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Savebetamax.org National Call-in Day
Rinisari writes "Savebetamax.org, a project of Downhill Battle, has set up a national call-in day for September 14th. They ask that on that day, each person signed up call a specific congressperson about the INDUCE act in an effort to keep a steady stream of calls all day. The "Save Betamax" nomenclature comes from the fact that the INDUCE act could reverse the decision in the 1984 Sony v. Universal case regarding Sony's Betamax VTRs and copying of copyrighted movies."
A chance to slashdot congress!
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
I modded this comment up, but some kind souls modded it down again.
Get your own free personal location tracker
i'm calling at 3:20 pm this tuesday
...was "damn, are they DECADES to late! These Sony BetaMax nuts are worse than Mac people or Amiga owners -- and that is saying something."
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
a conspiracy to affect communications and actions of the country's leaders.
who the hell do these people think they are anyway deserving the attention of congressmen? they don't even pay the campaign bills.
Considering what the RIAA is doing, music, movie, and other media companies shouldn't be given any privledges at all, nevermind the ability to veto technologies because they don't like them...
If Betamax was really saved by this project, what's going to happen?
Uselessful technology (Air-Charged
Umm the 80's called... they want their format back.
We've heard from these Downhill Battle people before. They proposed the a scheme to try to collect Apple/Pepsi winning-cap codes for iTunes downloads that neglected the fact that there were limits to how many songs a given person could download, neglected the fact that the rules said non-transferable, and that the group didn't disclose just how they selected the artists they wanted to favor.
In short, these guys come up with nice ideas that don't work due to real world constraints.
Wouldn't it be better to spread it out over a long period of time, otherwise they will know it is an organised compaign and will just disregard the calls? Is there any advantage to do this all in one day whatsoever?
X-Has-Sig: yes
This is perhaps one of the most important legal battles in this area for quite a while. If the Betamax decision is overturned, it will be an enormous setback to proponents of fair use. As for the INDUCE act? Not only is it full of ridiculously vague wording, but it boggles the mind in terms of the rights it would take away. If it passes, things could change in a big way . . . and not for the good of the people, but for the good of the big corporations backing it.
Call me crazy, but wouldn't it have been usefull to have listed the time zone the assigned time is for? You think that might come in handy for something like this.
Then read the actual ruling.
It would be madness if Hollywood et al got their way, if only because as the article stated, Hollywood benefitted enourmously from sales of VCR.
It is also a supreme court precedent which defends some quite reasonable fair use rights, such as the right to record and time-shift a broadcast.
X-Has-Sig: yes
http://www.savebetamax.org.nyud.net:8090/t amax.htm
http://www.downhillbattle.org.nyud.net:8090/
http://www.virtualrecordings.com.nyud.net:8090/be
c'mon people.. we talk about using coral to prevent killing webservers, then we don't use it in the main post.
get with it! =)
No, seriously, they could have chosen a better name. "Save Betamax" doesn't mean shit to Joe Consumer (How many people actually remember that decision?). If you phrase it as "They're going to make it illegal to set your VCR to tape a show while you're away on vacation", that'll mean a lot more, although it would be a crappy domain name. But I'll be calling anyway, and you all should too. Write letters to the editors of your local papers,while you're at it.
There is no sig, there is only Zuul.
800,000 geeks vs $800,000 (campaign donations?)
It's be great if it'd work, but it's hard to beat the money of the big corporations....The more I read the news, the more I see the big boys on the hill getting in on this....
Scary stuff it is...
My MythTV HowTo
And this, boys and girls, is why we at least read the description of the article, even if we don't RTFA. We're trying to save the right to fair use on media, not trying to save the abandoned video format.
