SOPA - Internet as we know it about to be gone?

[walker 0]

Hi all

Google has said:

Google: Universal lied about its private kill-switch for YouTube videos

By Cory Doctorow at 2:46 pm Saturday, Dec 17

Google claims that Universal had no basis for removing the "Mega Song" video posted in support of the MegaUpload service (which Universal is trying to drive off the Internet). Earlier this week, a court filing from Universal suggested that the company had negotiated the right to remove videos it doesn't own from YouTube as part of a private agreement with Google...

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/17/google-universal-lied-about-i.html

As Always follow the link to read the original article in full

The Attempt to censor the song has back fired to Streisand Effect levels with millions of people now listening to what was a minor advertising jingle but which now looks to be set to be the Christmas No.1 and stories spreading across the internet.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/megaupload-viral-music-video-youtube-274659

The two main postings of the song now total over 5 million views on YouTube in just two days.

Kind Regards walker

Edited December 20, 2011 by walker

[rangerpl 13]

Hopefully this will be repealed quickly as the "cyber-sector" (for lack of a better word) of the US economy implodes following the implementation of SOPA and PROTECT-IP.

[walker 0]

Hi all

New music labels are taking the opportunity that disruptive technology brings to use sites like Megaupload for distribution.

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=149418

I think competition is the true reason the old fashioned music labels are bringing in these protectionist measures. They have lost control of the music market with new more vibrant music labels snapping up all the new artists and many headline acts not even bothering to sign to a label those old fashioned music labels and their overpaid exec leeches are going out of business. Even signed acts are not bothering to renew contracts.

Signing to these old fashioned labels seems like the kiss of death to your popularity.

With the mainstream media now tracking the story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/dec/13/megaupload-universal-youtube-video?

And a second illegal use of the copyright take down this time on Vimeo triggering another court case and celebrities flocking to support Megaupload:

http://www.itproportal.com/2011/12/12/celebs-flock-endorse-megaupload/

Universal's actions seem to be an example to everyone on how not to conduct a marketing strategy. If their staff are this awful at their jobs are they really the label to sign to?

Kind regards walker

Edited December 20, 2011 by walker

[freeman83 10]

@Walker

Hi, would you agree that the bill is intended for more than just protecting intellectual property? I think this bill is likely to be engineered in such away that it can be interpreted in any way that benefits the establishment to censor dissent or any other undesirable site or source.

[walker 0]

Hi freeman83

Like most trade laws it is created to protect the entrenched businesses from competition essentialy it is a law written at the behest of the execs of the existing labels union, in order to protect them from market forces. To whit the disruptive effect of modern technology on business models based on a music recording industry that is founded on grooves cut into wax cylinders and dots written on paper.

Do a search on entrenched business although if you have studied economics and or business and marketing you will already know this.

The new technology is allowing the product to escape. The old fashioned business model can't keep up so they make laws to prevent the product from escaping. It is not working most artists nowadays distribute their own product or use the newer more savey labels that understand the internet and the modern music industry.

Like all protectionist legislation at the end of a particular business models life cycle it is doomed to failure.

By the way read Ray Kurzweil's "The singularity is near" and you will start to understand the business and economic forces at play and how this affects all entrenched business models, not just the music and other media. Even tech savey Apple are about to experience it.

Kind regards walker

Edited December 20, 2011 by walker
grammar

[freeman83 10]

Yep, i hear what your saying walker, products are escaping left right and centre. It is clearly a problem and their is some justification for the bill.

But to clarify my question to you (somebody whom clearly has an understanding of this subject).. is it not conceivable that copyright is being used as an excuse for censorship?. Will Whistle blowers and dissidents still be safe? or is this a new way to reach them, being created under the guise of protecting intellectual property.

Material unfavourable to the government on upload and streaming sites certainly won't be safe. Lets see how quickly it will be clamp down on. After all, this comes on the heels of the emergence of wiki leaks. It was fairly predictable. Anyway, time will tell as to how ambiguous the law will be and if it will be twisted and abused for the purpose of censorship.

Edited December 20, 2011 by freeman83

[walker 0]

Hi Freeman83

You misunderstand, the product goes up and down in the lifts, stands in recording studios and sings and plays instruments.

It is the artists that are escaping.

Kind regards walker

[freeman83 10]

Misunderstood what?, Sopa is not specifically for the benefit of the music industry, but protection for more than one type of "product" is it not?. My concern is how far it will reach, and if it will be misused for censorship.

[Tonci87 163]

Misunderstood what?, Sopa is not specifically for the benefit of the music industry, but protection for more than one type of "product" is it not?. My concern is how far it will reach, and if it will be misused for censorship.

Everything that gives power to people is going to be misused.

SOPA is an invention of the entertainment Industry, or to be more precise, the very big companys in the entertainment industry.

Their goal isn´t only to prevent Piracy (You don´t have to use such strong measures to fight that) but to tighten their control of the market. The Music Industry for example has one big problem. The artists are running away. Small labels have become very succesfull at finding true talents and giving them good contracts. With SOPA the big companys can push those little labels out of business.

[igneous01 19]

the supposed procedure for filing a complaint or claim apparently only takes a few hours until a website is pulled down, and the only basis that is required for this is 'suspected of infringement'

thats the biggest problem with this bill.

