OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
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"It's smash and grab, no different than a guy walking down Fifth Avenue and smashing the window at Tiffany's and reaching in and grabbing what's in the window." -- U.S. VP Joe Biden
While they may never be able to truly defeat piracy and drive it from the lurking depths of the internet, copyright protection attack-dog organizations like the RIAA and MPAA have long dreamed of the day when they would no longer have to pay for their own copyright enforcement. Now that dream is on the verge of coming true, thanks to the Obama administration.
After countless lobbyist dollars from the music and film industry and a brief "public review", the administration rolled out its vision to fight piracy yesterday afternoon. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden -- whose blunt speech has sometime left him in trouble -- did not mince words.
He states, "This is theft, clear and simple. It's smash and grab, no different than a guy walking down Fifth Avenue and smashing the window at Tiffany's and reaching in and grabbing what's in the window."
The sound-byte comparing downloads to stealing jewels from New York City's finest jeweler quickly lit up the web. Bob Pisano, interim chief executive officer at the Motion Picture Association of America praised the VP, "It is especially critical that the United States has an effective framework for protecting creative content online and enforcing intellectual property rights in the digital environment."
According to the Obama administration, the RIAA, and MPAA, the world economy is pretty much doomed if we don't start prosecuting pirates at home and abroad. Without such a crackdown, businesses will go bankrupt the coalition argues. Biden states, "Piracy hurts, it hurts our economy."
Interestingly, the statements seem to fly in the face of a recent Government Accountability Office study released to U.S. Congress earlier this year, which concluded that there is virtually no evidence for the claimed million dollar losses by the entertainment industry. That study suggested that piracy could even benefit the economy.
Another noteworthy study from three years back notes that virtually every citizen violates intellectual property laws in some way on a daily basis.
The White House press release was full of buzz phrases, but short on details. It did however indicate that the U.S. government may increasingly monitor filesharing networks and BitTorrent sites and assist media groups in their prosecution/threat letter efforts. It speaks of improved "law enforcement efforts at the Federal, state and local level."
The biggest effort, though, will be devoted to cracking down on piracy websites in the U.S. and overseas. The administration was short on details of how exactly it would convince piracy-loving nations like China to change their ways, but it did say it would try to do so by "being as public as we possibly can" about infringement.
The press release states, "As we shine the spotlight on foreign governments that have rogue actors doing illicit business within their borders, it's the government's responsibility to respond."
Such efforts have shown mild success. After lots of threats against the Swedish government by the U.S., the European Union nation finally tried admins with the nation's largest torrent site The Pirate Bay last year and found them guilty. The trial was later exposed to be a perversion of the justice system, with the judge who gave the verdict have multiple ties to copyright protection organizations. The verdict -- $3M USD in damages and a year of hard prison time for the admins -- is currently being appealed.
The White House's vision is perhaps a prelude to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which will go before Congress later this year. The bill would make P2P or BitTorrent client development a criminal offense if the distributed software was used for infringement. It also implements an interesting provision called "imminent infringement", which allows the government to charge people who they think might be about to infringe with a civil offense (for example if you searched "torrent daft punk"). This is among the first official "thought crime" provisions to be proposed by the U.S. government. The bill also makes it a criminal offense to bypass DRM.
Ultimately, it should be interesting to see how American taxpayers react to President Obama's decision to spend their money on efforts to prosecute them and try to choke out piracy at home and abroad, particularly when the current evidence is inconclusive of its effects. One thing's for sure, though. Top politicians on both sides of the aisle are firmly behind the music and movie industry anti-piracy and money-collection efforts.
Obama Administration Announces Massive Piracy Crackdown - informationliberation
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
with all that's going on in the world...THIS is what tops the to do list?
really?
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
I didn't have a problem with you Obama, and you didn't have a problem with me. But if you interfere with my ability to steal music, mystical sky daddy help me I will write some disparaging things about you.
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
The part that sticks out to me the most is the fact that they'll be able to prosecute people who they THINK might be ABOUT to commit a crime. Minority Report anyone?
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
I find it funny because if they convict people with stolen software, music or movies on their computer. A whole lotta people gonna be going to jail.. lol.
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
But with music, how can you prove that I didn't buy a CD and rip it to my computer? Same thing with movies. My defense would be "I ripped the DVD to my computer in case I ever lost the DVD....and guess what? I DON'T HAVE THE DVD ANYMORE! I guess I was smart to make a backup copy."
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H.E.
I find it funny because if they convict people with stolen software, music or movies on their computer. A whole lotta people gonna be going to jail.. lol.
seriously, who the fuck DOESN'T have downloaded music on their computer?
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Enygma
But with music, how can you prove that I didn't buy a CD and rip it to my computer? Same thing with movies. My defense would be "I ripped the DVD to my computer in case I ever lost the DVD....and guess what? I DON'T HAVE THE DVD ANYMORE! I guess I was smart to make a backup copy."
I'm sure they will find a way..
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Der Einzige
seriously, who the fuck DOESN'T have downloaded music on their computer?
Lol. All I'ma say is.. if it goes down like this.. see you all in jail. I want to see how Obama plans on locking up his entire nation, or give out fines to all of us.
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H.E.
Lol. All I'ma say is.. if it goes down like this.. see you all in jail. I want to see how Obama plans on locking up his entire nation, or give out fines to all of us.
be a great way to boost the econo...
oh dear god!
*starts erasing all my hard drives*
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
I just hope they make a special jail for RB. It'd be a funny experience.. lmao.
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
people would be Rap batting for phone time and all the Rap geeks would be having text battles and stabbing eachother for dickriding in the exercise yard.
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H.E.
I just hope they make a special jail for RB. It'd be a funny experience.. lmao.
ain't a cell big enough for all of us and opey
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
that's it. fuck Obama.
this is the straw that broke the camel's back. fuck him. he is better then Bush but not much. the fuck is he even doing ? aside from this of course.. stop the war in Iraq ? psssh no. help the economy Obama ? LOL i laugh in your face i'm rich bitch. So what will you do ? I SHALL SMITE EVERYONE WHO DOWNLOADS WILL SMITH CDS !!
Re: OhBama Cracking Down on Piracy
man it was like, I knew Obama was full of shit from the beginning.
When he was all
WE'RE GONNA BRING THE TROOPS HOME
it was like "yeah sure you will Obama."
then he was like
WE'RE GONNA FIX THE ECONOMY
it was like "more power to ya dawg"
BUT YOU DON'T FUX WITH MY INTERNETS, NAH YOU DONE FUCKED UP NOW DAWG.