Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)

[Terronium-12]

Errm, it is in many cases actually, I know a bunch of people who haven't paid for music, or bought a DVD/BD in years. In fact, I don't know any people that 'pirate' anything, then go on to pay for it... 50% (like me) have an idea if they want something, buy it, then enjoy,.. the other 50% see something pirated for free, take it, enjoy it, and never pay anything for it... it's not even this thats a big deal to me, it's part of a bigger picture...

We have a massive "Gimmie, Gimmie, take take take" culture in the UK, there's a massive portion of the population that don't want to earn the things they want, it's no surprise to me that the 50% of people I know that happily download films and music and never actually buy anything, are the same 50% that are happy to rely on the government to support themselves and their families, yet sit there watching/listening to their pirated media on their £400 smartphones.. It's a mentality I can't stand.

I'd say roughly half of the percentage of people who pirate just to pirate do so in part because of half-assed decisions that violate consumers such as those made by, guess who, Electronic Arts; I'll tell you right here and now I have absolutely no pity for EA when someone pirates a game from them. Absolutely none.

The other bit of the percentage pirate because of 1 of possibly 3 reasons:

1. They think it's okay.
2. They really don't care and are playing chicken with law enforcement.
3. There are no laws mandated by their government that explicitly cite pirating of any media as an offense.

Look at the Pirate Bay - the owner was tried in court, and how did that turn out? You still see Pirate Bay, don't you? That's where No. 3 comes in.

Is SOPA a good thing? not that I've managed to find an unbiased view, most people seem like panicy idiot #4 from the Poseidon Adventure, or are merely spewing propaganda - but to me it doesn't seem to address the situation in the correct way... does something need doing to protect copyright and IP on the internet.. absolutely.

You won't find an unbiased view. From anyone. Anywhere.

SOPA and PIPA can stifle the internet and everything it's become known for since it's introduction. If you actively go out on an expenditure to censor any and everything viewed as copyright infringement you're only going to encourage "real" pirates to invest in new methods of pirating SOPA and PIPA doesn't cover. You're only ever going to encourage outcry from people who don't even understand how much of a nuance, or rather, how much of a noose SOPA and PIPA really are if for no other reason than many people who post on Facebook and the likes thereof constantly put up videos where there is copyrighted music playing in the background... only for it to be taken down under SOPIPA and they don't know why.

So you know what happens? They put it back up thinking it was wrongfully taken down only to get the site 'blacked' out, and for them to possibly incur the wrath of two bills that make absolutely no goddamn sense. They do nothing but infringe on everyone's rights, not just Americans.

The gist of SOPIPA is this: "You can own copyrighted material so long as 'we' don't ever hear about it." It's pure bs. Plain and simple.

 

[E28]

What would happen to the YouTube community if this took place? I know a lot of higher class YouTubers produce videos containing copyright material. Will all these channels be taken down if this happened, or YouTube itself?

I like to watch Wangan Midnight videos on that site, it will be very difficult for me to obtain the series here in the UK, since I won't be able to watch it online.

There are alot of things which you are unable to buy and which aren't broadcast in your country which can be watched on YouTube, and the ability to immediately pull up a funny clip from your favourite show is nice too. SOPIPA will render you unable to do this...

 

[G.T.Ace]

Can't believe they switched off Megaupload today.

 

[terminator363]

Stop SOPA

 

[Pupik]

The actuality is that people generally do not go back later and buy the goods. Generally, from my experience in retail, people come for the free or cheap goods, if there's an expectation of free/reduced goods in the first place, and rarely open the wallet later for more items. When goods are free, no deal other than completely gratis is going to compete with that business model. Granted, the money is just going towards another industry, but one where there isn't a free product.

The fact is, there's people who steal music, software, movies, et cetera, and few people come back and pay for it. Maybe they go to the concert, and pay for a ticket, but I still think there's a majority of pirated material that eventually is never recouped financially, at least in the same segment of the market.

Not to sound like an old fart, but I actually buy (and bought) all my music, although I would be lying I told you I didn't copy a cassette recording or two, but a copy of a copy sounded poor enough to make you want to buy the original. And honestly, enough people have been burned by music (or just expectations) that sounds better as a single rather than an album. Technology makes sure you don't lose quality and that it's disseminated easily, but the industry shot themselves in the foot by doing so...

