Slashdot Mirror
RIAA/MPAA vs. xMule Author, EarthStation 5
Two bits of news in the ongoing battle between the RIAA/MPAA and the rest of the internet: One P2P company, apparently based in Palestine, has thrown down the gauntlet to the movie industry. Meanwhile, a developer of another P2P tool who unwisely chose to live in the USA has been shut down (mirror) by the RIAA.
this is getting fucking ridiculous.
It saddens me as a developer that you can't even deign to write a P2P add without the assumption that it will be used for sharing copyrighted materials and thus shut down by the RIAA/MPAA. It's really amazing to see what lengths these bastards will go to to protect their industry after a major, earth-shattering shift in their profit model.
I urge everyone reading this to be very diligent in your boycott of buying new music or going to see movies. I haven't bought a CD in 22 months and haven't seen a movie since (believe it or not) 1999. You can't cheat and plead, just one movie! It's the Matrix! I have to see it. Nothing but the bottom line is going to get through to these people. If these folks don't get the message and soon, you may find yourself asking for permission to write anything on your machine that moves bits around.
Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
Palestine isn't a nation, it is under Israeli occupation, and since Israel is allied with the US, it will soon extradite these people to the US so they can be prosecuted. Either that or blow them apart in a helicopter raid. There is no place in the world that is safe from RIAA/US control.
(...) Earthstation 5 is at war with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Record Association of America (RIAA), and to make our point very clear that their governing laws and policys have absolutely no meaning to us here in Palestine, we will continue to add even more movies for FREE. .com) does not require any signups, registration,
credit cards and/or any other personal information to watch the first rate
streamed movies like TERMINATOR 3, BRUCE ALMIGHTY, MATRIX RELOADED, etc.
Our secure software protect our users who use our P2P application and
there is nothing that you can do to stop us, says Ras Kabir, president of
Earthstation 5 (http:/www.earthstation5 .com).
(...)
ES5 (http://www.es5
(...)
Ras Kabir's warning to the RIAA and the MPAA, "The next revolution in P2P file sharing is upon you. Resistance is futile and we are now in control".
OMG! It's what I call a man who has BALLS!!
This guy's talking about being barred from use of the Internet as a result of a DMCA subpoena. WTF? Is this sensationalism or is there legal basis for this claim?
who are those slashdot people? they swept over like Mongol-Tartars.
Yes, there is a problem with digital rights management. Yes, Hollywood DOES have the right to make money. No, you do NOT have the right to broadcast their copyrighted info, and even the most fanatical, devoted, peer to peer sharing folks will agree.
Why exactly is this on slashdot? It's not a freedom movement. In no way can it be given a good slant. It's out-and-out copyright infringement. Period.
Even the most cockeyed activists have to see that far from making Hollywood "wakeup", this kind of thing is going to give them the ammunition they need to get more draconian laws passed in congress.
Moronic.
This isn't "throwing down the gauntlet," this is just a publicity stunt. They'll milk this for what it's worth from the flash in the pan they become from this press release, and then fold.
Considering that the left wing weirdoes launched the same sort of attack against gun manufacturers to deny citizens of their rights, and it was struck down that they can NOT be held liable for what the end users do, I would think that could be used in court against nonsense like this..
I don't know if the bill was passed to bar this type of action, but the legal precedent is there at least.
You cant blame a tool for its improper use.. or the tool maker..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I intend to flee if you try to arrest me.
Not quite, I think he is saying that he has to relocate to continue his work. Let's face it. The US is a pretty fucked place to live unless you're rich and have several lobbyists on the payroll.
Reliable, Great Value Hosting: $7.95/mo 2.4G/120G
First of all, Boycotting is very easy.
You see, some of the worst movies ever made were from the past few years. (Think Gigli).
Tell your friends about how the media industry bought off scumbag politicians and circumvented your constitutional rights with the DMCA. About how they are targetting college kids (who are eternally broke thanks to a f*cked up higher educational system in this country) - and grandmothers. The boycott approach will only show the illogic in the media industries plan.
Also remind these fools that HIGH PRICES are the reason for slow down NOT PIRACY! Also the fucking recession might be a good reason, or a Republican in the White House (especially a brain dead former coke fiend father of slutty daughters) - ANY REASON can explain the lack of business growth in any sector.
That's not really funny.
-- Repeat with me: "There is no right to profits".
Actually, it's a legitimate point and not just based on a dictionary entry. There is a lot of concern and discussion within Semitic groups over the western world's use of "Anti-Semitic" to refer exclusively to Jews.
bad sig...no donut.
Trying to stop file sharing is like trying to nail jello to a tree. Every time they think they've put a nail through the heart of file sharing, it just slips off the stake and morphs into something else.