...they want their joke back.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I hear alot of people claiming that the intent of the law is only to go after so called bad actors, and will not be used against VCR makers or computer makers. What those people forget is that in court, the intent of the law doesn't matter, only the actual wording. Anyone using the intent of the law as a defense in court will lose and possibly be laughed out of court. That means this law will be used to sue Apple, Intel, IBM, and Microsoft for making general purpose computing hardware. Even with the new wording, the EFF mock complaint against the ipod is still valid, as apple could have used "reasonable measures" such as only allowing the ipod to play DRM encoded files and have Itunes verify the CD is a pressed CD and not burned before allowing any ripping. The same applies to general purpose computers, which could have been locked down like the Xbox to only run OSes and software that use strong DRM and require checking with central servers before a document or whatever can be transfered (to prevent a user from retyping a copyrighted work like a book by hand). Keep in mind no one intended the DMCA to be used against third party printer cartriges, but it was.
I don't know.. but I think it is really going to be pretty tough.
Since when does the government of the US of A listen to its people?
When USA invaded iraq, did the govt listen to the people?
When PIRATE act was enacted, did they listen to the people?
When PATRIOT act was passed, does the people seriously think it is for their own good?
The problem nowadays is people are too darned complacent, and too lazy to do anything about it. They will just sit there as their civil liberties and rights get gobbled up, and finally when they realise what has happened, it is already too late.
Online backup with Mozy, sounds like Ozzie, but more!
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Well the only thing more annoying than betamax IMHO is those 3/4 inch tapes. For some reason they are still used by some media companies internally, and B2B. Large, heavy, and the decks are a real pain in the ass to operate. Not to mention dub to another tape, and quite a bit of quality is lost.
Ah quicktime, the ideal video format for transfering video across offices.
---
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Shameless plug: this was covered almost a year ago in my blog article U.S. corroborating with WIPO to overturn Betamax decision and also eliminate public domain (which I've shamelessly plugged here before).
More trivia: before the Betamax decision, movies would come on HBO before videotape release (prime example: Star Wars -- HBO copies for a time were the only way to get a Star Wars videotape). Due to the assumed illegality of taping off HBO, movie studios considered HBO airing to constitute less ownership than selling videotapes. The Betamax decision reversed this notion, and thusly also the order of release.
For those of you who don't want to read the decision or Downhill Battle's site, the Betamax decision is what basically allowed us the technology of DVD/CD burners, tape recorders, and VCR's (along with possibly P2P networks) by saying that, just because some people are using them (VCR's at the time) to participate in illegal activities (copying copyrighted movies or shows), the technology itself is not the culprit. Therefore, the technology is legal. This is a vital decision for the technological world and a good thing to get involved in if you can.
Should really campaign alongside this for the movie industry to make shorter movies (so they will fit on a betamax tape).
Yeah I know, RTFA, but *still* betamax???
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Damn straight! I'm always getting pissed off at those uppity neighbor kids who act all high and mighty with their fucking pastel paintings. My water colors kick their asses!
Man, the US... Land of the free.
I'm not too worried, I live in Canada. It's a little better here.
Maybe Canada will have to occupy the US soon to liberate it. =P
You know.. if we keep up this annoying nonsense of protesting to our elected leaders via the phone, they're gonna include the telephone as a weapon of mass destruction in the newest Patriot Act. _Then_ what are we gonna do? I suppose we could take to the streets.. then that will be made an act against the state. You see my point. We should just forget it all, and go back to our T.V.'s.
** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
When a record exec can't afford a third mansion the terrorists win!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Is it against the law to phone-spam congressmen like this?
Canned faxes, letters, etc. are more likely to get tossed and ignored than a personal call or letter.
What about the manufacturers of these devices?
Does anyone really think they would just sit on their hands and take this big of a hit?
It's way too late to outlaw current and past technologies that are already all over the place.
Future technologies on the other hand....
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
Their business model is history... If they win this battle the RIAA/MPAA will know how it feels like to shoot themselves in the foot when they realize that they lost a powerfull distribution/advertising channel like the P2P networks. The indies will always find a way to get their productions to the people, they don't need p2p, just a website.
What's next?
While I also support our 'data rights', this is a lost cause at this point. Its over, and we have lost.
Congress does *not* give a damn about the citizens, they are only concerned about the people that line their pocketbooks ( i.e. the 'media' and other large corporations ).
