Music lovers of the world, Unite!
p2pnet news view Music | P2P | Politics:- When you see ***** of the World Unite in a headline, it’s usually a joke of some kind.
‘Workers of the World Unite’ was “one of the most famous rallying cries of communism,” says the Wikipedia, and the phrase has been lampooned over and over again.
However, with the first word replaced by ‘Music Lovers’, it’s no joke in 2009 as the entertainment industry, with the major record labels out front, subborns world governments in purely corporate interests.
The Hollywood and Big Music appointee in the British Labour government is ‘lord’ Peter Mandelson — unelected. Rather, he was inserted “by his friend Gordon Brown,” as KevinH points out in a Reader’s Write.
He’s been named Britain’s official government ‘face’ as national elections, expected in spring, approach.
He’s now demanding dictatorial powers to wield against online music lovers. And if he gets them, it’ll be the thin end of a wedge which will eventually be used every time the government wants something, anything, done without public knowledge or consent.
We can’t let this happen and I’m proposing the formation of a global OMLC – Online Music Lovers Coalition.
Mandelson, Gordon Brown, and every other politician who believes vested corporate interests come before those of the people, must be shown we, and not they, call the shots.
‘The power to do anything’
Secretary of state Peter Mandelson “is planning to introduce changes to the Digital Economy Bill now under debate in Parliament,” said Boingboing yesterday, continuing:
“These changes will give the Secretary of State (Mandelson — or his successor in the next government) the power to make “secondary legislation” (legislation that is passed without debate) to amend the provisions of Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988)”.
That would give an unelected official “the power to do anything without Parliamentary oversight or debate, provided it was done in the name of protecting copyright,” said Cory Doctorow in the post, going on »»»
Mandelson elaborates on this, giving three reasons for his proposal:
1. The Secretary of State would get the power to create new remedies for online infringements (for example, he could create jail terms for file-sharing, or create a “three-strikes” plan that costs entire families their internet access if any member stands accused of infringement)
2. The Secretary of State would get the power to create procedures to “confer rights” for the purposes of protecting rightsholders from online infringement. (for example, record labels and movie studios can be given investigative and enforcement powers that allow them to compel ISPs, libraries, companies and schools to turn over personal information about Internet users, and to order those companies to disconnect users, remove websites, block URLs, etc)
3. The Secretary of State would get the power to “impose such duties, powers or functions on any person as may be specified in connection with facilitating online infringement” (for example, ISPs could be forced to spy on their users, or to have copyright lawyers examine every piece of user-generated content before it goes live; also, copyright “militias” can be formed with the power to police copyright on the web)
“If we can’t stop this, it’s beginning of the end for the net in Britain,” says Cory Doctorow in the Boingboing post, going on »»»
It’s a declaration of war by the entertainment industry and their captured regulators against the principles of free speech, privacy, freedom of assembly, the presumption of innocence, and competition.
This proposal creates the office of Pirate-Finder General, with unlimited power to appoint militias who are above the law, who can pry into every corner of your life, who can disconnect you from your family, job, education and government, who can fine you or put you in jail.
But Britain is only the tip of the iceberg.
This isn’t a local issue, and Mandelson is no more than the UK front man for Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music, and Disney, News Corp, Time Warner, Viacom, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures, as they try to use their Three Strikes and you`re Gone scheme to gain control of online product and content distribution by turning governments into copyright agents, the bill footed by local taxpayers, and ISPs into enforcers, acting against their own clients.
Online Music Lovers Coalition
I’m proposing the formation of a global OMLC — Online Music Lovers Coalition — with individual chapters in countries such France, New Zealand, and South Korea where entertainment cartel lobbyists with unlimited and financial and political resources have set up shop, usurping elected administrations.
We can use it to make it clear that in the 21st century our will, and not theirs, is what’s important.
This morning (November 20), at the National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington, Ottawa, at 10:00 am, UK recording artist Billy Bragg will join New Democrat Charlie Angus to talk about how artists, not corporate lawyers, are taking the lead on establishing basic rules for the development of digital culture online”.
The internet brings fans and artists closer together than ever before and brings great benefits to both, said Bragg, a co-founder of the new artists-to-fans-to-artsts site, a2f2a.com. Let`s not allow the record industry to keep us apart in order to protect their old broken business model.
Let’s not.
Also present will be the Songwriters Association of Canada`s Don Quarles, and Wide Mouth Mason`s Safwan Javad, who`ll represent the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.
