Congressional Anti-Piracy Caucus Formed 631
questionlp writes "News.com reports that three members from the House of Reps has formed a caucus that aims to stop piracy and make for stronger IP laws. One of the members of the caucus: helped author a note last fall to 74 fellow Democrats assailing the Linux open-source operating system's GNU General Public License as a threat to America's 'innovation and security.'"
This is just like Congress... (Score:5, Funny)
agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:5, Funny)
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:3, Informative)
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:5, Informative)
Money contributed from PAC of the corperation.
(From the top contributors page)
Microsoft Corp $32,200
AOL Time Warner $5,000
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:4, Interesting)
(From the top contributors page)
Microsoft Corp $32,200
I'm amazed that you can buy politicians and get them to sponsor bills involving billions of dollars, for pocket change like this. The leverage is remarkable. I'm sure to buy a poltician in Indonesia, for instance, is much more expensive.
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:4, Insightful)
This is good American innovation.
It's like Congress letting Jack Valenti write the text of the DMCA. You can't buy better custom made legislation than this.
(maybe that should be Congress's new advertising slogan?)
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:3, Insightful)
top industries supporting Adam Smith [opensecrets.org]
Re:agent smith, er rep smith is a talking puppet (Score:3, Informative)
His district is shaped kind of like a mirror image of Idaho. The bulky part is down around the state capital, almost a hundred miles south of Redmond. The "panhandle" just touches the south end of the Seattle metropolitan area.
Here's a map: http://www.house.gov/adamsmith/i/district_map_pop u p.jpg . Redmond would be at the northeast corner of the map if the map went five miles farther north
Re:This is just like Congress... (Score:3, Interesting)
Actual, genuine high seas piracy is still a very serious problem in many parts of the world, particuarly the Persian gulf, SE Asia, and thanks the the drug trade, parts of the Caribbean.
http://www.iccwbo.org/ccs/imb_piracy/weekly_pir
Re:Democrats != civil rights and freedoms (Score:5, Interesting)
Yup I disagree with conservatives. I disagree with liberals. I agree with conservatives. I agreee with liberals. What this ammounts to is: I think Ann Coultier and Bill O'Reilly are idiots who make good arguments at times. Same with Bill Clinton and Barbara Streisand. Sometimes, though, they say stuff that actually amounts to an intelligence behind their ideologies. It's rare, but it happens.
Now, to go back on-topic...
What do I think of this action by these folks who are claiming that Open Source is a threat to National Security(tm)? Nothing. I clicked on the comments here to see what people are thinking about this matter on an intellectual level. NOT an ideological level.
So, some people are raising a raucus in Washington. This happens all the time. Heck, it wasn't a few years ago when Microsoft faced a fate worse than this. In all honesty, I think Open Source got off lucky politically speaking over the past dozen years or so. And I'm glad to see it. Proprietary software needed its kick in the pants. That's not to say the Free Software movement (and its corporate-friendly equivalent, Open Source) needs the occasional kick too. But for these folks to be taken seriously, more than well-paid lobbyists will be able to make a difference.
Ideology goes three inches and a neutrino's width with me. Case closed.
(P.S. back from 3 years away from Slashdot, BTW... hoo-yeah
Re:This is just like Congress... (Score:5, Insightful)
Given how many "terrorists" turn out of be either US government trained or funded. It's quite possible that the US Congress does quite a bit about piracy... Just not the sort of things which would result in fewer pirates.
oh, i get it... (Score:3, Insightful)
oh no!!! (Score:5, Funny)
oh wait.....
Re:oh no!!! (Score:5, Interesting)
No Linux and gnu either.
After all Linux is just a pirated version of SCO Unix according to AL GORE attorney David Bios. These senators are paid for by Microsoft and Disyney.
Linux is the only os that does not incorporate drm copyprotection so it must be stoped.
Lets get together with a few ignorant and corrupt politicans educate them about this pirated Unix then only SCO has permission to write courtesy of Microsoft lobbiests.
In Other News (Score:5, Funny)
Congressman Wexler has added to his holdings, having purchased a yacht to go along with his mansion.
