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Russia's War on Piracy/Malicious Software
tmk writes "Russian minister Leonid Reiman has announced new legislation to fight software piracy. According to official information the share of pirated software in the Russian Federation decreased in the last years from 90 to 60 percent. Reiman dismissed as a myth the impression that many viruses originate in his country: 'Viruses are written all over the world. Russia is waging a consistent and successful war on malicious software.' Reiman calls for an international organization to fight Internet crime. Last year Russia agreed to take down Allofmp3 after the United States intervened."
Are natural partners. Expect the USA, China and Russia to embrace draconian copyright law enforcement as an _excuse_ to monitor and control all transmission of information with their borders. All copyrightists are scum.
Russia agreed to shut down Allofmp3
"The government will be expected to begin complying by June 1, 2007."
They only agreed to it is so they could get into the WTO.
We'll see how strong their resolve is & how quickly Allofmp3 returns.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Allofmp3 is still alive and well. What happens to it in June, when new legislation is enabled, is not at all clear. I doubt they will just disappear. As to levels of software piracy in Russia, I doubt they are as high as in the US.
Regarding intellectual property, the Soviet Russia joke is (unfortunately) more accurate when reversed :
e.g. : In Soviet Russia, you own your software, in America your software owns you.
but thy pirates will keep dem treasures buried and safe. To all Prussian pirates, Yarr maties!
that is, [cough]. YARR!
I am system administrator in a large nuclear physics institute in Moscow, which is by no mere coincidence a vital part of the Russian internet backbone. Since my day one I've been advocating Linux and free software, and here's the fruit: already about 10% of the institute's workers, including the director himself, use various distributions of Linux [mostly Ubuntu/Debian, Mandriva and Red Hat]. Besides, I'm currently engaged in talks with Sun regarding our migration to Sun Ray, which will run on a customized Debian system.
I believe that if the result will look as I expect it to, the university [it's the largest university in Russia and AFAIK Europe] which we are a significant part of might break off Microsoft crap in toto, although this statement can be considered a pure speculation at this moment.
Call it what it is, "Data duplication." Or perhaps even "copyright infringement."
Stop calling it "piracy." This nomenclature implies a very debatable moral judgment. Since it is quite obvious that data duplication does not include rape or murder, it is a very ill-fitting term to begin with.
Just stop using it.
The second I saw the title, I knew in my heart that I'd find a Soviet Russia joke here.
No, I think Damn is still producing cracks, but I could be wrong.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Why else would a country enact laws against the interests of both country's population and its future economic power? I can see limited term copyright laws being beneficial in Russia, but only with exemptions for income levels and educational use. How does anyone benefit from a kid being computer illiterate because his parents one year salary still can not buy Vista, Office and Photoshop? If one day oil cartel countries force US women to wear burkas, you will know how that feels. Stop mucking with democratically chosen laws of sovereign nations.
I think what you really meant to say was "most popular" and "newly released".
The same in China. They bootleg whatever sells well
But they don't keep massive databanks of every DVD / CD / software ever produced. Ready to be burned, printed and sold to you.
How could you tell the difference between pirated CD's and non-pirated CD's in a store? The ones I see appear identical to me.
Money for nothing, pix for free
Heard of this from a sysadmin friend who lives in Saratov, Russia. His company got raided and its owner was dragged to court and had to pay fines. Fines were substantial. He was also required to comply with licensing requirements in full, so fines weren't his only expenditure. I tried to "sell" them on Linux at least on the servers, but the boss is afraid of anything "free as in beer" now.
Anyone believes Russian piracy rate has dropped from 90% to 60% over the last year(s) should instead believe the Russian government is capable of solving all their poverty and corruption problm by the end of this year.
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun
The call to arms from the privileged elite. You never quite know whether to cry or to laugh.
Allofmp3.com is still operating as normal. www.allofmp3.com
The call to arms from the privileged elite.
Yeah. Just like the old days. Kinda makes me nostalgic.
What?
Would be so funny...
It's a travesty, but at least you tried...
Also, it would be virus writes you. yes, the article had so much promise, but the headline just didnt have enough material for a good joke. i think its obligatory that we all make the jokes now.
Why UNIX?
Here's to the Apocalypse. It's been a good run, but you're right, we're totally broken. *Raises a beer to toast the coming World War III*
With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
Yeah right. There are literally 10s of other AllofMyMp3 like sites. They have flourished like mushrooms. And not just in Russia. They seem to run out of every former Soviet republic.
Not to mention the incredibly effective job that street based anti-piracy enforcement has achieved.Not.
At best, it provides another opportunity for the cops to shake down stall holders.
I think you will find anyone selling pirated CDs finds it easier to pay the cops or copyright inspects an "on the spot fine". That way everyone is happy. The CD software seller gets to keep doing business, the cop is paid, the cops boss gets a cut, and business continues.