The very structure of this country has changed, and the citizens are going to be mowed over.
Fight it all you want, but id rather pick battles that aren't lost already.
The 2nd revolution is long over due, before the "American experiment" fails, and its remains fall into hardcore socialism.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
It's more like Digital 8 vs. MiniDV, or Minidisc versus, well, whatever the various alternatives are. It's another case of Sony creating a proprietary format that may be superior to the competition, but is only available with Sony machines so is doomed to fail.
Moderators have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not a submitted story gets accepted.
"I'm not impatient. I just hate waiting." - My Dad
Well, let's just say that hollywood only has tunnel vision and can't see any potential for growth beyond their current business models.
That was why they sued sony back then, they were scared shitless by the prospects of their property being stolen!
Unfortunately for them, they lost, but even then they still managed to get a new cash cow out of it. Home videos.
But with the coming of DVDs, they decided, "hey, we needed home videos no more, now that we got these new high tech media like DVDs and CDs that can only be pressed at the factory, why not we make all recording mediums illegal eh"
And if this law passes, the implications are powerful. With CDRs, DVDRs, videos, cassettes, maybe even video cameras all outlawed? Guess who are the only ones with access to recording equipment?
Just because they produce some lousy stinking movies doesn't mean they produce ALL the material in the whole wide world. What about people making home videos of little nelly celebrating her first birthday? Or can you imagine needing to procure a license from hollywood in the future just so you can make a video recording of big nelly's wedding?
No good would come out of this man.. no good at all..
Online backup with Mozy, sounds like Ozzie, but more!
What's easy is getting someone to lose by giving up before they have tried doing anything to fix the situation. After all, laziness and apathy pay off now. Trying may never pay off.
Here's hoping that there are many people who understand that political activism requires more direct action than spouting off on Slashdot. Calling and writing your Congresspeople are a step in the right direction.
Digital Citizen
Let's face it: the politicians stopped listening to their constituents a long time ago.
If I may quote the great FZ from "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing":
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
Oh, sorry. That was my first thought on reading [reading .. is there an echo in here?] that comment ...
I should aquire [shouldn't that be acquire - sorry] a sense of humour? Oh, so you know I'm not American then?
"Cats like plain crisps"
You are wrong on that. There are two intent standards, specific intent and the logical result of one's actions. In some states, second degree murder is a general intent crime. A person who drives drunk and kills someone in a car wreck can be charged with second degree murder even though the intent of the drunk driver was to get home safely, not to kill anyone. However, in many (all?) states, first degree murder requires specific intent, the person actually has to intend to kill the person who was killed. As specific intent is not specified as the standard, the general intent standard based on the logical result of one's actions is assumed to be the one used. If you actually knew much about the law, you would know that intent and specific intent are two different things.
Honestly, could they come up with a worse name? (Well yeah, now that I think about it, I guess they could. But still.)
The names (downhill battle, save betamax, etc.) almost sound like they're trying to turn people off to their cause--which, by the way, I agree with. Why couldn't they call it "Fair use" or "Save our constitutional rights from corporate greed!" or something.
Even "File swappers for truth" or "ShareOn.org" (both of which suck) would be better names than what they're using.
-- MarkusQ
For one, has a campaign of this sort ever been proven to get results? I didn't think politicians ever paid attention to organized campaigns unless a) their mainstream popularity was at stake or b) there was money in it for them.
In this case the money's in it for them -- to push this law forward. Honestly, if politicians were afraid of harassment or ill will from geeks this bill wouldn't exist. There is no motive for your congressman to reject the INDUCE Act, unless he happens to agree with you already.
And, what does it say about checks & balances in the US when everyone, past recent IP-related bills considered, thinks this is the last resort? Is there no chance that the President might veto it, or a judge might see the light?
Hey Slashdot! Do the right thing and put the graphic counter up! People need to see this; plus a running update wouldn't hurt anyone either.
