That’s true democracy, and that’s true capitalism. Bad ideas die, unless the legislature carves them into stone for the sake of a reciprocal hand-job for campaign contributions.

You must think I’m an ignorant dumbass…

The bought copy isn’t “owned” either, so to speak. Which means you have no rights to it other than the rights pointed out in fair use laws and the rights that are expressly granted to you.

You’re right, it isn’t theft. But it’s still illegal. What we need to do is to change that.

Hmm, I guess what libraries are doing is wrong, too. Giving out media for free the the original artist was only paid once for and countless people can check out and read/view/listen.

I know, the media isn’t owned by the patron, it’s borrowed, which is exactly the way I feel about pirated downloads, they aren’t exactly “owned” by the downloader, just used.

It isn’t theft, it’s piracy. theft takes the original, piracy only makes a copy.

But have you ever considered a more fundamental question. If filesharing will continue to grow and grow untill everyone is sharing and no one is buying, will the people who create the stuff that we share continue to do so?

We have to relaise that at some point the producers of the various media be it music or film, will at some point say: screw this! What are we going to share then?

The only reason that filesharing is still alive is because “the pirates” are still a minority. There are still a whole lot of people out there paying for songs and films. As long as the situation stays this way and we remain a minority we can live on.

We have to reliase however that we live off all the people out there who are willing to pay for stuff. Imagine that few years down the line more and more customres will come over to our side. Imagine empty movie theaters and desertet music shops. Imagine iTunes being shut down due to lack of traffic. At that point in time there will be no more new things to share. In my opinion file sharing slows down creativity (in the long run). I don’t really care myself because I know that I will be dead in 80 years time.

Let us not get ahead of ourselves though. Before such time may ever come the government will implement new ways of policing the internet. Currenty the law enforcing agencies are catching up with the technological advancements. They are still relaying on cars and guns to chase criminals. They are asleep in the new age of digital world. They think they are still living the wild west. However once they relaise that the real crime takes place in the cyberworld they may have a better chance at fighting “crimes” that take place here. In the internet.

By now everyone should relaise that this is a never ending loop. For as soon as the law enforcing agencies convert their power to fight the cybercrimes another underground scene will be created in that very world. From that point on it will be a technology battle over who has the best equipment. As it has always been!!!

Stop lying. Do you have any evidence? A law? A criminal case? TF knows you’re a troll; they just have actively decided that your presence currently benefits their traffic figures.

They know I’m a troll? If so, then why haven’t they banned me, like I must have mentioned at least four times in my last few posts? If it’s really just for the benefit of their traffic, then I’ll leave. No point in beating a dead horse.

And as a matter of fact, I do have evidence in the form of a written law: the Digital Millenium Copyright Act that you would like so much to abolish but have done nothing about. It would be logically impossible for me to provide evidence for the absence of a criminal case pertaining to the DMCA that led to the consideration of its abolition or amendment, as it is impossible to easily provide evidence for the absence of something. (In terms that you would understand: I can’t show you a criminal case where the jury upheld the DMCA, because as far as I know, all of them, an example being the one in this article, were like that. You’ll have to bring forth a criminal case that ended up with the DMCA being reconsidered. Not modified, even reconsideration is okay.)

My point is that you’re not challenging the law outside of criminal cases or even civil trials, besides the obvious venues of piracy. You’re not challenging the law in an obviously legal way, such as lobbying. I’d have more respect for the pirates if the majority of them acted like the Pirate Party does, actually trying to work their way in legally. However, most of them do not, causing me to lose respect.

I’ve already pointed out your lies numerous times, but you won’t address me. Why? Eventually TF will come to realize that your presence is a detriment.

Lies? What lies? My presence is only a detriment to the point of view of the pirates, which is my goal – to make the pirates eventually realize that what they’re doing is wrong, and that if they keep doing it, they’ll have to answer to the law.

In fact, TF has come to realize the exact opposite – that my presence is actually a good thing. Otherwise, like I’ve said on numerous occasions, they would have banned me long ago.

(Case in point to post 317, I’m actually Mr. Briggs. The viewpoint is so generic, that people decide to congregate under one pseudonym. The viewpoint on the pirates’ side is also generic, but they aren’t as well-known.

If I’m wrong, correct me. I promise I won’t use this pseudonym again.)

