Entertainment cartels vs consumers
p2pnet news | P2P:- It’s become routine for our political representatives to openly represent and support the interests of vested corporate interests against the express and obvious wishes of the people who put the first into office, and who keep the second in business. You and I.
The mainstream media routinely report dross pumped out by vested corporate interests as though it’s hard news.
Here’s a recent example:
“Internet users who download pirate films or television series could soon see their service suspended as political pressure grows on broadband service providers to stop illegal downloads.”
This comes in Britain’s once respected The Times (Online), now owned and controlled by News Corp, the catch-all organisation with ageing Australian media dictator Rupert Murdoch (right) at its head.
The ‘political pressure’ comes, however, wholly from the entertainment cartels, hell bent on somehow gaining complete control of where, how and by whom product is distributed online, and who have governments, which depend to a shocking extent on contributions from the corporate sector, marching in lockstep alongside them.
“”The [UK] Government has given notice of its concern at the ‘huge cumulative effect’ of illegal downloads and called on internet service providers (ISPs) to examine ways to reverse the trend,” says the story as though this ‘concern’ comes from the government, going on:
“MPs are also calling for the use of camcorders in cinemas to be made a criminal rather than a civil offence, as nine out of ten pirate films first appear in the market as a camcorded copy.”
This “nine out of ten” statistic is presented as though it’s factual and correct. However, it emanates from Hollywood’s MPAA and is completely unsupported.
The MPs have been ‘motivated’ by the entertainment cartels and, “ISPs are to be brought to negotiations in the new year over plans by film companies to suspend the service of those who break the law.”
“Are to be brought into” means ISPs, whom the cartels want to act as copyright enforcers, providing detailed private and personal information on their own customers so they can be hounded in the civil courts by the cartels, will be forced to “negiotiate” with the likes of Murdoch’s 20th Century Fox and Time Warner, Viacom, Sony, NBC Universal and Disney which, together, comprise Hollywood, and which answer only to their shareholders.
“The UK Film Council estimates that film piracy cost the industry more than £800 million in 2005. Shrek 2 and Star Wars: the Revenge of the Sithwere both available through file-sharing networks before their cinematic release.,” says the Times Online.
But the UK Film Council estimates nothing of the sort. The numbers are created – word used advisedly – by Hollywood’s MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America).
The story goes on:
“Several of this year’s Oscar contenders … have also appeared illegally online. The first episode of the revived Doctor Who was downloaded by tens of thousands of fans from file-sharing websites before it was shown on television, according to a report by MPs.”
Through their MPAA, the big Hollywood studios are using leading print and electronic media outlets they own and/or control to push the message that they’re being ‘devastated’ —- a word they’ve used repeatedly and which is equally popular with the corporate music industry in the shape of Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG, the Big 4 labels —- by file sharing and counterfeiters.
There’s no doubt criminals use DVDs churned out in their billions by the studios as templates to create fakes and duplicates which are subsequently sold on underground markets around the world in competition with over-priced corporate product. And to read, watch and listen to mainstream media reports, one could be forgiven for thinking the entertainment industry is alone in suffering the depredations of counterfeiters.
However, equally hard hit are the manufacturers of jeans, perfume, handbags, shoes, watches, pens, you name it, and in the meanwhile, Hollywood’s claims of ruin notwithstanding, it’s reporting revenues of magnitudes never before seen.
Meanwhile, “ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope, insists ISPA, the industry association,” the story goes on, and indeed, Comcast is still reaping the rewards of trying to block attempts by some of its high-speed Internet customers to share files online.
Times Online also claims, “this argument has been undermined by developments in France, where an industry initiative backed by President Sarkozy could result in internet subscribers who download music, films and other content without paying for them being banned from having access to the web.”
The story doesn’t explain how alleged transgressors will be accurately and reliably identified.
Nonetheless, Sarkozy, of the extreme right, a self-acclaimed lover of all things American and a devout admirer of US President George W. Bush who is, in turn, an ardent protector of entertainment cartel interests, wants use a ‘three strikes’ rule for individuals “found guilty of internet piracy”.
The ‘rule’ was mooted by Denis Olivennes, chairman of Fnac, probably France’s largest distributor of DVDs and CDs and who has a great interest in protecting his market.
In fact, he’d probably like to see the Net banned altogether and argues ISPs are culpable, “because they encourage subscribers to take advantage of the amount of free material on the web,” says Times Online, adding:
“In Britain, pressure is growing on ISPs from a powerful cross-party committee of MPs on the Culture Select Committee, who argue that ISPs have accepted in principle that access to unlicensed material should be restricted. In a report on the creative industries, MPs said: ‘It may be impractical for such businesses to be made legally liable for providing access to certain material, but we believe strongly that the industry should do more to discourage piracy.’ The Government welcomed the MPs’ report and called on ISPs and film companies to work together.”
“Some broadband companies have indicated that they are willing to enter negotiations. A spokesman for Virgin Media said: ‘As a responsible ISP, Virgin Media would always openly negotiate with any interested party or governing body such as Ofcom’. He added that a precedent for monitoring users had already been set.”
In 2008, expect to see a substantial escalation in the war launched by the cartels against their own customers, and the people who serve them.
Also see:
The Times – Illegal film and TV downloaders could lose their links to the web, December 27, 2007
never before seen – Hollywood Christmas goldmine, December 27, 2007
share files online – Comcast impedes hi-speed file sharing, October 20, 2007
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