[clug] viva la DMCA? [was: Against US-AU FTA Intellectual Property Clauses]

[Jepri]

Ian McCulloch wrote:
> On Sat, 10 Apr 2004, Jepri wrote:
>>I am sympathetic to your position, but draconian DMCA-style laws might 
>>be a good thing.  The harder the RIAA makes it to listen to their songs, 
>>the more likely that people will go listen to an alternative band.
>>
>>The more the MPAA cracks down on people, the more likely we won't bother 
>>with their products, and they'll collapse.  Local productions will 
>>flourish.  Local culture will be appreciated once more.  And best of 
>>all, they're doing it to themselves.
>>
>>Long live the DMCA?
>>
> 
> 
> Sorry dude, this sounds just like "I support the Aristocracy and all 
> their excesses because the more the peasants are opressed, the sooner the 
> Revolution will come".

I don't support the MPAA/RIAA, I just don't care about them.  And I 
don't have to wait for a revolution.

The laws that Darren has brought to our attention allow the MPAA/RIAA to 
tightly control how I use their product.  Fine by me.  If they won't let 
me play with their stuff, I'll go find someone who will.

And talking about 'backup rights' sounds silly when I put it in context:

"Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and free backups of their 
music CDROMs".

'Whadda we want?  Backup rights!  When do we wannit?  Now!'

If we want more rights, why don't we go for GPL-style rights?

> Even if the MPAA did, for whatever reason, suddenly 'collapse', what about 
> the next big money industry assocation that took their place?  Should we 
> support them too, in the expectation that, by giving them free reign to 
> opress they too will eventually collapse?

Just because they produce the movies that people like to watch, doesn't 
mean that they reign over anyone.  They are not opressing you when they 
stop you watching their movies.  Your choice of words is unsettling.

If you want their movies, you play their game.  Otherwise, order movies 
from backwards countries who don't encrypt their DVDs.

> Freedom will be won and maintained by opposing those that would take it 
> away.  Not by supporting oppressive regimes in some misguided 
> reverse-psycology hope that it will ultimately lead to their collapse.

You are free, right now, and you will be free under the FTA.  You will 
be free to say "The MPAA are a bunch of asshats who won't let me watch 
their movies on my laptop".

You will be free to continue giving them money while making impassioned 
speeches to everyone around you about how they are opressing you by 
taking away your freedom.  And your money.

You will be free to stop supporting them by giving them money.  Any time 
you want, just stop buying their movies/CDs.


I'm already mostly RIAA free, without a revolution.  I'm typing this up 
listening to the latest free downloads from a local artist 
(http://underscore.no-ip.info/downloads.html), and there are many more 
out there (http://irate.sourceforge.net/).

Ditching the MPAA will be a little harder.  Independent movie studios 
don't seem to be using of digital technology yet.  But with the price of 
digital movie cameras dropping, and movie editing software getting 
better (thanks apple), they'll get there soon.