There's also lot of nonsense floating around about this bill, maybe because people don't really understand exactly what a copyright is, what public domain is, what the rights of a creator works are, et cetera. I also don't buy the argument (no pun intended) that poor quality works are the reason there's theft...people are just as likely to have illegal copies of works they do appreciate and enjoy.

 

[White & Nerdy]

Oh, and another thing. I've often said, in real life, that one of the biggest "red flags" indicating a conspiracy in progress is when otherwise very smart people (i.e. corporate bigwigs) start doing things that look like foot-shots. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most of those companies use sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter for marketing and PR? And then if someone makes a video about a car or a game, that's free advertising right there. By trying to kill those sites, they're throwing all that away... unless they're planning to keep them around and turn them into heavily policed corporate/government mouthpeices. Just a thought.

 

[ChaosStar79]

The actuality is that people generally do not go back later and buy the goods. Generally, from my experience in retail, people come for the free or cheap goods, if there's an expectation of free/reduced goods in the first place, and rarely open the wallet later for more items. When goods are free, no deal other than completely gratis is going to compete with that business model. Granted, the money is just going towards another industry, but one where there isn't a free product.

The fact is, there's people who steal music, software, movies, et cetera, and few people come back and pay for it. Maybe they go to the concert, and pay for a ticket, but I still think there's a majority of pirated material that eventually is never recouped financially, at least in the same segment of the market.

Not to sound like an old fart, but I actually buy (and bought) all my music, although I would be lying I told you I didn't copy a cassette recording or two, but a copy of a copy sounded poor enough to make you want to buy the original. And honestly, enough people have been burned by music (or just expectations) that sounds better as a single rather than an album. Technology makes sure you don't lose quality and that it's disseminated easily, but the industry shot themselves in the foot by doing so...

Not to nitpick, but unless you are downloading FLAC or other lossless format, there is a huge sound quality difference. Not as bad as tapes mind you, but still enough to distract me from the music. But most music torrents aren't that high of quality as what you would get from the cd. Video is pretty much the same, even the "BluRay quality" downloads that I have seen do not look or sound as good as the original in my opinion.

Oh, and another thing. I've often said, in real life, that one of the biggest "red flags" indicating a conspiracy in progress is when otherwise very smart people (i.e. corporate bigwigs) start doing things that look like foot-shots. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most of those companies use sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter for marketing and PR? And then if someone makes a video about a car or a game, that's free advertising right there. By trying to kill those sites, they're throwing all that away... unless they're planning to keep them around and turn them into heavily policed corporate/government mouthpeices. Just a thought.

Good point.

 

[Matty]

Very dissapointed that megaupload was taken down 👎

But does megavideo still work as I watch a lot of MythBuster's episodes on that..? :nervous

EDIT I: Nope both down. 👎 👎 👎

EDIT II: Also when we download music, putting it on own iPhone/iPod/iPad/Mp3 Player is also an infringement of copyright laws.

So where do they draw the line? Do they start coding music so it won't work on a normal Mp3 player and realise there own for listening to music on and try scam us twice over?

I think everything was fine as it was and shouldn't be changed. After all without YouTube mainly artists wouldn't make as much money without YouTube because of the lack of free advertising that happens when YouTube is gone.

This may just become another 'nearly' moment.

 

[RACECAR]

Oh, and another thing. I've often said, in real life, that one of the biggest "red flags" indicating a conspiracy in progress is when otherwise very smart people (i.e. corporate bigwigs) start doing things that look like foot-shots. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most of those companies use sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter for marketing and PR? And then if someone makes a video about a car or a game, that's free advertising right there. By trying to kill those sites, they're throwing all that away... unless they're planning to keep them around and turn them into heavily policed corporate/government mouthpeices. Just a thought.

Good point. For instance, SCEA uses youtube for promoting things so its rather interesting the Music and movie branch of Sony are supporting a bill that'll likely mean the end of that.

