Copy Rights

[Delfos]

Alright, this is surely an important topic here. Draw some lines of discussion please.

Are we entitled to everything we see available in the Internet without questioning Copy Rights?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MTbX1aMajow

and then...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MRVHUbrbEUA

this guy is totally right...very annoying...but anyway, discussion breaks in, I've always said if they want to condemn people, it should be the ones that put it on the Internet, like servers or websites. Oh well, this summer the Portuguese Police close BTuga and several others, very popular Portuguese torrent sharing websites. What? You never heard of torrents? You liar! Really? OK who haven't?
Anyway, I'm proud to say i never used BTuga or any other Portuguese torrent websites...really! I'm serious. But I can't say i never used torrents. Oh god! Demonoid, have you ever heard of it? Christ, a week ago the Canadian law enforcement closed all affiliated torrent sites, including Demonoid. I got heart broken, but this is a lesson for life, and i approve what the Canadian enforcement did 200%, all torrents are gone as far as i know...*snif*

PIRACY IS STEALING! STEALING IS CRIME! and this enforcement in USA, for all what i know, is totally nuts. "OMFG! YOU PIRATE! I'M GOING TO REPORT YOU!" oh'right.

BTuga owner was a cop, that's even more shocking...but he claims to be innocent, he says his website was created to share files over the Internet, to expand interests etc. He says that he had no blame on what people would publish there. My question to you, is he to be blamed? let me put it in several questions:

Are the owners of such websites or servers with illegal content to be blamed?

Are the users of such websites or server with illegal content to be blamed?

Who else can be blamed for illegal content in such websites or servers?

Who should the Law Enforcement attack, Users? Owners? Nobody?

Are we violating Copy Rights if we download free content in the Internet? Obviously no, but what if this content is Illegal? How can we know if it is Illegal? How can the law say we are to be blamed of downloading any video?

As far as i know, those files don't come with a warning saying "I'm Illegal, if you download me, you are responsible for the violation of Copy Rights."

And now for the extreme part of it, Are Copy Rights a Sh#t Bucket? Aren't they only there to protect the very few capitalist interest of the Right Owners? Shouldn't the knowledge and arts be public to every Man in the universe? Oh...they are public...but we have to pay for them...that makes sense...does it? If you ask me, that's where capitalism fails, it isn't human anymore...if it is in any part of the process. Knowledge is supposed to be shared, that's why it's knowledge, it's something that anyone that comes aware of it...will KNOW. That's why Erickson published an article about Blue-tooth, so that everyone could make it. THAT'S Knowledge. Arts go the same way, Arts need a public, or else it isn't Art. That's part of the definition of it. If you don't let the people have it (unless they pay) there's no artistic elements in...many many bands publish their work in the Internet so that everyone can have it, THAT'S how everyone should use it. Oh right, he invented the Fluorescent Light, amasing...how do i do that? It comes with a 2 edge knife...in capitalist world, they need Copy Rights, so that others can't profit from your own invention. That makes sense, but it's all about money, isn't it?

"Oh he's making money with my MP3 design because he added a funny button on the side, he's selling more than me, and cheaper, not fair!"

Sure isn't...in a non-capitalist world:

"Oh he's using my MP3 design but added a funny button, he can produce it faster than me and is being a success, hurray for my MP3 design! Now people can all enjoy MP3! with funny buttons!"

uau...*stares at it for a moment*
And having a cow and few pigs in a mountain with greens around me and a small house...hmmm, i could trade some chickens for pig meat and get eggs, will ask my wife to make clay plates to trade for the Equinox turkey...*dreamy* oh wait, Copy Rights. Well, discuss!!!

[Trey]

I'll post something more intelligent (re: covering more points) later, but for now, I'll say what I have said for a while about piracy.  This doesn't make it right, but it has to be the most socially acceptable crime since alcohol smuggling during Prohibition (in the US).

[j delight]

I'll drink to that!

If the artist is independent and puts original stuff up for download, I think that should be respected because you know where the money is going.  It is one of the few ways emerging artists can get their stuff out there.  Now, if they want to give it away for free to promote their CD, that's understandable, too.  What is not as justifiable, in my mind, is the ever-greedy middleman operation that takes such a huge commission for distributing - the artist and the experiencer are both stuck with the bill.

I think those bands/artists who bought into the whole idea of chasing down violators, or who refuse to make their stuff avaialble, for free have missed out on the opportunity, and no amount of litigation is going to bring that back.  Oh well - stupid misjudgment.

The real issue, for me, is keeping internet access free of corporate gatekeepers, not whether people trade music.  I have a different view on artwork and photos.   

[Delfos]

yes this is not just about music. But you then haven't expressed about the rest, like artwork and photos. And movies? I think it would be great to have demos available. And they can always get sponsoring, specially if your government supports culture.

[AWP_PSRDirector]

Necromancy powers (i dont want a new topic)
Copy right laws in our society are needed to insure that new arts music and knowledge is made. People who are not yet rich who want to make a living doing music and do not want to always be touring need copy right laws so that there CD's will sell, with out them one person would buy it put it on the Internet and everyone else gets it for free. This applies to many things across the board. In a capitalist society new works would happen much slower since people would not invest in them with out copyright laws knowing that someone who did not invest can just take it and make money from it.

Why would a company invest billions into a new product that will revolutionize if it works just so someone who didnt spend a red cent can take it and sell it themselves and make the same amount of money with out the investment.

If you dont want A socialist government that backs things and everyone pays for it then Copyright laws are here to stay.