US mayors team with the RIAA
p2pnet news | Games:- The US Conference of Mayors has swallowed Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG’s contention that copyright infringement is an evil which must be stamped out at all costs.
The mayors have passed a resolution, “supporting more training, education, and enforcement of intellectual property laws,” says InformationWeek, going on:
“The Recording Industry Association of America immediately praised the group for the action.”
“Piracy costs cities significant tax revenue that could be used for municipal priorities and results in lost jobs and wages for U.S. workers,” says RIAA spin-doctor-in-chief Mitch Bainwol.
“In addition, city officials must be aware of the exposure to dangerous criminal organizations that actively engage in this theft.”
Bainwol also reckons the resolution, “would become a model for local governments,” says the story.
The Big 4 have been using the various so-called trade organisations around the world in a failed bid to regain control of their now balky former customers, and dominate the Net as a means of product distribution.
The multi-billion-dollar labels claim files shared equal sales lost, a contention they’ve never come near to proving; that anyone who shares a copyrighted file is a criminal and thief, although copyright infringement isn’t a crime and no theft has taken place; and, that they’re being “devastated” by P2P file sharers.
However, they continue to rake in eye-popping revenues.
Also See:
InformationWeek – U.S. Mayors Pass Piracy-Prevention Resolution, July 2, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
July 4th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Every download = lost sale.
DO NOT forget that.
July 4th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
During Prohibition in the US, it was was the Mafia that extorted the local businesses, and later on the Mafia played a major role in many Music promotions after WWII.
The sad thing during these times, is that the government, and MANY of the police workers at the time, were not only allowing these extortions to go forth, but were even helping them in many respects.
As time has passed, it has appeared that these tactics of organized crime syndicates have gone underground and have re-emerged as *IAA and related organizations, and now their target is a larger market – everyday citizens.
not content in their exploitation of artists, and the people who buy their product, they have continued on to threatening non-suspecting families and children, clueless educational establishments, what ever government official is ready to line their pocket with cash.
I feel that the fact that US Mayors are officially teaming up with this sort of “special Interest” groups is as appalling as if they were to admit that they were going to work hand-in-hand with the Mafia, to protect local business.
RIAA has already been called on their bad judgment, and their questionable business tactics, and proved time and time again on their fabrication of numbers, and straight out abuse of the artists that they are “supporting”.
Someone once said “be very careful about who you get in bed with, or you WILL be sorry in the morning” and I am afraid that this will reign true in the coming years.
Artists should be paid for their work, and retain the right for what they have done.
But at the same time, consumers who pay for their product have rights too. If I have made a painting, and sell it, it is the right for the buyer to show in in an art gallery, rent it out, put in on ebay, place it on the wall of their house, or even use it to wrap the daily rubbish(trash) in. in simple, that is what they payed the money for.
Of course that doesn’t mean that they should be allowed to make colour photo copies of the art to sell, or even pass it off as their own.
Government officials should be working “for” the people, instead of interest groups like the *IAA.
Just my two cents…
July 4th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
A lost sale? Can it be proven than without the download, it would have been purchased by the same person instead? And if so, can it THEN be proven that the person who downloads will then not buy it after trying it?
July 5th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Who cares, 90% of the music and movies suck anyway. That’s why I don’t download OR buy their crap anymore. It simply isn’t worth the money and it has even less value with all the built in DRM bullshit.
July 5th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Technically, a song I hear many times everyday on the radio is a lost sale.
And what about the songs I hear on TV and in Movies?.. yup, lost sales too.
.. and what about greedy corporations willing to kill to make one sale?, lost customer.
July 8th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
actually copyright infringement if a crime, however the problem is both sides, I am starting to come to the light, that maybe these so – called helpers are the Bad Men in sheep’s clothing..Seems odd to think that wouldn’ t it… Hmmm, those who say they are stealing by downloading a copy I agree they should go to jail, those who say they’d gladly pay the artists if it wasn’t for the RIAA, and such are liers, those to know what Filesharing was really meant as are far few in between.. :shakes head: I myself have done nothing wrong, I have neither stole, etc.. So I am not in the wrong. Remember when one listens to the music or watches the movie , they do not love nor support the artist, the love and support the music.. So no one should say they love an artist when in fact once again they love the MUSIC NOT the ARTIST…… Again those who say they stole – need to be behind bars, and those who lie about the filesharing was all about in the very beginning… Also it should be easy to sue the company right back by using the words they put on the products, software,etc.. such as YOURS, your copy, etc..
Since it is MINE then I can make a copy of it, if it is not mine they need to change the labeling on everything they perceive as theirs, such as tvs, books, music etc.. to read something to the following..
Pay for this CD that you DO NOT own nor have any rights to, the RIAA, MPAA, etc.. have the sole right to walk right into your home and take the CD or DVD without repaying you, this also includes your TV, any books you may have, Your computer, Your Camera, etc.. As anything that is made by these products is sole property of the manufacturer of the product. Example Even though you payed 300 dollars for the camera, it is not yours, and any pictures taken with this camera is the sole property of the company that made it. Take a picture of your dog, children, etc.. It is not yours, but the sole property of the again company that made the product. You by definition own NOTHING, not even your TV, Stereo, etc.. Also since you chose to license or rent this product from us, we own everything incl. again the clothes on your back, and may at any such time rip them off, even your shoes. Your are the RIAA, and MPAA slaves, we may take from you, torture you, and even take anything you supposedly had rights to such as drawings, etc.. and make them ours and say we made them..we can even rape you since your our property. Please sign your name below to use this product and click agree to become my personal property.
Name:___________________
DATE:___________________
Agree/Disagree: (if you disagree we can still own you as the disagree is there only for our amusement: _________________
Ty for becoming a piece of our property. You will enjoy day in/out torture, abuse, and please us whenever we want, you have no rights now, but remember this is much better as this is for your protection only and it’s better to not be free as freedom is bad for you and you can get raped, murdered or even killed when you have freedom.. so you see being are slaves and owning nothing is the best way to go…
July 8th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
correction if suppose to be IS in the first sentence..