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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."
Going against the main source - chinese counterfeit - will do a world of good when you think of the current efforts (read: *IAA lawsuits). Too bad we had to wait for the Gov'ment to get involved since it will now become a masive sluash fund for politicians to draw cash from the people as it inneficiently tries to "do something about piracy".
I never spellcheck and I freely admit it. Save your karma for more worthwhile "lol erorrs" replies
China is surprisingly flexible and responsive to actual U.S. pressure, reference the status that Taiwan has maintained, reference the recent re-evaluation of the Yuan. If the U.S. seriously demands this China will stealthily cave. Eventually.
Back in the 19th Century, the U.S. was the pirate harboring nation. The U.S. didn't recognize foreign copyrights until 1891.
After this there will be a Patent Policy Czar for Europe to make "suggestions" to the EU. Soon there will be a cabinet-level agency, the Department of Intellectual Property. When energy prices really start to take off and the economy starts to tank, the pols in DC will claim that "intellectual property" makes up a large chunk of what the country exports, and deserves the greatest "protections" available.
"Intellectual property" is not real property.
I think you have put your finger on it. The government is doing this because they are greedy and they want more money -- money in the form of tax dollars from the entertainment industry. Intellectual property is one of the USA's biggest exports and brings in billions and billions of dollars into our economy.
You mentioned terrorism, poverty, famine, disease, etc. Unfortunately, our government needs money -- and a good dose of wisdom -- to address these issues. Protecting our country's economic interests may be a good way to start.
Sitting in my day care, the art is decopainted.
Granted I agree with your post, but in all honsety, a minor part of me always disagrees. On the one hand its like "Oh wow! I can get free stuff, that is kick ass", on the other hand its like "Well they probably should enforce copyrights, afterall these companies do pay alot of skilled people alot of money to make these movies, songs, games, etc... They aren't a necessity in my life so if I feel they are charging too much I just won't buy it. Who am I to think I have a right to see or hear what they've done just because they've done it." The older I get the more resonable that second oppinion seems to be. Let them enforce anything they want with copyright, no one says you must watch some movie, and if you think they are charging too much oh well, don't pay to see it. You see, they are enforcing it, but the choice is still entirley yours as you whether or not you want to view it. The only reason people are fighting this is because people want free stuff, well stop being so damn selfish, you aren't entitled to any of it.
Regards,
Steve
I've known several people who carry that kind of cash around with them on a daily basis.
For example, a family friend of ours typically carries around $50,000 cash with him, or within a few minutes of where he is at. He will often buy cars from people, and pulling out a huge wad of cash will generally get someone excited, and more likely to think about the cash than the deal they are making when selling something. He would also sometimes hang around the municipal airport, and watch for frustrated pilots who were having basic problems with their planes. He'd start talking to them, and get them to the point where they'd say something like "I should just sell this POS.". Then, he'd whip out his wad of cash, and make an offer, which the pilot would often times accept without really thinking about it. He'd take the plane, make the minor repairs, then turn around and resell it for a nice profit.
Besides, if someone wants to carry that amount of cash around on them, it isn't anyone's business except their own. You don't need a reason.
Yesterday, the federal government wasn't primarily responsible for policing piracy. Today it is.
Funny how the government chose to prioritize piracy over adequate healthcare.
So you apparently really believe that, if all those Chinese who are getting pirated copies of Windows weren't able to get the pirated copies, they would be paying full price for the software (or DVD or whatever)? That's the kind of flawed logic that has allowed the RIAA to dig themselves into the hole they're in now...
We are not "hemorrhaging" cash - we just aren't producing anything these "pirates" consider worth paying for. Not making a sale is not the same as having some one take away from you monies that have you already made. The corps don't own the money, and their constant whining about me (or anyone) not giving it to them is just sour grapes. I don't owe them anything. They should have to work for a living like the rest of us...
As you point out, Microsoft has done okay for itself, regardless of rampant piracy overseas for many years, I might add. Of course, they have managed to enforce certain predatory business practices of questionable legality, themselves, but they have gotten away with it, so we can let that lie, for the time being. Really, though, Mirosoft should think twice before casting any stones on the basis of allegations of criminal behavior.
Furthermore, Microsoft has been one of the few companies to successful prosecute pirates - and without creating a cabinet post (well, if you don't count their ownership of Dubya) to do it.
Capitalism in action, dude - people in China won't pay $20 for the DVD, but they'll pay $1. A sale you didn't make is not lost capital, it's a failure of marketing and design.
I guess you could argue that e.g. P2P "costs sales" because it lets people find out what crap the music or video is *before* they pay good money for it, and hence they don't buy it - freeing the consumer from the (rigged) tyranny of so-called "critics", basically - but creating a government position with the idea of enforcing sales quotas for failed products - which is how I view these so-called "anti-piracy" efforts - is a bit over-the-top.
As I understand it, Microsoft has been careful to define their overseas sweatshop employees as "not Microsoft employees" - this keeps the heat off them for outsourcing and makes them appear to be less hostile to the working stiff consumer. It's an image thing.
Most of your points here I take, but I think they are going to side issues. I maintain that this article is about a shenangian - about enabling corporate hacks (in the old sense - workers lacking real skillz) to continue to charge more than the market will realistically bear for 2nd and 3rd rate products - while giving their activities sanction under guise of law enforcement. "It's a poor workman blames the tool," so-to-speak.
It is a continuation of the marginalization and ultimate criminalization of non-consumption or consumption of alternative products. The companies' profits will fall if they are not propped up by government, regardless of piracy, because they cannot produce goods that can command an honest dollar.
The only real losses in the realm of intellectual property occur when real innovation is suppressed or stolen by a corporatation - that's a loss to an individual and neither this ploy nor any other by the Dubya regime does squat to address those sorts of abuses.
And that's before we start talking about the millions of lives that could be saved just by re-directing the corporate fat-cat turned politician's salary alone...
"The Internet is made of cats."