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Interview With Pirate Party Leader Rick Falkvinge

mmuch writes "In the wake of the recent copyright debate in Swedish mainstream media, the P2P Consortium has published an interview with Rick Falkvinge, the leader of the Swedish Pirate Party. He comments on the mainstream politicians starting to understand the issues, the interplay between strict copyright enforcement and mass surveillance, and the chances for global copyright reform." Some choice Falkvinge quotes: "What was remarkable was that this was the point where the enemy — forces that want to lock down culture and knowledge at the cost of total surveillance — realized they were under a serious attack... for the first time, we saw everything they could bring to the battle. And it was... nothing. Not even a fizzle. All they can say is 'thief, we have our rights, we want our rights, nothing must change, we want more money, thief, thief, thief'... