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States Threaten P2P Companies
The Importance of writes "C|Net News reports that 46 state attorneys general are warning P2P companies of dire, unnamed consequences for continuing to exist, 'At present, P2P software has too many times been hijacked by those who use it for illegal purposes to which the vast majority of our consumers do not wish to be exposed.' Read the letter here (pdf) [PDF], or the annotated text version."
The most popular P2P software vendor is AOL, maker of "AOL Instant Messenger" which allows for direct file transfers between users of the service. It's important to keep in mind that the chairman of the FCC, Mike Powell, has a huge number of shares of AOL stock. So when you go after American P2P companies, you're going after Mike Powell's pocket, and in turn that means you're going to be invoking the wrath of Colin Powell.
Like I said, not smart.
By the way, did anyone know that Colin Powell and George Bush are related? They share a common ancestor who actually happens to be quite famous. Name the ancestor and explicitly name how the two are related for a free Gmail invite (I just can't seem to give them away, *sigh).
If guns kill people, then CmdrTaco's keyboard misspells words.
But reading /. is nearly impossible. due to 503 and 500 errors.
It seems we are getting closer and closer to the point where the pivotal beta case will likely be overturned.
Wasn't it the beta ruling that included language about not preventing technology that could be used for illegal purposes if there were clear legal purposes it could be used for? That the mere ability for something to be used illegally is not reason enough to ban it or prevent its manufacture, sale, and use?
P2P does have other uses besides piracy. How many ISOs of legally distributable linux operating systems are distributed using systems like bittorrent? Unfortunately, the piracy makes all the headlines, and the piracy is what people hear about. Never mind the legal uses that P2P networks may be used for.
Isn't the Tor system a type of P2P system that is being developed with backing from the Navy?
Next, cars will be banned, because they can be used as getaway vehicles for bank robberies.
. 62,400 repetitions make one truth -- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
The letter makes some technical claims that are difficult, if not impossible, to support, including a claim that a computer that is "off" can continue swapping files over a broadband connection.
This is one of two examples of the fundamental ignorance that politicians possess when it comes to technology. The other misunderstanding is the notion that a P2P company can actually filter out all the child porn on a P2P system. How does one do that? Require detailed metadata in XML associated with each file? How do you prevent that from being spoofed. Example: how many times have thought you downloaded a certain uh, file starring a talented actress such as Jenna Jameson and ended up with something alse?
The essence of P2P makes this kind of central control difficult if not impossible.
Clearly, the entertainment industry lobbyists are using this ignorance in their favor: get the states to legislate or sue for technically impossible requirements, thus forcing all the P2P out of business. Ingenious.
You just gave me an idea. Instead of trying to squeeze every last dollar from us citizens, why doesnt the government sue the bejeezus out of corporations. Hell let em sue car manufacturers to recoup the costs of investigating bank robberies, let em sue gun manufacturers when someone gets murdered. Corporations have vastly larger amounts of money these days than citizens do, it sure seems like they could make a hell of a lot more this way than with the current payola scheme, heck our politicians could start getting their share of the 100's of billions the CEO of these corps are taking home, instead of just getting their share of the millions they are allocating to bribes and payola.
I think you need a little more tinfoil in your diet, the statement is a little fishy and, given the company that a few senators keep (e.g. Orrin Hatch) its really not that farfetched.
If that's the case the letter is a pretty blatant lie. Since when does the vast majority people wish to be protected from free downloads of popular music?
"Our Consumers" in this context can only refer to recording labels. So it's almost official, the constituents of state attorney generals are businesses not people.
Except P2P software was designed for copyright infringement.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but what do you think Kazaa and kin sells their product by? The ability to get free indy music? Public domain stories? Linux disk ISOs?
Or copyrighted songs, movies, and images?
If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
Remember, these are people that think free access to every bit of music ever made in human history to every single person is a BAD THING.
Whoa, buddy. Let's not get too crazy. Free access to every bit of music is a bad thing. Lots of us disagree with the way the record labels have long tried to unfairly force the market beyond the laws of supply and demand....but anybody who says Bob Dylan should never have gotten a paycheck is an asshole.
I think that's all I'm going to add to this thread.
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
Do you have proof ? Or did you just pull these figures out of thin air ?
Or are you just an amateur troll ?
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
"When p2p networks are outlawed, only outlaws will have p2p networks"
Pretty much,
"The 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Act and other recent IP acts extend the copyright term to something like 100 years. It's appalling, and serves no purpose other than to allow big corporations to buy and sell our cultural history just like so many other commodities. Our parents generation enjoyed the proper balance between protecting innovators and the public. It's clear that our current leaders have no respect for the value of the public domain.
We're raised on music, movies, and games only to learn that we have to pay a tithe to revisit our childhood. There's no reason we should stand for that. 5-10 years is more than sufficient time to ensure that an investor/artist is compensated. Until congress stops selling out the average american to corporations, there's no reason the average american should respect the acts of congress."
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky