Obama Backs MPAA, RIAA, and ACTA 703
boarder8925 writes "In a move sure to surprise no one, Obama has come out on the side of the MPAA/RIAA and has backed the ACTA: 'We're going to aggressively protect our intellectual property,' Obama said in his speech, 'Our single greatest asset is the innovation and the ingenuity and creativity of the American people [...] It is essential to our prosperity and it will only become more so in this century. But it's only a competitive advantage if our companies know that someone else can't just steal that idea and duplicate it with cheaper inputs and labor.'"
Let's Do Something (Score:5, Informative)
I know that Obama is more tech-savvy than any President prior and is trying to do everything he can to boost the current US economy, but those of us who are knowledgeable and have a strong opinion on this should contact the White House as well as your Senators and Congresspeople to let them know why we should not be supporting ACTA.
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact [whitehouse.gov]
Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm [senate.gov]
Congresspeople: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml [house.gov]
Copyright or Patent? (Score:5, Informative)
Wait, MPAA/RIAA? Since when do they deal with fake iPods? I hate them as much as the next guy, but I can't find a word in the article relating to copyrights that wasn't inserted by the author.
Obama's speech (as quoted by TFA) seems to relate only to patents and perhaps branded goods, even if ACTA extends to both. It would be interesting to know if this is indicative of an official focus with regard to ACTA.
Re:Coffee party (Score:2, Informative)
The one that is organizing a "grassroots" get together in Chicago that isn't actually being lead by anyone FROM Chicago? [bigjournalism.com]
They aren't an independent group... they're just another special interest group like Obama for America. If you want to be a tool, by all means, do so, just admit to yourself that you are someone else's pawn.
Very misleading article (Score:5, Informative)
While I'm no particular fan of the MPAA, the RIAA or the ACTA, it deserves to be pointed out that the article is substantially misleading and inaccurate. Firstly, the speech to which they refer, in the section about IP protection, talks exclusively about protecting the licensing of technology and make no mention what so ever of the MPAA, the RIAA or music of video piracy. While these organisations happen to also support the ACTA, it is grossly misleading to say that the speech comes out in support of either of them. Secondly, the article says that "the European Parliament has already shot the ACTA agreement down". This is completely incorrect. The European Parliament have demanded that the European Commission make public the nature of its discussions in the ACTA negotiations, and the EU Privacy Commissioner has expressed concern that the treaty might be incompatible with existing EU law, but the parliament have not passed any resolutions regarding the content of the treaty itself (not least because it's secret, so they don't know what it says).
The process through which the ACTA has be created is highly suspect but it does its opponents no service if those who campaign against it can't present an accurate case.
Re:How does it go? (Score:2, Informative)
At least the EU threw out this stupid treaty.
Hum, sorry to disappoint you, but European parliament (elected by people) did not throw out ACTA. EP only told European commission (nominated by European countries governments): "hey, don't you dare negotiating a treaty without us: show us what this is all about, you morons!"
Well maybe the formulation was different, but that's the spirit of it.
What's true, on the other hand, is that European Parliament has already opposed three strikes law (which, incidentally, is embedded inside ACTA).
Re:How does it go? (Score:1, Informative)
How terribly disappointing, Obama. At least the EU threw out this stupid treaty. Hopefully this won't be successful at all.
Actually, the European Commission (the equivalent of the White House) has been supporting ACTA, or at least it hasn't been opposing it.
It was the European Parliament (the equivalent of the Senate and Congress) that opposed the secrecy surrounding ACTA. Even they haven't given an opinion on the contents of ACTA.
Re:"Single greatest" = "sole remaining" amirite? (Score:5, Informative)
Next up: The Texas schoolboard mandates that textbooks 'de-emphasise' the RECORDED HISTORICAL FACT that Hollywood was founded on industrialised copyright infringement.
For people wondering about the context here. See Motion Picture Patents Company [wikipedia.org] :
"Since the 1890s, Thomas Edison owned most of the major American patents relating to motion picture cameras.Since 1902, Edison had also been notifying distributors and exhibitors that if they did not use Edison machines and films exclusively, they would be subject to litigation for supporting filmmaking that infringed Edison’s patents.
