Draconian Anti-Piracy Censorship Bill Passes Senate Committee (PROTECT-IP Act)

reply to post by brill


If a rancher chooses to not find a way to corral their herds, is it the governments responsibility to write laws that account for his lack of protecting his property?

This thread is a good example of why I'm reluctant to send people to ATS. This bill has NOTHING to do with "taking away our freedoms." Nothing whatsoever. But yet that's the spin.

It's amazing that people on ATS would defend copyright infringement. Isn't this whole site built on outrage that the "elite" use their powers to disregard the law for their own gain? How is that any different than someone who chooses to download illegal software and then tries to justify it????

Originally posted by Abney
This thread is a good example of why I'm reluctant to send people to ATS. This bill has NOTHING to do with "taking away our freedoms." Nothing whatsoever. But yet that's the spin.

It's amazing that people on ATS would defend copyright infringement. Isn't this whole site built on outrage that the "elite" use their powers to disregard the law for their own gain? How is that any different than someone who chooses to download illegal software and then tries to justify it????

The problem is the government can define copyright infringement in a very loose way with this bill that could be passed.
Then it's a case of some pen-pusher in the XYZ agency not liking a website because it has a link or picture of something with adverts nearby it and BANG goes that site!

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by brill

 

If a rancher chooses to not find a way to corral their herds, is it the governments responsibility to write laws that account for his lack of protecting his property?

Irrelevant. Money is all that matters here and plenty of it. It will do the talking as you can see from the governments reaction. Whether its right or wrong is cast aside, government will do it.

brill

There sure is a strong sense of entitlement (or paranoia) in this thread. I love listening to the excuses that people come up with to pirate stuff. "Well, they're a big bad greedy company so it's ok!" or "The artist has plenty of money so it's fine to pirate their music". I'm sorry, but no, you're not entitled to get the latest video game/music album/computer software/movie for free.

I'm reminded of someone I used to know. He was a gamer and he pirated nearly every single game that he got, almost never paid for a game, and he used to trash me for actually buying the games. If everyone did that, there wouldn't be any new games/movies/albums/etc.

Yes, it will be terrible if this law is used as an excuse to shut down sites like Youtube and that's not something I support, but the "I deserve this stuff" attitude when it comes to this issue is really annoying.

Originally posted by Abney
This thread is a good example of why I'm reluctant to send people to ATS. This bill has NOTHING to do with "taking away our freedoms." Nothing whatsoever. But yet that's the spin.

It's amazing that people on ATS would defend copyright infringement. Isn't this whole site built on outrage that the "elite" use their powers to disregard the law for their own gain? How is that any different than someone who chooses to download illegal software and then tries to justify it????

This bill has NOTHING to do with "taking away our freedoms." Nothing whatsoever. But yet that's the spin.

So ending youtube, and other viewing sites, that allow, Free viewing TV shows,anime, movies, isnt taking away our freedoms? i think it is.

How is that any different than someone who chooses to download illegal software and then tries to justify it

illegal software you mean like P2P,Torrents? well let me counter you by this, you know those 3D,animation programs like photoshop,3DMax Adobe® Creative Suite® etc you know how much these programs cost? they cost in a one thousand dollars, which sadly people in this finical crisis dont have that much money or jobs to which they can buy these programs.

Thats why people switch to Torrents, because they every right to do so, and lets be honest creators of Adobe dont benefit from the publishers.

Originally posted by Charizard
There sure is a strong sense of entitlement (or paranoia) in this thread. I love listening to the excuses that people come up with to pirate stuff. "Well, they're a big bad greedy company so it's ok!" or "The artist has plenty of money so it's fine to pirate their music". I'm sorry, but no, you're not entitled to get the latest video game/music album/computer software/movie for free.

I'm reminded of someone I used to know. He was a gamer and he pirated nearly every single game that he got, almost never paid for a game, and he used to trash me for actually buying the games. If everyone did that, there wouldn't be any new games/movies/albums/etc.

Yes, it will be terrible if this law is used as an excuse to shut down sites like Youtube and that's not something I support, but the "I deserve this stuff" attitude when it comes to this issue is really annoying.

Sounds like someones a fan and a defender of capitalism and a corporatist fan.

