SOPA
 

Discuss.

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I've been to reddit at least 30 times today, on instinct.

Now I find myself going there just to check on Twitter updates. o_O

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Some of the Twitter responses to Wiki... has been interesting.

Shows how far.. we've might of come.

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I like this straight up lie from the MPAA:

https://twitter.com/#!/MPAA/status/159498692963991552

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Actually right now that whole account seems to be fun.

Its like running on pure damage control.

Pretty good TED Talk on the subject
http://www.ted.com/talks/defend_our_..._bad_idea.html

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I want MPAA to tweet more. It's amazing.

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It really is a hilarious read.

It's like they legitimately can't comprehend an organization sacrificing for the greater good. It is so far beyond them that someone would look out for someone other than themselves.

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Heh, I like that they linked to this article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_1...ge-on-twitter/ which basically is making fun of tweeter users who didn't bother to read that little paragraph on Wikipedia. Looks like MPAA didn't read past the headline.

https://twitter.com/#!/herpderpedia
https://twitter.com/#!/WikiBlackout

Enjoy.

EDIT: I found those funny at first. Quickly turned sad.

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Totally sad that so many of those people had no clue what is going on.

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Wikipedia is working fine for me.
I just hit the "stop" button before it loads the black screen that explains all that bullshit.
So...you know - it's not even really down. People are just too dumb to hit "stop loading".

But it's ridiculous that they can't grasp the concept of why.

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^Exactly

Also:

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This whole blackout has pretty much made me realize how dumb the majority really is. Instead of reading a simple paragraph about what's going on with the web, they just tweeted and facebooked 1000 different "OMG WHAT IS GOING ON INTERWEBZ?"

Fucking idiots.

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I haven't had a chance to read the proposed legislation (which just lost several endorsers today), but from my understanding this is the third or fourth revision it is has undergone, and those revisions resulted in the most controversial elements of the bill being removed.

So, it would be interesting if this backlash is intended toward a past form of the bill, or its current form.

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Beware of any regulations that are sponsored by those that would be regulated by them.

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It's still pretty silly, and basically still gives the government and any ISP the ability to say "Hey this website might lead to piracy, shut it down."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

PIPA is actually the worst offender. As far as I know nothing has been edited to that bill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act

ACTA is the treaty that isn't getting a lot of attention right now, but it's also pretty scary. It's already been signed by several countries, and it's crazy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Co...rade_Agreement


It's not the piracy thing that scares people, it's the fact that these acts can basically be used to control the internet.

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I've come out against FUPAs.

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And just to show it, Megaupload has been shutdown.

And this is where the biggest problems with SOPA/PIPA comes in. Megaupload as a service doesn't look to provide illegal content (there are several practical use for it, and sites of a similar build)

But it does have illegal content on it, and they try to police it, but you know cut off one head, 2 more pop up.

So how does this bode for sites like MediaFire or DropBox, which provide similar services?

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*roll roll roll*


*Inhale*

That's why I believe technology is ruining young society. Technology is great and all, it makes our lives simpler. But it doesn't make us use our brains. We just do reactionary things to get to the knowledge we need. I used to remember phone numbers. I used to know a lot of them. Now I know I just need to type the first letter of someones name into my phone and their number is automatically brought up onto the screen. We don't need to know the answer anymore, we just need to know how to get to it quickly.


The kids raised these days don't know the concept of patience, reading, or retaining knowledge. They don't need those things when they can just look down at their iphone, click the Wikipedia app, and type in whatever was puzzling them - find the answer - and never think about it again.

People's lives are so inconvenienced by a loss of time we've created Microwaves and Cars. Creating a special niche of people who neither cook properly nor exercise. But now that we've got Tivo, skippable cutscenes, the internet, and ipads - we're creating a special breed of people who neither need to know any actual knowledge (considering they just wikipedia it, relay the fact, close the app), and don't have the patience to read a fucking paragraph.

Technology (of the 21st century) just really, really made people not want to waste their time on reading. "Fuck, why would I read, when I can just click 1 button, and skim for the answer I want."

Technology is slowly killing intelligent conversation, teenager by teenager.

*Exhale*

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Well that's depressing.

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And this is happening... http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/19/tech...down/index.htm

Lotsa chaos out there!

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Nice knowing ya, Teuth.
That little clip will land you more years in prison than the guy who killed him did.

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The RIAA has finally figured out how to beat the Internet. It's all about money, and squashing competing content. When SOPA passes, or some other form of the bill, it will be impossible to launch a website.