[...]
Many independent filmmakers, who controlled from one-quarter to one-third of the domestic marketplace, responded to the creation of the MPPC by moving their operations to Hollywood, whose distance from Edison’s home base of New Jersey made it more difficult for the MPPC to enforce its patents. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and covers the area, was averse to enforcing patent claims."
Via [kungfugrippe.com].
Re:First rebellion (Score:1, Informative)
The fact that this got rated "Insightful" is a woeful commentary on the state of rational debate and analysis in the geek world. I thought we were supposed, as a group, to be smart. Apparently not.
Psst. The dirty little secret is that nerds are as dumb as stumps. They only tell themselves that they are 'the smart ones' because it keeps them from killing themselves in high school.
Re:Unrealistic World View (Score:3, Informative)
In any reasonably free society, copying of digital content is impossible to prevent. In non-free societies, it does not matter as those in power can take the money of anybody anyways.
True. However, preventing copying of digital content is a step towards a non-free society, where those in power can take the money of anybody anyway.
Re:Wild West Internet will be gone (Score:5, Informative)
In theory, yes.
But the cost of fighting any of these mega-corps is so immense that, in effect, unless you're fighting somebody near your own weight class (in terms of available resources) you will lose, and likely never even get to see the verdict. Look at what Monsanto's done to agriculture in the last decade. If you don't pay to plant Monsanto's seed, they sue you into bankruptcy where you have to sell the farm to a Monsanto friend. It is defacto illegal to harvest seed from crops now, because though there is no law against it the people who used to make a living running the seed-collecting machines were sued for contributory infringement against Monsanto's genetic patents. It just costs too much for a person to defend against that. Especially since most corperations structure themselves in such a way that they don't own anything and use cashflow for everything, and the laws are written to that effect. Farmers have little cashflow and millions of dollars in assets (land, property) and therefore repeatedly get destroyed if they don't lay down and give a large cut of profits to Monsanto.
Your argument about the RIAA stealing an indie band's music and selling it on their own is crap. The laws that protect the RIAA don't cover that, and the indie bands can't afford the cost to use a DMCA-approved content protection system to trigger DMCA violations. Having music IP laws that allow for statuatory payments per performance and such is fine, but the erosion of fair use (though, historically, fair use as a legal concept has re-emerged more recently than not, and is being beat back down) is soley the RIAA powed by friends in Washington DC.
Other IPs vary, but more often than not it's the Monsantos that the laws are written for to protect, not the individual inventor.
EU already shot ACTA down. (Score:5, Informative)
you have to read well.
EU passed a resolution that banned any form of 3strikes anywhere in europe. Held the regulations and rules it put out before over anything proposed in acta. this means no isp liability of policing their networks for private parties' copyrights. it mandates that cutting an individual's internet access cannot happen unless through a court. it demanded full disclosure of the acta text to all members of the parliament, as mandated by eu laws. eu laws also mandate that parliament share anything with eu public, so anything that is disclosed to eu parliament has to be disclosed to entire european public.
european commission has to abide by it. there is no other route that they can take. commission already said that they are going to push the other acta negotiating parties for full disclosure. if they dont, commission wont be able to stay on the table any more, for they are not allowed to negotiate and sign anything before eu parliament knows it.
and if the text is disclosed, that means shit will hit the fan.
so yea, eu parliament seems to really have shot acta down. and probably not only for europe, for entire world.
Re:Coffee party (Score:2, Informative)
You know, you'd think /.'ers could find their way around the web without me having to hold their little hands.
Coffee Party USA aims to reinvigorate the public sphere, drawing from diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives, with the goal of expanding the influence of the People in America's political arena. We do not require nor adhere to any preexisting ideology. We encourage deliberation guided by reason amongst the many viewpoints held by our members. We see our diversity as a strength, not a weakness, because we believe that faithful deliberation from multiple vantage points is the best way to achieve the common good. It is in the responsible and reasonable practice of deliberation that we hope to contribute to society.