Re:In Other News (Score:5, Informative)
Even more interesting (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Even more interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
This is not surprising, since his district, the Ninth District of Washington, is where Microsoft is. I am not surprised that he is representing their interests.
I wouldn't be surprised if the other Congressmonkeys behind this were being financed by the movie and record industries.
It isn't time to spam your Congressmonkey yet. They haven't DONE anything, or even proposed to do anything yet. When they actually start doing something, then it will be time to act.
Re:Even more interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
I disagree - if you happen to be a constituent of said Congressmonkeys, you are paying their salaries, and you therefore should complain often & loudly when they do anything that you don't feel represents your interests.
American way and all.
Re:Even more interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
Also it's one thing for Smith to represent MS's interests as the representative from that region, but it's another to act as their hired PR flak.
Re:Even more interesting (Score:3, Insightful)
It isn't time to spam your Congressmonkey yet. They haven't DONE anything, or even proposed to do anything yet. When they actually start doing something, then it will be time to act.
ERROR, while I appreciate that you recognize the need to issue corrospondance, your perception of timing is dead wrong. By the time your congressman has "done something" he will have already picked sides, requiring a much LOUDER voice for any significant sway. Best to be the first heard on _any_ issue you care about.
Re:Even more interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
1. Do you think the present copyright terms is too short, too long, or just right
2. Copyright and patent are in the Constitution to "advance the progress of the arts and sciences". Is present policy the best we can do? If not, how should the rules be changed to do better?
3. What's the maximum amount of time "limited terms" can last when it comes to patents and copyrights before terms are essentially permanent and the Constitution is violated?
These are questions that are more open ended, are likely to be answered more thoughtfully absent a bill and a recent campaign contribution, and would be useful in future campaigns because it would allow the other party to criticise an officeholder if he later sold his vote for money. At that point, it's not some obscure issue that most normal citizens don't care about but going back on your word and being untrustworthy. That kind of damage is to be avoided if possible.
Re:Even more interesting (Score:3, Insightful)
Okay so let's put them on record...
I think one of the biggest problems with our present political system is that no real issues ever get discussed or debated. Even in the televised debates all the questions are preapproved by the campaigns. What if there was a list of questions, a bit longer than your three that every candidate had to answer if he/she wanted to actually get elected? What's really attractive about this is no matter what your politics are (as an individual voter) you'd most likely want t
Adam Smith doesn't agree with Adam Smith (Score:4, Funny)
No, I am not being snarky (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh yeah, there is none.
Re:No, I am not being snarky (Score:5, Insightful)
Possibly it's a problem of the American democratic system? The parties need to get their money from somebody, and that "somebody" is definitely not: The People.
So get out and fix it, dangit! (Score:4, Insightful)
YOU do make a difference. The reason why the democrats are consistently coming out pro-big-business lately is because the grass-root democrats won't support them. Ask a democrat, "When is the last time you gave a buck to a candidate?" Then ask the same question to a republican. Which party do you think is eating from the hands of the constituency?
I'll admit, the Republican Party doesn't do what I wish they did 100% of the time, but they are aiming in the general direction. Deregulation, lowering taxes, beefing up our borders are all things I feel are important. You'll find me and millions like me are going to put a couple bucks into our republican candidates. That is going to sway them away from big business, and more towards our interests.
Washington State Republicans have broken completely from Boeing -- one of the reason why Boeing is leaving -- for this very same reason. They don't need their cash anymore. The republicans in WA are more than willing to pop out a $20 bill to support their own candidates as long as they do what the supporters want. (HINT: This next budget coming down is pretty much what we wanted. Expect a big republican win next year.)
As long as you are giving a buck or two to your candidate, and millions of you are doing the same, you will have bought their vote. You get to write a letter to them that starts: "Dear Representative, I gave $20 to your campaign last year, but I will be giving $50 to your opponent this time unless..." which always gets more attention than "Dear Representative, I am a whiny brat who will never give a dime to your campaign."
Remember, Big Business lives off of our buck. We can strangle them with boycotts if we so desire. (You ever notice how whimpy the business people get when they are faced with consumer outrage?) There is no way someone as dependent on our cash, and who can only turn a couple of percentage points on it for profit, can every compete with our cash going directly into the pockets of our representatives. We really do have the power. We really do control the game -- but only if we get in the ring and fight!