The only way government and pseudo-government (RIAA, MPAA, etc) officials will help reduce illegal file sharing is if people choose to not download files. It's all about freedom of choice, folks. So save your money from suing people and spend it on advertising, appealing to people's sense of right and wrong. Being a bully and suing some poor college student is just kicking the hornet's nest, and begs for someone like Earth Station 5 to rise up and make what they're trying to stop even worse.
Ruby on Rails Screencast
9. The RIAA has not changed their product/business model in about 20 years. Yes, there have been new bands, but their product, the thing that we give our hard earned money for, has not changed since the release of CDs. The MPAA has done so with DVDs and especially the extras that come with them. To me a DVD video is a much better value than and audio CD.
It floors me that the RIAA cannot seem to make enough money to keep themselves happy, when just about everyone from 12->25 wants their products! I certainly wish I had thier financial problems.
There are many fine forms of entertainment that aren't controlled by the RIAA/MPAA, and don't agree with them. Live near Baltimore? See a John Waters film at The Charles. Music? Dischord, Touch and Go, Archenemy, Fueled By Ramen (geeks ought to like that label). I went to see Eleni Mandell last Wednesday; it was her first time in Baltimore. It's CRIMINAL that she doesn't get more attention, as she's a wonderful artist (and really nice in person). Far more criminal than some kids depriving Britney Spears of a hypothetical $1 per CD.
:)
This site:
http://www.magnetbox.com/riaa/
has a "bookmarklet" to help you identify non-RIAA bands when you're shopping online. Or, you could find the small clubs in your area (Baltimore: The Talking Head, The Ottobar, The Mojo). Check their schedule, look up the bands (who will probably have free, legal downloads). Go see the ones you might like; it's probably only $5 or so. Buy their CDs if you do like them; most of it goes to them, and the CDs are cheaper too.
Reply to this post with your tastes if you want suggestions. I can't help with hip-hop so much, but I can with nearly everything else. And, shameless plug, WMBC will start broadcasting again in a few weeks
WMBC freeform/independent online radio.
As loudly as they proclaim, "Get your Illegal Warez here, we will protect you, we got nothing but illegal sutff," I don't trust them to not be a trap for users. Think about it, RIAA/MPAA set this up, make it super duper abundantly clear that the only purpose here is to be illegal, they score a two fold victory: first their case is strengthened against P2P in general, and second, they eventually sue said company and in an "out of court agreement" come away with complete logs of who did what on the network. Now they get to really sue those people, and their case is all the stronger, "More people watched Terminator 3 on the net than went to see it in theatres!"
Slay a dragon... over lunch!
Let us summarize:
-streaming FIRST RUN movies over the internet for FREE
-freely share their music and movies online
-FREE video streaming of first run movies
-FREE ten SEX channels
-hides the identities of its users and their IP addresses
It's an RIAA/MPAA honeypot! They're finally learning from us! Run...RUN! They'll be on you like stink on a hillbilly!
People don't download the crap. They don't even download the good stuff to avoid getting crap. They download to avoid paying.
Now, I'm no fan of any of the money-hungry lawsuit-happy big corps out there, but you have to use your head a bit. The RIAA business model is based around singles and one-hit-wonders. To get one decent song you want, you have to shell out for a whole CD or Album which often otherwise contains crap.
It's not about the expense of CD's themselves... I find that a CD with 90%+ good content is worth the bucks (if it weren't funding the RIAA)... it's about getting a shitty value for our dollar.
Now with movies it is different. Unless you go to opening night (and that's your choice) there are loads of movie reviews out quickly. The MPAA even admits that text messaging is speeding this process. Now, are these idiotic lawsuits a good thing? No.
However, to turn the buck around, is expecting to get away with downloading perfectly good movies just to avoid paying for them a good thing either? No! The MPAA does make good movies. Over the last year I've seen lots of em (American Wedding being the latest). They were worth my cash, and if the MPAA went after users who were providing bootleg/P2P movies I think that would be great. Going after the programmers is dumb... but everyone else is trying to freeload a quality product.
Come on people, you don't believe that anime should be "pirated", so why should movies? Want them to cost less, protest the huge f***ing wages going to bullsh*t actors or producers. Don't watch the movie. But if you go out and download Revelations insteading of paying to see/buy it... then you're no better them them... you're just being a greedy bastard.
In summary. Nope, we don't have to pay for the crap. But the stuff being downloaded isn't crap, or at least it's in demand, or it wouldn't be downloaded. I won't be buying any RIAA music anytime soon, but I will be seeing Revelations in the theatre, as it shoudl be. How about you?
