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Commerce Department Cool to CBDTPA
L. J. Beauregard writes: "Wired reports that the Commerce Department is not too thrilled about S.2048. Commerce Secretary James Rogan claims that 'the DMCA carefully balances the interests of all stakeholders,' a claim that marks him for a corporate whore, but it seems that there are some things even whores won't do."
Look at CowboyNeal... now there's a whore who will do anything! (watch at the polls)
On a side note, at least one arm of the executive branch doesn't like the CBDTPA... maybe that'll mean a veto if it gets to the Prez.
"Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives" should be a convenience store, not a government agency.
You don't understand just how far this government goes. It goes all the way to the president!
James Rogan is the Under Secretary of Commerce.
A whore gets money for doing their master's bidding.
A slut does stuff without monetary compensation.
I propose his title be changed to Slutty UnderSecretary of Commerce or 'SUC' (ok, I'm reaching here) for short.
Seeing as he is also the Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, I'd also suggest his title to be extended to 'SUC US PTO'.
What we need to do is capitilize on this opportunity and expose the radical enemies of the public for the political radicals that they are. In addition, the MPAA is showing us exactly how to take the steps necessary to defend our fourth amemndment rights under the US Constitution in regard to digital media and privately owned digital devices.
NY Fairuse is willing, with the help of it's sister organization, NYLXS, and with broad co-operation, it begin in Manhattan in May to gather together a broad coalition of IT Industry members, Librarians, Educators, Free Software Advocates, musicians, artisits, actors, and Internet Information Providers the Digital Property Protection Discussion Group.
The purpose of forming this group is to draft and pass legislation which protects individuals 4th amendment rights with regard to their digital devices and media.
The legislation to be drafted will accomplsih the following main stream objectives which all reasonable people can expect:
All copyrights to individual scores, writings, and recordings will be returned to the original artist after a period of 10 years.
No technology can be deployed which spies on, wiretaps or descloses privately owned information which is stored on digital devices by any government agency or private 3rd party without the issuance of a publically pronounced annd disclosed warrant l limited to a specific criminal investigation.
All copyright cases must prove, prior to a judgement of guilt, proof that the actions in question did not infringe on Fair Use, and the individuals rights under the 4th and 1st ammendment of the Bill of rights US Constition.
Ownership of all physical media and devices to read such media, is the sole property of the purchaser of the media, without an expressely negotiated and signed contract between both the copyright holder and the purchaser.
No technological software or hardware method can be deployed in a digital product available for normal retail sale which inhibits in any way the full enjoyment of the property by the purchasers, regardless of any agreement between the designer of the hardware or software products. Such agreements are null, and not contractable.
Copyright is an exception to Fair Use as it limited the ability for individuals to enjoy their private property and express themselves with the use of such copyrighted materials. Fair Use is a doctrin to be based on the 4th and 1st amendments of the Constitutions.
Individuals have the right to express themselves to others about the means, mechanism and workings of all digital devices, including but not limited to discussion on how to make fair use of media, how to improve such devices, or to reverse engineer all such devices and the allgorithims which are used to help them display, copy or run media.
We need to get as many big guns on this as possible and then relentlessly campaign, actively working to elect supporters and unelect opposition. In fact, we should look to defeat, not just the proposed spyware legistlation, but also defeat Senator Hollings
WE CAN force him from office, because he's a radical.
Ruben
http://www.mrbrklyn.com/amsterdam.html http://www.brooklyn-living.com
hhmmm, 2048, multiple of 8... as in bits in a byte. Consipiracy or coincidence?
What the really want is MORE money, lots more...." William S Burroughs.
I think the use of that word shows more bias than any statements this guy possibly could have made.
"Before Congress rushes into the imposition of a legislative solution," Rogan said, "I hope its members will grant more time for the free market to find its own middle ground."
Thank the gods for that. Its about time somebody stands up and says "Hold on a second, lets give business the chance to make their own decisions,
before we step in and legislate for them." I hope that more of this sort of thing happens in the future. I sincerely hope that those in congress decide
to heed Mr.Rogan's words, and their voing reflects it.
Time for a lesson on first posts, the /. way....
1) When taking the first post, remember to make it relatively short ( you can't have anybody else beat you to the punch, can you?)
2) Make sure you have at least one thing mispelled. you don't want to look like you've had a first post typed up on notepad forever waiting for the right time.
3) make sure you have a clever subject that will get by the Slashdot topic bots. ( "EFF PEE" works well).
4) Make sure you use "sux0r" and "rox0r" in your post. It will give others the impression you are "1337"
5) Declare yourself as the greatest, simply on the fact that you have the first post.
6) Give a count of how many FP's you have.
