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Hilary Rosen from RIAA will write Iraq's Copyrights?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-thats-just-plain-creapy dept.

sould writes "The Register is reporting that Hilary Rosen is to assist in writing Iraq's Intellectual Property laws. Can't have those Iraqi's pirating Eminem now can we?"

65 of 728 comments (clear)

  1. Another cruel regime? by ChaoticChaos · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought that when we ousted Sadaam, that meant the end of cruel and merciless regimes for the Iraqi people. ;-)

    I wonder if the Republican Guard will instinctively rally around Ms. Rosen? ;-)

    1. Re:Another cruel regime? by grumpygrodyguy · · Score: 4, Funny

      I wonder if the Republican Guard will instinctively rally around Ms. Rosen? ;-)

      Yes, but they will truly fear Chemical Valenti.

      --
      The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
    2. Re:Another cruel regime? by Ponty · · Score: 3, Funny

      Rock on, d00d. Proper spelling = conformity.

    3. Re:Another cruel regime? by SEWilco · · Score: 5, Funny
      "The song stealers are committing suicide by the hundreds against the unbreakable firewalls of the Iraqi Isolation Ministry."

      "There are no MP3s in Baghdad International Airport. They were burned with the infidels that tried to bring them in."

      "RIAA Shock Troops have attacked file servers and found that they feared retribution for misbehavior so much that they never performed their intended IP peonism. All disk drives will be decently covered and are continually monitored with the finest Iraqi headphones."

      "There never have been independent bands in Iraq and they were chased out of garages which were promptly filled with imported APC and other quality imported cars."

      "This space for rent. Bids for sponsorship of next week are in the RIAA eBay store."

      "Sneaky steak-eating snakes sneaking stolen songs stung stunned since submarine scuba shockers swung soulless soundless smash sticks Sunday."

      "A giant eraser rubbed out music thieves and none were found in a survey of our offices today."

      "The Iraqi Copyright Office thanks all those who donated the ownership of music to the good of the State by registering Iraq as holding the copyright last year."

      "Rumors fly that a musician was using D-flat last month. Our investigators have not been able to find such a violation of international agreements, but we continue to monitor for violations of D-armament controls."

      "There certainly could be no willingness to flagrantly endanger the public by placing uncontrolled music in residential areas. Some reckless individuals distributed rumors of a party two days ago, but careful inspection of the rubble after the artillery barrage has shown no proof that such a danger ever existed near the Euphrates. Our precision area bombardment guardsmen are ever vigilant."

      "Disco ball spotted by sniper. Destroyed same."

  2. Look at the bright side! by 1010011010 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone might shoot her!

    --
    Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
    1. Re:Look at the bright side! by Rinikusu · · Score: 5, Funny

      I find that remark to be shallow, callous, and very very horrible. To wish death upon a person simply because her viewpoints are different from yours is completely barbaric.

      Maybe someone will throw a jar of acid in her face, instead.

      --
      If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  3. Aha! by Captain+Rotundo · · Score: 4, Funny

    And to think everyone thought the bombing was the "Shock & Awe" part of the campaign....

    1. Re:Aha! by BigBadBri · · Score: 4, Funny
      Hilary Rosen - Dubya's 'Shocking Whore'?

      Perhaps she'll make it illegal to crack the Code of Hammurabi ...

      --
      oh brave new world, that has such people in it!
  4. This is just plain absurd... by Jerk+City+Troll · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As if the Iraqi people were not burried in oppression, now we're going to mire them up in US patent and IP nonsense. By the time we're through, the people will never have a foothold to get any technological endeavor off the ground. They'll be forever burried by our stupid laws. Of course, bad patent & IP laws are better than being murdered by your government, it's still kind of a sinister trade. The Iraqi people have no idea what we may be getting them into -- until they try to make any significant advances in the global technology industry. Someone explain to me how this isn't colonization?

    --
    Join Tor today!
    1. Re:This is just plain absurd... by sigep_ohio · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Someone explain to me how this isn't colonization?"

      Cause GWBush says it ain't.

      --
      Beer Die is the game of champions Learning To walk my own path.
    2. Re:This is just plain absurd... by gilesjuk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They're writing a copyright law for a country that needs clean water and food? give us a break.

      So much for the self rule of Iraq.

    3. Re:This is just plain absurd... by cetan · · Score: 5, Funny

      Only because he can't pronounce "colonization" properly.

      --
      In Soviet Russia...michael would be rotting in Siberia!
    4. Re:This is just plain absurd... by sigep_ohio · · Score: 3, Funny

      man, I tried but couldn't think af a good reason for why he would say it ain't colonization. Thankfully you came through in the clutch.