[Mods Note: In actuality, this case made no reference to the DMCA at all. The DMCA was not invoked or used in any way that I'm aware of during the case. As such, contrary to your claim, it was never upheld in this case, any more than the RICO statute or the Mann Act was also upheld by the case. No safe harbour provisions, no circumvention of TCM's, or similar. - BJ]

Just look at all the arguments that he (she?)’s posted over the years. They start off as just plain anti-piracy, but then they start spinning off in entirely different directions. Some of them are balanced, well-reasoned, and even have valid points, while others look like they were written in the heat of passion, including things such as personal insults.

This leads me to conclude that it’s not one person writing these posts.

Also, there are slight differences in the spelling and grammar. Some people will forget to capitalize things, others will use all-caps. Not the kind of stuff you’d see from responses written from respectable people.

That being said, I don’t think a fine of $675,000 is justified. I might be okay with $30,000.

http://buzznewsroom.com/photos/danger-mouses-next-album-will-be-a-blank-cd-r/

lol that is so true.

bill gates ‘cloned’ his MSDOS OS from another OS.

The judge discrminated by blocking fair use. I wonder how much he was bribed.

I do donate to projects that produce decent software. God know there are few enough of those.

I live in Canada….

Quick Message to the copyright holders.. The seas and tides are what is, your vessels adapt to them or sink like stones.

So put your money where your mouth is. As for me, I’ll bet you won’t as you never do.

You claim, ‘I say that you are NOT challenging it, that’s the problem, you are breaking the law…’

Stop lying. Do you have any evidence? A law? A criminal case? TF knows you’re a troll they just have actively decided that your presence currently benefits their traffic figures.

I’ve already pointed out your lies numerous times, but you won’t address me. Why? Eventually TF will come to realize that your presence is a detriment.

The above quote really makes you think how much money these guys seem to make. Roughly $2 million for 25 songs?!

If I was sued and that much, I’d promptly UPLOAD every song and movie I could.

Be proud: We are part of history in the making– an information-war/revolution that’s more or less quietly being waged right under most people’s noses.

Fair is fair, and most people here would pay a small fee for being able to trade music like they are now, with no fear of penalty.

As the EFF stated, it worked with ASCAP and the other licensing bodies which collect royalties from commercial establishments, in exchange for their ability to play whatever they want, whenever.

Sorry, no matter what way you slice it, in the end they’re Goliath, and the artists and listening public are David.

ps: If Shakespeare was to write today he would have been sued because he copied and out right “stole” other works to do his own.

Sorry, forgot the link to those quotes!!!

HA! I heard he was over there with Torquemada.

Like Shapiro and Cochran, the dream team

By the Numbers: U.S. File-sharers Undeterred

How many Americans continue to use P2P file sharing software to download music? Because of the decentralized nature of P2P networks, it is extremely difficult to answer this question definitively. However, virtually all surveys and studies agree that P2P usage has grown steadily since the RIAA’s litigation campaign began in 2003.

For example, at the end of 2004, a group of independent computer scientists at UC San Diego and UC Riverside published a study aimed at measuring P2P usage from 2002 through 2004. Drawing on empirical data collected from two Tier 1 ISPs, the researchers concluded:

“In general we observe that P2P activity has not diminished. On the contrary, P2P traffic represents a significant amount of Internet traffic and is likely to continue to grow in the future, RIAA
behavior notwithstanding.”

————–
EVEN BETTER!!!
————–
”
In fact, there are signs that even the record companies that have contributed millions to anti-piracy trade groups are growing disenchanted with the ineffectiveness and bad press their efforts have brought.112 A Sony executive called the anti-P2P litigation a “money pit.”113 One of the “big four,” EMI, has threatened to cut its funding to the record industry’s international trade group almost entirely.114 Others are considering legal action to collect on P2P settlement money the RIAA collected but never distributed to artists.
”

YAY. There are enough people with Internet connections to effectively bankrupt the music industry machine.
Slowly, artists will fall away from the record labels and self-produce and distribute via their own outlets. Get on the right side of the issue, doubting Thomases. Like I said, too many artists and all of the consumers are stuck in the same machine of greed.

Looks like desperation tactics. The nazi’s did this kinda thing in territory they occupied.

the peasants are just about in open revolt. So we’ll (financially)crucify a couple in public court to scare the others.

who’s running their PR dept.? Caligula?

Sounds like a good starting point for a lawsuit by Trent Reznor and the other artists involved.

“whatever the motivation,” he said. How about greed?! That’s a motivator for ya.