What are you worried about? This is the market is supposed to work, after all.
You actually believe there's no benefit whatsoever to copyright? I haven't heard this a lot. Most people want to see copyright reformed - with reasonable limits on exclusivity before the content enters the public domain. Is it your opinion that copyright just shouldn't exist? And if that is the case, do you also see no value whatsoever in what copyright offers?
I would venture anything the reason he had to go to court was because some competitor in the same town had paid the inspector to raid him, and take him out.
I'm around 100% certain these incidents have nothing to do with copyright violations, but are rather an extension of commercial warfare, Russian style.
You need to get out more and read a bit of overseas news.
Your points may be good as far as they go, but they hardly capture the sum total of the Human Race. Still, if you feel this way and are certain that you're right, then go ahead - lead the charge into oblivion. You go on, and the rest of us will be along later.
What developing nations have people starving in the streets? As far as I know the only starving people are in impoverished countries, and even then they aren't being ignored, we ARE trying to help. What have you done to help? These starving people deserve nothing from me, I have no obligation to help them and neither does anyone else, and yet we do because we have compassion for them. When you understand compassion and love, you will not want our species to die in a nuclear fire. Think about it.
Qxe4
I see a distinct value in affirming author's moral rights; to be recognized as the author/creator and to be able to prevent misuse of their works, such as them being used to promote values clearly not in line with the author's.
s miers.php
If the reason is to create artificial scarcity in an effort to maintain a certain type of private monopoly, I see no societal use for copyrights whatsoever.
US copyright has good fair use, European copyrights have good moral rights. I'd like to see those two combined and the rest stripped away as much as possible.
Here's a piece to think about: http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/07/opinion/ed
Money for nothing, pix for free
I've created this: http://www.p-i-x.net/ What have you created?
Money for nothing, pix for free
Oh snap!
If an author creates a work that is read by tens of thousands but only actually sold it to 1 person, who then copied it and profited, that author will not continue to have the time to write other works because he'll need to have another job to pay the bills. Do you not see it that way?
No, simply because this is not what actually happens. It is a theoretical worst case scenario with no grounding whatsoever in reality. First off, how do you propose this person could profit from the author's work? He does not have the author's support in selling copies (no book-signing tour, no live gigs, no nothing), no advantage in production (printing and distribution costs are the same whether or not you are the author) and he still has to out-sell the author by a 10 000-to-1 margin. That's quite impressive.
:-)
Now, let's say this person instead makes a digital copy and releases it for free. What happens? Well, we actually know what happens since not only do several authors give away their books for free (Cory Doctorow, Larry Lessig, to name but a few) as does several bands and record companies. They still sell lots of books and records, even though the subject matter is available for free. Most report increased sales after freeing their content, due to the advertising value in doing so.
People are willing to pay, even if there is a free option. Sometimes the motive is a perceived increase of value in the "real deal" but often, it is simply the easiest way to confer appreciation to the author. Paypal donor buttons work pretty well for many on-line comic artists, even though it is totally free to read their strips. Heck, Scott Adams is pretty well off, even though I can read Dilbert for free every day. I give away my pictures for free on the web and rake in the Adsense dough (OK, I don't get rich, but it's paid for a brand new camera). Judging by the competition, I could not realistically expect to sell a single copy of any of my images.
Also, there's yet another flaw in your argument: You pre-suppose that it is not the norm today that author's have day jobs. They do. There is a large (and growing) industry of printer/publishers who, instead of giving you an advance on your upcoming book, simply charge you for printing and distributing it. And people flock to them in droves.
There is simply no reason to assume that people create things only because they may sell a copy some day. People create things of their own volition today, on their own time, on their own dime. Very, very few can live off creating and manage without that day job. The rich artist is to a very large extent a myth created by the publishing industries to avoid having to pay reasonable wages. "Don't worry, you'll live in luxury off the royalties later, we'll just deduct this expense from them, no worries". The result? This: http://www.negativland.com/albini.html
There's an anecdote about a similar situation (which apparently copyright does not actually protect against in all cases):
Money for nothing, pix for free
I would appreciate a more respectful tone in any further replies.
> "Russian minister Leonid Reiman has announced new legislation to fight software piracy."
Oh Mercy Me! It's great to begin my week with a good joke!
Is a "copyrightist" someone who believes that some form of copyright should exist? Or is a "copyrightist" someone who thinks copyright laws should be extended in duration and very strong in enforcement? Perhaps a "copyrightist" is someone who uses copyright enforcement as an excuse to implement invasive monitoring of information flow. Or is a "copyrightist" merely someone who disagrees with your views on copyright law?
I may not know what a "copyrightist" is, but at least thanks to your cogent analysis, at least I know they're all scum. But I wonder, where do these "copyrightists" fit on the Scum Ladder? Are they scummier than Big Oil executives? Scummier than used car dealers? Scummier than rapists? What about spammers? Arey they scummier than spammers?