      --
      Beer Die is the game of champions Learning To walk my own path.
    5. Re:This is just plain absurd... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes but putting the great satan in charge of the department of good is a insane idea.

      Anyone who though that this self servicing wench can do anything but creat massive harm to the IRAQI people and their image of the United States is a complete and utter moron.

      Crips, why dont we put the Menendez brothers in charge of the family relations ministry? or how about Charles Manson as the head of the crime investigation division?

      Both Rosen and Valenti are the most evil and nasty people on this planet willing to sacrifice everyone and everything to twist things for their own gain. I have more respect for an Ambulance chaser lawyer or a crack dealer than either of these people.. and we are going to put one of them in a place to influence a delicate rebuilding?

      Whoever said yes to Rosen needs to be publically impaled.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    6. Re:This is just plain absurd... by Jonny+Ringo · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, Its part of the rebuilding plan of the U.S. stock market.

    7. Re:This is just plain absurd... by maxpublic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Bullshit. As an American I find the entire operation offensive in the extreme. It's nothing more than colonialism, pure and simple, with a good dollop of dick-measuring added in so that King George can prove to the world that his willy is much more impressive than it appears at first glance.

      The fact that my own people are such fucking ignoramuses, willing to piss away the very concept of liberty just so they can convince themselves that they're superior to everyone else, is just plain sickening. If it were select individuals acting through the government via coup it would be one thing; but the fact of the matter is is that most of my fellow citizens are becoming more and more Orwellian with each passing day.

      To be an American right now is shameful. And the worst thing about it is that the vast majority of Americans *like* how things are going and only wish to shred the Constitution, and the ideals upon which it's based, even more than they've already done. Iraq is just a result of the ever-burgeoning desire for dictatorship, a dictatorship which it appears they wish to impose world-wide.

      It's enough to put any sane person off their feed.

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  5. More important issues! by ShwAsasin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Rather than waste time writing copyright laws, why don't they fix their infrastructure, health/education systems and provide essential services. No offense to copyright holders (I myself being one of them) but basic human rights should come before protecting whats yours.

    1. Re:More important issues! by keesh · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Protecting what's yours is a basic human right.

    2. Re:More important issues! by fobbman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dr. Kevorkian has already been pegged to be their Health Minister.

    3. Re:More important issues! by enjo13 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That's a large part of the point for the RIAA. While Iraq is busy rebuilding it's infrastructure they can effectively impose their brand of IP law on these people with very little in the way of actual resistance.

      To your average Iraqi, who CARES if they have no concept of fair use.. after all they have no running water, much less a CD burner.

      This is not without precedent. In the wake of WWII our media conglomerates also imposed similiar types of oppressive IP law in France and West Germany which basically shut down their film makers..

      --
      Turn s60 photos into awesome videos with mScrapbook for all S60 3rd edition phones!
    4. Re:More important issues! by vidarh · · Score: 5, Informative
      Something you have copyright on isn't yours. It's something you have been granted a temporary monopoly on the commercial exploitation on as an incentive from the government for commercial support to advance science, art and culture and to foster innovation.

      Copyright law is entirely separate from property law, and as such "intellectual property" as a term is an attempt to sell the concept of copyright as a property right to lessen the outcry over the continuous attack on fair use and the public domain.

    5. Re:More important issues! by JordanH · · Score: 4, Insightful
      • Protecting what's yours is a basic human right.

      Yes, but the point that's being overlooked here is that copyrights don't have anything to do with "what's yours". Copyrights are a grant of exclusive use, for a limited time, by the Government. It is not really a property right.

      One can no more own a work protected by copyright than a rancher who is grazing BLM lands owns the land his livestock are standing on.

      I do think these important distinctions are being blurred. A lot of people seem to think they own ideas and others think that private property is a grant by the state. I'm not looking forward to the day when either of these beliefs become true.

    6. Re:More important issues! by EinarH · · Score: 4, Informative
      Protecting what's yours is a basic human right.
      Actually, copyright is not covered by the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
      If you are thinking of article 17....;
      (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

      (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

      ... it covers as you see property, as in houses, farms, cars, companies etc. NOT copyrights.

      Of course Iraq needs proper legislation/laws on this subject, but if you think they (US administartion)are doing this to protect Iraqi copyright holders I think you SERIOUSLY need to rethink your opinion.

      I thinks thinks [INSERT disclaimer that maybe the Reg. article aint correct] that this with other stories; for example USA protecting one Minstry in Bagdad; the Minestry of Oil, shows what the real motivation behind the Iraq-war was.
      No, I'm not saying that the invasion came because of copyrights or oil alone, thats just a bonus. When someone invade acountry they get to decide the legislation/laws inside that country. But selecting, among others; Hillary Rosen to help doing this says a lot about the current administartion.

