All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
My thoughts (me_llamo_nic): First of all, there are many areas where Big Content over-polices in an effort to prevent piracy. The first exmaple that comes to mind is fan videos, which can do absolutely no harm to television and movie studios and may even help said studios.
Why should we assume that this six strikes thing will be any different. If I download a transformative or derivative, fair-use work, their software (because God knows they're too cheap to actually create some jobs and hire a staff of humans) will more than likely give me a strike. Computers can't even filter spam properly and that should be easy. So there's no reason for me to think that computers can detect copyright violations. Human beings haven't even set hard definitions for what constitutes a copyright violation.
So first and foremost, what they're trying do is nigh impossible without over-enforcing and even then is difficult at best.
Furthermore, and much closer to the heart of the matter: It's not the internet's job to protect Big Contenet. Big Content needs to understand that, while there are *some* people just out for freebies, the vast majority of the problem is due to the fact that THEY are doing something wrong.
What they're doing wrong, from my perspective, is wildy over-valuing their content. Entertainment definitely has its place in our society and is an important factor in the lives of many, but it's not as valuable as Big Content wants to think. Throughout history, how much money did musicians make? Or artists? Or actors? Compare Mozart's burial to Michael Jackson's.
Now, I'm not saying entertainment content isn't worth anything. But it's not worth what Big Content is charging. However, I *know* it's worth something and I know that *because* people pirate it. If that content weren't valuable to us as a society, we wouldn't even bother to pirate it when it got too expensive, we would simply quit it outright.
So, content has value, but Big Content needs to figure out what the actual value is. And some of the moguls may want to consider career changes, because Big Content is on the way to lower earnings, no matter how they struggle against these changes. (And they could be far more productive if they could roll *with* the changes.) Because even if they take the entire internet under their personal control, something else will replace it. This is how piracy has worked *on* the internet for years and it's how will piracy will come to work *in spite of* the internet if it has to. The six strike thing may halt pirates in their tracks for a bit, but they won't be stopped. The pirates are smarter than Big Content and they will circumvent any action taken against them.
Big Content has to learn that they can't continue to grossly over-profit on their products. If they can't profit on reasonably priced products, then those products weren't worth makng in the first place. Internet piracy is a vital part of helping the market regulate itself. Big Content will never stop the signal. Big Content does not own us. We are free people.
And just for giggles, here's a list of things I initially pirated (or otherwise viewed for free) and then later purchased legitimately.
Styx - Caught in the Act (Live VHS/DVD)
Boy Meets World - The Complete Series (7 seasons)
7th Heaven - The Complete Series (11 seasons)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Series (7 seasons)
Angel - The Complete Series (5 seasons)
Firefly - The Complete Series (13 episodes and a movie)
Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog - (3 mini-sodes, and Commentary! The Musical)
LOST - The Complete Series (6 seasons and 13 mobisodes)
Dollhouse - The Complete Series (27 episodes)
The Guild - Seaons 1-5 (58 mini-sodes)
There are also more than a few things that I have purchased legitimately and then later pirated for one reason or another. (Fan videos, screencaps, as a back-up if my physical copy gets damaged, just to have a portable version, because my Sega Genesis barely works and it's easier to play Sonic on my computer.)
ETA: Voluntarily, my ass! If the ISP's aren't being paid for this, then I'm a monkey's uncle.
ETA2: Also, there's a petition for the ISP's that I bumped into on Tumblr this morning. http://act.demandprogress.org/act/backdoor_sopa/?referring_akid=.1975915.7CN-_G&source=typ-tw
And in conclusion: "If Megaupload can work out how to make $175 million from giving stuff away for free, why can't the content creators?" ~Twitter user Shealan~
Big Content, you're doing it wrong.
< / me_llamo_nic >
Originally posted by eilowyn at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
Originally posted by eurydice72 at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
I'm currently sitting at San Antonio airport with hours to kill before my flight home. Had a fantastic weekend (didn't win, but doesn't matter when I had so much fun), and will return home fresh and relaxed. I saw this on my flist, though, and have to keep it going because, well, pissed doesn't even begin to describe it.
Originally posted by marguerite_26 at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
I'm seeing variations of this all over my flist and damn, it does not look good. I'm not sure what will be happening in Canada, but I wouldn't be surprised if we soon follow the US lead.
(this is an edited version of lk737's post here)
According to this article, dated March 15, 2012:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/webnews/major-isps-turn-into-copyright-police-by-july-says-riaa/
"File-sharers, beware: By July 12, major US Internet service providers (ISPs) will voluntarily begin serving as copyright police for the entertainment industry, according to Cary Sherman, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The so-called “six-strikes” plan is said to be one of the most effective anti-piracy efforts ever established in the US."
The article goes on to give details. After six notices, internet providers will decide to throttle a person's internet speed, or cut it off altogether. No more downloading eps of your favorite shows for vidding, gifs, or fanfiction art. No more downloading screencaps possibly.
Fox news confirms this:
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/17/us-isps-become-copyright-cops-starting-july-12/
Youtube video explaining this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5OG0R-yS-c
For the record, I'm far more worried about the constant surveillance and the record being kept of everywhere I go online than I am about getting caught taking copy written stuff.
