CreativeAmerica, the astroturfing group that pretends it’s a “grassroots” operation — but which is funded by the major Hollywood studios and run by former studio/MPAA execs — is amazingly inept at communicating with the public, especially considering these guys are supposed to be communications experts. Remember, this is the same group who, while fighting for stronger laws against copying, flat out copied the email of anti-SOPA activists, and changed a few words to push their own pro-SOPA message.
Their latest move is even more bizarre. The group is touting its latest slickly produced propaganda film, insisting that SOPA/PIPA are needed for a variety of reasons — almost none of which are true. It throws out the bogus claim of jobs being at risk, even though the evidence shows otherwise. But where it gets totally ridiculous is that the video focuses mostly on Megaupload and Kim Dotcom/Schmitz. The point of focusing on Megaupload? To claim that it can’t be reached under existing law. Seriously. It talks about Megaupload for a while (claiming that it brings in $300 million per year — which turns out to be 10x the actual number, by the way) and then says:US law enforcement is only permitted to shut down US-based IP addresses. Overseas sites, like Megaupload and Megavideo, and the Swedish-based Pirate Bay, are out of reach.Yes. And they’re releasing this video five whole days after the US government showed that existing laws actually do allow them to reach Megaupload and shut it down. So, um, why do we need these new laws again?
Quick! Someone get Chuck123 on the phone! We need more lawmakin’!
Sorry about my rage post earlier, here’s a more reasonable post about my feelings on SOPA amd PIPA…
Gabe Newell, the head of Valve, which I believe is one of the greatest video game companies in existence today, had this to say about the problems of pirating:
“The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates… . If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate’s service is more valuable.”
Why do these large corporations seek shelter from the government when they have no on else to blame but themselves if piracy is a problem to them? These music and movie industries are in trouble because they’ve put themselves there. These people who think they can overcharge for movies and music, then get completely defensive and offended when others offer their services at a better rate and quality than they can provide.
Do they really think that they can stop pirates? I don’t believe even they’re stupid enough to believe so. The internet has millions of ways to share files outside Megaupload. All the government has done is mildly inconvenient pirates and captured seven people, in comparison to the millions of providers and the billions of downloaders that are out there. They did it for show, I believe, wanted to flex their big government muscles and act like they’re in power of the situation. They essentially cut off the head of a Hydra in an attempt to scare away the Hydra later.
I believe the motto of capitalism and especially the United States is: ‘Competition is the life-blood of the economy’, right? Well, Hollywood, you’ve met your largest competitor. It’s up to you now, do you adapt or do you die?
EXACTLY. This is what I said in my letters to my state’s senators (yes, I sent them physical, handwritten letters about SOPA/PIPA). I cited the example of FOX having Glee available on Hulu the next day during season 2, and then FOX’s decision to delay new episodes a whole week for season 3. More people, including myself, are downloading the rips instead of waiting on Hulu, and I did actually watch the entire second season through Hulu.
I go looking for MP3s on Amazon. If I can’t find it, I check eMusic. If they don’t have it, I hunt down a pirated version, because I won’t wait for the record label to get their act together.
Adobe charges an arm, a leg, and your soul for their software.
The entertainment industry, software companies, et cetera bring this crap upon themselves. They are so busy fighting the internet instead of embracing it and redesigning their business model, and thus they are hurting their own profits.
(via cracktastic)
ACTA in a Nutshell –
What is ACTA? ACTA is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. A new intellectual property enforcement treaty being negotiated by the United States, the European Community, Switzerland, and Japan, with Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada recently announcing that they will join in as well.
Why should you care about ACTA? Initial reports indicate that the treaty will have a very broad scope and will involve new tools targeting “Internet distribution and information technology.”
What is the goal of ACTA? Reportedly the goal is to create new legal standards of intellectual property enforcement, as well as increased international cooperation, an example of which would be an increase in information sharing between signatory countries’ law enforcement agencies.
