else to piss people off.  A new issue will arise, and people will be so busy protesting that they'll forget about SOPA, thus, allowing it to pass quietly and unnoticed. 

Our only hope against this is people watching Congress closely, and not just focusing on the issue of the week.  If it's ever brought back out of the closet the public will need to be made aware again in order to keep opposing it. 


It's just not the GOP. Don't forget that the WHITE HOUSE asked for the changes to the NDAA that were so constitutionally toxic and that the president signed it into law. 

Haruki

Quote from: Callie Del Noire on January 24, 2012, 03:24:42 AM
It's just not the GOP. Don't forget that the WHITE HOUSE asked for the changes to the NDAA that were so constitutionally toxic and that the president signed it into law. 

I know this much for sure.  "I" am watching closely and I've not been liking what I see.  SOPA/PIPA were just the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Both sides of the line are filled with toxic waste that needs to be cleared out, mattering not what letter (D or R....oh and there's an I in there I think too) is affixed to their name.  Not every single rep is terrible, but a majority are so-called 'established' sorts that don't give two rips about the general population.

All these 'acronym' bills / laws are mind-boggling and awful.  Sure, maybe some bits within are well-intended, but not in such bloated messes like what we've been witnessing the last few years.

Sweep out the rubbish, put in new folks, and most of all never trust in them.  ALWAYS keep an open eye and ear out for what they do and say, not what news and media pundits spoonfeed the general population.
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Callie Del Noire

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/dutch-courts-join-pirate-bay-blocking-bandwagon

Just to show it's not JUST the US working to censor the net. I don't particularly support (pro or con) Pirate Bay, but I think blocking content isn't the way to fight folks like Pirate Bay. I agree with the outlook that folks like Steam over censoring sites. Better service helps a lot. I know friends who came back to iTunes after years of refusing to do ANY service online over buying CDs because Apple changed the way their system worked and put a customer's entire purchase library on their account.

So, if you're like me and been using iTunes for 10 years now.. you can log on.. and find songs you bought back in 2000-ish and go 'what the hell was I thinking?'

DngrMse

Here's what's going to happen:

All the provisions that give SOPA, and PIPA's financial backers wet dreams will find their ways into other legislation. It's not dead, not even mostly dead. It's still very much alive, and as the provisions of these regressive, repressive bills are enacted in to law, the jackasses in Washington that depend on the green flowing from deep-pocket supporters will continue to thrive.

/rant off