Why should we assume that this six strikes thing will be any different. If I download a transformative or derivative, fair-use work, their software (because God knows they're too cheap to actually create some jobs and hire a staff of humans) will more than likely give me a strike. Computers can't even filter spam properly and that should be easy. So there's no reason for me to think that computers can detect copyright violations. Human beings haven't even set hard definitions for what constitutes a copyright violation.
So first and foremost, what they're trying do is nigh impossible without over-enforcing and even then is difficult at best.
Furthermore, and much closer to the heart of the matter: It's not the internet's job to protect Big Contenet. Big Content needs to understand that, while there are *some* people just out for freebies, the vast majority of the problem is due to the fact that THEY are doing something wrong.
What they're doing wrong, from my perspective, is wildy over-valuing their content. Entertainment definitely has its place in our society and is an important factor in the lives of many, but it's not as valuable as Big Content wants to think. Throughout history, how much money did musicians make? Or artists? Or actors? Compare Mozart's burial to Michael Jackson's.
Now, I'm not saying entertainment content isn't worth anything. But it's not worth what Big Content is charging. However, I *know* it's worth something and I know that *because* people pirate it. If that content weren't valuable to us as a society, we wouldn't even bother to pirate it when it got too expensive, we would simply quit it outright.
So, content has value, but Big Content needs to figure out what the actual value is. And some of the moguls may want to consider career changes, because Big Content is on the way to lower earnings, no matter how they struggle against these changes. (And they could be far more productive if they could roll *with* the changes.) Because even if they take the entire internet under their personal control, something else will replace it. This is how piracy has worked *on* the internet for years and it's how will piracy will come to work *in spite of* the internet if it has to. The six strike thing may halt pirates in their tracks for a bit, but they won't be stopped. The pirates are smarter than Big Content and they will circumvent any action taken against them.
Big Content has to learn that they can't continue to grossly over-profit on their products. If they can't profit on reasonably priced products, then those products weren't worth makng in the first place. Internet piracy is a vital part of helping the market regulate itself. Big Content will never stop the signal. Big Content does not own us. We are free people.
And just for giggles, here's a list of things I initially pirated (or otherwise viewed for free) and then later purchased legitimately.
Styx - Caught in the Act (Live VHS/DVD)
Boy Meets World - The Complete Series (7 seasons)
7th Heaven - The Complete Series (11 seasons)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Series (7 seasons)
Angel - The Complete Series (5 seasons)
Firefly - The Complete Series (13 episodes and a movie)
Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog - (3 mini-sodes, and Commentary! The Musical)
LOST - The Complete Series (6 seasons and 13 mobisodes)
Dollhouse - The Complete Series (27 episodes)
The Guild - Seaons 1-5 (58 mini-sodes)
There are also more than a few things that I have purchased legitimately and then later pirated for one reason or another. (Fan videos, screencaps, as a back-up if my physical copy gets damaged, just to have a portable version, because my Sega Genesis barely works and it's easier to play Sonic on my computer.)
ETA: Voluntarily, my ass! If the ISP's aren't being paid for this, then I'm a monkey's uncle.
ETA2: Also, there's a petition for the ISP's that I bumped into on Tumblr this morning. http://act.demandprogress.org/act/backdoor_sopa/?referring_akid=.1975915.7CN-_G&source=typ-tw
And in conclusion: "If Megaupload can work out how to make $175 million from giving stuff away for free, why can't the content creators?" ~Twitter user Shealan~
Big Content, you're doing it wrong.
< / me_llamo_nic >
Originally posted by eilowyn at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
Originally posted by eurydice72 at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
I'm currently sitting at San Antonio airport with hours to kill before my flight home. Had a fantastic weekend (didn't win, but doesn't matter when I had so much fun), and will return home fresh and relaxed. I saw this on my flist, though, and have to keep it going because, well, pissed doesn't even begin to describe it.
Originally posted by marguerite_26 at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012
I'm seeing variations of this all over my flist and damn, it does not look good. I'm not sure what will be happening in Canada, but I wouldn't be surprised if we soon follow the US lead.
(this is an edited version of lk737's post here)
According to this article, dated March 15, 2012:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/webnews/major-isps-turn-into-copyright-police-by-july-says-riaa/
"File-sharers, beware: By July 12, major US Internet service providers (ISPs) will voluntarily begin serving as copyright police for the entertainment industry, according to Cary Sherman, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The so-called “six-strikes” plan is said to be one of the most effective anti-piracy efforts ever established in the US."
The article goes on to give details. After six notices, internet providers will decide to throttle a person's internet speed, or cut it off altogether. No more downloading eps of your favorite shows for vidding, gifs, or fanfiction art. No more downloading screencaps possibly.
Fox news confirms this:
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/17/us-isps-become-copyright-cops-starting-july-12/
Youtube video explaining this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5OG0R-yS-c
For the record, I'm far more worried about the constant surveillance and the record being kept of everywhere I go online than I am about getting caught taking copy written stuff.