7) make sure you include a link to goatse.cx
Having followed these guidelines, a true first post would look like this:
FiRsT P0sT!!!!! I rox0r! You all sux0r! This is my 36th FP! Cehck out this page[goatse.cx] I 0wn j00 all!!!!! First post!!!!!!!
"nooz fer turds, shit that splatters"
I hate to say this, but it seems as if the USA is becoming increasingly fascist every day. It has a deified leader (as is typical of US presidents) who was not democratically elected; a legislative body that passes laws to promote and protect big corporate interests over citizens, in total disregard of the constitution; belligerent, jingoistic politics that is focussed on an outside "threat" (which was actually created by them in the first place) in order to deflect interest away from problems at home; a Department of Juctice that capitulates to illegal monopolists despite having the upper hand; law enforcement agencies that spy on and censor people; a social policy that leaves people hungry, homeless, undereducated and in poor health; and a whole lot more.
This doesn't sound any different from Nazi Germany. Oh wait... Hitler actually <i>created</i> jobs and <i>improved</i> the standard of living. I guess it's worse then.
OLPC Australia
Commerce Secretary James Rogan claims that 'the DMCA carefully balances the interests of all stakeholders,'
Of course it carefully balances the interests of all stakeholders. Thing is, they don't see customers as stakeholders. An argument could be made that customers aren't stakeholders in this sense -- after all, they have no financial stake in whether most CBDTPA-protected works succeed or fail. Never mind the principles that are involved, it's all about money to corporations and to Congress.
a claim that marks him for a corporate whore, but it seems that there are some things even whores won't do
Like pay any attention to whether their customers care about what they're being exposed to? You could make some interesting comparisons here. The corporate whores are exposing their customers to CBDTPA; the rest of the analogy is left to the reader's imagination.
I pledge allegiance to the flag...
of the Corporate States of America...
Maybe he's honest. You know, an honest politician is one who, once bought, stays bought.
Remove the caps and hold to a mirror.
you should try to find the ones with the real dicks.
This isn't a time to rest on our laurels. Congress could still pass this thing. A simple majority wins, and Congress has passed many an unpopular act (USA Patriot anyone?) We still have to email and write letters and protest this thing and reach every single person we can.
We keep recieving good news, but that doesn't mean we should slack off... it means that we should work harder and spread our message. Advocacy works.
Take a look at:o l-intel_critique.html
http://www.eff.org/IP/SSSCA_CBDTPA/20020322_eff_a
[my comments in brackets]
Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)
a claim that marks him for a corporate whore, but it seems that there are some things even whores won't do
Allright, now listen - I hate the CBBLAH & DMCA, etc like everyone else. But, come on now, is it REALLY necassary to call them whores when posting this news to the site? ATTENTION SLASHDOT EDITORS: it doesn't make you look very professional or worthy of respect when you result to cheap tactics like this.
Leave it to people like ME to call them whores but please not on the main page. it just doesn't give us a very solid position to argue from if you result to name-calling on the main page.
Yeah, don't hate me just because you're stupid.
Hate me because I am always right and YOU are always wrong.
It's becoming very fashionable to bash Senator Hollings "brain"-child. It's was so outragous a proposal that anything less(no matter how badly it bodes for us) would seem "reasonable" by comparison.
I wouldn't fear the current legislation, I'd watch out for the seemingly more moderate bills that are sure to follow. If our beloved under-secretary of commerce (or whatever) thinks the DMCA is well-balanced, then we're sure to see more of the same in coming days.
Be on your toes and don't let down your guard.
Remember: when they want you to "comprimise" it really means they want you to give up half of what you have. All they need is a few cycles of that, and pretty soon, you have nothing.
The anti-gun crowd has been using that tact for quite a while and painting those who refuse to play the game as unreasonable. Expect the same treatment.
They'll get my Linux Distro when they pry it from my cold, dead disk drive!
Don't anthropomorphize computers, they don't like it.
Fascism is a brand of socialism. If you want to fear Fascism, go fear your nearest socialist getting any more power then they already have.
The Pres is NEVER voted in by popular vote. To become POTUS, the delegates of the Electorial College have to elected the person. Nixon could have been a soar loser to JFK, but he bowed out of it in an honorable method. No demanding recounts in Chicago which could have thrown Ill back Nixon because Nixon didn't want to look like a soar loser. Pity Gore didn't have that type of style.
The whole issue of IE intergration is a red hearring. Dual Boot issue should have been the main charge of monopolistic practices. IMO, I really don't care if M$ walks cleanly away. I have Linux, what the hell do I need M$ for?
As far as the other charges of homeless, hunger, health, you better look at the previous administration cuz Bush hasn't changed a damn thing yet as he is continuing Clinton/Gore's policies. That's right, Clinton signed all the above into law. After 8 years of Cliton, the US has nothing to show for it, and that is real shame.