If our government wasn't run by corporate intrests, we wouldn't need DRM. It's not quite on topic, but why was the BSA allowed to raid and fine Ernie Ball without direct government intervention? If they had the feds come in and do it for them, I wouldn't be quite as concerned, but when a coporate agency can enforce the law, there is a problem.
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
Isn't it amazing how something so unimportant as a few studios that produce screen plays and music can drastically change the laws in a huge country full of freedom loving (wanting) people?
The RIAA and MPAA members wealthy off our dollar. Please don't spend more money with these people unless you don't mind kissing more freedoms goodbye.
Let me simplify: The record and movie industry is dealing with the effects of competition.
-- $G
See, in 1983, before CD's came out, LP albums cost about $6.98, and tapes about the same. Then CD's came out, costing TEN DOLLARS MORE! The industry's excuse was that CD's cost more to make, "better sound forever", and other rubbish. Now we know these all were lies. CD's now cost about 1/10th as much to press as records cost at their cheapest (and I'm speaking 2003 dollars here which are worth about half of 1983 ones). CD's STILL cost almost 20 bucks apiece. The record companies' excuse is that inflation has finally caught up, which is more bullshit. In essence, they TRIPLED the price of CD's over LP's, got rid of LP's (to remove choice), got rid of singles (to make sure that you HAD to pay $17.98 to get the ONE song you liked), raped the consumer for over 20 years, formed cartels (which would have been illegal in 1983!) and now when the consumer finally has the ability to fight back they respond by bribing our lawmakers to maintain the status quo by passing the DMCA, throwing the Constitution out the window in the process. Yep..sure sounds like an upstanding business model and a fair deal for the consumer, huh?
I am also impressed with ES5, they are trying to fight back against MPAA/RIAA with going on the offensive at once.
MPAA/RIAA first destroyed Napster, a music only centralized system, that could have generated cash with a few tweeks to the system. But no the music industry did not want that so they killed it.
That left a void which was soon filled by Kazaa, DC and everybody else, some go to other countries, some go broke, some hang on only to see there users attacked by MPAA/RIAA. The field is now filled by these application and all of them are trying to talk to MPAA/RIAA. If another P2P app appears it will have no void to fill and therefore few users.
Therefore this ES5 has gone on the attack. They don't care about international laws, they protect their users identity, they use encryption. They are either trying to be the next big app and earn loads of cash or they will go down realy fast.
If they get a lot of users fast and they cannot be defeated legaly then I wouldn't be suprised if the MPAA/RIAA begin to fight dirty.
MPAA -> Bush -> Israeli president -> Army -> Missiles.
MPAA -> Bush -> Palestinian peace prosess -> New laws.
Sorry, I think you must have forgotten about the six day war in 1967 (OK so it was a "preemptive strike". Name a war where the first person to attack hasn't claimed that).
Ask France what happens when you do nothing as massive amounts of troops and weapons move toward your borders. As for wars where the first people to attack didn't claim self-defense, you give two examples below: Israel's war for independence and the Yom Kippur war where the only aims were to destroy Israel.
You also seem to have overlooked the 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon -- the last one being condemned even by the US. So by my counting Israel was invaded twice in the last 55 years: the 1947 independence war and the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Perhaps you were confusing Israel with Lebanon, which has never started a war but has been invaded three times in the last 30 years (by Syria in 1976, Israel in 1978 and 1982).
Considering all the attacks on Israel from bases in Lebanon (which was and is still controlled by Syria but nobody complains about that bloody occupation) I'm going to believe Israel's self-defense arguments in that instance too. We took out the Taliban for pretty much the same reason.
Because the Palestinians don't have the option of sending in helicopter gunships to assassinate Israeli politicians. I'm not condoning suicide bombings, but your comparison is laughable. In a conflict, each side will naturally make use of the means at its disposal. Moreover israel's "targeted assassinations" invariably kill many more people than just those being targeted -- but obviously a 6-year-old girl who happens to live next door to a Hamas leader doesn't matter as much as a 6-year-old killed in a suicide bombing.
You are condoning suicide bombings. Hell, you're condoning suicide bombings against civilians too by morally equivicating the actions of a democratic nation defending itself to thugs who target civilians in order to invite the harshest reprisals possible in order to win over public opinion. And it appears to be working (an AP story today was titled Hamas abandons truce after Israel strike. Heck, I thought they abandoned the truce when they bombed an Israeli bus and killed 20 people-6 children). Yeah more people that those just target by Israel die but they're not invariably or even often innocent civilians. And even if they were the rules of war permit proportionality in the use of force against legitimate targets (think Deathstar contractors). That is, you could bomb a convoy with Saddam even if his civilian family is with him. One of the first polls ever conducted of the Palestinians showed that a majority didn't support suicide bombings because of the harsh reprisals and their prevention of any peaceful settlement. Plenty of rebels succeeded without resorting to systematically targeting civilians. But again, Israel wouldn't be doing any of that shit if they weren't getting attacked all the time.
