Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Copyright Report More Rhetoric Than Reality
CanuckGamer writes "Michael Geist has up a great article debunking the U.S. 'Special 301' report that is set to be released this week. The annual copyright report criticizes dozens of countries on their copyright practices, yet Geist notes that the policies are subject to growing criticism within the U.S. and that few countries are actually listening since most ignore the recommendations. 'While the report will generate media headlines and cries for immediate action from Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda, the reality is that Canada's record on intellectual property protection meets international standards. Moreover, differences between the U.S. and Canadian economies - the U.S. is a major exporter of cultural products and has therefore unsurprisingly made stronger copyright protection a core element of its trade strategy while Canada is a net importer of cultural products with a billion dollar annual culture deficit - means that U.S.-backed reforms may do more harm than good.'"
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_ publications/company_level_imports/current/import. html
Now go piss off.
I think the word you are looking for is "entertainment". Unless you forgot the quotes.
Good thing the headline isn't slanted or editorialized. Oh wait....
I judt got a nre Kinesis keybiartf so please excusr ant egregiou typos.
the U.S. is a major exporter of cultural crap.
There, fixed it for you!
Using the term "cultural deficit" doesn't seem quite right -- it implies that the USA has a cultural surplus.
(IANAL)
Unless it's protected by intellectual monopoly legislation. Then you get to count it until the monopoly expires.
Really tho, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda should take a good hard look at how multiple hundreds of millions of dollars transferred out of the Canadian economy, and consequently the loss of a fair number of jobs, would serve Canadian industry or Canadian cultural workers.
Just out of curiosity, what business do the USA have criticising other country's copyright laws, anyway? If Canada - for example - told the USA that their copyright laws are inadequate and need to be overhauled, they'd quickly be told to mind their own damn business and not meddle in other countries' internal affairs - and rightfully so, too. Why do the USA think that they have the right to do the same thing?
Or, more specifically: why don't the PEOPLE see anything wrong with it when the administration(s) (both past and present) think they have the right to meddle in the affairs of other countries?
butter the donkey
From The Tao of Programming
There once was a man who went to a computer trade show. Each day as he entered, the man told the guard at the door:
``I am a great thief, renowned for my feats of shoplifting. Be forewarned, for this trade show shall not escape unplundered.''
This speech disturbed the guard greatly, because there were millions of dollars of computer equipment inside, so he watched the man carefully. But the man merely wandered from booth to booth, humming quietly to himself.
When the man left, the guard took him aside and searched his clothes, but nothing was to be found.
On the next day of the trade show, the man returned and chided the guard saying: ``I escaped with a vast booty yesterday, but today will be even better.'' So the guard watched him ever more closely, but to no avail.
On the final day of the trade show, the guard could restrain his curiosity no longer. ``Sir Thief,'' he said, ``I am so perplexed, I cannot live in peace. Please enlighten me. What is it that you are stealing?''
The man smiled. ``I am stealing ideas,'' he said.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
The headline is a statement of fact. Unless one regards rhetoric as inherently perjorative ( a pernicious contemporary usage, mind) to say that the USTR report on IP is language intended to pursuade is hardly slant or editorializing. The Bush political appointee is merely doing his job.
illegitimii non ingravare
If we are trading a billion dollars worth of minerals, water, energy, lumber and manufactured goods out for a billion dollars worth of permission to something that would be free for the taking if we changed our laws, it makes it pretty fucking clear what we should do.
We should dump the laws entirely. If that means trade drops such that we keep our billion dollars worth of stuff for ourselves and don't receive a billion dollars worth of empty "permission to copy" notes, we are much better off.
The fact that it isn't happenening speaks to the motives of our elected officials.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
Why would you care about something that has been shown to be false, though?