The structure hasn't changed though. Do a bit of digging and you'll find the common man has never had any real power except right after WWII (and only then because there was a shortage of workers thanks to your friend and mine, the Machinegun). _All_ complex societies throughout history have been centered around satisifying the wants of a lucky few. Ours still is, it's just that technology and Globalism has expanded the number of Lucky ones, and the losses of WWII allowed the unlucky ones to make out OK for a while.
Trouble is, just about every single poor and middle class bastard wants to join the oppressors. And every time you add an oppressor, you've got to add some oppressed. This is just the way human economy works. As soon as the masses make some gains, along will come someone to take them away so he can join the ranks of the wealthy and powerful. There is a way to stop this: forced birth control. Either that or War, famine and disease will work just as well. So long as there are too few people to effectively oppress. Capitalism needs lots of cannon fodder.
Oh, and give me Socialism over capitalism any day. Adam Smith envisioned a world of small time shop keepers and factory owners with a stake in thier communities because they lived there. Globalism breaks all that. What's been keeping your job from going overseas is isolationism broght on by the Cold War. Now that that's over capitalism's busted. Capital will flow where ever labor's cheapest, and that flow will keep standards of living down. You're not gonna feel this too bad, but you're children will. Their lives are gonna suck.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
Why don't you Canucks just let them go?
Betamax? Who cares honestly...
e x. html
Things like this are a waste of time. It's better to call your congressperson and have them renew the ban:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/12/gun.ban.ap/ind
Beta Max is used all over for TV news. (Although there switching.)
I've been at CBS NY and AP/TV London and almost all the editing decks are beta.
They also have a new "digital Beta" or something like that. Equipment costs are so much most stations are switching to other stuff..
It sure as hell isn't illegal to call our elected representatives who, in theory, represent the people. We're losing things left and right, but the ability to actual make our voices heard is still here (for now).
These people need to excep the subversives will win. The RIAA et all, need to understand that the least damange will be if they just play ball with what people want. If they keep buying bay laws. Then us citizens will stop respecting the laws, its that simple. Bigbussiness/Gov just needs to learn that you give citizens the laws they really want or you get criminals. The other thing is no you can't jail everyone. Look at interstate speed limits. Clearly the majority of general public favors higher speed limits. My evidence most peoplle are doing 5-10 over. Now if everyone is breaking the law(speed limit) then why have the law? Well police pull over people at random and issue tickets the rest of us get away with it. So its partial negative enfocement whic psycologicly casues us to feel we will continue to get away with it, we tend to go even fast the next time. If they just set the speed for passenger cars to 80 I bet most people would comply, which means you could take care of all the violators. People would then respect the speed law and obey even when it inconviences them. So now if you make stuip laws like "though shall not reccord stuffs with a broadcast flag set" if I want to reccord it I sure as hell with find away as will most people. Just like most people don't reall pay to have the city inspector out if they remodle the basement. They know is dumb and just a veiled tax and therfore say "screw it". I'll bet again if you rewrote that ordinace to say "You onlyl need to be inspected if you change a loaded portion of the structure" people would obey and we'd all be safer.
Look at the history of our first revolution. Here is the scary part noone are thinking about. If you keep makeing stupid laws and by extention keep makeing averge joes who were once well behaived citizen criminals and subversives then you only have criminals and subversives. People don't like to feel that way about themselves forever. Eventually that emotional stage starts to work really good for revolutionary reasoning. Then you get a revolution. I am not saying its gonna be a bloody revolution or anything, but sooner or later people are gonna toss out the current power brokers, they simply will not play ball any more. People are gonna say, forigen policy be damned I don't think think my neighbor Ted is really fit to lead this nation on the national stage but if I elect him at least I will be able to live my life like I used to for awhile I am gonna do it. I think the future is bright domesticly but its gonna ruin our place in the world when it happens, and its all because the current powers that be are two blind to stike a ballance.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
Its just something Ive been curious about, but how far would they go with this act? Would external hard drives become illegal? usb memory sticks? the internet itself? This legislation seems so broad, that it seems they could ban just about any device on a whim. Jesus, I gotta move.