And guess why the Palestinians don't have the 'means' to destroy Israel. Other Arab countries aren't really interested in the Palestinian's cause other than use as a distraction from their own problems. Despite the fact that Palestinian GDP is better than most Arab peoples (excluding oil) because of their economic ties to Israel they could still be much better off if they cooperated rather than try to push Israel into the sea. The Palestinians who live in Israel have more right and are generally better of than Arabs pretty much anywhere else.
P2P has only created a %7 loss in the industry, that's right.. 7%. not a huge number either, and the artists who are bitching, right after they complain how they're going poor, they buy a new load of sports cars. it's crap, it's greed at its finest, people got tired of the greed and found a way to extend their middle fingers, so now these greedy companies want the government to supress the people into being a controlled permanent money flow. this is where mainstream music is about to die. what;s funny is that there was also a chart showing how much cd sales have tripled from p2p. The real problem are the real pirates, who copy cd's and then redistribute them for a lower price, etc. that's what has been hurting the industry for many years.. but, the industry didnt bitch back then.. so, I think it's just whoever's the easier target, and all that is going to happen in light of this is that the mainstream music industry is going to go broke eventually, people will get wise and listen to IUMA and indie labels. you'll still have the brainwashed people who will back the industry to the grave, becuase they're used to being controlled by someone much "bigger" than them.. and really, you think about it, the industry is below us becuase their existance relies on us. same with actors and actresses, and all of the media. same with the government and all the major companies. we made them, and they forget, we can destroy them, they're trying to make so we cant now, but, you really cant whip the human will down into doing that, well, at least, not right away.
It's worth noting that the US only supported Isreal in its current form after they had to stand on their own with nothing between them and annihilation.
:).
The arabs picked a fight, the palestinians have never been loved, and considering their attitudes, they're like angry tanned serbians, it's not hard to see why, if people want to start assigning blame, start with the UK end with the arabs, the US didn't mess any of that shit up, it was like that when we found it.
A reflection back through history teaches us a little conquest can be helpful, a homoginizing force that can actually bring people together.
Would modern china be what it was without the waring states period, and of course the mongol invasion? Hell no, there wouldn't be a chinese identity without it. They'd be all spread out in crazy little tribes that hate each other too. But thanks to their vicimization, and lets not leave out the colonial powers, they've got a billion people who might not love their system of government, but they can more or less be moved to action as one people.
Modern sensibilities aside, there's certainly a case to be made for writing off a couple of ethanicities that can't move out of some imagined feudal utopia, and into the world we live in. Serbians, angry camel jockies, crazy jungle living bitches from the southern philipines, our very own millitia groups at home, seemingly most of africa, I'm looking at you. Your clock is ticking, learn to play nice, or else
Sometimes people want to fight bad enough, that there is nothing you can do, but kill one, or just let them slug it out until one of them just doesn't have any fight left.
It certainly seems like that is the case with isreal, and her foes. And quite frankly the same goes for uncle Sam and his. In which case, Gengis Khan has much to teach us. You can try to kill everyone who hates you, or just doesn't agree with you, but that's hard. It's much easier to go where they live and obliterate everything they know and love. Soon, no one will want to risk fighting you, but cause they'll have to risk and probably loose everything for a victory that won't even be symbolic because no one will remember it. It's no coincidence that the mongols ruled over both russia and china providing them with a national identity, and forging them into the superpowers they are today.
Likewise, holding back for both the US and isreal only purpetuates the fighting, and just insures another generation will grow up, poor, a drift, hurting and hating.
Overall "Can't we all just get along?" soundsly like a reasonable question, and perhaps we could all agree it's a great sentiment, but the world just doesn't run on hugs. (Mostly greed and ignorance from what I can gather.) We're all bound by the limitations we face, not the ones we wished we faced.
Every Jew in the world understands that "Anti-Semitism" means that virulent racist hatred and persecution of Jews that has been a common thread throughout history for 2000+ years. Some Arabs are technically Semites, but Arabs get a pass from this kind of anti-Semitism.
No, they're just called, "Dirt Nigger", "Dune Coon", "Towel Head", "Rag Head", "Camel Jockey", "Terrorist", "Infidel" and lots of other things.
They were colonized, enslaved, hated, repressed, murdered, tortured and any other horrible thing you can think of *Just Like Every Other Race, Religion, and most likely Species* that ever lived on this planet. And you're bitching that only the Jews deserve a special word for hatred of them?!?
Israel has no claim whatsoever on special status. If they do wrong it is wrong. If they are wronged, then it is likewise wrong.
Fuck *your* semantic games.
.