What you said doesn't follow. Making a digital copy isn't burning down a business. The analogy linking 'piracy' with theft is ludicrous.
On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 11:50 PM, Christian Sciberras <uuf6...@gmail.com> wrote: > Byron, you don't protest to the government by burning down 100-year-old > business, if you know what I mean... > > > > > > On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:12 AM, Byron L. Sonne <byron.so...@gmail.com> > wrote: >> >> The thing that makes me laugh about all of this, and one of the key >> things I learned from reading Gibbon's Decline & Fall is this: >> >> The number and frequency of laws passed regarding things directly >> relates to how widespread these things are, and how they much the laws >> are ignored and ineffective. Laws can't prevent a damn thing, they can >> only specify remedies. As it is said, "it's only illegal if you get >> caught". >> >> The cat is out of the bag and will never be put back in. There's no way >> to stop people from 'illegally' copying copyrighted material. >> >> If they somehow managed to require and implement tech so that perfect >> digital copies can't be made (unlikely) then people will simply use a >> camera to record the video as it plays on the screen. Hey, wait a >> minute, that sounds just like that screener I downloaded someone taped >> in Russia! ;) >> >> If they manage to require and implement tech so that you can't trade it >> over the internet (unlikely) then people will simply trade it on private >> networks or, like we used to do in the old days, via sneakernet. >> >> The problem is that in an attempt to control the dissemination of >> copyrighted material (and people are right, artists do have a right to >> reap the benefits of their effort) the powers-that-be are stepping over >> the line and into territory that impacts our ability to communicate in >> the fashion we choose. >> >> It might be fine to try and prevent piracy but in the process of doing >> so you are trashing the other desires of people that have nothing to do >> with piracy. >> >> I'm sure if the copyright lobby had their way, they'd require us to wear >> special glasses in order to see our laptop screens, on the assumption >> that anything not explicitly licensed was assumed to be unlicensed, and >> thus pirated, which we would be blocked from our field of view... and as >> a result, some girl/guy who wants to write a simple freeware text editor >> now has to jump through regulatory hoops and spend money to obtain a >> special registration that allows their text editor to display to the >> screen. This is a cheesy example, but I think it makes the point. >> >> In the guise of 'protecting artists and businesses' what is happening is >> that the powers-that-be are requesting (and too often getting) powers >> that allow them to trample on the general idea of freedom of >> communications and other things people cherish. >> >> As a result, people are inclined to engage in the very behaviours that >> elicited the laws and crackdowns, quite simply, as a way to raise their >> middle finger and say "Fuck You". >> >> This is when piracy and theft becomes freedom of expression - when it's >> done in protest. >> >> -- >> http://www.freebyron.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. >> Charter: http://lists.grok.org.uk/full-disclosure-charter.html >> Hosted and sponsored by Secunia - http://secunia.com/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. > Charter: http://lists.grok.org.uk/full-disclosure-charter.html > Hosted and sponsored by Secunia - http://secunia.com/ -- 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.grok.org.uk/full-disclosure-charter.html Hosted and sponsored by Secunia - http://secunia.com/