To Serve and Protect
p2pnet.net News View:- Administrations everywhere are allowing the entertainment cartels to dictate official government policy.
In America, India, Britain and even in Communist China, for example, it’s a given that when the music, movie and software industries say Jump! lawmakers and police agencies ask, How High?
Sweden is no exception. None of the Big Four record labels have a significant physical presence there but, in accordance with cartel demands, it recently became illegal in Sweden to download copyrighted material without permission, not that the new law is having any appreciable effect.
File sharers are still sharing files as though nothing has happened because, “the law is toothless,” says The Local, going on:
“Sweden’s police simply have more important things to be getting on with than checking up on kids swapping music and games files.”
The story quotes IT police unit spokesman Anders Ahlqvist as saying, "This isn’t an area which we are prioritising today. We prioritise other crimes, such as serious violent crime, child pornography and drug crime."
While it was “possible that investigations would follow after specific reports of illegal downloading,” Ahlqvist thought it "highly unlikely" that the police would actively hunt file-sharers.
Despite the fact that, under the new law, file sharers could face a prison sentence, “Ahlqvist said that this was not the kind of thing that people would be arrested for,” adds The Local.
"This is a cultural thing," he said. "There’s a whole generation which has grown up with file sharing – I don’t think it will stop just because there’s a new law."
In one country, at least, the police have their priorities in the right order.
They exist to serve and protect their citizens, not the entertainment cartels.
JN
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
became illegalt – Finland caves in to Big Music, p2pnet, July 30, 2005
The Local – Swedish file sharing law "has made no difference", July 28, 2005
August 1st, 2005 at 12:27 am
Good post.
Morg
August 1st, 2005 at 4:47 pm
Police usually do not enforce laws. They enforce policy. Even their name says it all. If the police enforced laws, then they would have to start with the highest law and work their way down, ignoring lower laws that conflict with the higher laws.
Since it is the POLICY of the cartels that lawmakers, courts and police are now enforcing, then we should beat them at their own game. If I get a lawsuit letter, I will demand a list of music that they said I downloaded. I will also demand a copy of the contract that gives the RIAA the ownership of a song. I will make each and everything public. I will also demand and demand and demand from these people. I will also demand proof that these songs were on my hard drive. (That would be really hard for them to prove). Since I am a software developer, I will also demand compensation for each computer stolen and not returned to me. I will also countersu for monetary damages for each day I am deprived of the use of my computer. On top of that, I will raise public HELL over the entire issue. If need be, I will carry a picket sign in from of Blockbusters, Goody’s or any other place where music is sold. I don’t have any property that they can steal from me. I guarantee that it will cost them 10 thousand times what it will cost me if they decide to mess with me. Like I said, I’m a software developer
I no longer even watch the cartel crap that spews forth from most home television sets. I get my news from the independent sources on the Internet. I know that websites have their own spin on different stories, but I also know that I can get other sides of the same story from other websites. This is more than I can say about Fox or CNN. As far as encyclopedias are concerned http://www.wikipedia serves my needs very well.
As far as music is concerned, I listen to the stuff that is freely posted by artists on their websites. I download and share their music. More and more am I turning way from the cartel controlled media. I am also begining to find more and more entertaining (non cartel controlled) video on the Internet as well. I have not seen the new Star Wars, I-Robot (from last year), Terminator 3, or any of the other stuff promoted by the movie industry. Yes, some of this stuff is cool, but I refuse to support or associate, or use the products of an industry that is enriching itself while helping to destroy culture.
The software cartels lost my business years ago. Many times have I been offered leech access to warez ftp servers. Each time, i politely declined. Why? Because I don’t need or want that type of product. I can find a free version available for download. Not only do I have the blessings of the developer for downloading, I can also easily customize the software to meet my specific needs. The only time I have ever actually warezed is when I was FORCED to use cartel software.
If we want to bring down the media thugs and do away with those who extort money from many innocent men, women and children, we have the power. If we want to put those who are destroying cultures out of business, we have the power. If we want to stop those who are corrupting the laws of our land, we have the power. We can do it not by giving someone our money, but by not giving our money. Thise who code ought to write something good for the public. Those who know how to make movies should produce something nice for the public. Those who are musicians should also produce a good work for public use. All of these should be free for everyone to use as they please. If only 5 to 10 percent of the people did this, the cartels would be in big trouble.
I would like to see the day when cops become enforcer of real laws that are for the benefit of the people. In order for this to occur, people need to catering to the wishes of the powers that be. I enjoy a home fellowship much more than I do sitting in a big church building.
I enjoyed “The Scene” ( http://www.welcometothescene.com ) much more than I do the movies on Showtime. The great part of my choices is that I don’t empower those that exploit others for greed. When the cartels are starved of our cash, they will not have near as much money to bribe our lawmakers and courts with. There would even be a chance that these people will issue righteous judgements (that would be a change). People would have better things to say about cops when they are not breaking down the doors of filesharers, or robbing people at radar gun point for the benefit of the insurance companies. The time has come to reclaim out freedom, and that freedom begins with the freedom of thought.