      After the defeat/collapse of the Third Reich/Nazi-Germany it probably went over a year befor they though about copyrights. IMHO that probably was a good thing. Other needs are far more important than copyrights right now. People are dying inside Iraq and you are thinking on copyrights?
      Shame on you.

      --

      Melius mori in libertate quam vivere in servitute.

  6. Nice tidbit by Aviancer · · Score: 5, Insightful
    With the effective collapse of the UN's food program, it's nice to see Rosen's humanitarian impulses remain untarnished by war.


    Guess somebody has their priorities straight...

  7. This might be worth it... by Garg · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... if they make her wear veils all the time.

    Garg

    --
    Garg
    Alumnus, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
  8. I just gave a speech on evil ways of the RIAA by phaetonic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Did you know that there is a 2% surcharge on all CD recorders sold that goes directly to the RIAA, and a 2% hidden tax associated with the AHRA that is collected by the RIAA to give to artists, yet only roughly 36% of that 2% goes to the artist. www.boycott-riaa.com

  9. How about this - Bitter protest against copyrights by argoff · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I said I didn't have an incentive to grow oranges uness I could plant a tree in your yard, or if I said I didn't have an incentive to grow cotton unless I could own slaves on the plantation, most people would see this is these as the worthless shallow arguments that they are. But if I said I didn't have an incentive to to make beneficial or creative works without a copyright monopoly, then all of a sudden people just take it on faith, they don't even question it, they just assume that society would fall apart without them. In my humble opinion, this is intellectually dishonest, especially considering that the entire Renassance happened without copyrights.

    The simple fact is, there is no equivalency relationship between copyrights and property rights - incentive does not a right make. The moral and historical foundation of property derives from the fact that property has physical limits, while the foundation of copyrights dervives from kings who granted publishers monopolies in return for not publishing bad things about the monarchy. The history of Copyrights is not one of rights, but controll of sharing and restricting the open use of knowledge.

    That is why people who copy are not criminals, thiefs, or akin to pirates who board ships and murder people. No, infact they are really victims of a cruel deception. A deception that copyrights somehow financially benefit artists and creators. The simple fact is, that for every artist that makes it "big" there are litterally thousands who copyrights haven't helped a bit, even hindered, or destroyed.

    However, this is not the only failure of copyrights - it is just one in many issues related to copyrighrts that are just blown off ignored, or glossed over. Like the failures of Hollywood culture, the failures of big media to provide quality material, the failures to provide reasonably priced books to college students while tabloids are dirt cheap, and massive anti-trust behavior in the software industry to name a few.

    While the problems associated with copyrights might have been bearable 20 years ago when the biggist issue was Xerox machines, today we are entering into the information age where information is so easy to copy and manipulate that there can be no middle ground. Our society will either half to controll all of it or none of it. Our communications will either half to be monitored or free, our privacy to be either contunuiously probed or protected

    In that sense, copyrights are like a vine that will never stop growing to choke off our freedoms until we cut it off at the root. The DMCA, infinite extensions, billion dollar lawsiuts, are all just symptoms of a poor belief system - not the cause. So the efforts to find a "middle ground" on copyrights are a failure because they do not address the core issue. That contrary to copyrights, the right to copy and distribute creative works and knowledge is a right!

    Like freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, the right to copy things is a right that exists above government. It is a moral right, it is an inherent right, it defines the very nature of the human condition. It is beyond politics and the petition of leaders.

    In fact, the entire foundation of politics rests on the notion that it's better to fight wars with words than wars with bloodshed. But to copy things does not require coercion or viloence at all, the rules are not the same. We will not change the copyright situation by petitioning our leaders, or voteing to change the system. No it can only be changed by defiance.

    Defiance by holding the belief that people have rights, even if those rights appear contrary to the popular mob or to the system. Defiance, by shedding off the guilt and shame that those who try to impose copyrights impose on us and understanding that they are the ones who should be guilty and shamefull. Defiance by copying and sharing creative works whenever we have acess to them. Defiance by using technologies that make it harder and harder for copyrights to be imposed upon us. And defi

  10. Right by machine+of+god · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Why are we writing their laws. We seriously have no business doing that. I mean, basic stuff like no murder, ok, but this?

    Or maybe we're going to write the laws, and then if their elected representative doesn't enforce them, we'll get a new representative. Or even better, we could help enforce them ourselves. Joy.

  11. I wonder if... by acidrain69 · · Score: 5, Funny

    this is why she retired/is retiring? Maybe it wasn't about Oil... it was really about securing all that Iraqi IP and Music! The REAL conspiracy is uncovered!