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
The Virginia planter was sunk in debt before the Revolution. The Virginia planter would be sunk in debt after the Revolution.
Export low priced agricultural goods. Import high priced manufactured goods.
Work the soil to exhaustion. Tie up your capital in slaves and land. Invest in nothing else.
The trade financed at both ends by bankers in London and New York, at a very good rate of interest.
"compassion and love" are merely means to an end for the vast majority of people.
for corporations and governments it's for PR issues.
for individuals it's to engender the good graces of others by being able to say to others "i donate to this charity".
It's all about posturing, engendering friendship in people to use in order to further your own goals, it has nothing to do with this noble compassion and generosity you say exists.
real compassion is donating anonymously, without claims, and dying with that secret.
I only know of one person who has ever done this, and that man is dead now.
the truth is an ugly thing is it not? oh but i assume ill get the good old -1 (troll) or (flamebait) because the truth is so ugly apparently the mods cant stand to look at it.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
You'd think that a large and relatively modern country like Russia would be developing all its own software and wouldn't need to pirate software made by American companies.
A disgruntled employee has left and tipped off the authorities. This stuff is all the rage over there right now.
Meh. Moral rights don't actually exist, no one actually follows through on the idea, whatever they might say to the contrary, and they're a craptastic idea. Better to reform copyright from a wholly utilitarian approach (in which the object isn't to maintain a private monopoly, but to achieve societal goals through the careful and limited use of monopolies)
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Have you never done something for someone else because of compassion or love? Most people do things for mixed reasons: partly selfishness, and partly compassion. It is quite rare to find someone who acts completely out of love, or completely out of selfishness. Real compassion is doing something for someone because you care about them, whether it be secret or not, and it makes you feel good and alive (although if you are doing it because you want to feel good, then all of a sudden it's not compassionate any more, and it won't make you feel so good. Deliciously paradoxical, isn't it?)
Qxe4
100% Overrated
WooHoo! Drones with points! Way to hit a nerve!
What?
Why should they? Put the research where it belongs, to university labs. Keep it open and shared, and develop cures for more diseases instead of having three manufacturers making three expensive patented variants of the same drug that differ only by a position of an unimportant methyl group, or that are different salts of the same molecule. The same money that are paid for drugs by insurance companies and Medicare, if invested purely to open research and testing, are likely to yield more of cheaper meds for the entire world, instead of being wasted on duplicated effort, lawyers, and marketing. According to some figures I encountered long ago, the cash spent on PR, advertising and marketing often exceeds the cash spent on R&D.
They (the police) don't believe in copyright (nor do they know what it is in minute detail, I'm sure), but they do believe in edicts from their superiors. They were told to enforce, and they did enforce. Just a few years ago they couldn't even do it since there was no legal mechanism for doing so.
I'm sure the guy could have gotten away with it for much less if he had connections in the police, though.
LOL, well I'm not surprised this got modded down, but... how on Earth can something be overrated that hasn't been rated yet?
Matthew Reilly published a book online, for free: Hover Car Racer. It still sold plenty of copies when it got to the bookstores and Matt's still rolling around in a DeLorean. And a Lotus. The point is, give people a bite, or even a whole serving, and if they like it, they'll come back for the next course.
kill all the fucking niggers
To be precise, in Russia you own someone else's software.
The American part should be changed accordingly.
WYSIWIG, but what you see might not be what you need
Money for nothing, pix for free
Everyone seems to know of high-profile cases, such as AllOfMp3. No wonder, AllOfMP3 used to one of the most popular music shops out there, just a bit less popular than iTunes.
Unfortunately, due to this 'fight', a lot of innocent people get hurt by the system. You heard of Ponosov's case, where a headmaster of God-forgotten school in Perm region has been tried for an alleged 'intellectual property violation'. And this case was not brought on by Microsoft. It was brought by a regional prosecution office. And that was just a beginning...
Nowadays corrupted goverment officials and law enforcement officers use 'software piracy' as yet another way to make a 'quick buck' in bribes. Their demands are completely ridiculous. Here is a couple of examples:
Well, I work in a university lab doing pharmaceutical research. It's one thing to do the sort of basic research to develop an active molecule, it's a completely different thing to bring a formulation to market. Just be glad that drugs are covered under patent instead of copyright, in which case aspirin would cost $10 a pill.
I think that kid will be more computer literate if he would stay with Linux, OpenOffice and Magick instead of "Vista, Office and Photoshop".
There are plenty of benefits using open software. There are fewer games, less distraction to serious work with computers, more transparent access to the internals of the programs.
I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
Which indicates a competitive environment, if there were only 1 medicine to treat a specific disease, there would be no need to market. In fact, a perfectly competitive environment has more money spent on marketing; J&J spends $250M on advertising Tylenol.
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