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Open Debate Between RIAA VP And DMCA Critic

Posted by timothy on from the record-it-from-the-audience dept.

A GW student writes "The George Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science along with the Cyberspace Policy Institute are sponsoring some kind (hasn't really been decided yet) of debate between Stanley Pierre-Louis, Vice President Legal Affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America and Professor James Boyle of Duke Law School. Remember, Prof. Boyle just received an anonymous $1 million to fight the DMCA. The event is open to the public. It will take place on Tuesday October 8 in Washington, DC on GW's campus. The abstract and other details are here. Stick around, and the next day you can go to the Supreme Court to see Lawrence Lessig argue Eldred v. Ashcroft."

3 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. A nice thought by balloonhead · · Score: 4, Insightful
    It's a nice touch that subjects could be debated in a high profile manner before they are established law (these laws are still in relative infancy), but if this doesn't change anything, then what's the point?

    It would be good if they would encourage open debate on such subjects before they became la though, but I suppose any law which is bought in the interests of big business is at best one-sided.

    --
    This idea was invented by Shampoo.
  2. One nitpicking problem by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Service such as Napster made perfect copies of any recording instantaneously available anywhere in the world.

    Although this is possible, it is certainly not the case. Mp3s are not 'perfect digital copies', yet mp3s are the files that (for the most part) are being ditributed. Perhaps when broadband gives us LAN speeds, we'll see wav files being traded to the point of mp3s. Until then, 'perfect digital copies' (of music) still require access to the origial media. (For most people.)

    Most people can still listen to their cassettes and scratchy records and be fine with the imperfections, so mp3s with their ease of storage and portabillity won't be going away anytime soon. People want a convenient way to listen to music, be it 8-tracks, Cds, cassettes, LPs, mp3s, or what-have-you. Wav files aren't that convenient. Yet.

  3. Open door.... by Dark+Nexus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I just hope there aren't any fanatics in the crowd. There's a fine line between supporting your cause and driving others away from it, and there are people out there that can't see that line.

    At worst, I hope the more sensible people shout down the fanatics that are on the same side.

    --
    Dark Nexus
    "Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."