So if you want to start a "Fair Use Consumer Advocacy Group", give a couple of bucks to your favorite politician who is generally going in your direction, and tell them where you want them to go. Convince others to do the same. A couple of thousand dollars and a couple of hundred votes later, you will have them eating out of your hand. They will come to you and ask, "Which way should I vote to get your help in next year's campaign?"
If you don't know where to start, start small. Look for state representatives or city council members you want to support. Check out their record. Call them up and ask them how you can help. When you get to know them, and you begin to trust them, and they you, give them your money. Trust me, it works, and it is really simple. And as long as enough people are doing it, we'll keep the government in check.
Re:So get out and fix it, dangit! (Score:5, Insightful)
Speaking as a whiney brat who would never give a dollar to a campaign, I always thought democracy was about the votes, not the $$$. I guess I'm just naive and old fashioned, but at least I'm not being part of the problem (and yes, I do vote, even in local elections). The problem is when your $100,000 and 100 votes outweighs the desires of the 100,000 other voters who don't give any money. I pay my taxes - that should be all the vote buying I need to do!
Re:So get out and fix it, dangit! (Score:5, Funny)
You have a future in standup comedy.
Re:No, I am not being snarky (Score:5, Funny)
[tries to pronounce acronym]
Oh dear...
The official caucus theme song... (Score:4, Funny)
Turn it all off (Score:5, Interesting)
Turn it all off then. Vast portions of the Internet run on Linux, FreeBSD (even though it isn't GPL) and especially Apache. Maybe we should all pick a day and turn it all off, at least in the US it would probably bring traffic to a halt. THEN maybe they will reconsider making stupid laws regarding the choice of one's operating systems!
Are you crazy? (Score:5, Funny)
This is a secret ploy to get all those 600+ day people to reboot. Well I'm not buying.
Turn It Off the Day Of Their First Meeting (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Turn It Off the Day Of Their First Meeting (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Turn It Off the Day Of Their First Meeting (Score:3, Insightful)
from Microsoft, and Microsoft knows how to be persuasive.
Open-source advocates know how to be persuasive too,
so the Congress needs to hear from us.
Everyone shutting off their Linux machine for a day won't
help. Everyone writing to their congressentity on the same
day would make quite a bit of difference, especially if those
letters are polite, concise, and well-thought-out.
Re:Turn It Off the Day Of Their First Meeting (Score:5, Insightful)
What would, I think, make the most difference would be to write to Smith and tell him that if he persists in his unAmerican campaign against opensource software, you're going to send money to anyone who opposes him in the next election. And then follow through, if he doesn't change his position. A website devoted to taking donations for that purpose, and reporting unfavorably on Smith's activities would be a good thought-provoker for Smith. When next year rolls around, it would be a good time to remind slashdotters with a little fun money what Smith stands for. Could be a substantial source of anxiety for Smith.
Re:Turn It Off the Day Of Their First Meeting (Score:5, Insightful)
Looks like someone just fell off the turnip truck.
In America, only two things really matter to a politician: power and money. Slashdotters don't have any of the first, but together they do have some of the second. Of course, there's no way these scumbags will buck their sugar daddies no matter what the provocation (skeletons, closets, connect the dots on your own), but you *could* use the money to back whoever is opposing the slimeballs in the next election.
That's your only real option. Sponsor someone less evil than the person currently in office and hope he doesn't bend over and invite MS/the RIAA/the MPAA to give him the shaft once he's in office and safe from your wrath.
Damn, it should be required that you boys and girls work for a congressman for a year, preferably while in high school. If the congress critter doesn't turn you off by trying to fuck you at every opportunity, his/her other activities will be more than enough to throw you off your feed for life. I *guarantee* you that.
Unless, of course, you want to be a sleazy criminal sell-out just like them. Or a drug-addict, alcoholic, deserter like our President....
Max
yeah that will work (Score:5, Insightful)
I can't imagine Congress ever outlawing Linux, but if there was anything that could bring that day closer, this is probably it.