    --
    -- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
  12. This will most certainly help by truthsearch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This will most certainly help the poor image of the US in the middle east. We're showing our strong corporate interests. It's such a nice, clean, humanitarian image the US partrays, isn't it?

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  13. Oh, the irony by techstar25 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is ironic since the Iraqi Information Minister has apparently been writing the RIAA's sales statistics reports.

  14. Good to know by Skyshadow · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, it's refreshing that rather than being saddled laws which are based on wisdom and forward-thinking ideals, the Iraqis will be able to skip straight to having laws based on short-sighted greed.

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
  15. No doubt they will hate us... by jalilv · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this will make Iraqis hate Americans more and more. For God's sake please stay away from imposing our rules (and ways) on them. Thats probably the last thing you want to do if you want to prove that we are there for liberation and not to force ourselves on them.

    Jalil Vaidya

  16. Iraqi IP Minister? by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Funny
    "...there is no fair use! Fair use has not been seen within 300 miles of Baghdad! The power of copyright is absolute and unwavering, and it shall crush the infidels that would steal Iraqi music!"

    Hillary "Heinous Hil" Rosen, Iraqi I.P. Minister

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  17. Excuse me but ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Isn't this equivalent to having Michael Jackson run a child care center???

  18. Constrasting sharply with this... by Cutriss · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Bush lauded the work being done to restore basic services and order in Iraq after Saddam's ouster, but warned "the building of a new Iraq will take time." He said the United States will help Iraqis create a democratic society.

    "America has no intention of imposing our form of government or our culture," he said. "Yet we will ensure that all Iraqis have a voice in the new government and all citizens have their rights protected."

    My emphasis added. That's what Bush said in a speech in Michigan on Monday to Iraqi-Americans. Guess we're tossing that one out the window...

    --
    "Mod, mod, mod...and another troll bites the dust."
  19. Re:Enough!!! by sigep_ohio · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Liberated is such an open word, I would say more like removed the oppressive dictator so that relations between our two countries will be less strained. This would, hopefully, open up trade and give the West a foothold in the Middle East. All in the hopes of moving more Middle Eastern states to more western points of view(ie. democracy, capitolism, stop attacking America, etc). While not necesarily colonization, our motives were not completely alturistic, IMO.

    --
    Beer Die is the game of champions Learning To walk my own path.
  20. Cultural Imperialism by seven89 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This news proves, in a weird way, that the recent war was about imposing "our" will (the will of a few well-connected insiders, actually) on Iraq, not on bringing it democracy.

    I'm reminded of the lyrics of on old Phil Ochs tune (and may the ghost of Phil forgive me if my quoting violates any of his rights):

    We'll ram through the streets of the cities we wreck
    And we'll find you a leader that you can elect.
    (Those treaties we signed were a pain in the neck!)
    'Cause we're the cops of the world, boys, we're the cops of the world.
    --

    ----------
    Manifesto for the Peoples of the Third Millennium

  21. Re:Crazy by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Funny
    These old-school legal systems usually try to fit the punishment to the crime. In order to more harmoniously integrate elements from Western IP law with the pre-existing system, I propose the following:

    Pirate a movie: Gouge out eyes
    Pirate a CD: Chop off ears
    Pirate software: Amputate soft tissue: goodbye buttocks
    Steal cable service: Death by hanging with coax cable noose
    Hack into system: Hacked to death with meat cleaver
    Mod-chipping game box: Death by soldering iron

  22. LetMeGetThisStraight ?!?!?!?! by AftanGustur · · Score: 4, Insightful


    A US corporate figure is going to have a word about how future LAW will look like in Iraq ???

    If there was any doubt that the USA is just acting in the interests of it's corporations, then that doubt is now dead.

    --
    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
  23. Re:How about this - Bitter protest against copyrig by no+reason+to+be+here · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Copyrights can and do benefit artists, when applied correctly. All the problems of the present copyright system are an outgrowth of the misapplication of copyright.

    Copyright is supposed to benefit the whole of society by making sure that creative people get some recompense for being creative. Furthermore, the copyright laws of the US include a provision for fair use (like burning a disc for your friend); however, we currently have a copyright system that exists soley for the profit of CEO's. Copyrights now never expire, making them couterproductive to their original purpose, and the scope of what is considered fair use is being reduced everyday.

    Simply ignoring copyright is not a solution. It gives the likes of Valenti and Rosen more amunition in their crusade for DRM and will lead to laws even worse than the DMCA.