What if we were to just let this act pass, then have a copyright holder on our side sue someone? Take the money from that and sue 10 other people, lather, rinse, repeat until the general public is outraged. Sue some senators, sue some old ladies, just make sure to sue a whole lot of 'em. Eventually the breaking point that we've been in search of for so long would be reached. Copyright would be moved to a center-stage issue with a whole bunch of people well distributed around the political landscape rightfully pissed off.
You gotta find first gear in your giant robot car
Moderators have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not a submitted story gets accepted.
If they did, then you would only read stories about how Michael reads Plato's Laws every night and demands that Taco refer to him as: "Philosopher King."
Comparing it to Windows will be a moot point, since El Dorado is going to have a 40% larger code base than XP.
Regardless if the INDUCE Act will be used or judged this way, to say that judges don't look to the intent of the law they are weighing the facts against is just ignorant.
-truth
I had a steady B+ in my AI class until I failed the Turing test...
Is there a PAC out there that follows the general Slashdot interests? No, the EFF is not a PAC.
who can tell how we humble mortals in Europe may be affected by this law.
Wanted : A Signature.
The assault weapons ban expires in 90 minutes. ;)
My Sony BetaMax still works great the last time I used it, about a year or two ago. I even have some blank Beta tapes left. I still watch some origional Star Trek tapes from their origional TV broadcast.
zenray
You can't trust the law to favor your fair use when our society measures success by debt. Nobody can afford to miss a day of work to fight for their rights.
At least they've reserved the right to regroup under a good name if they fail. No one wants to "save Betamax" - everyone thinks of Betamax as a loser, especially if they know that it was technically superior to the winner, VHS. Political success depends on popularity and positive associations, even when you're right. Next time they can call it "SaveTaping.com", even though it will have little "tape" in the future.
"ew, Beta" - Homer Simpson
--
make install -not war
Idiot moderators. Take the fucking 20 seconds (literally!) it will take to actually read the text of the Act, and you'll see that all this hype is completely unwarranted.
i think thats bu11$hit. nobody can manipulate the media hw.
Temet Nosce
The previous plan may have been stupid, but this one actually makes some sense. Maybe it won't succeed, but it's a damn good effort and it at least gives the ordinary guy like me a chance to participate.
Photos.
So if they want to prohibit everything that can reproduce sound or video they have to prohibit every aviable storage medium, from ZIP 100MB disks to Compact Flash memory, and even HARD DISKs...
IMHO i think this whole thing is too stupid, there will allways be a way to save analog or binary data. They wont go home by home checking for storage mediums and like allways happened, we will find a new way to record and copy music and videos.
I cant believe the music and movie industry hasnt figured this out yet, but it just a matter of time they understand they wont ever finish piracy by prohibiting or sueing.
Some day..... i hope..... in a near future..... they will realize they wont go anywhere acting like this, and understand that they have to compete with piracy as companies do with each other, the one that ends earning money is the one that gives you a better product or service.
I've always wondered why the EFF doesn't have a sister organization that is a PAC. Compare the hemp advocacy group NORML, which is split into NORML Foundation (an exempt charity) and NORML PAC (not exempt).
This article didn't cause me to signup, but it did induce me to compose a letter to my local congressman independently. Seems like if we all do a little bit...
Is there some reason why the US flag icon for this thread has only 12 stripes instead of the usual 13?
It looks like it was taken from a picture of a real US flag, and then the the top stripe was clipped off (one can see little bits of red in a couple places).
If indeed the situation is lost, then you lose nothing: absolutely nothing by signing up, eh?
Though there intentions are good: a week is not enough time to organize a flash mob - even a virtual one - of the size that will influence the US government. And, moreover, their marketting sucks: with two days to go this finally appears on the Slashdot front page? Do these guys have any idea how long a meme takes to spread? Oi!
At least their heart's in the right place, even if their head needs some work.