Well... (Score:5, Informative)
Here's some addresses for you to do with as you please; normally I'd recommend writing them as I usually do, but their corrupt stupidity compels me to not care if you DDOS them, spam them, or whatever:
Rep. Robert Wexler [house.gov]
Rep. Adam Smith [house.gov]
Rep. Tom Feeney [house.gov]
Oh, and if you haven't already, try joining the EFF [eff.org].
Corporatism getting way out of hand. It's getting scary as hell if you ask me.
Re:Well... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Well... (Score:3, Informative)
But you are correct, this is a part of the traditional US voting practice. The Democrats of Chicago under Mayor Daley were particularly nortorious for it. This part just isn't usu
Re:Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
That said, the Supreme Court's decision in the matter is still a shameful mark on American history ('no precedent' indeed).
I'm happy to hear specific and credible evidence to the contrary. (seriously)
Re:Well... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:How did Bush get elected President? (Score:3, Informative)
I call 'bullshit!', and request that you cite a source for this statement.
Immediately after the initial count (favoring Bush by 1,784), an automatic recount was started (pusuant to section 102.141(4) of the Florida Election Code). This recount (approx two days), gave Bush a 327 vote margin of victory.
Due to the discrepancy, the Florida Democratic Election Committee, under section 102.166 of the Flori
Re:Well... (Score:3)
The butterfly ballot: Probably cost Gore the presidency, but the parties had the chance to object to it beforehand, so tough. You can't start reallocating votes by second guessing whether people accidentally misvoted.
The recount: The fair thing to have done would have been a complete state-wide recount. With hindsight, the Democrats should have gone with this rather than asking for just a few, and expecting the Republicans to play the same game.
Please, voters act! (Score:5, Informative)
Will the people of the 19th Congressional district of Florida vote this moron out of congress, PLEASE!!!
Thanks,
The rest of the America
Re:Please, voters act! (Score:3, Funny)
These are Florida voters. Shouldn't you be telling them to vote him back in?
Send your congressman a letter. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Send your congressman a letter. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Send your congressman a letter. (Score:4, Insightful)
I mean, once you accept that politics is bought and sold to the highest bidder, that's the bottom line isn't it? Ideology lost. Oppression had more money.
The trouble is, that's not really the whole story. The rest of the story is, people ARE writing, lawmakers ARE reading what they wrote. People ARE voting. Lawmakers ARE being legitimately elected. People are participating in the political process, and they are active in political parties.
The current government isn't simply bought by a few corporations in the absense of any other force. Rather, (and this is the hard part to swallow), the current government exists because it overwhelmingly represents the will of the people who suffer it. I choose to believe that it is also due largely to the abstinence vote, but I'm not so sure.
I'm afraid it's possible that the dissenting opinion really is a small minority, and that most people are not only satisfied, but adamantly in support of the status quo. I'm not talking about the President here, that's just one piece of a very large system. I'm talking about the overall status quo.
What if the government really does represent the will of the people? After all most people are pretty square...
Re:Send your congressman a letter. (Score:5, Insightful)
If you're in one of those states with the congressmen mentioned, send them a letter. Not that the bastards can or will read it, but maybe with enough letters saying that Open Source isn't the problem, they'll start to get a damn clue.
Better yet: Even if you don't live in one of those states, send the congresscritters a letter. You generate the impression that this is not a throw-away issue for which a stance can be sold to the highest contributor, but rather there are many people for which have a vested interest, which in turn has a relation to their own political interest regardless of state boundries. And you won't be lying
...though on that note, you don't _need_ to specify which state you're from... or country...
Second-level thinking? (Score:4, Funny)
Fine.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Fine.... (Score:3, Insightful)
The law is not sacred... the law is the current working relationship, and a work in progress. If everyone had attitudes like yours, I'd be a serf.
Not to worry.. (Score:4, Funny)
Just like congress too.. always resting on their laurals.
Democrats... (Score:5, Interesting)
Just dont know what to do... EFF ACLU all good and well but there is no way in hell they can ever match the funds that MS MPAA RIAA et al have...