But the most important people of all, the ones upon whom everything political, musical, you name it, depends, are missing.
You and I. Because we have no one to represent us.
Corporate corruption is now endemic around the world with industry efforts to gain control of music on the internet only one manifestation of it.
We used to be called the Great Unwashed, the Silent Masses, but thanks to the net, that’s no longer true, and we’re no longer silent.
In the 21st digital century, we have a voice which can’t be ignored. The world is changing and as our online communities continue to grow, our powers of persuasion and our abilities to directly influence actions and events are expanding exponentially.
It’s called People2People Power and no one can stand against it.
Can an Online Music Lovers Coalition be put together?
I believe it can and if you agree, as a first step, no matter what country you’re in, email me at p2pnet 2 shaw dot ca and let’s see if we can create a working group to hammer out the how-to’s and get the ball rolling.
10 years ago, this could never have happened, but the net is the Great Equaliser, so in the words of John, Paul, George and Ringo, let’s come together.
Right now …
Stay tuned.
Jon Newton – online citizen
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
government ‘face’ – Anti-P2P politician UK government `TV face`, November 16, 2009
protecting copyright – Biggest copyright sting in history, November 20, 2009
Boingboing Leaked UK government plan to create Pirate Finder General with power to appoint militias, create laws, November 19, 2009
establishing basic rules – Billy Bragg, Charlie Angus, on digital culture, November 19, 2009
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November 20th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Why not united and do something productive to save the creators of music … start using all of the free, legal, services that are now available or that will be coming online in the near future … Those services pay creators … whether those creators are associated with major labels or are independent.
You’ve got to admit it, Jon, p2p is on the way out … with broadband getting faster and faster, the idea of having MP3s on ones computer is getting sillier and sillier. MP3s were only advantageous when you couldn’t stream what you wanted instantaneously.
Jon, its’ over.
Go legal. Save the people that make the music. Help them get paid by supporting legal services that care about the future of music. It won’t cost the consumer a penny more.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
“Jon, itsâ over.”
It hasn’t even begun.
Cheers!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Jon, I agree with TonsoTunez. The labels have been doing their jobs for a long time. They know how music works and the best way to make it available. They are taking a while to get used to digital media, but they WILL get it in the end and when they do, everyone will be rewarded, musicians, fans, publishers.
Just be patient.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I seriously cannot believe what this William and Tonso just said. Talk about completely brainwashed.
So the entertainment industry has the right to destroy the very people that are funding their deep pockets and call it the name of “justice”?
How ingnorant can you be?
~Z
November 20th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
If you haven’t heard of this across the pond you might want to take a look. It just might have some effect there as it is here. Be sure to read the entire page. Of course someone would have to set it up over there.
“You can send a pink slip to every member of congress and the senate. They have already received over 5.5 million.
Be sure to scan down the front page to get the whole story and the Video is a good intro.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=116311 “
November 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
“âJon, itsâ over.â
It hasnât even begun.
Cheers!”
Agree.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
NOTE: Jack Ely is the voice behind what’s probably the world’s most famous classic rock number, Louie Louie.
Thanks for the support, Jack.
Cheers!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
The Strange Death of Illegal Downloading
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/18/end-of-illegal-downloading
TonsoTunez included the full post, which I’ve deleted. If you want to read it, I’ve left the url.
Cheers!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
“Youâve got to admit it, Jon, p2p is on the way out”
In your dream parasite.
You don’t get it do you?
We don’t like you we don’t want you and we don’t need you except in a labor camp or in a meat factory where you can repay the society all the money you stole from the artists and the public alike.
Tap worm make good food once digested and executive office furniture as well as building of corporations of criminals make good fuel in electric power plan.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
William and Tonso are the same person.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
# Reader’s Write Says: “In your dream parasite. You donât get it do you? We donât like you we donât want you and we donât need you except in a labor camp or in a meat factory where you can repay the society all the money you stole from the artists and the public alike. Tap worm make good food once digested and executive office furniture as well as building of corporations of criminals make good fuel in electric power plan.”
Ah, # Reader’s Write, the sheer eloquence of your argument, your way with words… you’re power to persuade … I’d like to wish you a happy 10th birthday … let me know when get there.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@ Tonso:
I’m sure the young person in question will be deeply gratified by your witty response.
Cheers!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Nothing would please me more than to see the death of the major music labels and copyright. Continue the boycott of purchasing of any corporate product!
