U.S. Reps Chu and Coble Start Intellectual Property Caucus 150
cervesaebraciator writes "U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) will be starting a new caucus with the ostensible purpose of protecting the intellectual property rights of filmmakers, musicians and other artists. The new caucus, styled the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, will be formed along with Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC). Chu's office released a statement, including the following: 'American innovation hinges on creativity – it is what allows our kids to dream big and our artists to create works that inspire us all. The jobs that result are thanks entirely to our willingness to foster creative talent, and an environment where it can thrive and prosper. [...] The Congressional Creative Rights Caucus will serve to educate Members of Congress and the general public about the importance of preserving and protecting the rights of the creative community in the U.S. American creators of motion pictures, music, software and other creative works rely on Congress to protect their copyrights, human rights, First Amendment rights and property rights.'"
Re:And who will represent the people? (Score:5, Interesting)
Meanwhile, the people are educated by the people who are vastly not fooled.
Unfortunately, these are the same people who also know the corruption of government, the lies of the media, that taxes buy votes, that marijuana is safe,that guns don't kill people, that doctors do kill people, the lottery is an idiot tax, the war is over corporate interests, black is not white, etc...
But , it just doesn't matter, because the government will always tip to those who fill their individual retirement funds and promote their continued office.
Tired of voting Repubmocrat tyranny yet or do we vote for business as usual next time? Are you one of the educated or just another drone that is part of the problem?
Corporate interests (Score:5, Interesting)
A great but typical example of this would be the guy who wrote the book, "Nature of Code"(great book) he now gives people the option of buying his book online for a price you choose ranging from 0-10 dollars. Other than the transaction fee he gets 100% of the money resulting in his getting up to triple as much as he did when his previous book sold through a traditional publisher while the consumer gets it for 1/5th as much.
I don't see any need to protect the traditional publisher one iota. If any new laws are needed they should be there to protect the little guy from the traditional publisher. But in this day of big money politics politicians aren't there anymore for the voter. If anything they seem annoyed when voters get their own act together and boot them out.
Ruh Roh (Score:4, Interesting)
Yeah, I'm being obvious. But it got me thinking: What civil matters are the next to become criminal through lobbying by corporations?
Re:Orwell would be proud (Score:4, Interesting)
In the past, America's greatness was a result of its vast natural resources. While those resources remain, they no longer seem so endless and are becoming increasingly hard to tap into, due to NIMBY syndrome and other factors. It is easier to look outside our own borders and take what we need from other nations, regardless of the cost in lives to the natives of those lands.
In the past, America was great because it was open to new ideas. Its not that it necessarily had more ideas than anyone else, but a less rigid class-system - supported by a vast frontier that allowed anyone daring enough to remake themselves - fostered an environment where even the wackiest ideas could be considered... and some of those ideas bore fruit. But now, rich and wealthy, the nation is becoming increasingly conservative and close-minded to anything that might jeopardize the security of that wealth.
In the past, America's manufacturing might was bolstered by a motivated workforce. The country was the factory of the world. But as cost-of-living increased, it became cheaper for all those jobs to migrate to other nations, and now whole cities once dedicated to industry lie in ruins.
In the past, America was breadbasket to the world. More than just feeding ourselves, our fruits and grains were shipped out to the starving nations of the world. Now, thanks to plummeting shipping costs, it is oft-times cheaper to grow those plants in far-off lands and ship them back into the country. Meanwhile its heartlands become increasingly less productive from decades of overproduction and over-fertilization.
In the past, America's strength was its highly-educated technicians and scientists, who created electronic marvels that changed the world. But now, these marvels have become commonplace, we sell our know-how to our erstwhile allies, and educate its own rivals. Meanwhile, its own children falter at the most basic tasks because their own education is hampered by backwards-looking fanatics.
In the past, America was a noble beacon to the world, a land of opportunity and freedom. People thronged to America's shores, bringing with them their vitality and industry and bettering their adopted country with their skills. Today, that beacon is guttering as opportunity fades due to an increasingly classist society within the nation's borders, and unilateral actions without. If people come to the country, it is only to take what they can from the nation - education, resources, technology - before returning to their homelands, which reap the benefits.
Why do American politicians and industrialists focus so much on IP law? Because, more and more, it is the only advantage the country has left! For one hundred years, America used its strengths to build up a huge war-chest of patents, copyrights and trademarks as one method to protect its interests. However, over the past few decades, other nations - China, India, Mexico, just to name a few - have stepped up to the plate and matched America in industrial output. America depends heavily on resources from other nations to keep its own faltering engine running. Its own workforce is no longer as competitive when compared to those in erstwhile "third world nations". Short-sighted politics squandered many other of its advantages. Those patents, copyrights and trademarks - once just a single weapon in its arsenal - are increasingly becoming America's /only/ strength.
Sadly, like SCO, America is becoming a patent troll (and IP troll in general), relying on draconian enforcement of ethereal "intellectual property", because it cannot otherwise compete. It will increasingly sacrifice all else - industry, Constitutional rights, political allies - in the vain hope that somehow this single weapon of IP law can be sharpened enough to cut itself out of the draconian knot of political missteps that have caused its current economic malaise.
Re:No Hope, No Change (Score:4, Interesting)
It doesn't matter who is voted into office, what matters is who is willing to pay for the campaign. It takes money to run for Congress and these creatures are acting no differently than their predecessors or successors.
It takes a small number of people with a strong vested interest to fund a campaign when the opposition is not willing to fund an counter campaign. To wit
Judy Chu, a Democrat, [opensecrets.org] has raised $80,000 from people, pacs and companies associated with the movie industry.
Howard Coble, a Republican, [opensecrets.org] has raised $40,000 from the same sources.
$120,000 tells you why these people are doing this. Slashdot isn't raising $120,000 against the legislation so it goes forward..
This snippet sums it all up, "I've put in two calls to your PAC director, and I haven't received any return phone calls," the Congressman said, according to Williams. "Now why am I taking this meeting?" The minute he left the office, Williams called his PAC director, and she cut those checks. " [npr.org]