Coffee Party USA is made up of people acting independently of political parties, of corporations, and of political lobbying networks. To this point, all products created and hours logged for Coffee Party have been carried out in the spirit of volunteerism. In the coming months and years, we hope to transform our disappointment in our current political system into a force that will return our nation to a course of popular governance, of the People by the People for the People.
We are diverse -- ethnically, geographically, politically, in age and in experience.
We are 100% grassroots. No lobbyists here. No pundits. And no hyper-partisan strategists calling the shots in this movement. We are a spontaneous and collective expression of our desire to forge a culture of civic engagement that is solution-oriented, not blame-oriented.
We demand a government that responds to the needs of the majority of its citizens as expressed by our votes and by our voices; NOT corporate interests as expressed by misleading advertisements and campaign contributions.
We want a society in which democracy is treated as sacrosanct and ordinary citizens participate out of a sense of civic duty, civic pride, and a desire to contribute to society. The Coffee Party is a call to action. Our Founding Fathers and Mothers gave us an enduring gift -- Democracy -- and we must use it to meet the challenges that we face as a nation.
http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/about-us [coffeepartyusa.com]
From the Coffee Party web site: http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-fact-check [coffeepartyusa.com]
To All who can read: (Score:2, Informative)
It's quite convenient for the Motion Picture and Music industries to claim their interests are as important if not more-so than the actual protection of IP that matters, technology, medicine, engineering, etc...
As a musician who has "IP" out there, and reserves the right to protect it, it is laughable to think my musical creation, or ANY creative work that is for pure entertainment, is somehow is in the same league or group as the non-entertainment IP mentioned latter.
Music and movies are a social commentary, and have attributes to the cultural arts. You can't physically cure diseases, purify water, or put a man on the moon with a movie or a song. To suggest that entertainment IP is detrimental to the survival of the US and world economies is heinous and utterly absurd. It is exactly this type of IP legislation, and selfishness by the multimedia arts industry, that is preventing real world solutions from being distributed to those who need it most.
Ex. Can't distribute cheap malaria vaccines to those is Africa or 3 world countries since the patent holders prefer to keep supply at deflated levels while maintaining inflationary profit margins.
Like most things in life, this is about money. Pure and simple.
Next time you go see a movie, or buy that new Blu-Ray or DVD, or purchase a song online, take into consideration that you are feeding the very machine that is willing to stifle every expression of liberty, purely to maintain their market. Congratulate yourself in knowing you play your part.
Re:First rebellion (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Afro-American Racism Against Whites and Asians (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Not Trolling ... (Score:2, Informative)
If you are willing to calmly debate with someone who disagrees with you, then your dissent is warranted. But if you go around screaming "Healthcare is going to kill your grandma!" or "Obama's setting up death panels!", then we have a problem.
If the allegations are untrue, simply prove them wrong. Unless of course they're essentially accurate in the end-effect parts of the healthcare bill might have. Then you're just engaging in disingenuous distraction by attempting to label those people as nutcases.
This seems to be a popular tactic of late when politicians and others want to ignore the wishes of the majority of people. Right out of Saul Alinky's "Rules For Radicals"; "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it" and also; "One acts decisively only in the conviction that all the angels are on one side and all the devils on the other."
Once you've read Saul Alinsky and Cloward & Piven, a lot of things the Progressives say and do that wouldn't otherwise make sense suddenly do.
Strat
Re:First rebellion (Score:3, Informative)
Re:First rebellion (Score:3, Informative)
Yes, but more likely than not many of the key parts (with the most valuable IP) - the processor/SoC, digital tuners, etc, are made for a US owned company by workers in a foreign country...
There. Fixed that for you.
I haven't seen an Intel processor that was actually manufactured in the U.S. in what, 15 years? 20?
As for your argument that RIAA and MPAA are "losing billions" to Chinese piracy, please... First of all, that argument doesn't fly here in the U.S. (no, not every pirated copy is a lost sale), so why should it be any different in a country where the average citizen has even less disposable income than here? More to the point, suggesting that music and movies will solve our trade deficit is, well, stupid, even if those industries' bullshit "lost sales" figures were based on reality.