A solution I don't see being discussed much is MPAA and RIAA disruption. This is occurring on some platforms like YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify. If artists no longer need to use them as a middleman, they will cease to have money and power. Startups that disrupt these two, and are more profitable for artists, could wipe out this whole issue.
The next SOPA
21–30 of 173 posts
Re: The next SOPA
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Explain the reasoning why one company has the right to limit your freedoms while another doesn't? If you look at the specific examples Marco spelled out (" region locks and unskippable screens and encryption and criminalization of fair use.") those are restrictions that benefit only the studios and inconvenience the customer. The iOS restrictions Apple propagates benefit Apple, but for many customers (not HN types) t…
Your comparison is invalid. Apple's bootloader locks are a better comparison (Not referring to SIM lock which is provider mandated). Or the fact that you can't change batteries on your devices? Seems to me the purpose behind that is for you to change your device when the battery can't hold a good enough charge instead of just changing the batteries! How does that benefit the consumer? HTC removes bootloader locks: ht…
I believe Apple's stated reason for the battery thing is that the mechanism for making a battery removable takes up a lot of space, and by getting rid of it, they can make the actual battery bigger.
Re: The next SOPA
#23Given that the author is Marco (and the article is on HN because it is from Marco Arment), I wonder what his boycott position is regarding Apple? Apple has a long history of supporting draconian IP policies, and has a business model built around controlling what you can do with what you bought. Financially Apple absolutely dwarfs the combined revenue of all of the MPAA realm. I don't mean to distract the conversation…
Apple has draconian restrictions on stuff like iOS for the user's sake (and for Apple's partially), and with the huge amount of users they obviously got that right. I'm not entirely sure what Apple's stance on SOPA is (I heard they supported it, but then I heard they didn't), but I don't think it would matter to them. They don't need to sue for piracy because they have the iTunes Store, which only distributes content…
I could say that the MPAA's restrictions are also for the viewer's sake, and with the huge amount of viewers they obviously got that right. I don't believe it, but I don't see where it's wrong but the equivalent for Apple is right.
Personally, I think Apple's policies are more destructive. They're doing a pretty decent job of convincing an entire generation that locked-down, manufacturer-controlled computing is good.
Not that I'm boycotting them....
Re: The next SOPA
#24I don't quite understand.
Are people suggesting that congress considers legislation primarily based on campaign contributions and that this is the same for both main parties?
So they will only go against legislation proposed by lobbyists if they feel the votes they would lose would outweigh the benefit of those contributions to their next campaign?
If that is the case then I'm sorry to say but your entire government system is not fit for purpose.
If that is not the case then you should be able to beat these bills with good reasoning and debate alone.
Re: The next SOPA
#25I don't quite understand. Are people suggesting that congress considers legislation primarily based on campaign contributions and that this is the same for both main parties? So they will only go against legislation proposed by lobbyists if they feel the votes they would lose would outweigh the benefit of those contributions to their next campaign? If that is the case then I'm sorry to say but your entire government…
It is the case. The U.S. congress basically runs on payola. You can buy any bill you want.
Re: The next SOPA
#26As I suggested in an earlier thread, why is noone starting a copyright liberalization campaign? If there was a strong political coalition to limit the duration of copyright to 25 years, to limit the use of overly broad patents, etc. it would provide a counteracting force that would force the copyright holders to compromise "in the middle". Instead we are doing boycotts and strongly worded letters, which while helpful, does not really do enough to stop them from steamrolling along with their agenda.
Re: The next SOPA
#27A solution I don't see being discussed much is MPAA and RIAA disruption. This is occurring on some platforms like YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify. If artists no longer need to use them as a middleman, they will cease to have money and power. Startups that disrupt these two, and are more profitable for artists, could wipe out this whole issue.
afaik RIAA member labels are still making money from spotify and iTunes.
Taking the youtube example though, I suppose legislation like SOPA could wipe them out and neuter them enough.
Re: The next SOPA
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your comparison is invalid. Apple's bootloader locks are a better comparison (Not referring to SIM lock which is provider mandated). Or the fact that you can't change batteries on your devices? Seems to me the purpose behind that is for you to change your device when the battery can't hold a good enough charge instead of just changing the batteries! How does that benefit the consumer? HTC removes bootloader locks: ht…
I believe Apple's stated reason for the battery thing is that the mechanism for making a battery removable takes up a lot of space, and by getting rid of it, they can make the actual battery bigger.
That is true, and you can replace the battery. Doing so voids your warranty, but by the time your Li-Polymer battery no longer holds a charge your laptop will be out of warranty anyway, even with AppleCare. All you need is a screwdriver.
But Apple does support a lot of draconian IP policy. I think they're in need of a whipping over this.
Re: The next SOPA
#29> we’re not addressing the real problem: the MPAA’s buying power in Congress. This is a campaign finance problem.
This is delusional at best. I'm from France, where campaigns are paid for by public money.
France: the country that brought you Hadopi and where SOPA-like laws have been in place for a long time.
This has nothing to do with campaign finance.
Re: The next SOPA
#30it would be more productive to significantly reduce or eliminate our support of the MPAA member companies starting today The problem is that any reduction in income to the studios would be spun as "fallout from pirates stealing our IP." Attacking campaign finance is the way to go. edit: spelling
Attacking campaign finance is not the way to go, because (a) it can't work, and (b) it's shooting ourselves in the foot by constraining our own right to speak.
Consider, all of you that moan about Citizens United: if it's wrong for a corporation to support a political position, then why are your cheering about what Wikipedia, reddit, Google, etc., have done to support the opposition to SOPA/PIPA?
And there's no way to stop monetary influence on politics. Even in the most draconian case, where all private funding to candidates was banned, with money coming from public coffers, there are countless backdoors. A CEO hoping for special treatment mind just mention something that turns out to make the politician a pile of money in stock trading, for example.