I guess its true if voting really made a diffrence it would be illegal.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Democrats... (Score:5, Insightful)
The basic rights apply to all -- not just the mainstream. Voodoo and animal sacrifices are just as protected as Baptists and televangilism.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning (Score:3, Funny)
Men engaging in perversion with architecture are hardly qualified to complain about internet pornography.
a tale of two Adam Smiths (Score:4, Interesting)
Adam Smith 2003: "But we can't let them choose Linux."
we can stop this (Score:3, Interesting)
We need to write our senators, our mayors, our governors, our friends, our coworkers - even the president. The more loud we are, the less they will be able to deny what we're saying.
Money and your vote Count (Score:5, Insightful)
Be concise, polite, and specific. If we can
Contacting your Representative -- The Easy Way [congress.org]
Don't wait. Do it now or don't whine about it later.
Money and your vote Count? Not if you live here. (Score:5, Informative)
- Howard Berman, Representative
- Barbara Boxer, Junior Senator
- Dianne Feinstein, Senior Senator
All three are 0wnz0r3d by the RIAA, MPAA, and Big Media.No, I didn't vote for Berman in the last election. I swallowed hard and voted for the Republican candidate, because he seemed to be genuinely concerned about eroding Fair Use rights.
I don't know what's going to happen when Berman, Feinstein and Boxer are up for re-election again. Usually the Republicans run Religious Right-sponsored, Orange County-friendly candidates at the Senatorial level here in California. I can't support someone like that. But Feinstein and Boxer make me sick. Berman does too, but I think he's gotten enough heat from geeks in his district (they do exist) to where he's not going to try anything so stupid as a "Son Of Berman Bill".
I live close enough to Hollywood to where it's a lot like living in Adam Smith's district in Washington State. This is a company town and Big Media is the company. Resistance, it seems. is futile.
ARRR! (Score:3, Funny)
Universities ... (Score:3, Funny)
<hillbilly-congressman-paid-off-by-who-knows-who-v oice>
- voice>
You know them durn-gum universitees. Teech them commoners bout thinking fur thumselfs and next thing you no they'll start ackshully doin it. And decidin thay kno better than the nice folx in Dizney and Mycrosponj that pay us. Next thing ya no they'll want to vote me out of offis. Time to cut funding for eddication. Put the extra moneee into congresshional pay razes and tacks cuts for the RIAA and MPAA - thats the tikket, afffer all we kin see how there hed executives are all goin browk.
</hillbilly-congressman-paid-off-by-who-knows-who
"make for stronger IP laws"? (Score:5, Insightful)
I really wish that politicians would clairfy their positions more often. What exactly does "make for stronger IP laws" mean?
Harsher punishment maybe? Well, we don't need that for copyright law. At 5 years + $150,000 fine per violation, I would say the opposite given that rapists in America serve an average of 5 years.
Maybe they mean longer terms on copyright. Oh, wait, that's already at creators lifetime + 90 years. Effectively eternity in the computer industry. No need to increase that unless Eisner can come up with some more bribe money [opensecrets.org].
My guess... another round of overly broad, unenforceable laws that makes everyone a criminal which they will selectively enforce. That is supposed to be illegal, isn't it?
Is anyone surprised? (Score:5, Interesting)
In fact the US has heavily subsidized the research of major biotech companies, like Monsanto, with billions of tax payer dollars. But none of the profits ever get back to the public.
The US even refused to sign an international treaty on preserving the biological species of the world. Then Assistant Secretary of State for Environment, Curtis Bohlen, said the treaty "fails to give adequate patent protection to American companies that transfer biotechnology to developing companies" and "tries to regulate genetically engineered materials, a competitive area in which the United States leads". (New York Times, April 26, May 24, 1992)
US companies make billions of dollars a year because of IP, and they are the ones funding political campaigns. So why should anyone be surprised that the government is so adamantly promoting stricter laws that will benefit the governments benefactors?
Re:Is anyone surprised? (Score:5, Informative)
USSR (Score:3)
Let's face it, Microsoft is scared because they don't feel they can compete. What could be a greater sign that Linux encourages competition? Just because Linus isn't the richest man on Earth, doesn't mean Linux doesn't aid our economy.