    If copyright really were a temporary thing, lasting, at most, 28 years, like it is supposed to, we would be able to freely trade almost everything ever recorded by The Beatles, The Doors, Buddy Holly, Elvis, etc. A great many novels would enter the public domain. Many films would be free to distribute. There would be a plentiful, rich, and significant public domain. As it is, books written by men long dead at the beginning of last century are still under copyright, a short cartoon of a rat is still locked up, and Michael Jackson owns the rights to Jahn Lennon's music. I agree that system is bad, but I think just ignoring will make it worse. The RIAA/MPAA/etc. will have even more fuel for their fires, and will be able to get laws passed that make the situation even worse than it is already. Fight for a return of reasonable copyrights, and artists and consumers will benefit.

    --
    my pet machine
  24. I'd like to point out... by NetDanzr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...the source of the story: Democracy Now radio. It's a show at Pacifica.org, probably the most left-wing radio you can think of. While Democracy Now is still pretty decent by the radio's standards (for example, when a caller said that he wished more people died in the 9/11 attacks, the talk host didn't expressly agree with him as it happened on other shows of that radio), they are still highly unreliable. I don't trust some of the right-wing media, such as FOX News, but I trust even less what is being said on Democracy Now. Move on; there's nothing to see; the whole thing is most likely a hoax.

    1. Re:I'd like to point out... by silhouette · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, the source of the story itself is investigative journalist Gregory Palast, who did an interview with Democracy Now radio. Now, the Register article may be based on the interview that Palast did with the radio station, but that doesn't change the fact that it was Palast who did the story - and not some radio host independently reporting it as news.

      If the name Gregory Palast sounds familiar to anyone, it's probably because he wrote The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, which is definitely interesting reading. The first two chapters are even freely available from his own website:

      1. The Unreported Story of How They Fixed the Vote in Florida
      2. The Bushes and the Billionaires Who Love Them

      --
      Experts agree: everything is fine.
  25. What?! by Skyshadow · · Score: 5, Insightful
    What's this? GWB saying one thing and then doing the complete opposite?

    I can't believe that. I'm sure that at least one of our proud 24-hour news stations would be all over that. Someone check the No-Spin Zone!

    Face it, folks: This is an administration which plays the press perfectly and gets away with an astounding amount of this bullshit. We're just lucky it's not in the US this time -- he could be appointing more Enron lackies to head the army or obviously business-biased people to set policy. And he gets away with it 'cause the 24 hour "news" channels don't have the will or the stones to make, afraid that they'll lose interviews or access or credibility among people who made the WWE and NASCAR such powerhouses.

    (sigh) Sorry, I guess my cynicism got out for a run again. I'm off to watch a few more hours of Fox News and MSNBC. Maybe I can hear another eloquent defense of that poor Senator from PA who's under attack by crazy lefties just because he hates homosexuals.

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
  26. Re:Fight war, empower iraqi people (yeah, right) by mcfiddish · · Score: 3, Funny


    No, actually an oxymoron is two opposites. Like "Army Intelligence".
    Or "Fox News".

  27. Actually I imagine a lot of Iraqis have CD burners by itchyfidget · · Score: 5, Informative

    And no, I'm not trolling.

    Please don't fall into the trap of believing that all Iraqis are necessarily tribal, tent-dwelling folk - Iraq has a sizeable, educated, (and often relatively westernised) middle class.

    Remember, they had running water until the US and UK bombed them.

    --
    Mod early, mod often.
  28. Freedom by DaytonCIM · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Bush Administration has stated over and over, VERY clearly that the Iraqi people are now "free" to build any government they want and "free" to write laws.

    However, recently the Bush Administration has stated that it is unacceptable if the Iraqi people attempt to build an Islamic government (like that in Iran). And, Rosen is "writing" Iraqi law?

    Does anyone see the double-standard here?

    "You're free, as long as you agree with what we think is best for you."

    1. Re:Freedom by lostboy2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Does anyone see the double-standard here?

      Yes, and it makes me sad. This same double-standard permeates the National Security Strategy of the United States of America, the doctrine adopted by GW Bush.

      The NSS talks in length about "freedom", but it's freedom as defined in the doctrine, which includes "free enterprise", "open trade" and the "right to own property".

      The undertone of this, in my opinion, is that we will not accept any culture who CHOOSES something different. Suppose, for example, every single person in a country decided to be communist, or decided not to support the WTO.

      This doctrine suggests that they would be our enemy because they are not promoting our brand of "freedom." And this, I think, is why other countries think of us as "arrogant", because this doctrine suggests that we alone are capable of defining "freedom" and what is right for the rest of the world.

      Arg. This stuff makes my blood boil. :(

  29. Write your elected official, newspaper, etc by Dragonfly · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Okay, I'm sure this thread will be overbrimming with vitriol against Rosen, Bush, the RIAA, etc., but I encourage Slashdotters to, instead of, or in addition to, venting your frustration & anger here (a.k.a. preaching to the choir), write to anyone and everyone who has either the power to inform the world of this colonialism/nepotism/whatever it is, or to do something about it. The discussion at Slashdot is often excellent, but sometimes I worry that we spend too much time talking and not enough time fighting for what we so passionately argue for here.