Dammy
Replace "customers" with "citizens". The DMCA is not just anti-consumer (which some could legitimately debate), but removes rights that citizens previously had (reverse engineering, study, personal use, etc.) You can infringe and be guilty, even without ever having a "customer" relationship with the sellers (you may just be curious).
"It's overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill." - Anonymous Slashdot Coward
You RAGING moron. Fascism has no relation whatsoever to socialism. Missed out on PoliSci 101, did you?
Do please go kill yourself and do the world a favor.
Oh, I see, anyone who doesn't agree with you is a whore. That's a great way to win over people's minds. yup.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
I came, I conquered, I coredumped
The comic strip User Friendly has a great strip today about the DMCA..
:-P
Spoiler: It is 'violate the DMCA' sung to the theme song of YMCA...(Muh haw-hahaha)
go fuck yourself
Good lord, no wonder Ralph JewHater Nader reads slashdot so much. With a wife like this, who can't blame him! Everyday, i'm sure it feels like: HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM...
It has to be. Hollywood and RIAA flunkys end up
looking good to their masters, everyone else can
vote against it and claim to be watching out for
consumers.
Is this just a bit of theater for our benefit?
But not in this country when all taxes originate @ their doorstep. I'm going to log an objection simply because I believe that the investment in said legislation will cost MUCH more than any benefits gained by supposed resultant increases in security. The government is simply too far behind the curve to craft a document that might possibly have a deterring effect, and are attempting to make up for being technically illiterate via creative writing. I'm really happy to see you guys flapping your arms around, but the vast majority who get their nuts cut off by these efforts are overwhelmingly law abiding, tax paying citizens. *RING* - oh wait, satan just called and said it's a groovy idea, but can we add FTP, rcp, scp and the entire UDP protocol to the list of illegal online activities, right after ping and any response which can be interpreted as ACK? So what the hell, I resind the above comment...
Just wait till the apply it to portscans. But hey, there's a war against terror! You can be an Enron exec and squander the life savings of thousands of employees away, but I doubt that there will be more than 10 years of jail time done between the lot of them. However, a 19 year old script-kiddie gets a little full of beans and brings down a couple Exchange servers, and it's a lifetime of forced sodomy for him. Yet people still believe in the "justice" system - why the hell not, we get the best justice money can buy!
Now maybe not too polite to call the guy a whore but it's not really stretching the truth either.
This just strikes me as more of the predictable political stances we've come to expect over the last two decades or so. Let's see... a Republican president/administration voicing concern about a bill that is headed up by a Democrat.
I don't give any single politician points for standing on principle here or an iota of credibility. IMO, it's more of the standard attitude, that "it's coming from the other guys so we're suspicious of it" posturing that is so typical.
Just be thankful for now that a Democrat is the one behind this bill (gah... never thought I'd hear myself say that!) If this were a bill being pushed by a Republican, we'd be in deep shit right now.
--Rick
--Rick "If it isn't broken, take it apart and find out why."
I loaded up slashdot, and at the top it said...
This page was generated by a Squad of RIAA Goons for NoMoreNicksLeft (516230).
It's too late, they've already taken over.
If the CSEA passes, all Americans should start worrying. It would indicate our government composed of unreasonable men. Or sufficiently ignorant to be a threat to the way of life we are accustomed to living.
Maybe this will turn out to be just another strawman law, that will be knocked down to
create the appearance of moderate thinking.
This time though we should be producing 'stickers' , 't-shirts' and stuff that people can show and wear in the real world where it will get off-line people taking notice.
Any ideas for a mascot or a logo?
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Check your history books. Your fascist example, Hitler, was democratically elected by the people of Wiemar Germany. Whether a leader was elected by a majority of the people or not has little or no bearing on whether that government or leader is considered fascist. Instead, consider the actions and the policies of that government.
As far as I'm concerned, with the exception of environmental and science issues, the current government is better than life under Clinton. Having to deal with the likes of Boxer and Feinsten in the Senate is enough - no need to give them free access to the White House!
Supposing that this legislation did pass, how the hell would you enforce it. Obviously it would push many legitimate programmers "underground" but isn't the underground big enough already?
An whats to stop someone from opening a shell account offshore and building their software on that server. Can they legally restrict telecommunications to such a server? If not maybe I should invest in off shore shell accounts for development...
I was crazy back when being crazy really meant something. (Charles Manson)
Don't threaten doing a "Alec Balwin" and move away without fighting. At the risk of sounding like a rah-rah flag-waver, this is still the best country on the planet(although there might be an intelligent civilization elsewhere in the galaxy).
Running away means you're taking yourself out of the fight (sheep-like behavior at best).
The only way to beat these idiots and corporate whores is to become very vocal and present a well-reasoned arguement against these encroachments.
If we act like immature jerks, we invalidate our own arguements and give the win to them.