Hurrah! (Score:5, Insightful)
Hurrah!
Up to now the RIAA/MPAA/Microsoft/etc.-corrupted congresscritters have been pretty much anonymous. When they weren't actually introducing a bill you couldn't tell them from the general crowd of congressional dupes.
Now we will have an explicit way to track the congressional ringleaders and target them for defeat - in primaries and general elections.
Hot DAMN!
(Ask anybody who helped take out Roberti, Roos, or Foley how a grass-roots movement works.)
FEC in focus (Score:4, Insightful)
- AOL-Time-Warner
s oft Corporation
He's taken money from the very people that his legislative plans will benefit. Can any sane, rational person honestly believe that this is not a conflict of interest? This is not right, and it's symptomatic of the legalized bribery that is the core problem of the American political system.ASCAP
MediaOne
Micro
Fox
RIAA
Sony
Walt Disney
Furthermore, the contributions from the PACs listed above don't constitute anywhere near the majority of his campaign funding. He's a democrat, and most of the PAC contributions are from labor unions. The larger part of his campaign expenditures were thus paid by organizations that purport to represent workers - sometimes also known as consumers. Despite this, he is acting as the lapdog of the content industry. As Mark Twain said, an honest politician is one that stays bought.
Wexler thus fails both the idealistic and pragmatic tests for honesty. I submit that he needs to be tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail.
Re:FEC in focus (Score:3, Informative)
Re:FEC in focus (Score:4, Insightful)
I have a slightly different view.
MS and Disney represent a large body of people. These people depend on Office and Mickey to provide them with a paycheck. These people then spend their money in Florida and Washington which creates jobs for other prople. MS and Disney hope these laws will boost their profit. That, in turn, will keep the economy in their areas firm.
You may or may not like IP for philosophical reasons. You may not like MS or Disney for philosophical reasons. You may belive that these laws will be ineffective and, therefore, a waste of time. But you cannot blame these companies for trying to keep their source of income strong.
There is no way you can say that MS and Disney giving money to a politician in not in the best interests of the companies, it's employees, or the surronding economical region.
Reaganomics for '03 (Score:4, Insightful)
Trickle-down intellectual property law?
Trickle-down freedom?
[cough]
Re:FEC in focus (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course we should. Bribing officials who make policy for all of us so that SOME of us get a better deal is just WRONG.
That you could possibly think it is acceptable says a lot about how completely fscked up America and our system of government is.
Re:FEC in focus (Score:5, Informative)
Wrong. MS and Disney are owned and controled mostly by a very small number of people (Bill Gates, et al.) That's who they represent.
Corporations act in the interests of their shareholders. Corporations are not controlled via popular elections. They are not part the democratic system, and should kept the hell out of it.
Look at it this way: How the hell can you have a functioning democracy, when one person with resouces far beyond those of most people (Bill G.) can contribute as much of his money as he wants to buying influence?
These people depend on Office and Mickey to provide them with a paycheck.
This argument is silly for a million reasons. For one, how do you know that MS is the only possible way these people could be employed? If MS was dissolved tomorrow, would everyone just stop using computers?
Two, how do you that this is the best possible why these people could be employed? Perhaps there is another way things could be organized which would produce more.
Arguments like this are a last resort of those who don't want to see change.
But you cannot blame these companies for trying to keep their source of income strong.
This statement is silly too. As long as a company is working to increase it's profits, they shouldn't be held accountable for anything they're doing? This pure idiocy.
Here's an example:
A nuclear power company has all these spend fuel rods they need to get rid of. They discover the cheapest way to do this, and increase their profits, is to buy a law that allows them to throw it out with their normal trash.
This is clearly wrong, but all the arguments you gave support it. The power company is represented, speaking for all those people you think they speak for. The power company stays afloat, so everyone who works there can keep their jobs. And all they're doing is trying to increase their profits, they're blameless right?
Your biggest failure is to consider the costs to society of these company's actions. There is no Wildlife Corp, that can buy influence to preserve our wilderness. There is no Public Domain Inc. which fights to get works placed into the public domain.
Yes, there may be citizen's groups that fight these things, but the money they get is not anywhere near the value of the damage they have to try and prevent.