November 20th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I have to agree! Streaming services are the wave of the future. You can find anything on them, well except for… and those guys… and those other… awe crap! Forget I said anything.
Well, at least with streaming services, you can listen to music anywhere… that you have a computer… and a connection to the internet… well actually, it’s pretty limiting… yeah, nevermind. I never said a thing.
But yeah, downloading MP3 files that have no DRM and that you can do anything with, is pretty lame. No really, it is. I’m not sure why, but it just is!
November 20th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
@ Lando:
“if 1/4 of those people gave you 10$”
This month so far p2pnet has had 111,837 uniques, averaged out.
So …
Cheers
November 21st, 2009 at 12:06 am
RIAA Hater Says: “Continue the boycott of purchasing of any corporate product!”
That, of course, is the appropriate action to take … nobody is forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do … On the other hand if you download someone’s music who would rather you not do so … and illegally distribute it via p2p … you are forcing the creator of that music to accept your terms of barter – nothing for him or her – everything for you. That’s a pretty tough bargain to handle for the non performing creator (songwriters for instance) who depend on sales for their income.
With all the music now legally available for free on the net there is no reason anyone can’t be complete happy boycotting corporate product; and, I commend you for your willingness to play by the rules.
November 21st, 2009 at 12:59 am
How to Sink Pirates
The Economist — The decline of music piracy holds lessons for other industries
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14845177
November 21st, 2009 at 3:40 am
@Tonso
Nobody is forcing me to D/L 200 gigs of t.v and movies every month,i do that by choice.
I used to spend close to $10,000 p\a on the same content i previewed when the physical product became legally available,that was up until Jan 09.
Since then due to the tactics of the MPAA\FACT etc i now spend $0 DOLLARS PER MONTH on their product.That will continue now regardless of them changing their “sue em all” policy.These elitist scum need to be hung,drawn and quatered for their crimes!.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:46 am
Welcome to shillville! Christ, I haven’t seen so many shill posts since SamIam used to post here. Seriously, William and Tonso, how much do you get paid for being a shill?
“MP3s were only advantageous when you couldnât stream what you wanted instantaneously.” Yeah, cause everyone can stream when they are in a car, bus, camping, the Dr.’s office, or any other place where a net connection isn’t practical. People just HATE being able to create their own playlists of their favorite music. We just KNOW those streaming sites will be around forever and they will ALWAYS have the music we like available, even if it’s old or by local artists.
Jon, you just couldn’t get a better indication that you are on the right track here than the reaction your proposal got from the shills.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:59 pm
“The Economist â The decline of music piracy holds lessons for other industries”
Some corporate dinosaurs are masturbating at night.
1) We don’t care about piracy itself we want the corporate parasites dead starting with the entertainment industry and we are getting what we want. You see sorry but we are not entertained so we have to entertain ourself by killing you guys. It is a lot of fun and at the same time we are helping our coutries and contributing to our societies.
2) Basically there is nothing else to pirate since everyone with their terabytes HDs has a copy of everything. So we make sure that nobody buy anything from you.
November 21st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
“The Strange Death of Illegal Downloading”
That strange but we don’t see any evidence of that. May be this is just a dream on you death bed?
November 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
âThe Strange Death of Illegal Downloadingâ
This headline was clearly written by someone at the BPI on behalf of The Economist.
Cheers!
November 21st, 2009 at 8:30 pm
“This headline was clearly written by someone at the BPI on behalf of The Economist.”
I should have guessed.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
“âThe Strange Death of Illegal Downloadingâ
That strange but we donât see any evidence of that. May be this is just a dream on you death bed?”
Was it a wet one?
November 26th, 2009 at 4:49 am
You’ll notice that the above posted links may include both types of “old-spinoff media” (Guardian/Economist). If so, I find that mildly ironic or humourous, in a Google “magazine newspaper sales declining” context.
The Pirate Bay has just “switched” to PEX, DHT and Magnet links, so perhaps there’s a learning curve.
But at any rate, growths can level off or branch in new directions (like a hydra getting its head removed
that are not necessarily immediately (statistically) obvious.
Maybe some are so bored of corporate “pseudo-art/music”, that they’re starting to consider Creative Commons/FLOSS/etc.-Art/Music websites.
(Pure art doesn’t need money, nor industry.)
I use Linux and more and more FLOSS now… so my software piracy is slowly dying/sinking.