Don't anthropomorphize computers, they don't like it.
/me prepares to get modded to -infinity....
:-P, and I think it
I should start by saying that I loathe the idea of the SSSCA/CBDTPA totally, since it would kill open source, and grant MS a monopoly as they
own the patent on DRM tech in computers. Well, more of a monopoly than they already have =)
But really, how bad is the DMCA (not CBDTPA)? Please correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that the DMCA affects me personally, and
doesn't have to affect most GNU/Linux users.
It seems to me that most posters here talk of the DMCA as if it is something which is impossible to escape. Its not. No one here relies
on DVD movies, or the latest tasteless music from the record companies FOR THEIR SURVIVAL. There are alternatives. There is genuinely
free music from the 'net (mp3.com, etc), or an indie movie festival. Maybe ifilm.com. You can avoid being affected by the DMCA simply
by refusing to make use of protected content.
So, the movie studios and recording industry want the DMCA to protect their content.... Blizzard wants to protected their game server....
So what? Don't like it? Don't buy it, don't pirate it, and DON'T LISTEN TO/WATCH IT. You DO have a choice. Yes, that may mean not having
Tron 2 (when its out) or LOTR, or Warcraft 3 or whatever the latest fad is, but if you really want to take the moral high ground with
these people (media industry), simply crying "I like shiny things" wont help.
For the record, I do think changes need to be made to the DMCA to prevent future cases like the Skyralov case or the Felten case. These
are quite franly sickening; you should not be on dodgy legal ground just for doing encryption research. Some provisions need to be made
for this.
Otherwise, let them keep their stupid DMCA. =) It doesn't affect me, and it WONT AFFECT YOU IF YOU DON'T LET IT. =) The DMCA can ONLY be
applied to specific works, unlike say software patents for instance.
- MrMeanie
P.S. Personally, I use GNU/Linux almost exclusively. I am currently coding an open source program. (not affected at all) I don't have
any illegal MP3s on my system. (I like to take the moral highground and criticise the music recording industry
would be hypocritical of me to complain about their efforts to 'protect' their content if I had illegal music on my system) Despite
having a DVD drive in my computer, the only DVDs I have are cover discs from Linux format magazine. I have no DVD movies, because of
the DMCA and lack of fair use rights; to play a DVD any way I want (ie on Linux) I would have to break the law, therefore I boycott
them. I will continue to boycott any medium which disallows what is commonly called fair use. As far as I can see, I make use of NO
protected content, therefore the DMCA has NO effect.
Those negotiations are the BPDG, a consipiracy of 15-some tech and entertainment companies. They're writing a "standard" that they've asked Hollings to give the FCC the power to give the force of law to. It will be illegal to manufacture or distribute any device or software that can access digital broadcast TV if it doesn't meet the "standard."
And what will the "standard" require? Well, for starters, all tech will have to be "tamper-resistant," which means that you won't be able to tinker with the hardware and software you own. Open source will be illegal.
Those devices that are allowed will only be permitted to incorporate cables and media that limit copying. And new technologies will only be added to the list of permitted tech if Hollywood says so (the standard that the studios have proposed for evaluating new tech is "We'll know it when we see it").
Imagine it: HDTV devices and computers that interface with them will only be allowed to incorporate broken technologies that Hollywood permits. If your computer monitor doesn't include the "approved" inputs, it will be against the law for your computer to output a digital video stream to it. The manufacturer will have two choices:
We all got upset about the Hollings Bill because it would use the force of law to control how a computer could be made. The BPDG will do exactly that -- it's not a "free market middle-ground," it's Hollywood's absolute dominion over your machine.
Don't let 'em fool you -- CBDTPA is just another way of spelling BPDG, and it's a-comin' soon. The BPDG says it'll have its standard finalized by May 17, and no one's even noticing. The BPDG meetings are public (though they cost $100 to attend). There's one coming up in LA on Monday, and wouldn't it be sweet if a couple hundred of us showed up to tell 'em what we think?
If they think the DMCA is "balanced" and that CBDTPA isn't...
Actually, there IS some balance in the DMCA, at least in the text (such as it's reverse-engineer for interoperability clause), but unfortunately, in the DeCSS case, Hillary Rosen and her merry bunch of IP cartel mangates were able to get the DMCA rewritten to not include that.
The CBDTPA doesn't even have any pro-forma acknowlegement of ANY existance of "fair use". But, again, as the DMCA has been enforced so far, there has been NO balance.
Why the commerce department is concerned, is very simple. This law would put the USA at a SERIOUS disadvantage in the world IT marketplace. It would with a stroke of a pen, put the slide rule makers in charge of the computer industry.
It would make open source and free software as we know it illegal. And OSS is where much of the world's software marketshare growth has been occurring...
