Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy defends plans to disconnect illegal file-sharers, saying it’s important to let people know that illegal file-sharing is the same as physical piracy.
UK Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy gave a speech to the MPAA in Washington DC recently during which he defended Lord Mandelson’s controversial “evolved” plans to disconnect repeat file-sharers from the Internet.
He said the proposal was important in “sending a clear message: when it comes to piracy and infringement, ‘digital is not different.’”
It’s the same sort of 1:1 lost sale nonsense that belies the mounting studies that have concluded the opposite: P2P increases music consumption.
Lammy also seems to be stunningly ignorant that most of the problem is the fact that most copyright holders refuse to provide viable alternatives to P2P.
“Partnership and innovation by businesses can help consumers understand the problems illegal downloads cause creators and performers, giving them the knowledge and confidence they need to act within the law,” he said. “If we provide the right combination of enforcement, education and forward-looking policy we can build a culture that provides consumers with legitimate access to the content they want.”
So P2P is to blame for the entertainment industry’s refusal to provide the selection, quality, and reasonable price of content that consumers have long been looking for?
Nonsense.
The music industry didn’t, and arguably still doesn’t, want to have anything to do with digital distribution. It’s fought almost every consumer demand until declining profits reached levels that made it listen.
The movie industry’s the same way. It has but a handful of movie download portals and all are either way overpriced ($15 bucks for a digital download?) or lack a decent selection to choose from. Movie rentals on Apple’s iTunes force you to exist in it’s AppleTV walled garden universe if you dare to want to watch on your living room TV (gasp).
The only thing the entertainment industry, like all good businesses, understand is profits, and propping them up with govt legislation and consumer restrictions is no way to get them to change. It creates an artificial marketplace for them in which to compete and only further emboldens to maximize profits at the expense of consumers.
The govt needs to protect consumers and let the so-called “invisible hands” of t\he marketplace do its work.
Stay tuned.
jared@zeropaid.com
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government just don’t get IT.
The music/film/game industry refuse to see IT.
The people will win eventually, they have to. Otherwise…
Much depends on how you define “win.”
The natural, some would say Darwinian hierarchy that leads the best, brightest and most ambitious to the top in terms of profitable control is an inherent part of humankind, surviving the advent of fire, the wheel, the French, American and industrial revolutions, world wars, natural catastrophe…… nothing ever changes because hierarchy is in our essential human nature, inside each and every one of us. It’s why Communism fails and why Socialism is a lovely lie underpinned by voracious capitalistic practices. Don’t believe this? Look at Sweden, study France. You must first create wealth in order to distribute it.
This natural capitalistic order will prevail with the invention of this network we share, too. It’s not necessarily right or necessarily wrong, but it certainly IS and always will be.
It’s the truth that pirates must ignore. It’s why industry always profits, why governments will protect them and why guys like me will always sleep well at night. Good luck with your digital revolution.
You mean the one that’s been going for on for 10 years and that your industry has long been losing?
Seems to me your the one losing the “digital revolution” and Im sure you’d admit you’ve lost plenty of sleep over.
Maybe in another 10 years, if you’re still around that is, you’ll have better luck, but I wouldnt bet against technology or the common man’s capacity to overcome the “hierarchy” as you put it.
Sam I am = sad I am
“Much depends on how you define “win.””
False.
“The natural, some would say Darwinian [...] wars, natural catastrophe……”
There is no main clause in your argument.
“… nothing ever changes because hierarchy is in our essential human nature, [...]”
That is the dumbest thing you have written yet.
“It’s why [...]. Don’t believe this? [...].”
It’s not whether the reader believes your assertion, but whether you provide the evidence for it, which you have never done at all.
“You must first create wealth in order to distribute it.”
False. The actual saying should be “You spend money to make money.”
“This natural capitalistic order will prevail with the invention of this network we share, too.”
That is just utter nonsense.
“It’s not necessarily right or necessarily wrong, but it certainly IS and always will be.”
Now, would you wager your very life on the factual correctness of this assertion of yours?
You have neither the evidence nor the wisdom to be asserting such ludicrous, ridiculous, and illogical assumptions to be things part of nature, let alone trying to align reality with your subjective ideas and hysterical delusions. You are also quite atrocious at even attempting to make acceptable arguments.
At least attempt to draw logical connections to those unsound assertions.
“It’s the truth that pirates must ignore.”
Reality laughs at your face: it’s the truth that the pro-Copyright side ignores.
“It’s why industry always profits, why governments will protect them …”
Except for the fact that your blind assertions have nothing to do with those circumstances.
“… and why guys like me will always sleep well at night.”
After you consume KO drugs while in the dark, that is.
“Good luck with your digital revolution.”
Due to the fact that you are losing against the advancement of the digital revolution, it is safe to say that your “good luck” is really “bad luck”.
“The govt needs to protect consumers and let the so-called “invisible hands” of t\he marketplace do its work.”
nice!
the industry will never beat the pirates, unless they buy them out. All the government can do is persecute the little people. And lose votes. It is up to the marketplace to get real and stop ripping off the kids, they have had a monopoly too long. Once music is reasonably priced the pirates won’t exist, and will move on to paid work somewhere, cos their genius should be utilised for the greater good. They have exposed the corruption that has grown round the artists. The hangers on and leeches take all the money, not the ones who create the work. Even the stars are on the side of the pirates because they know what the media moguls have ripped off them.
A solution …
…encourage copyleft. Encourage publication of amateur works (under copyleft licenses). Include links to alternative copyleft media in warning letters.
History 101 shows us that the greedy who refused to share got kicked out of the tribe, could not get laid, and their genes died out. Evolution of social species dictates a sharing economy, not a Neanderthal power grab by elites’ use for force. The Evolution if Information and Information Transfer has always been and always will be.