 

[shmogt]

F this bill. It is so stupid and not thought out at all. It goes way past copyright laws and just kills absolutely everything great about the Internet. It must die so hard no one even dares to speak its name ever again.

 

[Matty]

F this bill. It is so stupid and not thought out at all. It goes way past copyright laws and just kills absolutely everything great about the Internet. It must die so hard no one even dares to speak its name ever again.

SOPA..

But seriously I agree it's stupid and hurts itself just as much as others.

 

[Northstar]

Couldn't The same be said about Site like Youtube, People Download Songs/Videos from there for free as well.

The main difference being the lack of a "download" button on YouTube.

 

[Shoogar]

I have a question, sorry if it has been asked/answered somewhere in the previous pages of text, but what will this do for the Free TV industry in Australia? They have set up their own websites where people can go and watch/catch up on previous television shows that they may/may not have missed out on viewing. viewers aren't paying for this, but it's being freely broadcast to them, does that mean that their websites will be shut down? And that this could potentially impact their television broadcasting?

Or am I just thinking too deeply in to the matter.

 

[Joey D]

The main difference being the lack of a "download" button on YouTube.

It's pretty easy to download them though and you can find videos on the site to do so. The government would find a way to link all that together and make the claim YouTube is guilty of letting users download content.

 

[ExigeEvan]

US Justice department appears to have been forced offline.

FBI website next.

 

[White & Nerdy]

Also, another thing about Alex's original point. I do believe that most mainstream media outlets are owned by someone with ulterior motives, and in fact I'm concocting an experiment to prove it.

The gist of it is this. Go to the website of Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, or some other widely-despised conservative. Find a post about a relevant issue, and find three forums with active, similar discussions on that issue. On the first site, post the text verbatim with no sources as if I myself wrote it. On the second, post the article or parts of the article with a link to the source. On the third, post the link and not much else. The objective is to weigh the significance of the name on the post relative to the content of the post itself - and, in the process, look for media indoctrination/demonization.

Also, I'm beginning to fear an armed revolution soon. There are enough conservative people left in this country with guns and fighting spirit, whether they be military/spec ops, angry rednecks with shotguns, or just normal people, to possibly overthrow our current government. And SOPA, or whatever badly-thought-out power grab comes next, could very well be the straw (or 20lb sack of bricks) that breaks the camel's back. And somehow, I don't think we'd like that very much. Those who are pushing this stuff are too smart to be swept aside by something as trivial as a revolution, they'll just place all their bets (i.e. funding, equipment, strategy advice) on the Occupiers or someone similar. Soros is already funding the Occupiers IIRC - oops, there goes my Strategic Footshot Warning again. And believe me, if the Occupiers got hold of power, it would be ugly.

 

[Matty]

I have a question, sorry if it has been asked/answered somewhere in the previous pages of text, but what will this do for the Free TV industry in Australia? They have set up their own websites where people can go and watch/catch up on previous television shows that they may/may not have missed out on viewing. viewers aren't paying for this, but it's being freely broadcast to them, does that mean that their websites will be shut down? And that this could potentially impact their television broadcasting?

Or am I just thinking too deeply in to the matter.

Same could be said for BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Channel 4 oD, and RTÉ Player.

But they won't be shut down because the respectful TV companies have paid broadcasting fee's for broadcasting on TV and if they have a catch up site like the aforementioned they will have paid for it to be viewed there.

EDIT: White & Nerdy, I don't quite understand what you mean? Could you explain again? Or is it just me?

 

[Danoff]

http://gizmodo.com/5877679/anonymous-kills-department-of-justice-site-in-megaupload-revenge-strike

 

[Shoogar]

It's pretty easy to download them though and you can find videos on the site to do so. The government would find a way to link all that together and make the claim YouTube is guilty of letting users download content.

The amount of software available for free-download that allows you to download YouTube videos is ridiculous! So you're probably right, YouTube will get caught up in all this nonsense.

I wonder what will happen to all of the major contributors to YouTube?

And thanks Matt for clearing that up for me.

 

[Northstar]

I have a question, sorry if it has been asked/answered somewhere in the previous pages of text, but what will this do for the Free TV industry in Australia? They have set up their own websites where people can go and watch/catch up on previous television shows that they may/may not have missed out on viewing. viewers aren't paying for this, but it's being freely broadcast to them, does that mean that their websites will be shut down? And that this could potentially impact their television broadcasting?