Take my power company example above. Can you figure out the problem? The damage to society is not being accounted for. There is no automatic reverse contribution to take this into account. And don't say the people should take care of this reverse contribution, either. That would be impossible. It would require every person in the country to be informed about every law that was going to be passed, and donate accoringly.
Don't forget... (Score:3, Informative)
Remember, as always, strength in numbers. And don't forget to donate to them an the ACLU.
Map (Score:3, Informative)
Mod this down all you like... (Score:3, Informative)
A caucus for them, how nice. (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, protection from overbearing abuse, the rules that this country is based on... where's the caucus to protect people and their rights?
Since when did people only apply to people who were located in large office towers and made millions a year, scamming average people for all they are worth.
Threats to Innovation (Score:3, Interesting)
When, as it often is (think Verizon v. the RIAA or DRM being forced on TiVos, MP3 players, and so forth), technology companies are at odds with media companies, it is pure fallacy to proclaim that it is the media companies' concerns that best represent American innovation (especially when this "innovation" is merely another teeny-bopper or an animated mouse from the last century).
Congress, I have long admitted, follows the money. But the money, in this case, is not with the IP companies but with the technology companies. Does Intel want to build chips with integrated DRM? Of course not; such a move is not inherently profitable. Does Verizon want to be responsible for its subscribers' piracy, or Panasonic for the exact digital copies made with their MP3 players?
Congress is behaving here as irrationally as the RIAA themselves (an organization so clealy ignorant and terrified of technology that they couldn't profit from it as the Apple iMusic store is now doing). IP controls go both ways; an incentive for innovation, when overly broad, stifles anything new. Intellectual property controls are certainly necessary, to some degree, but, as framed in the Constitution, to promote innovation in the arts and sciences, never to stop it.
Slashdot as a political group? (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm sure that slashdot can bring a real life political slashdot effect. Maybe it's something worth thinking about, or perhaps starting
Re:Slashdot as a political group? (Score:3, Insightful)
It's called the Electronic Frontier Foundation [eff.org], and they need your help.
Support them. Whip out your Visa Check card and PayPal them $500, $50, or just $20.
You'll be a hero for helping good things happen.
Time to Send More Money to the EFF (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps they'll decide to save on legislature time and just try to roll the DMCA and the Patriot Act into one and just go ahead and lock up anyone with any sort of recording device as a Terrorist Threat.
Ya ya ya... I have zero faith in our government to ever not have it's head so far up it's ass when dealing with anything that is even remotely related to the tech sector or individual rights as opposed to corporate self interests.
Somehow, I have a feeling I'm not alone there.
Anyway, time to toss some moolah to the EFF, because they're gonna need it.
Pass the hat.
Paranoia is getting to me (Score:4, Insightful)
Is M$ starting some sort of a campaign against Linux?
Or, is it just other's paranoia about U.S. security?Congress (Score:4, Funny)
So does this mean... (Score:4, Insightful)
The Whitehouse Runs on Apache and Linux. (Score:4, Informative)
Grow Up and Fight! (Score:5, Insightful)
Copyright protection laws (including Anti-Piracy) are great for Free Software!
Is copyright law was enforced 100%, 80 percent of the world's computer users would have been Free Software users by now.
$600 for MS Office? I don't think so.
If you don't like paying for music- don't support corporate artists.
Form a band of your own, for daemon's sake!
I've been generating my own music (i'm a techno freak) for years. And guess what, ambient music is easy easy easy to make on your own.
Breaking rules is for kids, Making rules of their own is for adults.
The more you rant about Freedom and Piracy, the more power to the establishment to link Free Software and Piracy.
I didn't go to see the Matrix. I haven't bought a Music CD in 5 years. Grow up and Fight!
Make the EFF powerful. (Score:5, Insightful)
sri
Shadowrun (Score:4, Informative)
This discussions seems to be more or less wrapped up and writing your Congressman and / or voting different seem to be good options. So all that's left for me is to throw in some comment.
Everytime I read about Big 'Cons heavily influencing laws [eff.org] that undermine basic human rights and invalidating democratic structures [guerrillanews.com], in order to grow bigger and bigger, I only wait for the awakening of magic in 2012.
