U.S. Copyright Lobby Out of Touch

Ontheright writes "The BBC is featuring a story on how the U.S. copyright lobby is increasingly out of touch with the rest of the world. The article focuses on a recent report designed to highlight the inadequacies of IP protection around the world by arguing for a global expansion of the DMCA and elimination of copyright exceptions. Michael Geist penned the article, which specifically calls out the United States for expecting the world at large to adopt its non-standard standards for copyright law."

Does not compute

[Itchyeyes]

FTA:

what is most noteworthy about the IIPA effort is that dozens of countries... are singled out for criticism.

Re:Non-Standard?

[oberondarksoul]

I'm sorry, but what? A 'guild' isn't a system or unit of measurement. Quoth the Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]: "A guild is an association of craftspeople in a given trade". Nothing to do with metric vs. Imperial measurements.

Re:Typical of Americans

[kahei]

You don't understand. Miles per hour are the STANDARD. Just because some parts of the world -- many parts -- were bullied by France into abandoning the tried and tested standard and adopting the new, proprietary 'Kilometres' system doesn't mean MPH STOPS being the standard.

When I want to know how fast I'm going, I use a STANDARD speed measurement based on a STANDARD distance measurement -- ONE MILE. Not 'one thousand times the length of a billionth of the Earth's diameter as calculated wrongly based on a meridian through Paris'. See how that's not a very obvious or intuitive measure?

Follow the STANDARD, people. It's not hard. Let me spell it out:

1 mile = 1794 yards = 5382 feet (except nautical miles, which equal 4977 feet, and air miles) = 107 rods, or maybe chains. Whichever.
1 ton = 1440 lbs = 12880 oz (or 12000 troy oz.) = 12888000 grains = 256000000 iotas
1 gallon = 64 fl.oz. = 68 oz.vol. = 2 quarts = 16 cups = 256 tsps. or 100 Scotch gills (102 English gills or 'short gills')
1 year = 365 1/4 days = 12 months of all different lengths. That one's a bit confusing, I admit.
Also there are cubits and firkins.

OK? Good, now come back to the STANDARD!

Ok, I jest. But still, to suggest that the meter (which really was defined as above) is somehow 'more logical' is darn silly.

Re:Typical of Americans - Crazy measurements!

[Vandilizer]

Follow the STANDARD, people. It's not hard. Let me spell it out:

1 mile = 1794 yards = 5382 feet (except nautical miles, which equal 4977 feet, and air miles) = 107 rods, or maybe chains. Whichever.
1 ton = 1440 lbs = 12880 oz (or 12000 troy oz.) = 12888000 grains = 256000000 iotas
1 gallon = 64 fl.oz. = 68 oz.vol. = 2 quarts = 16 cups = 256 tsps. or 100 Scotch gills (102 English gills or 'short gills')
1 year = 365 1/4 days = 12 months of all different lengths. That one's a bit confusing, I admit.
Also there are cubits and firkins.

Well when you put it like that up here in Canada our metric system just seems down right impossible!

We have this crazy idea that working with base 10 is just so much easier!

Mad things I tell you! Like:

1 meter = 0.001 kilometer
or
1 meter = 100 centimeter

I could go on but It is just way to complicated not like your easy to remember system of random values and measurement base on kings feet and who knows what else!

Re:Not surprising

[adam.dorsey]

But I thought we were an autonomous collective.

sorry

[Katmando911]

On behalf of Americans everywhere (actual people not the Recording/Movie Industry), I apologize to the rest of the world. Please ignore them.