  30. Some perspective by alexo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here are some news stroies (Google is your friend):
    * Palast, BBC journalist, says war is profit-maker for Bush allies
    * Post-war carve-up to benefit CDMA standard, record industry
    * Journalist says media is biased on war

    I encourage you to check out Greg Palast's site. He is the BBC reporter that the original article mentions and the author of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy". Interesting read.

  31. IP and Islam? by autopr0n · · Score: 3, Informative

    I realize that Iraq is not an islamist nation in the sense that the laws of the land closely follow the teachings of the Koran as in Iran or Saudi Arabia, but Isn't intellectual property contrary to the teachings of Islam? this is what came up after a bit of google searching. Even though Iraq is largely secular, sending IP fanatics there to write their laws seems pretty culturally insensitive.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:IP and Islam? by TheSync · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Of course, when Christian Law dominated the West, it was called the "Dark Ages," but be that as it may, this is an interesting analysis...
      A'isha (RA) narrated: That Buraira came (to 'A'isha) and said, "I have made a contract of emancipation with my masters for nine ounces (of gold) to be paid in yearly instalments. Therefore, I seek your help." 'A'isha said, "If your masters agree, I will pay them the sum at once and free you on condition that your Wala' (loyalty) will be for me." Buraira went to her masters, but they refused that offer. She (came back) and said, "I presented to them the offer but they refused, unless the Wala' (loyalty) was for them." A'isha (RA) mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (saw) so he said, "Do (it)" so she did. The Prophet (SAW) then got up and gave a speech to people, where he glorified and praised Allah, and said, " What about some people who impose conditions which are not present in the Book of Allah? So, any condition which is not present in the Book of Allah is invalid. Allah's ordinance is more deserving, and Allah's condition is more firm. Verily, the Wala is for the liberator." The wording (mantooq) of the hadith indicates that the condition which contradicts what is in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger should not be adhered to. As long as the conditions of protecting intellectual property make the use of the sold asset restricted to one sort of benefit to the exclusion of another, then they are invalid conditions and contrary to what is in the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw). This is because it contradicts the requirement of the shar'i contract of selling, which enables the purchaser to freely dispose of and benefit from the asset in any legitimate manner such as selling, trade, gift etc. The conditions which prohibit the Halaal are invalid due to his (saw) saying: "The Muslims are bound by their conditions except a condition which forbids the Halaal or permits a Haraam." Therefore, it is not allowed in the Shar'a to protect publishing rights, copyrights and patents. Rather they are permissible rights. Thus, the thinker, scholar or inventor of a program owns his knowledge as long as his knowledge is with him and he has not taught it to others. However, once the knowledge went out to others through teaching, selling etc then the knowledge is no more his property. This is because it went out from his ownership when he sold it. So he does not possess the right to prevent others from freely disposing of it after its ownership has transferred to them through a shari'a means such as selling or other means.
  32. Re:Iraq by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Insightful
    In all honesty, I don't understand this. I thought the US and UK governments would at least back up a pretense that the replacement Iraqi government, which has not even been defined constitutionally yet, would be answerable to nobody except the Iraqi people.

    If they're already saying "The laws will be created by the following people", listing amongst them people who aren't even Iraqi, then why are they not being called on it? Why is no media entity asking why the US and UK governments are imposing laws on a country they claim to have liberated?

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  33. Re:Iraq by jawtheshark · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's called colonialism.
    Back in the day, the colonists "brought a new religion and civilization to the heathens in Africa"... and exploited the natural resources.
    Now The United Corporations of America goes and "liberates the Iraqi from despotism in order to instore a democracy"... and exploit the natural resources.

    Nothing changed, just the name and the countries doing it.

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  34. +1 Funny by slaker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "To wish death upon a person simply because her viewpoints are different from yours is completely barbaric."

    Republican. Barbaric. Whichever.

    More seriously, WTF is up with worrying about IP laws in a country that collectively doesn't have running water? Are photocopiers and CD burners so much a problem in a nation where most "modern" technology has been embargo'd for the last 12 years?

    I can see it now: "Whip the camels faster, Ali, we almost have 'Jagged Little Pill'"

    OTOH, Ms. Rosen is free for the first time to establish her dream: The Elite P2P Death Squad.

    --
    -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    1. Re:+1 Funny by nagora · · Score: 5, Interesting
      More seriously, WTF is up with worrying about IP laws in a country that collectively doesn't have running water?

      The reasons for that would fill a book. Specifically, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" 2nd ed. I don't think it's available in the US as the author has won a prize as the most censored author in America but I'm sure Amazon.co.uk will sell you it. Remember to get the 2nd edition.

