liamp51 6 Posted January 19, 2012 Even if you aren't living in the US, please sign the petition against SOPA and PIPA. These are both acts the government is trying to pass in an attempt do censor the internet in the same basic way is China was. Help protect one of the few truly "free" places in the world. https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/ https://donate.mozilla.org/page/s/sopa-pipa-petition 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lexx_Luthor 57 Posted January 19, 2012 It would help if you poasted about what this is all about. I only heard of it tonight, from Karl Denninger's ticker Why Tickerforum Is Not Offline on SOPA. He doesn't black out, yet, but he's apparently opposed to the SOPA, and also the related PIPA. So, what's going on? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
liamp51 6 Posted January 19, 2012 From Wikipedia, "...The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.[2] Presented to the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the PROTECT IP Act.[3] The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months. The bill also gives immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.[4] Proponents of the bill say it protects the intellectual property market and corresponding industry, jobs and revenue, and is necessary to bolster enforcement of copyright laws, especially against foreign websites.[5] They cite examples such as Google's $500 million settlement with the Department of Justice for its role in a scheme to target U.S. consumers with ads to illegally import prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.[6] Opponents say that it violates the First Amendment,[7] is Internet censorship,[8] will cripple the Internet,[9] and will threaten whistle-blowing and other free speech actions.[7][10] Opponents have initiated a number of protest actions, including petition drives, boycotts of companies that support the legislation, and planned service blackouts by English Wikipedia and major Internet companies scheduled to coincide with the next Congressional hearing on the matter. The House Judiciary Committee held hearings on November 16 and December 15, 2011. The Committee was scheduled to continue debate in January 2012,[11] but on January 17 Chairman Smith said that "[d]ue to the Republican and Democratic retreats taking place over the next two weeks, markup of the Stop Online Piracy Act is expected to resume in February."[12]" Explains it much better than I can, but basically, it endangers free speech, and as the article says, whistle blowing. It won't stop piracy. All those sites have to do is change their address and they can't be found. All this law will do is undermine the existing laws that have allowed the internet to become what is is for many business and people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lexx_Luthor 57 Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) Explains it much better than I can, Maybe, maybe not. The example given in your quote that artificially prevents free market advertising for importing cheaper drugs is interesting. Tell us more. I quickly read a few links but tell more in your own words. Thanks!! There was a big internet fluff up about some ag id chips that were said to target small family garden/livestock plots, but it seemed to have turned out to be really targeting the big ag corps, and wound up a nothingburger...well I think...mmm. You do know that the *only* way to make a difference is to follow Denninger's suggestion: never buy these entertainment corps' slop products. Just. Say. No. ..to Tom Cruise Movies, big name fps shooters, big ag food products, -- EDIT -- and debt lol -- WretchFest Maximus. Granted, sometimes there's no way around the big corps. I just bought a Pentax (don't ask), but it uses a Sony sensor -- everybody does. Karl Denninger:: Of course we enable this sort of jackbooted crap by continuing to buy their products -- whether they be computer software, video games, songs or movies.~ http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=200716 Teh StrikeFighters is the only video game I have bought in maybe 10 years. And its the last, or perhaps only game I'll buy if I continue with SF~2+. Edited January 19, 2012 by Lexx_Luthor 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lexx_Luthor 57 Posted January 19, 2012 Update, I guess... Mish has one out... Ron Paul( ) only GOP candidate to publicly denounce SOPA; What is SOPA and Why Won't it Work? His take out is interesting... : : Never-Ending Witch Hunt : : In the title to this post, I used the phrase "won't work" rather loosely. By "won't work" I meant the bill will not achieve the stated goal of stopping piracy. It may indeed "work" in the sense it would allow government to shut down sites for political reasons on trumped-up charges. : : ~ http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/01/ron-paul-only-gop-candidate-to-publicly.html I do recall reading a few years ago that South Korea apparently passed some cowardly law that made it "illegal" to publicly criticize the currency, a BIS debt based currency naturally -- the same BIS that USA, Israel, China, and Iran central banks are members of. So I can see