It's also an incredibly dumb and bad law, one which will likely be almost universally disobeyed. Joe Consumer, who may not yet have been affected by the DMCA will be totally pissed by this.
Indeed, even AFTER CBDTPA OS's and hardware comes out, it should be possible for an OS like Linux to completely bypass any such restrictions, as it is the OS, after all, that controls the hardware.
Frankly, I'm amazed that this thing is even being introduced. There is already a lot of resistance to the DMCA, that is already opposed to this law. Also, academia is starting to get involved. The DMCA has already caused:
1. A respected professor (Felten) to fear presenting an ACADEMIC PAPER.
2. A whole application (DeCSS) to be banned simply because it COULD be used to break CSS encryption for the purpose of burning DVD's without it, ignoring the fact that *EVERY* DVD player ever sold does just this, and the fact that it's purpose was to allow the creation of an open source OS DVD player...
Indeed, the introduction of DVD-R drives to the market, and the ease of copying DVD's on them pretty much destroys the circular logic used to convince "judge" Kaplan (who needed little convincing, he rather was looking for an excuse) to ban DeCSS.
3. Has resulted in LINKS to sites not liked by the IP cartel being banned. This despite there is no legal precedent, and nothing in the DMCA that specifies this. This is by far the weakest part of so-called "judge" Kaplan's ruling.
The Commerce department is more concerned with the market implications. No matter how much the US strongarms, there will be some place that doesn't have this law, and that country will have the chance to surpass ALL countrys with CBDTPA in IT, the largest growth industry in the world.
=== The price of freedom is eternal vigilance
This is highly speculative and relates to economic science, so please disregard the comment if you don't see my point. Here it is...
I think the US economy needs it's people to pay $20 for 1 or 2 songs on each almbum that they like. They need you to spent $600 on office. In fact, they need you to spend most of your money on high profit consumer goods.
Why? You that you can earn such a high income as a society. Because they can sell you 100^20 copies of office, 100^20 madonna CDs, and 100^20 CPUs without pushing the real sources much. On the other hand, real resources (food, houses, cars) can't grow much easily. They have a lower profit and really limited resources.
So you can earn $20.000 a month, but if you don't spend much of it in stupid stuff (high profit = low marginal cost) then prices of real stuff would LIKE IT OR NOT, skyrocket. And you'll find you are all poor guys like in many countries. So to be rich, you need to HAVE TO PAY $20 a CD, $600 for office, $500 for photoshop and $20 a DVD. Then that money goes back to some coporations that buy REAL resources aboard. And you can then dominate.
So my conclusion is that people in the US are better off buying CDs at $15 or $20 a piece, and paying a lot for software and anything that has huge profit margins. That dilutes the REAL spendings (low profit stuff, pushing resource limits) and allows the dolar and the US to "_expect_ this and that" from the rest of the world "or face the consecuences".
Bottom line: don't complain, it's in your best interest to pay a lot for what IS CHEAP.
unfinished: (adj.)
That the Founders weren't wise enough to end the Bill of Rights as it started:
"Congress shall make no law"...
Every law passed (and there are thousands every year), at the state, local, and federal level creates a new crime and takes away some freedom. And people wonder why we are becoming a Lawyerocracy?
With the million or so laws on the books nationwide, it's IMPOSSIBLE for even the most law abiding citizen to go though any given day, week, month, or year without breaking many...
Which is slavery. The law should be simple, and understandable by all.
We are supposed to be a Republic, based on majority rule through representatives, with civil rights protected by a Constitution. Tell me, anyone, how the DMCA or CBDTPA serves the majority interest, or isn't contrary to the Constitution?
=== The price of freedom is eternal vigilance
I don't know if i understand this well. You mean, for example, that any country could (as an example) grow it's nation per capita income in $20, provided everyone in their society buys one more CD that previusly they previously bought?
Then what matters next beign what the companies selling those CDs do with their money (taxes, pushing patent laws in other countries, etc?).
Seems like a nice point i have never seen before...
