Microsoft, Apple and Others Withdrawal Support for SOPA • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft, Apple and Others Withdrawal Support for SOPA

#51

Post by idspispopd » Wed, Nov 23, 2011, 3:11 PM UTC

This idea that BSA's view = Microsoft + Apple's view has always been an utterly ridiculous assumption for the press to make. This posting's title is equally ridiculous for directly equating the two. It's infantile and this kind of fact skewing doesn't belong on HN.

BSA acts independently, but on behalf of it's members. BSA have proven themselves to be a bit nutty when it comes to infringement, so it wasn't surprising that they jumped on SOPA initially.

However, as above, it was already a stretch by the press to connect BSA's view point on SOPA to the idea that all BSA members unanimously supported SOPA.

This sudden change of face from BSA indicates that indeed the members have spoken up and they do not agree with SOPA, and that the entire thing was just a load of fuss to generate clicks.

Companies like Microsoft and Apple also have a significant amount at risk by this wayward legislation.

Re: Microsoft, Apple and Others Withdrawal Support for SOPA

#52

Post by dmgottlieb » Wed, Nov 23, 2011, 4:08 PM UTC

danilocampos wrote: post #11

Can anyone on the inside explain how this kind of thing works? This is my thinking: These companies belong to different trade groups. They pay their dues, contribute opinions on different things, but mostly leave these groups alone and go on doing their actual business. Meanwhile, the trade groups advance their own agenda, given a mostly free hand by their constituency, which again, has better things to do. The group…

Let's distinguish two possible theories:

1) The underlying companies of the BSA (incl. AAPL and MSFT) were not really in favor of SOPA to begin with, and the public attention has lead them to correct the initial BSA position.

2) The underlying companies of the BSA were in favor of SOPA, which is why BSA supported SOPA. But in the face of public backlash they are backpedaling, because it is not valuable to support a bill that will lose regardless.

The second seems much more likely.

Re: Microsoft, Apple and Others Withdrawal Support for SOPA

#53

Post by beagle3 » Wed, Nov 23, 2011, 7:04 PM UTC

JDulin wrote: post #34

nirvana wrote: post #2

This HN title is inaccurate. There's no evidence that Microsoft or Apple actually supported SOPA. Merely an industry association of which they are members, supported it. This association removed its support. A more appropriate title would be "Business Software Alliance withdraws support for SOPA." I'm pretty sure most people on HN who know what SOPA is, know who the BSA is, and if not they'd learn it from reading the…

I understand what you are saying and will try to make future HN posts more accurate. However, the BSA has been the only source of info as to what Apple, Microsoft, and most of the other association members have to say on SOPA. To my knowledge, none of the companies with BSA membership have made any independent statements[1] on the bill, and if so, certainly not on the scale Google did. * My hunch is that the BSA was…

Another example: RIAA - it does exactly what its member companies want, but they get to distance themselves. Similarly, the MPAA.

Re: Microsoft, Apple and Others Withdrawal Support for SOPA

#54

Post by einhverfr » Fri, Nov 25, 2011, 4:46 AM UTC

lukeschlather wrote: post #47

tedunangst wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet the BSA has revoked its support. Are you just mad because MS didn't 3-way you in when they called BSA to complain?

Personally I'm mad because Microsoft, Apple, and the rest haven't given an opinion one way or another. Without any official statements I can only assume that they were fully in support of the BSA's actions, but they are backpedaling in light of the public outcry.

the interesting thing about corporations having free speech rights is that one would expect that they might use them when standing up in cases like this. I would agree that Microsoft's silence here is probably tacit support.