Federal rules on campus file sharing kick in today

[Vassago]

Just a minor point... if the RIAA were indeed a monopoly then there would be "some smaller label that is not part of the RIAA". They are without doubt powerful and megalithic but they are not a monopoly. Not in the legal sense anyway.

Not entirely true, Mr. technical.

From wikipedia:

In economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos / μονος (alone or single) + polein / πωλειν (to sell)) exists when a specific individual or an enterprise has sufficient control over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms on which other individuals shall have access to it.

I think this is the case for music. The RIAA definitely has sufficient control to significantly determine access to it's industries product. They can easily squash out competition from smaller labels. I believe they can be considered a monopoly in the current market.

 

[MicroBuddy8]

This may sound a bit far-fetched but maybe laws and regulations like these are just meant for another way for government workers to get their hands on (illegal) porn, for their pleasure. Or in case of excessive surveillance, to live out their voyeurism. Check out this article:
REMOVED BY AWF Pentagon workers tied to child porn REMOVED BY AWF I'm sure stuff like that goes on in the UK too. Shocking, isn't it?

 

[Steve R.]

The thread chugs on!
Apple Loses Bid to Criminalize iPhone Jailbreaking. What is particularly significant is the blatant recognition of criminalization rather than politically correct Orwellian Newspeak of protecting so-called intellectual property.

In related news: "Motorola Does Openness Wrong; Bricks Your Droid X If You Tamper"

As an eye witness testimonial on proprietary power cord absurdities; not only does Dell use proprietary power cords, but they use different proprietary cords so that you can not even interchange power cords between different Dell models!!

One has to wonder how corporations can keep pulling these shenanigans before the public is in full revolt. In a sense the public is already in a "silent" revolt by ignoring a lot of so-called intellectual property laws.

 

[Vassago]

The thread chugs on!
Apple Loses Bid to Criminalize iPhone Jailbreaking. What is particularly significant is the blatant recognition of criminalization rather than politically correct Orwellian Newspeak of protecting so-called intellectual property.

In related news: "Motorola Does Openness Wrong; Bricks Your Droid X If You Tamper"

As an eye witness testimonial on proprietary power cord absurdities; not only does Dell use proprietary power cords, but they use different proprietary cords so that you can not even interchange power cords between different Dell models!!

One has to wonder how corporations can keep pulling these shenanigans before the public is in full revolt. In a sense the public is already in a "silent" revolt by ignoring a lot of so-called intellectual property laws.

On the Dell power cords, I think it's their right to do so if they see fit. If customers don't like it, they can buy from someone else. There are options there any every other manufacturer that I have seen uses standard power cords. I think regulating such a thing would go against a companies rights to do such a thing.

The Droid X and Apple issues are different. As a customer, you should have a right to tamper with your own hardware however you see fit. Of course, when you do so, it's also at your own risk and if you break it, well, say goodbye to your warranty. Companies should not have complete control of hardware you buy. Could you imagine buying dvd players but being told what titles you can run in them?

 

[ChipperT]

I don't disagree that many of these issues are valid. But way too many people put up the Big Brother aspect as a justification for their outright theft of intellectual property - piracy. Without the theft you would not have the efforts of private enterprise to eliminate or reduce it, even if they do try to involve the government.

I have heard all the excuses - "prices too high" - Don't buy, do without. "I am just sampling before I buy" - go to Amazon or a thousand other sites to hear snips or see trailers, download previews of software. There is no excuse for piracy.

 

[chergh]

Could you imagine buying dvd players but being told what titles you can run in them?

What like the region system on a lot of dvd players?

 

[Vassago]

I don't disagree that many of these issues are valid. But way too many people put up the Big Brother aspect as a justification for their outright theft of intellectual property - piracy. Without the theft you would not have the efforts of private enterprise to eliminate or reduce it, even if they do try to involve the government.

I have heard all the excuses - "prices too high" - Don't buy, do without. "I am just sampling before I buy" - go to Amazon or a thousand other sites to hear snips or see trailers, download previews of software. There is no excuse for piracy.