The CBDTPA essentially says: The RIAA and MPAA are good entities, and are being ripped off by the Internet, that was solely created for piracy. So, the only real solution is to turn the computer in to an expensive TV, and making anything that COULD be used for piracy, but probably isn't, illegal. Sad, but thats how the bill reads to me. THe average American would probably say the same thing. But guess what? Most don't even know what the CBDTPA is. FoxNEWS, CNN, and ABC are all owned by companies that back the CBDTPA. Its not going to get reported, and when geeks like us blast this bill after it passes(God Forbid), the news will tell people that piracy is a massive problem and that this bill doesn't do anything but eliminate it. If it passes, I'm convincing all my friends and family to buy brand-new state of the art systems that will last for many years and installing all the software I can get my hands on on these PCs. They can't take away those rights, can they? Then, when the bill becomes active, I'm sitting pretty with high-tech hardware, a DVD burner, Linux and many bits of software that the CBDTPA would outlaw. Of course, it may effect OSS, but since the code is available, you can just remove the offending code. Is it even enforcable? There are thousands of programs available at Sourceforge alone. Come on, the CBDTPA would require TETRIS games to have copy protection inside. If the bill passes, stock up on software and hardware. I mean, get a 1/2 terabyte RAID 0 array. Use Sorcerer/Gentoo and make a 100% updated version of Linux. Buy hundreds of CD-Rs. Build/Buy an MP3 Player. Get Filesharing programs, and share like mad. Buy any commercial software you need/want. Move, do whatever it takes to avoid the bill. Don't buy CDs. Don't buy movies. Go to concerts, and record your music live. There is NO way I want my computer to become an expensive TV. That can't record content. Send your senators mail, telling them to vote against it, or lose their jobs. It isn't the tech industry's job to solve another industry's problem. This bill would give them full rein over OUR computers and technology. Imagine going into a store, buying a CD, going home, putting it in your PC, and your PC tells you that you can only listen to it on a $200 CBDTPA CD Player. You can't rip the songs, and burn them to custom mixes or anything. And you can't play a DVD on your computer, but they have DVD-ROM content. Go figure. FIGHT THIS BILL, SINCE IT TURNS PCS INTO EXPENSIVE TVS!
Slashdot is a waste of time. I enjoy wasting time.
And let the PEOPLE do the PEOPLE's business, which is passing laws. We need a Tammany Hall like operation
http://www.mrbrklyn.com/amsterdam.html http://www.brooklyn-living.com
This shows (again) that the political system called by Americans as Democracy is not that democratic. Where is the statement "From the people, for the people"?
The representatie system the way it is implemented today only represents big corporations and business associations, both capable of keeping expensive lobbies so the legislators can legislate as their will, not as the people needs.
The status quo are supported including for those who controls the media. Ideas like this will never become popular. Don't let them control your opinion, think for yourselves.
-=-=-=-=
I know life isn't fair, but why can't it ever be un-fair in MY favor!?
So, the CBDTPA, so ridiculous it has me wondering whether it's nothing more than a distraction from
focusing on the DMCA. I mean, it seamed as things were starting to move or focus on the validity of the DMCA and then the CBDTPA came along... and then comments like this guy made proclaiming the DMCA as 'middle ground'. ugh.
So, instead, paying attention to this comment:
In a speech last week, Rogan said that "negotiations are presently underway among hardware manufacturers and content owners to develop improved means for protecting online content," and legislators should wait for results before voting on a proposal such as the Hollings bill.
We see that the Bush administration instead wants this settled out of public view, in secret negotiations.
Yes, that would technically leave hardware manufacturers free to produce unencumbered devices, but that won't do any good when the mainstream media has copyright protections in the path of accessibility. Then it just becomes the whole deCSS case to view DVD's on unencumbered Linux all over again.
As long as so-called content providers (MPAA, et al) can get a reasonable majority of the mainstream manufacturers to go along, there will be insufficient public outcry to stop them and those who don't wish to give up their fair use liberties will be left out in the cold.
-Robert
Mac OS X users should check out SlashDock, which is also free and has similar functionality. It sits in the dock and polls the XML feeds of the sites you select (you can add new ones too), and flashes the icons of new stories when they appear.
How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
"...a claim that marks him for a corporate whore, but it seems that there are some things even whores won't do."
Nice way to earn allies, asshole.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Do you people not read Lawyerpoint? Rogan is working in the background to get most of CBDTPA accepted without passing CBDTPA (through voluntary standards-setting, but with that legislation hanging around in the air, how much of the tech industry's involvement is 'voluntary' and how much is 'I will participate to prevent a worse disaster')
Sex workers provide a valuable service to their clients, harming nobody else in the process. A site like Slashdot shouldn't insult them by comparing them to the scum that run corporations and the government.
(I don't normally post this kind of thing so bare with me this time...)
That's the most intelligent piece of political commentary I've ever seen on the Net. Send it to 5!
Especially: The law should be simple, and understandable by all. Is that not the truth?
If you don't like the bias here, it's simple, go somewhere else. Slashdot has always had an anti-corporate stance, so if you like being a whore, why don't you visit imacorprateshill.com instead, fatboy?
God is real unless declared integer.
Go to DC. Find yourself a Sentator. 'Nuff said.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
From the actual text of the bill:
(3) DIGITAL MEDIA DEVICE. -- The term "digital media device" means any hardware or software that -- (A) reproduces copyrighted works in digital form; (B) converts copyrighted works in digital form into a form whereby the images and sounds are visible or audible; or (C) retrieves or accesses copyrighted works in digital form and transfers or makes available for transfer such works to hardware or software described in subparagraph (B).