I'm reminded of someone I used to know. He was a gamer and he pirated nearly every single game that he got, almost never paid for a game, and he used to trash me for actually buying the games. If everyone did that, there wouldn't be any new games/movies/albums/etc.

So you used to knew someone who was gamer designer, and someone who used download his game and he trashed you for pirating his game?

Sorry i am not following you a bit there, could you explain it a bit better? since seeing you supporting the greedy corporations.

Well, maybe this will give a chance to other music creators that are not promoted by Hollywood.This could change the way the culture is created - from the total control done my Hollywood to a more fair and value-based culture. Also:maybe people will start watching more documentaries and alternative materials. So in my opinion, the Government is actually diminishing the influence of Hollywood in the world by criminalising spreading of their manufactured consense. This could actually turn well!

Originally posted by kro32
What about freedom in the marketplace for people? You would actually prefer American companies to have their goods pirated so they make no money off of it? What in this bill leads you to believe they are going after your freedoms.

Do you agree that people should be allowed to get a leaked copy of a new album by an artist and put it on a site for everyone to download for free and then our government just clap their hands and say "hey thanks for the great music but you have no rights compared to the internet user."

As I can see from your other comments, you're being heavily sarcastic, so let me address this very issue of digitalisation:

Because of the very nature of computer technology, the underlying protocols and hardware -- which allow you to copy, modify and transmit digital works very easily, despite many failing attempts to restrict these fundamentals (e.g. DRM, Antidebugging etc.) -- it will take effort to build a whole new infrastructure on top of it or replace it which will monitor every incoming and outgoing packet, essentially invading any user's privacy and measuring up to the Great Firewall of China -- which by the way, does not have a great reputation --, with the switch to new hardware costing hardware vendors, ISPs, businesses and end users a great deal of money. An effort, which is wasted, because existing technology isn't going to disappear, especially if it's ultimately cost-effective, unrestrictive and there are big industries behind it. I doubt that the entertainment industry will be able to convince those that this move is in anybody's interest but theirs, and that the notably bigger telecommunication industry will follow along without proper compensation, which the entertainment industry is unlikely able to provide.

The entire aspect of digitalisation will teach economies to compete with "free". In a competitive market, the cost of a product will reach marginal cost. How will entertainment companies compete with a marginal cost of zero? They'll make a profit out of services (e.g. Valve Software), the experience in movie theaters / amusement parks (e.g. Disney), selling storage mediums and entertainment hardware (e.g. Sony), or simply out of something innovative...

Please excuse my rambling, but I honestly believe that with the propagation of cheap computer networks and hardware, free culture will only continue to grow, the copyright of great, invaluable and timeless works will eventually expire and add to this pool of digitally archived and virtually from anywhere accessable works. And as economic inequality prevails, this will be the only means for the monetarily unequipped to cheaply (albeit sometimes illegally) acquire information.

I'm an artist--- digital to be exact--- and I put many hours into my pieces; thousands. When I finish, I upload my images to my profile on deviantArt and anyone can download/view the image for free. I don't make a penny off it, never have, but I get comments, feedback, and faves from people; and I'm happy with it that way. Actually I'd prefer to have more exposure rather than charge people anything for it. I have alternative plans to start making an income off my skills soon, but in the mean time I want to share my art with as many people as possible because it actually means something to me.

So forgive me for finding it hard to sympathize with greedy studios like the ones who made "The Expendables", made hundreds of millions in profits, and then filed a lawsuit against 22,000 internet users for pirating their [average if not failure] of a film. The only assholes that would defend this bill are those who are rich and don't give a sh!t about the majority, or the elites who want to control freedom of information/speech. And I find it utterly hypocritical how they want to put your average citizen in prison for 5 years for pirating anything, and yet the real thieves in our country are free to continue stealing billions from the people; give trillions away to the banks and corporations with .01 interest, most of which aren't even American to begin with; and commit other heinous acts of fraud, tax evasion via loopholes, etc etc.

This is a joke.

My line in the sand is drawn and thats all I can do. We all must draw our own lines, when enough of us have been sacrificed, the whole of the body may start to come together in fear of them being next, but it will take alot of sacrifices in order for that to happen.