You will have Youtube for videos. And Facebook for social media. Any other site that tries to host videos will be sued and shut down for copyright. And once you restrict the Internet to one video website, you will have massive censorship. No more videos showing police brutality, no videos challenging the government.

The most offensive thing about SOPA is that it is setting the US government up to police the globe. Today, Megaupload was shut down. In one poof 4% of the Internet disappeared. If that isn't scary I don't know what is.

Congress and the RIAA are quickly realizing that you can no longer profit selling music and movies. So now they are going to sell culture. If SOPA passes, the Internet will be sanctioned, blacklisted, and shut down. You aren't going to have any more culture, creativity, or freedom.

Want to host a new blog or website? Nope! Copyright infringement! SOPA! You want to put your band's music on a website? NOPE! Sony music is going to sue you! You have to host it on Youtube, and pay Sony money. Don't worry though, when we channel the Internet down to 100 websites, it will be a better place.

If this sounds like crazy conspiracy talk, it really isn't. Look at what happened to Megaupload today. And that happened without SOPA.

I always said that technology always wins....I hope that holds up this time around.

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Occupy the Internet!

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I think the only thing this will do for the music industry is destroy record labels. Bands can still put their music on the internet without getting sued, if they don't belong to a label. If they own their own shit, they can do whatever they want with it. If ANYTHING, this is the worst business move those mega-companies could hope for.

because if I have the choice of signing with Sony, and having them take my money for distributing it on the internet, and also paying to put it there;
and
Hosting it myself and not risk getting sued by anyone considering I'm not signed to a label

I think I'd go with option B, and I'm pretty sure most others would, too.
What's the point of signing to a record label, when pressing records is becoming obsolete. It's all about putting it on the internet. Digital copies. I don't need a record label to put my video or song up. I can do that for myself.

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There are just scary implications with SOPA. Rumor on the street is that SOPA is a guaranteed failure. However, SOPA is going to be attached to the end of some "Stop Online Child Pornography Act" that congress will be unable to vote against (because who is going to vote against stopping child porn).

Ultimately you figure this is going to get passed at some point. SOPA is less interesting to 99% of Americans than the Kardashians.

A part of me feels like this country deserves what it has coming. 80% of the lazy fucks in this country don't vote. So this is what you get. Congress with an all time disapproval rating, and this SOPA bill that is going to end the Internet as we know it.

I guess my new hope is that Canada or Sweden declares war on the United States when we try to police the Internet on the other side of the world.

Again: conspiracy talk?

In one fell swoop, the FBI shut down 4% of the Internet's bandwidth today. Megaupload is gone. People had money tied into that website. Megaupload was also DMCA compliant, and removed content when it was reported. Megaupload is no different than any other vehicle that can be used for illegal activity. Youtube for illegal content. The radio for illegal content. Anything really.

But the worst fact? The big bust was in New Zealand. So now we have the United States Global Police Force shoving their policy in other countries over copyright. It's going to get ugly before it gets better.

Let me just say:

AMERICA IS COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY TO BUST YOUR COPYRIGHT LAWS AND ARREST YO ASS! BETTER WATCH OUT RUSSIA!

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You're right on some of this, but you can't completely diminish a record label's clout. We're actually self-releasing our next album and I'm excited about doing in that way, but there's some hardship that comes with it.

The main thing a record label can do, whether or not you're still physically printing CDs or not, is having money upfront and the experience to make that money work. A label can pay an advance for recording, press, radio plugging, videos, advertising, etc without the band having to pay this cost up front. Of course that means they recoup those costs before the band sees anything, but those things have a ton of value, and if the label doesn't make that money back then it's their problem, not yours.

With self-releasing, of course you can just upload your stuff and hope for the best, but without paying for some of that stuff (press most importantly), it's going to be tough. Of course Radiohead can do it, they don't need press to remind people to buy their music at any cost, but it's tougher when you're say...The Spinto Band.

That said, I'm excited about the self-release prospect. We've gotta put some of our money upfront, but it also means money will be going directly to us when someone buys it from us online, and theoretically we make that money right back and hope to profit on touring/merch/commercials, whatever.

Anyway, this is kind of just an off-topic music industry rant, but I still say that you can't completely disregard labels. They still can be useful in situations.