Essential ACTA Resources -
- Read more about ACTA here: ACTA Fact Sheet
- Read the authentic version of the ACTA text as of 15 April 2011, as finalized by participating countries here: ACTA Finalized Text
- Follow the history of the treaty’s formation here: ACTA history
- Read letters from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden wherein he challenges the constitutionality of ACTA: Letter 1 | Letter 2 | Read the Administration’s Response to Wyden’s First Letter here: Response
- Watch a short informative video on ACTA: ACTA Video
- Watch a lulzy video on ACTA: Lulzy Video
- Reuters: ACTA signed in Tokyo: Article
- United States ACTA: Read
- European Union Trade Commission ACTA: Read
- Australian Gov’t ACTA: Read
- Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic: Read
- ACTA Undermines Access to Medicines: Article
Say NO to ACTA. It is essential to spread awareness and get the word out on ACTA.
Most of the anti-ACTA petitions I’ve seen so far I’ve been a little dubious of, but I’ve just found out Access Now are running one. Access Now campaign on internet freedom issues all over the world, and they’re one of the three main organisations where I do most of my slacktivism, so I’m pleased to know they’re doing something about ACTA. If you care about internet freedom and you aren’t already familiar with Access Now, you should definitely consider following their work.
Anyway: ANTI-ACTA PETITION. GO SIGN.
This is even worse than SOPA. Also it’s in Europe. PLEASE SIGN AND SPREAD THE WORD. SOPA is dead. We can do this with ACTA too.
More info: http://gamzeemakara.tumblr.com/post/16168274010/more-people-need-to-know-about-acta-so-here-we
YOU CAN SIGN THIS FROM ANY COUNTRY - NOT JUST INSIDE THE EU - SO GET TO IT!
(Source: theoppositeoflamp, via pixiealamode)
i think i know who to call to get rid of SOPA once and for all
(Source: gloomyteens, via albinwonderland)
(Source: finnxrach, via cracktastic)
The White House announced their opposition and Congress has put it aside (as it is, at least) “indefinitely!”
SOPA'S BEEN SHELVED!
![christieanne:
faithisforthetransientpeople:
kaffeinebuzz:
[Had to share this beauty…]
You wouldn’t steal a car, you wouldn’t steal a handbag…
We all know how the rest goes, because thanks to the Motion Picture Association Of America and their foreign associates, every time you hire a DVD, you have to sit through this ad before you get to the main menu. But in what must be the most delicious slice of irony served this year, it has just been discovered that that the music used to soundtrack this 50-second pain in the ass is actually stolen.
Netherlands composer Melchior Rietveldt composed that ominous techno tune for a local film festival after being asked by anti-piracy group BREIN, who are funded by Hollywood. A few years later, he got himself a copy of Harry Potter on DVD and noticed his music was suddenly being used for much wider use than he had originally agreed to in contract. Which essentially means that when they say ‘you wouldn’t steal a television’, that doesn’t quite extend to intellectual property.
Rest of the story…
the irony
man
face…palm……..
Do as I say, not as I do?](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxai7fsVHh1qb6509o1_500.jpg)
[Had to share this beauty…]
You wouldn’t steal a car, you wouldn’t steal a handbag…
We all know how the rest goes, because thanks to the Motion Picture Association Of America and their foreign associates, every time you hire a DVD, you have to sit through this ad before you get to the main menu. But in what must be the most delicious slice of irony served this year, it has just been discovered that that the music used to soundtrack this 50-second pain in the ass is actually stolen.
Netherlands composer Melchior Rietveldt composed that ominous techno tune for a local film festival after being asked by anti-piracy group BREIN, who are funded by Hollywood. A few years later, he got himself a copy of Harry Potter on DVD and noticed his music was suddenly being used for much wider use than he had originally agreed to in contract. Which essentially means that when they say ‘you wouldn’t steal a television’, that doesn’t quite extend to intellectual property.
the irony
man
face…palm……..
Do as I say, not as I do?
(via cracktastic)