...people are heavily penalized for piracy and thier awareness raised, this kind of effort will not attract much attention. The fact is that Joe Average out there actually believes it's OK to install the copy of Windows XP that came with their laptop on another box because they don't plant to use XP on the laptop. Or, she thinks it's OK to download a game ROM to play on MAME as long as it's deleted in 24 hours. Or he believes that installing and trading warez is OK as long as you don't get caught. All of these people are wrong.
I think that if the penalties for doing anything like the above were made much steeper and the enforcement much stricter, then people would really be aware of the problem and would have more understanding of why the betamax situation is important. Unfortunately, their ignorance makes them think that all the warez and "free music" they get from the net and all the illigit software they install falls under the same umbrella as VHS tapes and TV. And since THAT'S always going to be legal, in their minds, there's nothing to worry about. They don't eve "get" the problem. But what do you expect from Joe and Jane AOLer?
Things have been moving in this direction for quite some time now. Some people out there believe that everything needs to be done for a fee and they've got hold of the steering wheel right now. This is why it's important to support alternatives that are still free (beer and speech). As long as people like me (those who believe in doing some things for free in both senses) there will always be a way out. This whole betamax thing is just an extension of this battle. We were given the right to copy decades ago and now they want to take that right away so that they can take money for something that was previously free.
Peronally, I abide by the rules of these companies. If I want or need software and there is no free alternative, I buy it. If I want to watch a movie, I go to the theater, or rent the video. If I REALLY like it, then I buy the VHS or DVD from a used source. If I like a musician or band, I buy the CD and rip it to Ogg Vorbis for my own personal listening. I do not share what is not mine to share. I respect the wishes of these companies. But... wherever there is a free alternative that is legal and does not go against these businesses, I choose the alternative.
This is why I run free OSes at home with only one machine running Windows XP Pro. This is why if you were to compare my Ogg Vorbis collection with every CD I own, you would see that there is not a single Vorbis file that doesn't have a matching disc. If you look through my library of MPEG files, you would see that I own every VHS they were transferred from or they are from sources on the net that are authorized to freely distribute.
Our country is in a fucked up state thanks to the greed of the corporate swine. But things will change once Joe and Jane Average see how little they are allowed to do. ONe she sees that she can't listen to her DRM laced audio file on any machine she wants to without having to pay for duplicate licenses... and once he sees that he can only watch the movei he downloaded for five days and needs to pay for another license to watch again... and once they both run into the situation where they can't let their inlaws borrow the new movie over the weekend because it's only authorized to play on their machine. Then, and only then will Joe and Jane Average "get it". Unfortunately for them, it will be too late and there won't be anything they can do about it. Unless they want to unplug and stop watching mainstream stuff. But you and I both know that that will happen when hell freezes over. Instead Joe and Jane will continue to pour THEIR rightfully earned cash into the pockets of uncreative executives who
know nothing about creativity or artistry. The only thing Joe and Jane will do is gripe about how expensive life has suddenly become because of all the bills they have to pay. The TV bill, the music service bill, the satellite radio bill, the internet bill, the internet movie rental bill, the TiVO bill, etc... And people like me will be shaking our heads thinking, "we told you so".
Un-news
Protest unfair blocking by unfit editors on Slashdot today! Bring on the proxies and tunneled connections!!! It's time that the editors at Slashdot who think they can just ban someone because that person doesn't agree with their political opinions be told that they are insecure little gits and sent packing. While they may think they can silence dissent, we are going to prove them wrong. Block me? Yeah right. Dare to not respond to my multiple inquiries into the whys of my three week long ban? Then learn as I find every and any way I can get a dig in against you. I don't know which editor it is, but I am certain it's a Slashdot editor because I got banned yet again even though I had no downmods today and my karma is excellent. Thanks asshole.
Now back to your regularly schedule pap smear that masquerades as "news".
I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one would welcome our liberating, common-sense oriented overlords. I would certainly be a change from our current junta of corporate whores and profiteering madmen.
"No beer until you finish your tequila!" -Leela's Dad
NT
They misspelled "lostcause.org."