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I didn't realize how large MegaUpload was. At least there's still Rapidshare, Hotfile, FileSonic, Wupload, Uploaded, Letitbit, Extabit, FileServe, Mediafire, Depositfiles, Netload, Crocko, Filefactory, Badongo, 4shared, Przeklej, Dump, Uploading, Storage, Megashares, Furk, 4FastFile, UploadBox, GoldFile, GigaSize, Enterupload, TurboBit, Diglo, HitFile, Oron, Kickload, ZippyShare, SoundCloud, BitShare, PiggyShare, UploadStation, FreakShare, x7, SpeedyShare, and Fyels.

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I agree 100% that the US trying to Police the planet is pretty fucked up. I mean, it doesn't matter if copyright laws in the US are being broken - because they're being broken in a different country where those laws might not even apply.

How can they not grasp that fucking concept. Jesus.


That would be like strolling into another country and being like "Hey, all those married queer people you have here, yeah - we're making all of those marriages null and void despite the fact it's not our right, and it's your country. Alright. God Bless America."


Edit: Germy, I didn't really mean that record labels have NO value (if this passes). I can still see a lot of people going to a record label if they need the money to record and produce and all that - but in the age of everyone having some type of music editor, and most people believing in their own inherent musical ability - I can just see a lot more people saying "Fuck it", and trying to do it themselves. Sort of like how everyone knows at least 6 people attempting to be a DJ/"Music Producer" because they bought a Mac that had Garageband or something. (I'm not omitting the people who actually take it seriously and put money into it.) But it's so easy to just do it yourself and put it up yourself for them, that everyone is doing it these days. I can see that happening to other genres of music in the future, where the market gets flooded with independent basement bands who'd rather not risk getting sued (or something, I don't know. I'm mostly ramble-ranting.)

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Here's the root cause that needs to be fixed --

New drugs, that take billions of dollars to create, and which are a huge plus to society -- only get 7 years of exclusive time on the market before it becomes generic. Why then does something like I dunno, old Mickey Mouse films, or more relevant -- old Beatles songs -- created decades ago for a relative pittance, still get copyright protection? What benefit to society is it for us as taxpayers to pay to protect media from decades ago? They've already made their money on it, and it's so entwined with society that it's impossible to not be a criminal when you sing a song out of hand on a Youtube video, or have it playing in the background.

Allow media holders seven years to make their money on it, not decades or infinitum or whatever it is. That would solve the problem right there, and it's fair. Media makers still get to make exclusive money, and society gets the benefit of the media innovation without having to spend money protecting kings of media forever.

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Sounds like some Lawrence Lessig stuff Mana, and I agree with you. The funniest part about Disney is that all of their "classic" stuff was reappropriated from classic fairy tales, but if you try to touch a Disney character, watch out...Copywrite law is really whacky.

Anyway, there's this pretty sweet news!
http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/tech...IPA_postponed/

Hopefully they just drop it.

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Apparently a few legislators will attempt to tack it onto an anti-child-pornography bill sometime in the future. Classy.

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Well, if you can't beat 'em, threaten them into opposing a bill that also has anti-child-porn attached to it.

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Hopefully the media and people don't act stupid enough to let this slide.

Wait.. all the major media companies support this...

Ahem, hopefully the people aren't stupid enough to let this slide.

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I don't think they'll let it slide.

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I hope it doesn't slide, but like I said early in this thread...

I stand by that statement. I think most Americans are too preoccupied to care. The fact that SOPA is being called the "anti-piracy" bill by news outlets is upsetting too. So far every news story I have seen makes it sound like people are in favor of piracy...

The only way I see prolonged defeat of the legislation in this bill is if a company like Google:

1) Blacks out ALL their services for a day; no Gmail, no blogspot, no Google Voice, no Android, no hosting, NOTHING

2) Google has a press conference where they discuss how much information they have. Google is a scary entity. They know what type of strange porn you search for, they know about your web browsing habits. But MOST importantly: they also know what strange porn your Congressman looks at. They know what Obama searched for.

Transparency always wins. If Google becomes a transparent entity...then everyone gets their grievances aired our. :D

Kind of like in Mean Girls.

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I find it legitimately hard to see a happy ending to this process. As defeatist as it may sound, I don't see any reason why pushing this same bill as an attachment to a "stop child pornography act" would fail. However, I do have the utmost faith that the informed will continue to be able to pirate their warez.... always has happened, always will happen. I'm curious to see how individual prosecution for copyright infringement will be carried out outside of U.S. jurisdiction though.....

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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01...dition_piracy/