Or am I just thinking too deeply in to the matter.

They hold the copyright, so they will be fine.

It's pretty easy to download them though and you can find videos on the site to do so. The government would find a way to link all that together and make the claim YouTube is guilty of letting users download content.

I'm aware it's easy, it's also not an official feature of YT, in fact it's not a feature at all.

 

[Alex p.]

Good point. For instance, SCEA uses youtube for promoting things so its rather interesting the Music and movie branch of Sony are supporting a bill that'll likely mean the end of that.

Again, we're entering the "the Elite" theory here. Means, the most rich (powerful) work together.

 

[Matty]

What I find interesting though is that Sony are supporting SOPA/PIPA..

Then if SOPA/PIPA gets legislated 90% of Sony's advertising goes like that.

 

[RACECAR]

http://gizmodo.com/5877679/anonymous-kills-department-of-justice-site-in-megaupload-revenge-strike

Can't say I'm surprised about this. Thats a group always waiting for the right moment to strike. Pretty sure everyone on the list supporting Sopa/Pipa is next.

 

[Matty]

Can't say I'm surprised about this. Thats a group always waiting for the right moment to strike. Pretty sure everyone on the list supporting Sopa/Pipa is next.

Including Sony..

Second PSN strike?

Don't see how it would help other then Sony giving us more free stuff for like a week offline and giving GT5 a chance to fix servers..

Hmm.. Anonymous I won't be pissed if you attack PSN..

 

[RACECAR]

Including Sony..

Second PSN strike?

I'm thinking this time, both their Music and movie branches are the next targets, will probably be even worse then the PSN Strike since that was fairly easy.

 

[Dmarc_Atl]

First the song and now the entire website.

As I keep saying... and they wonder why piracy exists. It's not because people don't want to pay for your products, it's because you're giving them no real reason to buy your products. There's such a thing, and a good deal of pirates do this, as pirating something you don't want to risk wasting money on only to like it and then actually purchase it.

This is becoming quite a dystopian/cacotopian prospect.

Exactly I buy movies and music to support the artist or actors after this im not buying crap.I can live with out it.I keep my money you go broke.I will continue to support independent labels.

 

[McLaren]

http://gizmodo.com/5877679/anonymous-kills-department-of-justice-site-in-megaupload-revenge-strike

If there was ever a group who hated SOPA more than anyone, it's Anonymous. These guys live for the web.

 

[White & Nerdy]

I'll be pretty ticked if Anon takes down the PSN again, since I'm buying GT5 DLC soon...

White & Nerdy, I don't quite understand what you mean? Could you explain again? Or is it just me?

The basic idea is "What matters more: what's being said or who's saying it?" My theory is that people like Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and other high-profile conservatives have been singled out by those running the media for large-scale ostracism, so that people who would otherwise agree with them will rage, jeer, and ignore the content when they see the name.

On the first site (the one where I copy without sources), I could add a magnificent cherry on top by waiting for everyone to agree with me and then revealing that I just parroted someone you aren't supposed to agree with... resulting in the hilarious spectacle of a respected forum poster, full of rage, attacking the same words he wholeheartedly agreed with just a day or two ago, along with the person who first said them.

 

[Matty]

I'll be pretty ticked if Anon takes down the PSN again, since I'm buying GT5 DLC soon...



The basic idea is "What matters more: what's being said or who's saying it?" My theory is that people like Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and other high-profile conservatives have been singled out by those running the media for large-scale ostracism, so that people who would otherwise agree with them will rage, jeer, and ignore the content when they see the name.

On the first site (the one where I copy without sources), I could add a magnificent cherry on top by waiting for everyone to agree with me and then revealing that I just parroted someone you aren't supposed to agree with... resulting in the hilarious spectacle of a respected forum posted, overflowing with rage, attacking the same words he wholeheartedly agreed with just a day or two ago, along with the person who first said them.

I understand this time..

So anyone up for a second PSN strike?

 

[White & Nerdy]

As I said, no.