No excuse for piracy is right. It's an issue of the rights of the people being accused. Why should the government enforce civil responsibilities? What is the quality control in place to make sure someone is not wrongfully accused? Do you know how many RIAA lawsuits were thrown out because of lack of true evidence, even though the RIAA was able to get personal and private information on no real proof?

 

[Vassago]

What like the region system on a lot of dvd players?

It's not so much the dvd players that are region controlled as much as the dvds themselves. This is an issue more of copyrights in a specific country than the dvd refusing to actually play them. Luckily, you have the legal ability as a customer to remove region control on dvds legally through fair use.

 

[ChipperT]

No excuse for piracy is right. It's an issue of the rights of the people being accused. Why should the government enforce civil responsibilities? What is the quality control in place to make sure someone is not wrongfully accused? Do you know how many RIAA lawsuits were thrown out because of lack of true evidence, even though the RIAA was able to get personal and private information on no real proof?

When is enforcing laws primarily a civil responsibility? When the government fails to enforce laws who is responsible for enforcement? A citizen can detain a lawbreaker in the act, aiding government enforcement. There are laws on the books requiring private enterprises to aid the government in enforcement of laws, from reporting crimes such as chlld abuse to banking laws aiding detection of money laundering. If preventing piracy is solely a civil responsibility then why not make all laws solely civil responsibilities? "Absurd", you probably say. I agree. Civil and government must work together to enforce laws.

 

[Vassago]

When is enforcing laws primarily a civil responsibility? When the government fails to enforce laws who is responsible for enforcement? A citizen can detain a lawbreaker in the act, aiding government enforcement. There are laws on the books requiring private enterprises to aid the government in enforcement of laws, from reporting crimes such as chlld abuse to banking laws aiding detection of money laundering. If preventing piracy is solely a civil responsibility then why not make all laws solely civil responsibilities? "Absurd", you probably say. I agree. Civil and government must work together to enforce laws.

Copyright infringement is not a federal responsibility, it's a civil one, or at least it should be. That's my argument. Comparing child abuse to copyright infringement is a little extreme. There is a huge difference...

This is my point though. Based on the new laws, schools will be REQUIRED to punish alleged copyright infringers, without any real evidence or court order to do so, just the RIAA or MPAA complaining about them. That is what I'm saying is "absurd." People are punished without due process and the federal government is now saying the school must comply with a complaint, without anyone proving such a thing took place. Schools should not have to act as federal regulators in copyright. They have nothing to do with the alleged copyright infringement.

 

[Steve R.]

When is enforcing laws primarily a civil responsibility? When the government fails to enforce laws who is responsible for enforcement? A citizen can detain a lawbreaker in the act, aiding government enforcement. There are laws on the books requiring private enterprises to aid the government in enforcement of laws, from reporting crimes such as chlld abuse to banking laws aiding detection of money laundering. If preventing piracy is solely a civil responsibility then why not make all laws solely civil responsibilities? "Absurd", you probably say. I agree. Civil and government must work together to enforce laws.

There is a distinction between detaining a bank robber in the act of committing a real crime versus the growing "legal" requirement to figuratively "break into someone's house" simply to search it on any whimsical presumption that contraband may exist there.

We seem to be entering an era of where "disinterested" parties will be forced to spy on people without any reasonable presumption of guilt. Would you be in favor of the RIAA or the MPA recording every phone conversation that you have? After all you could be talking about a new cool download site.

 

[Vassago]

There is a distinction between detaining a bank robber in the act of committing a real crime versus the growing "legal" requirement to figuratively "break into someone's house" simply to search it on any whimsical presumption that contraband may exist there.

We seem to be entering an era of where "disinterested" parties will be forced to spy on people without any reasonable presumption of guilt. Would you be in favor of the RIAA or the MPA recording every phone conversation that you have? After all you could be talking about a new cool download site.

This is my point. Thanks for posting it more clearly. Going back to the child abuse reference, it's like DCF taking your kids away without a shred of evidence, after all, you COULD be abusing your children.