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U.S. High Level Anti-Piracy Post Created
Vicissidude wrote to mention a CNN/Money article, announcing that President Bush has created a new senior-level position to fight global intellectual-property piracy From the article: "Bush has tapped Chris Israel, currently deputy chief of staff for Gutierrez, to head up the administration's anti-piracy efforts. China -- where 90 percent of music and movies are pirate copies -- will be a chief priority, Gutierrez said."
The guy tapped to take up the post is a public policy executive at, where else, Time Warner. I will refrain from sarcasm, because it'll just make me look snotty, but this guy is being set up for a conflict of interests. He won't be doing independent analysis of piracy problems; he'll be a high-level executive mouthpiece for the media conglomerates.
I don't know how software works, but with other products in China, they are the real thing, not just copies. Instead of shutting down the factory for clothes and purses, they keep it running and sell the products real cheap. It covers their costs and then some. Where do big software vendors have their software made and packaged?
China -- where 90 percent of music and movies are pirate copies....
I was in China last month attending one of the biggest audio-visual trade shows.
90 percent of music and movies sold in China and India are way overpriced for the public. For example a DVD costs between $9-$11.
As long as the price remains high piracy will happen...doesnt matter if it is Guiterez or his mother-in-law is the US Anti-Piracy Police Chief.
A few weeks back I was dealing with a top Indian VCD/DVD distributor in Bombay. Later I saw films from his label at the nearest roadside shack selling for Rs.50-100 ($1-$2) with the same label/cover/inlay card/logo/details as the ones available in regular stores. Later I realised it is the same guy who distributes to both the regular stores and the 'pirate'.
This business practice makes sense for the distributor...he makes a profit whether he is selling to a regular store or 'pirate' (a slimmer margin when he sells to the 'pirate'). And we all know the material cost for producing a DVD.
I also heard both original DVDs and duplicates are made in the same factory...which is real socialism.
Tat Tvam Asi
You have got to be kidding! Corporations don't pay taxes. Nor do the very rich.
Furthermore, the US Federal Govt isn't spending anything on providing any sort of healthcare for the people who do pay taxes, and highways are paid for out of petro and vehicle taxes.
Your postulated interest in the financial health of Sony Corp (DVD patents - and they're not a US company, btw) and Capital Records (Canadian, I think, owned by Seagrams, but you can check me on that) is completely spurious - not to say misguided.
I personally could give a shit about the output of the so-called US entertainment industry until and unless they start paying me to consumer their lame crapola. I don't download off P2P because they don't have anything I want and I damned well have no interest in paying some beer-oh-crat a 6 figure salary to watch out for some multinational corp that produces crap, pays no US taxes, and has few US employees (Microsoft, for instance, is doing a lot more for employment in India than they are in the US).
Your government (I don't claim it - the current US regime is an occupying force and is not American in any way shape or form - loud, psuedo-patriotic whining to the contrary notwithstanding) taking this step will lead only to higher taxes for you, more people in the prisons you pay for, and increased prices for those DVDs full of cut-rate bullshite. I mean, you don't actually believe they're doing this to lower prices, do you?
Besides, all that "piracy" they keep going on about isn't even taking place in the US - it's mostly in e.g. China already - if something really needs to be done about it, it should be Condi's job - hardly a task for a whole new cabinet position.
I agree with the previous poster - we're already invovled in enough wars whose sole purpose is to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Enough already. Peace in our time, god-dammit.
In short, they're pissing in your ear - it's up to you whether you believe them when they tell you it's raining...
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