ISPs Will Now Be Copyright Cops 338
An anonymous reader writes "Wendy Seltzer, Fellow at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy, talks about the new plan by ISPs and content providers to 'crack down on what users can do with their internet connections' using a 6-step warning system to curb online copyright infringement."
Beg to differ... (Score:2, Interesting)
ISPs are taking a path that will promote end to end encryption and obfuscation to prevent guessing at the content of encrypted baby videos being distributed to relatives.
Perhaps if the creators and providers of "content" were able to devise a workable business model, there'd be no need for ISPs to be coerced into inspecting customers private data?
Just a thought.
Re:Works are based on other works (Score:2, Interesting)
That's probably true to some extent in all works of authorship, but it's not justification for dismissing income protection via copyright for someone who creates (for example) a new interpretation of one of Shakespeare's plays - let's use "Forbidden Planet" as an example. At least partly based on "The Tempest", does that mean "Forbidden Planet" is therefore automatically not entitled to copyright protection?
I wrote and produced a short film based on an ancient legend, and there are aspects of the "hero's journey" in the story, but I wrote the screenplay - all 9 minutes of it:) - funded and produced the film, all the way to a screening at a local film festival, where I also sold some copies. Am I justified in seeking redress for anyone who makes their own copy of this film and distributes that copy?
Action to cut someone's internet access for a single violation is excessive, but deliberate, repeated, warnings-ignored violations - that's different.
Plan? It's already started (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Uh, SSL? (Score:4, Interesting)
Encryption won't work. The MAFIAA gets your IP address from the tracker, or by joining the torrent swarms for files they considering to be infringing. Then they make the ISP correlate the IP address to your account.
You'd need a VPN proxy network to obscure your IP address from the tracker and the other members of the torrent swarm.
Simple enough. Find a provider that will give you some server space with shell access and install OpenVPN. Then use OpenVPN to obscure your IP address.
Re:One thing is clear (Score:3, Interesting)
I you watched the F video, you'd see that she's actually advocating net neutrality and warning against the ramifications of such a system.
This is a very large debate, but ISPs cutting/censoring/throttling your access is actually a massive deal, and goes against a lot of principles in modern coutries' Constitution.
Am I missing something? (Score:4, Interesting)
Regardless though, I just don't see any way for the ISP to filter/detect copyrighted content without actually intercepting and analyzing the traffic on the wire.
Something seems to be wrong here. We would all be shitting our respective pants if the phone company stated they would be listening to our phone calls, or if the post office said they would be reading our mail...but we're not worried that our ISP is analyzing our private data packets, we're only worried what they do with the info?
Re:Beg to differ... (Score:5, Interesting)
If encryption gets banned, there is an ally that the bought-and-paid-for Congresscritters *will* listen to.
Go to the NRA. Seriously. Strong crypto was classified as a munition, making crypto a Second Amendment issue. Congress doesn't give a shit about the ACLU or the EFF or any of those types, but they will listen to the NRA.
Re:Massive Respect for Wendy Seltzer (Score:3, Interesting)
I decided to look for more info about her on Princeton's website, and she definitely deserves massive respect. You can read a bio about her here: http://wendy.seltzer.org/shortbio.html [seltzer.org]
She works in support of the internet users, even heading up a website that helps internet users understand their rights when they receive cease and desist threats. I like her too.
Re:Works are based on other works (Score:4, Interesting)
For some reason your post inspired this new copyright scheme, in which you can choose to either have a short copyright and benefit today, or a long copyright and only your heirs will benefit:
You can set your copyright length as long as you wish. HOWEVER, all income (gross, not net) from that property goes into escrow for the duration, and you do *not* collect interest on the escrow funds (we could argue what to use them for, but reading-education programs sounds reasonable for a start.)
The incentive would therefore be to set copyright for the shortest possible period, during that first major market interest (which is when the majority of profit is made anyway) and only in rare cases would it be worthwhile to hold copyright through a secondary sales period.
A further alternative under this scheme is that you could choose to treat it as a work-for-hire for the public, with no copyright protection whatever, and collect all the money you can from day one (just like a regular job!) This might incentivize smaller publishers as well, since the competition would really be to get the product in front of the buying public, just like any other goods.
The tax code could also be structured to benefit those who choose a shorter or absent copyright period.
Re:Which VPN (offshore) is best/recommended (Score:3, Interesting)