Seems to me the only software that would be effected would be CD/DVD writers, media players, web/mail servers, ftp and napster like stuff, mails clients, web browsers, and possibly other stuff I'll think of once I hit the sumbit button.
The great advantage of having a reputation for being stupid: People are less suspicious of you.
Refugees exist because smart people know when to get the hell out of the way. You don't call a smart pesant a coward because they managed to get out while the rest of the village has been neatly killed and buried. You call them smart. Smart AND lucky.
Every new form of media has it's own Requirimento
Metal and Wood
It is a rare person who does not attach some sort of value or emotion to some physical object or to an event. A home becomes more than a building. A statue of the Virgin Mary, a crucifix, a flag or a song, or even a photograph can stir emotions greater than the value of the material item.
I have a piece of paper showing I served in the military until I was discharged honorably. But, oh, the memories that piece of paper conjures up. The friends, the fun times. The bad times. The times when we were bound closer to strangers than to our own families and, in frightening chaos, our lives hung by a thread. Many of our friends died far from home. Ask us about the feeling of "American soil" upon returning to the land we loved. Ask those returning soldiers about America.
Remember the old, faintly humorous band of American Legionnaires, wearing out-dated military uniforms straining at the buttons. But, God how proudly they marched. Grinning, waving to friends and families, and always, always "The Flag!" Ask them if the flag is mere cloth, I dare you.
See the elderly lady sitting in a lawn chair watching the fourth of July parade. Three flags carefully folded some forty years ago into triangles now rest in her lap - one for each lost son. Ask her if those flags are mere cloth, I dare you.
Look at the old man quietly crying, leaning against the Iwo Jiima Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. As he turns to you, smiles with some embarrassment, and says in a choked whisper, "I was there." Ask him, "Is it just metal and clay?" Ask him. I dare you.
The Wall. My God, the Wall. See the young man lightly tracing the name of his father there inscribed. Ask him if its just rock. Ask him. I dare you.
My guns? They're of little real value compared to my family and my home. They are toys, or tools, or both. But what those guns represent to me is greater than all of us, greater than myself, my family, indeed greater than our entire generation. What could be of such value?
The freedom of man to live within civil, self-imposed limitations rather than under restrictions placed upon him by a ruler or a ruling class.
Imagine the daring, the bravery of a few men to declare they intended to create a new country, independent of the burden of their established Rulers!
Those men we call our forefathers were brilliant men. They could have maneuvered themselves into positions of influence within the structure of the times, but they did not. They struggled to free themselves from tyranny. They wrote the Declaration of Independence. And they backed up their words and ideals with metal and wood.
They knew the dangers of such dreams and actions. They knew it was a frightening and dangerous venture into the unknown when they dared reach beyond their grasp for a vision - for an ideal. But they dared to dedicate themselves to achieve Liberty and Freedom for their children, and their children's children, through the generations.
Imagine the dreams and yearnings of centuries finally being reduced to the written word. The Rights of "We the People!" instead of the "Powers of the Monarchy."
Our forefathers dared to create a new government - a new form of government. And they knew that any organization has, as its first and foremost goal, its continued existence. Second only to that it strives to increase its power. It plots, it devises, it maneuvers to achieve control over its environment - over its subjects.
Our Forefathers decided to make America different from any country, anywhere, at any time in the entire history of the entire world. This country, this new nation of immigrants, would be based upon the concept that people could rule themselves better than any single person or small group of persons could rule them.
Other countries have had outstanding documents with guarantees for its citizens - but the citizens have become enslaved. How, these great men pondered, can we ensure this new government will remain subject to the will of the People?
They wanted limits upon this new government. Therefore, our forefathers wrote limitations into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And one of those Rights was that metal and wood, as the final power of the people, would secure this country for the future generations.
Metal and wood were the means by which we won our freedom.
Metal and wood were the means by which we kept our freedom.
Metal and wood may be the means by which we regain our freedom.
Metal and wood are the final power of the people. Take away the metal and wood and the people become powerless - they can only beg, they supplicate for favors.
We are unique in our ability to rule ourselves but we are letting it slip away. Today we compromise. We try to appease man's insatiable appetite for power by throwing him bits of our freedoms. But the insatiable appetite for power can not be appeased. The freedoms we feed him only make us weaker and him stronger.
We must conquer him and again ensure the "Blessings of Liberty" won for us by our forefathers.
We must be ready to use metal and wood again, for if we are ready, truly ready, we may be able to conquer the monster with words - for in its heart it is a coward. But if we continue to feed the monster our freedoms, we will become too weak to win, to weak even to fight, and we will become a conquered people. We will have sold ourselves and our future generations into servitude.
If words fail us, we will use metal and wood, we will regain what we have lost, we will achieve what we seek, we will guarantee the America of our forefathers for the future generations.