RIAA, MPAA urge pro-copyright vows from presidential candidates
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9821141-7.html

Many TRUE artists do what they do because of internal motivating factors, not money. The ones that the record labels push onto the american public, like the no-talent blonde pop bull**** “singers” that can’t sing without the help of a studio engineer, are stamped and sent out like so many coins from the US mint; Shiny, but all cut from the same ingot and stamped with the same press.

Hardly anyone here is scrambling to dl the new Brit or whomever the record labels have crowned their new cash cow of the year. The silly thing is that the REAL artists, the men and women created the art for themselves, as a creative outlet, should be well-compensated.

The problem is that the very music that the large record companies are charging crazy amounts of money for, protests and rails against the machine, the establishment, and the irony of our capitalist free-market economy.

Don’t you see that you who think that the “punishment” fit the “crime”, are on the wrong side of the issue? Even if it’s not music, it could be anything that you’re a fan of. The system is broken. Just because more artists haven’t broken away from the large labels, doesn’t mean they don’t want it this way; That they’re happy with the status quo. They’re stuck in the machine, just like we are.

Maybe we didn’t know what Billy Corgan was yelling at when he said that despite all his rage, he’s still just a rat in a cage.

Now, maybe we caught the metaphor.

So you can play the devil’s advocate all you want, and say the record companies are due theirs, and I agree, they’re due; They have the cake in front of them and it’s all theirs, but it’s up to the public to make sure they wear it on their face before they get to eat it.

I can’t wait for the Internets* to crush big greedy pigs like the RIAA, et al.

Never admit your guilt. That is for a court to decide. ALWAYS plead NOT GUILT, even when caught RED HANDED. Get your “Day in Court”. You pay the taxes for it, US IT!

This is why we are a “Free” country. I say “Free” because it’s more of a capitalist society where big business runs things. Don’t believe me? Think on the Financial system and how it’s so hard to pass a law to supervise derivatives trading, even though people HAVE been found to lie to clients to get them into it, and there have been many unscrupulous acts performed in that area.

Please Please Please! For anyone that is listening: NEVER give up your right to a trial by your peers/judge. NEVER!

Good luck to all…

As for idiots like “Reasoned Mind” – there are pirate parties for a reason. We DO want change, we DO go on the street for it and we DO try to ACTUALLY GET IT. I know what I will be voting, while you are gleefully posting “Yay the p2pfägs are gettin’ raepd” trash.

As for the verdict – seriously, how can anyone claim any kind of sense or sanity in a system that asks 22k per song while the same song is likely being sold for 99c on iTunes.

How adjusted to an individual’s situation is that?

Idiots all around.

That says it all right there. Spiteful, life destroying bitches is all that they are.
They are only going after downloaders, because they feel they have been personally attacked by anyone who has ever “comitted” a download.

It is also readily apparent that not law and justice is being applied, but that there is a clear behind the scenes agreement about how these cases HAVE to play out, lest the western world ends at the hand of neo-p2p-communists, threatening to overthrow the lobby-capitalist way of life or something.

Again – these monsters need to die.
Stop buying, stop supporting, stop consuming. Fsck them all, now.
This kind of industry needs to die, badly.

And ASAP.

But no, you don’t have the numbers, the balls or the integrity.”

Yeah, because a legitimate approach to the situation would be a great success…

Money talks, the entertainment industry has it, the little guy doesn’t.

Unreasonable Mind:
“The greatest number of illegal downloads for the past 10 years has consistently been the “hated, crap corporate product.” Your hypocrisy alone makes you not worth listening to.”

My hypocrisy? Explain how I am a hypocrite. Too many people throw that word around without understanding it’s meaning. It’s not an i-win button my friend.

Unreasonable Mind:
“So you whine like a little girl about your “privacy rights” while you hide and pilfer and boast about how your “freedom” to pay nothing is somehow better for the support of fine art and the good people who make it for us.

Pirates are getting exactly what they’ve brought upon themselves and it’s about time.”

Firstly, if people aren’t ‘whining’ about invasion of their privacy, there’s something wrong with that person. Secondly, you need to drop the idea that this argument is about ‘free stuff’. Obviously, a lot of undesireables are jumping on the bandwagon so to speak because they don’t want to pay for things.

However, a lot of ‘pirates’ are genuinely fed up with being taken advantage of by unnecessary middle-men like record labels, and I’m sure the long list of artists screwed by the industry would feel the same. It’s not about having to pay, it’s about having to pay obscene amounts and where that money goes.

You have a warped view of the situation. Really.

I think the scare tactics will anger people more than scare them, ruining someone’s life over 24 songs is absolutely outrageous and is just a bigger scale of school playground bullying.