Sounds like someones a fan and a defender of capitalism and a corporatist fan.

I wouldn't say that, but I do support people being able to make a living off their work. Games/movies/CDs, they're a luxury item. I'd champion for people having free access to the essentials of life (food, water, shelter, healthcare) before that stuff. It would be awesome if we lived in a Star Trek world where the concept of money is obselete, but unfortunately we don't. It's what drives our world (unfortunately) and the people who work hard to develop and create the music, games and movies that people pirate deserve their share of profit just as much as anyone else.

Sorry i am not following you a bit there, could you explain it a bit better? since seeing you supporting the greedy corporations.

Well first off, I'm not just "supporting greedy corporations". There are a lot of other people involved here. Sure, in a movie you have to pay the big, rich actors and directors, but you also have to pay the costume designers, the set designers, the sound composers, the writers, the guy who goes and gets coffee for the director, etc, etc. So it's not just the "big bad corporations" who are potentially hurt.

As for my explaination: When I say my friend is a gamer, I mean he's someone who avidly plays video games. He had all of his gaming systems hacked so that he could play emulated versions of the newest games, so he almost never actually paid for any of his games. He just downloaded them illegally and acted all elitist about it (haha you pay for stuff when you can get it for free you dummy). I was telling him that if everyone "got everything for free" like he did, then those companies who make the games that he so loves to pirate wouldn't have the money to make any more games for him to enjoy.

To think that this legislation will stop people from pirating music, movies, and games is dumb. Too many people do it for it to be effective. It's just legislation so the politicians look good in their masters' eyes. And yes, the corporations are their masters, not the american people.

If all the "artists" put out albums that weren't 99% crap, then I would have no problem with this. The artists that I like, I buy the albums to support them, the ones where I like one song, I download that song.
Same goes for movies...when I start getting paid, or see a drastic decline in the cost of seeing a movie that consists of 10-12 commercials for various items then I will stop downloading movies. I sent an email to disney asking them if they would send me a copy of their movies if I send them my scratched copy. I told them that unless they start doing this, or something like that I will continue to download the movies that my kids have scratched.

Not so long ago they crushed the online poker playing industry...soon all life's little pleasures will be removed one-by-one.

They steal your savings and your retirement fund, add drugs to your water and leave the borders open for every Jose, Pepe & Miguel to take your jobs!

Glad I don't live in the USA.

Originally posted by kro32
This is a bill to protect American companies so I don't see what your problem is with it. It's anti-piracy legislation the same which is applied to movies or any other type of copyright infringement currently on the books.

With the new technology like internet so big now Congress has to adapt with new laws. There is nothing in this law pertaining to sites like ATS.

What a shill. There is nothing wrong with the law's, the entertainment industry is putting out garbage few are willing to pay for. Plus they refuse to adapt with the times. If "American" Corporations have their way the Internet as we know it will be gone forever. Replaced by a system where they will charge us per gigabyte outrageous amounts(costs them pennies on the dollar per gigabyte) in order to shut down the Internet to "protect" traditional media entertainment outlets.

These so called "American" corporations are vulturous traitors. They opened this can of worms by lobbying for legislation to target child pornography then pressured prosecutors to use the law's on "pirates"(even though the law's where intended for something else).

The American Entertainment industry is the laziest, sleaziest, scummiest industry in America. They leech off of society by selling the same exact product over and over again even though it is 10,20,30 or even 50 years old(yet medicines and other patents for real products run out in 10-15 years).

reply to post by brill



ahh yes...the disconnect between the desires of The People, and reality.

It is why my lack of a college degree has never hindered me. Real world experience is always better than learning theory in a class room.

reply to post by kro32

What about freedom in the marketplace for people? You would actually prefer American companies to have their goods pirated so they make no money off of it? What in this bill leads you to believe they are going after your freedoms.

You sir are an absolute moron. The US Government think they can monitor the entire God damn world. This allows them to skip the proper processes, and quickly take websites down based on "copyright infringement". Do you know that almost every website on the internet is probably infringing on at least one copyright? Go back to sleep. This is a crucial part in their plan. Sleep now.

reply to post by alchemist2012


You have got to be kiddin me! I'm sick of this country! When is it time to just revolt