[mrcash2009 0]

the supposed procedure for filing a complaint or claim apparently only takes a few hours until a website is pulled down, and the only basis that is required for this is 'suspected of infringement'

thats the biggest problem with this bill.

Thats the issue right there, exactly what most of this is about. How flimsy and open ended the "deemed" part actually is written out.

Just all trojan horse ways to jump on issues and then inforce what everybody doesnt want cloaked under that issue to use as a front end, its been this same rinse and repeat style for 10 years now in so many ways.

[st_dux 26]

Intellectual property is a racket; it is the coercive transformation of an unlimited resource into a scarce one in order to profit the "owners" of some legal fiction. It does not promote creativity but rather hinders it, and this bill, if passed, would be a terrible blow to creative spirits everywhere.

[walker 0]

Hi all

In reply to freeman83 as I said read Ray Kurzweil's "The singularity is near" and you will start to understand the business and economic forces at play. It is a tough read lots of math and charts for the analysis but trust me it is well worth it.The basics is that we are in a period of exponential expansion and what the effects on business, economics and society will be as a result.

Exponential expansion leads to disruptive technologies these in turn allow new business models usualy employed by new market entrants. If you are an existing entrenched player in the market then you will use the economic and political power that your company has accrued over the last 100 or so years, the lifespan of most companies, to protect your position in the market. Kurzweil's research points out that the lifespan of businesses may be shortening along with product life cycle.

The SOPA legislation as with current copyright laws can be misused to censor things, this ditty being censored is an example but it is not being censored for political reason. It is being censored for business reasons; in order to prevent a competitor from gaining a foothold in the market and artists from regaining control of the distribution of their art.

If distributing art becomes easy then the market is flooded with new distribution channels, the current market leaders loose their cartel and their money.

Digital media and distribution makes the old music labels and film production and distribution industry irrelevant including the broadcast media like television. Hence why Murdoch's News Corp support this legislation:

3TeZGKTi_W0

It creates an open market Murdoch cannot afford to compete in an open market. Just like all the other old players in the media market but as I say it is not just the media market it is all the other markets too. The easiest way to spot is by the seeing a market player go defensive. As soon as the legal department of a business begins to grow you know it is in decline, hence why I noted Apple.

Kind regards walker

Edited December 22, 2011 by walker

[Tonci87 163]

So what did they decide?

[mrcash2009 0]

in order to profit the "owners" of some legal fiction. It does not promote creativity but rather hinders it, and this bill, if passed, would be a terrible blow to creative spirits everywhere.

Very important, I suggest everyone to youtube up and google this, biggest dupe of the world.

[st_dux 26]

So what did they decide?

They decided to wait until after the holidays to decide anything.

[freeman83 10]

@walker

Thanks for the info, will keep the book in mind. I've got to much to read at the moment so it will have to wait for a rainy day. Also i need to find the motivation to read a book about business or economics from cover to cover. Like Ken Watanabe i also prefer "a good conversation" to a book that will inevitably be to hard to digest for the un initiated.

I like you choice of news media btw ;)

[reconteam 19]

Eh, our country is going to hell anyway, I just don't care anymore. I used to, but I just can't now.

[mrcash2009 0]

Eh, our country is going to hell anyway, I just don't care anymore. I used to, but I just can't now.

Things only go to hell by design, by not caring any more in large numbers you help to fast track that transition made on your behalf, plus its not about any one country the net is everyone anywhere plus more besides, while you country gets to hell you and everyone you are close to will still be in it standing their while you gave up.

Heres a number of articles for the sake of the thread:

Sopa breaks the internet (video):

http://vimeo.com/31100268

Sopa is the end of us says bloggers:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70878.html

We must stop SOPA:

http://www.deathrattlesports.com/archives/542/why-we-must-stop-sopa/

Sopa battle hots up as US Congress debates piracy bill:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/15/sopa-bill-congress-online-piracy

SOPA opponents may go nuclear and other 2012 predictions:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57349540-281/sopa-opponents-may-go-nuclear-and-other-2012-predictions/?tag=mncol;topStories

[Daniel 0]

German hackers to save the internet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16367042

[Tonci87 163]

This is such an stupid idea. It would cost them millions to even build and deliver one satelite but they need much more to cover even europe...

[Daniel 0]

I know, I admire their enthusiasm though. Here's to space hacker astronauts on the moon in the next 23 years!

[onlyrazor 11]

Here's to space hacker astronauts on the moon in the next 23 years!

BIS! Arma 3! Now!

Ontopic, I'm fairly certain that even if the bill passes, Congress is going to crash and burn under the weight of the angry masses.

Edited January 3, 2012 by OnlyRazor

[Tonci87 163]

BIS! Arma 3! Now!

Ontopic, I'm fairly certain that even if the bill passes, Congress is going to crash and burn under the weight of the angry masses.

Unlikely people will rather stay at home and blog about this stupid people in congress :(

[walker 0]

Hi all

While this will affect the USA I think there is little chance that any other nation will be stupid enough to hobble their economy in this way. All that will happen is the internet industries will decamp on mass and move to more enlightened nations where both freedom and the free market still exist. Funny how the US Republican party turns out to be the most communist though.

Kind Regards walker

Edited January 3, 2012 by walker
damn predictve text changing meaning, splutters**#@!