      The short answer: Iraq is to be a "free trade zone" for the purpose of destabilising the region's economies. If it was as simple as that, of course, it wouldn't work since free trade would eat Iraq alive and spit out the ground down bones but this FTZ will be bankrolled by the US via the World Bank (51% owned by the US Treasury Dept.) so that it won't go the way of Argentina, South Africa, Thailand, Chile etc. It's all very complicated and boils down to a return to 19th century economics and all the great benefits they gave people (rich people, that is). Think "Robber Barons Take On The World": there are literally trillions of dollars at stake here.

      That's why the religious parties in Iraq are not being invited to run the country despite having the majority of the population's support: they would throw the "liberators" out and tell them where to stick their free trade. And, wouldn't you? If I locked you in a room with Saddam Hussain for 25 years how grateful would you be when I let you out? Now replace me with Donald Rumsfeld and you with the Iraqi people; can you see why they are annoyed even after they've been freed?

      TWW

      --
      "Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
    2. Re:+1 Funny by nagora · · Score: 5, Informative
      You mean the IRAN backed shiites that want to install, you guessed it, an IRANIAN style government?

      Yeah, that's right: Iran's organising the shiites. I assume they're using messenger pidgeons since there's no telephone system, either land or mobile and the place is crawling with US troops.

      Maybe we would like a country with less tolerance for terrorist organizations between Syria and Iran?

      Probably best to stop prevoking them and making it easy for them to recruit supporters. While you're at it perhaps you'd like to ask Mr Bush why he blocked the investigations that would have prevented 9/11 (by accident, I admit. Bush was so worried about helping his business friends that he didn't consider that the FBI's warnings about a big immediate threat to the WTC might be more important).

      Maybe we'd like to see a succesfull democracy between Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia?

      If by "we" you mean the US government, then no that exactly what they don't want. What they want is a weak democracy that takes its orders from the likes of Hillary Rosen. When democracies don't make the right "free" choice then the current administration does what it did in Venezuela and gets its military attache to let the local rebels know that if the democractically elected (and popular) leader was to, say, drop down dead from having an extra hole in his head, that any new and non-elected government that lowered oil prices wouldn't have anything to worry about. He was only saved by a tip-off from his friends in OPEC.

      You could also have a look at Pakistan for a model of the sort of "democracy" Bush supports: one man, one vote and the man is Gen Musharraf (holder of weapons of mass destruction, but these are nice weapons of mass destruction).

      Isn't that what the Mid-East states fear the most?

      Yes, but not in the way you mean. True democratic elections in almost all ME countries would lead to the current governments being toppled because of their pro-US policies.

      Bush's idea of free elections is for people to decide which of his friends to vote for. The idea that an anti-US candidate will be allowed to run in Iraq is pure fantasy.

      TWW

      --
      "Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
    3. Re:+1 Funny by profplump · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As far as I can tell, the average american understands "democracy" to have a lot less to do with voting and a lot more to do with civil liberties. We enact democratic systems because in most cases they represent the best method for ensuring the continued protection of such liberities. This is not a requirement of the system though.

      Frankly, having a feudal socitey wouldn't make my life any worse, so long as I still had my liberties. I'd be a bit worried about losing my freedom in the future, but that's a problem with human nature, not the system of government.

      And when it comes to preserving civil liberties, an area in which no governmental excels, theocracies have a particularly bad record. I can't imagine why you believe we should allow such a system to be installed -- a secular government would still allow all these people to practice as the believed, and would not exclude all the minorities in the Iraqi population. You can't argue that the minorities wouldn't be oppressed -- the very nature of a theocracy excludes the practice of any other religion.

      Heck even in Iran, a very anti-american place, they aren't so happy with their "democractic" theocracy. It might have something to do with elected officials being overruled by in-for-life religous leaders. Hardly seems like a democratic system.

  35. Wait. It gets even better... by danro · · Score: 5, Informative

    They're writing a copyright law for a country that needs clean water and food? give us a break.

    Besides, as somebody else mentioned here, Iraq already has copyright laws.
    They are not cavemen you know.
    ...they just don't have copyright with a life + 75 year span. (They have life + 25 up to a maximum of 50 years) They also don't have 97.000.000.000$ fines for copyright violation.

    <rant-mode>
    One could reasonably argue that when it came to copyright, if nothing else, Iraq actually had more sane laws than both the US and the EU.
    I'm, sure that will change real soon now though.
    </rant-mode>

    --

    "First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
  36. US priorities in Iraq by daveo0331 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The oil industry makes campaign contributions. Result: US troops are sent to protect the oil wells and the Oil Ministry.