Mish's take on this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. James Cater 62 Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) Just read about Megaupload being busted. I'm not to thrilled about the SOPA and all but i'm equally not all warm to those who act like everything should be free to download. Over the last few months i've realized the futility of doing anything musicwise for the simple reason that illegal downloading would make decent sales of any kind impossible. When a new CD comes out, within 24 hours you can find it in a blogspot or file sharing site with ease and i've run into many people throughout the years who see absolutly nothing wrong with this. The only thing i've downloaded is stuff that has been out of print for years and is either virtually impossible to find or is priced way out of reach. Edited January 19, 2012 by Lt. James Cater Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Brain32 265 Posted January 20, 2012 Just read about Megaupload being busted. That is a crime! Over the last few months i've realized the futility of doing anything musicwise for the simple reason that illegal downloading would make decent sales of any kind impossible. When a new CD comes out, within 24 hours you can find it in a blogspot or file sharing site with ease and i've run into many people throughout the years who see absolutly nothing wrong with this. Yup it's a tragedy that's why musicians are always so poor. When poor Beyonce came to have a baby in the hospital they threw her out and told her to have a baby in a barn...poor musicians so unbelievably poor, actors too, ever seen a rich hollywood actor or director? Me neither. I mean if they were getting any money we would probably know as they would then own villas, private jets, Ferrari's, penthouses on Manhattan, date supermodels and eat and drink stuff that costs more than government values our life. But hey since we don't know any musicians our actors having anything above it must be the freakin terrible piracy that takes it all away... The only thing i've downloaded is stuff that has been out of print for years and is either virtually impossible to find or is priced way out of reach. "Priced way out of reach", interesting, we have a word in Eastern Europe for exactly that meaning we call it - "everything". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. James Cater 62 Posted January 20, 2012 we have a word in Eastern Europe for exactly that meaning we call it - "everything". For starters, try not to justify being a thief merely because you are from Eastern Europe. I could give you the names of quite a number of Metal bands from your area and you could go discuss small band economics with them. http://www.negativland.com/albini.html Perhaps if i ever do get things going again, i'll invite you over to be road crew and you too can experience the (infamous) joys of touring North America in a van while making less than a kid working at McDonalds with no guarantees of food or a place to sleep. But before we get on the road we need some music. Maybe those people downloading all that free stuff might decide to donate a few cents towards studio costs since we (the band) have to pay for that out of our pockets as well as the costs of all gear involved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Brain32 265 Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) For starters, try not to justify being a thief merely because you are from Eastern Europe. Who says I am? You brought up justification of downloading of stuff with an out of reach pricetag... I could give you the names of quite a number of Metal bands from your area and you could go discuss small band economics with them. Since metal is my thing actually and I have friends from two failed metal bands, I can tell you, they didn't fail because of free downloading, actually they were giving away free singles as a way of promotion. Selling it would lead nowhere... Also a lot of it has to do with popularity of certain music in a certain environment too... Perhaps if i ever do get things going again, i'll invite you over to be road crew and you too can experience the (infamous) joys of touring North America in a van while making less than a kid working at McDonalds with no guarantees of food or a place to sleep. But before we get on the road we need some music. Maybe those people downloading all that free stuff might decide to donate a few cents towards studio costs since we (the band) have to pay for that out of our pockets as well as the costs of all gear involved. I understand it's bad, but just because some kid downloads an MP3 format song of your band does not mean you guys are on the loss, if anything if he likes it, he will tell his friends same as you do when you hear a new and exciting band so once you pull out an album he(and his friends) is more likely to buy it than it would be the case had he never heard of you, also he may go to your concert and bring his friends... Sure you might be loosing some revenue by that but that's also practically the only way you can market yourself with no cost whatsoever... Edited January 20, 2012 by Brain32 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
