SOPA

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Here is the problem: No one cares what you think, or how different it may be, even if you're right. They are looking for opportunities to push through laws to benefit themselves. You all seem to think that those that want to push PIPA and SOPA don't understand how the Internet works. That is ridiculous. They are very well aware of how it works, and that is EXACTLY their issue.

Again, making it complicated only gives your opposition opportunity to do what they want. This is how the world works. Get used to it and triangulate. Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win a war.

Not sure why you quoted me.

I agree that the movie/music industry interests are pusing to pass laws that only benifit themselves. They should be paying to safeguard their material, but instead the tab is going to be left with us.

I also agree that the government knows exactly how the internet works and exactly what they're doing. I never once said they didn't.

And who's making it complicated? I'm supposed to accept an outragous law just because the opposition might paint it as supporting piracy? I could care less what they think, I only deal with facts here. And the fact is, the american people should not have to pay to protect an industry that is not taking steps to try and protect themselves.

Toss Robin Hood's (aka the people actually circulating pirated materials) ass in jail, he's the thief. Not the people who benefit from his charity. I can live with reasonable fines, but 5 years in prison is way too much.

What's next? We going to start tossing people in jail 5 years for driving 10MPH higher then the speed limit? They're actually putting people's lives in danger. Hell, the penalty for second hand piracy will be worse than a DUI in california. You can't tell me this isn't bullshit....

[Professor S]

Here is the bottom line: The way the momentum is moving, and the fact that the opposition is persistent and devious, we are left with two choices IMO: Lose internet based file "sharing" of lose the Internet as we know it. Lose a small chunk of a free and open Internet, or lose the free and open Internet entirely. Take your pick.

Agree or disagree, that's how I see things winding up in the current environment.

[Seth]

Prof, that's interesting. The question I have is how would file sharing be stopped without infringing on the 'openness' of the internet? Who writes those parameters outside of some other(conventional investigation, sniff-out) form of enforcement.

I'm personally against taking tax dollars away from other, important funding programs and redirecting it towards another law enforcement sector.


The Game: Are you basically saying that companies are at fault for not coming up with the magic DRM pill for their products? Because, DRM isn't possible, imo, without requiring the consumer to be connected 100% of their 'use time' to the internet for verification.
I personally won't buy a product that requires that. Looking at you Ubisoft.
Or even the 3DS. Probably would have bought one if nintendo hadn't adopted stealth updating.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Seth

Prof, that's interesting. The question I have is how would file sharing be stopped without infringing on the 'openness' of the internet? Who writes those parameters outside of some other(conventional investigation, sniff-out) form of enforcement.

I'm personally against taking tax dollars away from other, important funding programs and redirecting it towards another law enforcement sector.

I wouldn't be sure of the specifics, but in essence there need to be laws specific regarding appropriate use of electronic property, and IMO they should be equivalent (or very close to equivalent) to those laws protecting personal property. Most people just don't understand, or agree with, the idea that you can make such a hard line between stealing data or stealing a physical item.

Like with most laws, they should be enforced when a crime takes place, and not try and prevent the law from being broken in the first place.

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Here is the bottom line: The way the momentum is moving, and the fact that the opposition is persistent and devious, we are left with two choices IMO: Lose internet based file "sharing" of lose the Internet as we know it. Lose a small chunk of a free and open Internet, or lose the free and open Internet entirely. Take your pick.

Agree or disagree, that's how I see things winding up in the current environment.

So your opinion is that common sense can't possibly win so we shouldn't even fight for it. Someone has a bad outlook on the world.

My opinion is, if you don't fight for it things are just going to get worse and worse. Throwing people in prison 5 years for downloading digital content without paying for it is not going to be the end, especially if we just bow our heads and let it happen.

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Seth

The Game: Are you basically saying that companies are at fault for not coming up with the magic DRM pill for their products? Because, DRM isn't possible, imo, without requiring the consumer to be connected 100% of their 'use time' to the internet for verification.

I personally won't buy a product that requires that. Looking at you Ubisoft.
Or even the 3DS. Probably would have bought one if nintendo hadn't adopted stealth updating.

If the company wants to make their product more sellable by not protecting it, that's a business decision. If they don't want their stuff stolen and use DRM as their solution, that's also a decision.

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Most people just don't understand, or agree with, the idea that you can make such a hard line between stealing data or stealing a physical item.

I agree with the idea that stealing personal property and stealing digital property should have the same penalty. Maybe even worse for stealing digital property.

And receiving stolen property when someone else actually stole it should have the same penalty as using stolen digital content that was actually stolen and distributed by someone else.

The hard line is between what is stealing, and what is receiving stolen property. Not between what's digital and what's physical.