So you see, our guns are more than metal and wood. They are our heritage of freedom. They are the universally understood symbol that the government, no matter how big and strong it may be, answers to us! They are the tools we will use to prevent tyranny in the land of our forefathers and our children. So, ask me what my guns mean to me. Ask my children what our guns mean to them. Ask us. I dare you.
Dennis Bateman
Nice try, thanks for playing.
/., Mr. Baldwin.
I wasn't born with privledge, nor was my family wealthy. I earned my own way. In this country such things are possible and happen every day.
All that it takes is the will and to refuse to play the victim. With your defeatist attitude, you've lost before you even begin to compete. Don't think like a sheep. Be a wolf. survive. win. sheesh.
And on that note, Welcome to
Don't anthropomorphize computers, they don't like it.
Delivery boys for the DMCA as bought and paid for by the MPAA and RIAA. You think it's no coincidence that Hollywood gives about 10 times as much money to Democrats than Republicans?
And when the shit was about to hit the fan, Enron called Reich and got him to try and call off the dogs since he worked at one of the banks Enron owed a lot of $$$$ to.
That doesn't seem to be in the NYT. But then again neither does the DNC chairman's affiliation with the Global Crossing bankruptcy get much press, either.
Before you get on your high horse, you would do well to remember that it was your pal Slick Willie who signed the DMCA into law. [...] Left-wingers have never been known to let the truth get in the way of an argument, though...why do you think we had eight years of lies, quibbles, and equivocations?
... one man was even drawn and quartered for copyright violation in merry old England back in the 17th century IIRC).
For the same reason we had 12 years of lies, quibbles, and equivocations before that [Reagan-Bush Sr] (including the sale of what were likely CIA drugs on American streets, Iran-Contra, and a war in the middle-east that was either engineered or a result of amazingly incompetent diplomacy), 4 years of the same before that [Carter], Eight years of the same before that [Nixon-Ford], etc. ad nauseum, back to probably within a generation or two of the founding of the Republic.
The draconian controls Copyright Cartels enjoy under the current legal regime over our popular culture, the draconian laws being enacted to impose an unnatural economic regime (capitalism as envisioned through monopolistic intellectual property regimes) on a domain with no inherent scarcity (electronic media and, specifically the internet) that will likely make the old Soviet attempt at doing something similiar (trying to impose an unrealistic communisim on a world of natural scarcity) look postively liberal in comparison, and the unconstitutional precedence copyright is taking over freedom of speech (despite the fact that virtually every constitutional scholar will point out that Amendmensts, even the first one, always take precedence over their antecedents when they conflict, and thus freedom of speech should constitutionally trump copyright every time) are neither a democratic or republican issue, and attempts to argue this in those terms are bound to result in failure.
Both parties have colluded in passing numerous extentions to the duration of copyright since the 1970s, legislatively robbing the public domain of its constitutionally guaranteed material.
Both parties passed the Sony Bono copyright extention act, which retroactively and unconstitutionally removed material from the public domain.
Both parties passed the DMCA, criminalizing copyright violation for the first time in American history (though not for the first time in western history
Both parties have been in bed with the Moghuls of Old Guard Media, be they recording companies, Hollywood Studios, or television networks stealing billions in public airways for a pittance.
Both parties have blatently accepted legalized bribes and allowed their respective interests to purchase legislation in flagrant contradiction to the public interest, and with open scorn for the same.
In short, politicians in both parties have earned the moniker of "whore" quite publicly, and the only real criticism of the term that is warrented is the lack of the adjective "cheap." How else can one describe selling out one's multi-trillion dollar nation, and multi-billion dollar growth industries, for a few hundred thousand in campagin donations (a total of a few tens of millions for the party, including all soft monies). These people, democrats and republicans alike, are not just whores, nor are they just "corporate" whores, they are cheap whores, who have sold every American man, woman, and child down the river for a pittance.
That all having been said, may I suggest you concentrate on fighting together to prevent further ravagement of our freedoms by both parties. The struggle for freedom of thought and expression, against the copyright and intellectual property regimes being forced down our throats by a particular, concentrated special interest, is a non-partison one, and the enemies to the same are most emphatically non-partison, for they encompass many in BOTH parties. This partisan bickering of conservatives vs. liberals misses the whole point, is divisive and hell, and quite frankly undermines your ability to act effectively in countering these attacks.
In other words, if you remain partisan and distracted from the issues you will have not only been divided, but very effectively conquered, before the battle is even joined.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
Great. Restrictions on people are OK but restrictions on non-natural entities are BAD? Please!
FiRsT P0sT!!!!! I rox0r! You all sux0r! This is my 37th FP! Cehck out this page[goatse.cx] I 0wn j00 all!!!!! First post!!!!!!!