It's as if everyone in power in this world read the shadowrun books and thought "wow, thats a great world to live in".
The US needs to reform their electoral and governmental system fast or they'll be run down the drain by all these corporate whores.
That's what bothers me most with the eff and aclu: they just take the conservative approach of "everything has to stay the way it is" instead of calling attention to the things that IMHO need serious fixin.
If you look at the eff's site [eff.org], the news section is just full of battles in jurisdiction but on the legislation side of things, it's just "state has passed this, congress has passed that".
Where is the support for a legislative proposal that actually strengthens consumer/citizen/human rights?
Where is the proposal for a system that allows for more than two parties to gain power?
Where is the continous lobbying effort to keep the politicians in line with common sense?
Anti-Privacy Coalition? (Score:3, Funny)
Strange blaming (Score:5, Insightful)
I always thought that in US, in general the argumentation was, for example, "guns doesn't kill, people do". So how come when it comes to copyright infringement and such, it is always the tool that is the cause, and not people.
Free software creates jobs (Score:5, Insightful)
From the article:
What about the concerns of millions of Americans whose livelihoods depend on free access to technology? Open source software creates jobs, because it creates the opportunity for someone with an idea to build a business without having to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest in software. For instance, I have started a software development business that I would not have been able to afford to start without free software:
I am sure I could come up with a couple hundred thousand more if I really thought about it. The point is that I don't have the money for any of that. If things go well I plan to hire several developers over the next year or two. That's as many as ten jobs that wouldn't exist if it weren't for free software.
Seriously, the argument that free software is "A threat to America's innovation and security," makes about as much sense as the one that says that giving rich people a tax break will lead to more jobs. They neglect to mention that the vast majority of the jobs are with large companies that already pay almost zero taxes. Most of the tax cut goes to rich people who will stow it away so that they are richer rather than companies with any significant number of jobs or middleclass taxpayers who do the bulk of the consuming that drives the economy.
What these people need to do is get a clue. The record companies are going to go out of business if they keep doing things the way they have always done them. Since when is it good business to whine and moan until someone legislates away our freedom rather than innovating and coming up with a viable new way to make money? The reality is that these businesses have to change their way of thinking or they will die. The only real question is how much pain can they put the rest of us through before they do finally die. Can they successfully destroy the American way of life first? They're trying.
1984 (Score:3, Interesting)
BTW Guns are not the answer. Peacefully protest is. Do you really think that the citizens of the US could beat the US Defence force.
Kozinski and The Blonde Leading the Bland (Score:5, Interesting)
I suppose they would have opposed the invention of the piano roll, too -- and that victrola, what a threat! The audio tape, the video tape and now the P.C. Ironically, it was these technologies that made the companies that build these Congressmen's campaign warchests.
At the end of the day, the market does a far better job of deciding what technologies the world need than does the Congress. Amazing how supposedly "conservative" congressmen don't think twice about regulating industries they don't understand to protect the interests of businesses they do. Alas, the one being regulated by them is the one driving our economy.
Distinguishing between the technologies and those who exploit them wrongly is the identifying feature of these doofuses. These guys would ban credit cards as forms of lockpicking tools because they can be used to jimmy open some old doors. We already have laws making copyright infringement illegal -- we don't need new ones to make criminals of other people who don't infringe and who make useful, important technology, just because some special interest group doesn't want to be vigilant or change business models to one that can succeed in the twenty-first century..
Luddites unite! Since we are already going to double the debt in the next few years, why not also wreck the economy?
So what? (Score:3, Funny)
They are already ignoring the concerns of the millions of americans who livelihoods don't depend on intellectual policy, why care about another few thousand?
Ways out. . . (Score:3, Insightful)
It's past noon, my friend. It's getting too late even for civil uprising. The lock-down is very nearly complete, and people are too dazed to realize it. If you wanted to organize a civil war, I don't think you could pull it together without getting yourself vanished long before you managed to get anything started. You couldn't use the net; you'd have to do it in basements and using local people, (And good luck finding enough like-minded neighbors willing to die for their