“Because you violate copyrights at night!”

If your not outraged, your not paying attention…

stw

I commented to that effect on freedom-to-tinker.com

Once on this post:
freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/targeted-copyright-enforcement-deterring-many-users-few-lawsuits

And a few times on this one:
freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/targeted-copyright-enforcement-vs-inaccurate-enforcement

[Unlinked to avoid spam filter]

Unfortunately, their cunning strategy of suing a few fundamentally innocent people for $millions will enable them to slip ACTA’s ‘graduated response’ in as a ‘kinder’ punishment (when it is actually far worse in the large scheme of things).

The thing is, people will be easily fooled that simple disconnection is the mildest of punishments, and all the kinder given no expensive court costs or legal fees are involved. (Someone is spinning in their grave at the suggestion that it’s kinder to remove citizens from justice in order to spare them legal expenses and damages due to infringement of unethical privileges).

It will be too late before people realise the keys to the Internet have just been handed to the publishing corporations (who will ensure that only select cartel members are authorised to serve disconnection notices). When they have those keys, they won’t need to maintain any pretence that they’re worried about unauthorised copies. When the cartel owns mankind’s greatest communication channel (they can exclude anyone who doesn’t submit to their will), why would they give a toss about copies? If you want to do business online, then you’ll eventually sell your business to the cartel (when you start making money). You’ll join their ‘family’ and they’ll look after you (while you behave yourself). Of course, that’s “sell your business” as in “surrender”. 99% for them, 1% for you. Nice.

ACTA constitutes a conspiracy to commit a velvet coup. Moreover, it has a good chance of success.

I often wonder if this whole push for “3 Strikes” measures has a secondary agenda behind it.
We all know that the Internet is re-empowering the People, and how that makes both Big Business and Big Government a little “unhappy”. Who’s to say that 3 Strikes isn’t actually a supreme “off-switch” to be used “quietly” against major “dissenters”??

As the title says, no one WILL hear you when you’re offline, as you’ll be disconnected under the guise of being a “suspected filesharing terrorist”. This “charge” could keep you and any of your supporters who try to publicly scream “Fowl!” from not only participating online, but from calling out the real fowl itself (interfering with Free Speech).

I’m sure those who are currently living with the Patriot Act can understand this principle enough to know how real the threat is.

I love the title on this one.

“The sad thing is that lawyers (who’ve had their consciences surgically removed to avoid interfering with their work) think that 3 strikes is doing everyone a favour by avoiding expensive court costs: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/viacoms-top-lawyer-suing-p2p-users-felt-like-terrorism.ars

It’s like “Hey, guys, isn’t this much better? This way you and your family simply lose your Internet connection at our client’s whim. No litigation, legal fees, million dollar fines, or jail terms.

And don’t worry, disconnections, equipment confiscations, and asset sequestrations won’t start in earnest until all primary jurisdictions have enacted this kinder, gentler, graduated response. ”

“Some lawyers are just too kind to their fellow men.”

Aren’t they, though?

Cheers!