"No problem. I have the capacity to do infinite work so long as you don't mind that my quality approaches zero."-Dilbert
I'm a bit shaky on my Constitutional Law. If a bill is passed whose provisions are deemed illegal by a prior Supreme Court ruling, couldn't a petitioner (EFF?) file an injuction against the law the minute W signs the bill?
Didn't this happen with the Internet Communications Decency Act (or whatever it was 10 years ago)? I mean, there is fairly clear precedent for an injuction, at least, if not an immediate ruling.
BTW, where does Sony stand on this issue today, 28 years later? In 1976, they were the manufacturer of the "copyright infringing copying devices"; now, they are one the few major film/media producers.
The times, they are a rollin'
Just a little bit too clever for your own good guys, might win you karma points on slashdot for geek-guru referential knowledge-humor, but in terms of getting things done? sheesh, you'll have to fill the voters in on the backstory to the headline before you even get to the real issue. Choose a meaningful title. Most people will give you 15/ 30 seconds and if you don't make the sell by then, they will move on...
I really hope this law passes congress. It will be fun to sit here and watch everyone sueing everyone else. Maybe people will start competitions for the most cruel laswuit, like nice old ladies which canary bird can sing their favourite TV show jingle. This will be so much fun, i think i should contribute to this senator's pockets.
Back in June, C|Net wrote:
"Foes of the Induce Act said that it would effectively overturn the Supreme Court's 1984 decision in the Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios case, often referred to as the "Betamax" lawsuit. In that 5-4 opinion, the majority said VCRs were legal to sell because they were "capable of substantial noninfringing uses." But the majority stressed that Congress had the power to enact a law that would lead to a different outcome."
This was summarized on Slashdot as "C|Net News is reporting that a new copyright bill, to be introduced next week by Sen. Orrin Hatch, will likely overturn the Betamax decision". See how this meme got started? It jumped from C|Net mentioning that some people think it will overturn Sony v. Universal, to C|Net claiming that this is the likely outcome.
And now this has morphed again into "Save BetaMax."
Sitting in my day care, the art is decopainted.
Maybe once people have had enough, perhaps then books will once again be the primary form of entertainment?
Up goes the literacy level, and with it, public intelligence to the point where sanity is restored.
The Penguin Producer
What's BetaMax?
Ek is 'n hekker
Forget Congress, let's have a national call in sick to your boss day!
And someone else's children are going to be able to eat.
If you're in a position where there is any doubt your children will be eating, you shouldn't have them. Period. This should be forced for the good of society. Your rights end when they interfere with mine, and the effect unwanted and uneeded children have on society certainly interferes with my rights to live well.
In the long run these inequalities won't be evened out, because there's always some jerk who wants to profit from thost inequalities. As things even out, along come some greedy bastard who wants to be rich, and they only way he can do it is by making people poor. That's the definition of 'rich'. You have far more than anyone else, so they have far less.
Globalism is not a short term sacrifice for long term gains, it's the begining of a really nasty self perpetuating system of keeping the poor poor and the rich rich. Before globalism we had unions, and ugly battles over them. Now business just threaten to leave if workers get uppity. No riots, so protests, just a lot of broke, starving people nobody cares about.
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take a look around your home. Count the number of things that weren't made with near slave labor in sweat shop conditions. Your high standard of living is a direct result of oppression. Just because you're not doing the oppression yourself doesn't mean you're obsolved from guilt. Furthermore, given the oportunity to become really, really wealth, would you? If the answer is no (and you're not just answering no to make a point) then congradulations, you're one of those rare individuals who isn't a total bastard. If the answer is yes, well, just don't spend too much time thinking about where all that wealth is comming from. It's not a happy thought.
Oh, and as for simmering in your own muck, you won't. You're upper middle class, and Globalism shields you from the muck. Isn't that nice?
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
It had over 16,000 congresspersons' names to call, many of them with "test" in the name. Oooops. I don't think their software is ready for prime-time yet.