    The RIAA makes campaign contributions. Result: US lawyers are sent to protect the latest Britney Spears and Eminem albums.

    The Iraqi National Museum doesn't contribute to the campaign. Result: The museum gets looted, and priceless artifacts thousands of years old are stolen or destroyed.

    Perhaps property owners in Damascus should take notice? Or is this just a wild conspiracy theory?

    --
    Remember the days when Republicans were the party of fiscal responsibility?
  37. Re:Iraq by swordgeek · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have to confess--I didn't expect the US would move quite so blatantly or aggressively to recreate the middle-east as an American colony. Then again, I hadn't read the "Blueprint for a New American Century" yet. Scary shit, maynard.

    I honestly believe that Blair figured he could direct and rein-in George "Warmonger" Bush a bit, and would be seen as a hero. Now he's in it up to his neck, and there's nowhere to shovel but deeper.

    Nonetheless, the US government has clearly stated that its goal is to implement regime change in the middle-east as a means of extending their sphere of influence. They aren't even pretending to "liberate" anyone, except when talking to the press (which in the US at least, seems to lap it up uncritically). The rest of the world sees just how hypocritical it all is, but until we get China and the UK to stand firmly against the US, there's not much chance to stop them.

    Having Rosen rewrite the (fairly intelligent) copyright laws into a hideous mess of excessive cash-protection doesn't surprise me at all. It's perfectly in line with the stated policy of forcibly instituting US-style legislation throughout the world.

    --

    "People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
  38. Greg Palast by senrik · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Greg Palast has an interesting record regarding Investigative journalism. Unfortunately, because he actually does investigation, he is not quoted in the US.

    He was the first to talk about the Ballot issues within florida in the 2000 election, but when he tried to get it on the air in the US, (I believe it was with CBS), the editors there told him that his facts did not check out. When asked who they contacted to fact check, the editorial staff replied that they contacted Jeb Bush's office.

    I'm not one to believe what someone tells me is true, but, looking at the facts, and putting it all together leads to a certain way of thinking.

    1. Most of the government offices in Iraq were either bombed or looted. The only one not bombed or looted? the Oil ministry (thanks to US military guards. Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/119505_oil2 8.html )

    2. The US will install a government loyal to itself, IE a Secular Democracy. This at the same time that the shrub is tearing away the separation between church and state here.

    3. People that oppose the bushes have a tendancy to get sued Source: http://www.utne.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printab le?client.id=utne_web_specials&story.id=10452 or even killed. source: http://www.lovearth.net/fortunateson.htm)

    --
    "the difference between myself and a madman is that I am not mad" -Salvadore Dali
  39. Bush administration priorities by inkswamp · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Don't you just love Bush's priorities in Iraq? Let countless, priceless antiquities in Iraq's museums, some of the oldest treasures mankind has, go to looters, thieves and Fox News cameramen, but let's make sure none of these Iraqis can steal music.

    Remember the good ol' days when the worst thing a president did was bang an intern? Doesn't seem quite so bad in perspective, now, does it?

    --
    --Rick "If it isn't broken, take it apart and find out why."
  40. History. by kypper · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've heard that statement before... concerning Vietnam. I recall it also concerning Iran.

    In both places, the US had their wondeful little puppets (Ngo Den Diem and Shah Resa Pahlavi respectively) ruling in a 'democratic' state that very quickly degraded into totalitarianism that only stood because they were backed by the almighty military support of the United States.

    What did the public want? In Vietnam, they wanted the Vietminh. They WANTED communism. They HATED Ngo Den Diem; buddhist monks lit themselves on fire in protest.
    In Iran, they wanted the Ayatollah Khomeini and his Islamic state. The Shah had serious military backing, however, from the United States (It was Rummsfeld et all who did this, btw, along with war criminal Harry Kissenger).

    So what happened? Eventually 'popular opinion' won, but not until long after many abuses of human rights and freedoms by the US-supported governments. Ngo Den Diem was assassinated, and the Shah was exiled. Both countries abhor the politics of the United States to this day for a VERY GOOD reason.

    Want to take a bet on whether this is EXACTLY what will happen in Iraq? The US is already abusing their rights and freedoms, and this is BEFORE they've put in the puppet government.

  41. IP Theft Builds Nations by Vegan+Pagan · · Score: 3, Informative

    As you can read here and here, USA benefitted from IP theft in 1790 when Samuel Slater stole the blueprints of the the water-powered spinning frame from England and used it to build a textile industry in USA comparable to England's. England called him a traitor, but USA called him a hero and the father of the industrial revolution. Today, USA is the capitol of IP and China benefits whenever they steal some.

    Most likely, enforcing US IP laws in Iraq will help USA but hurt Iraq.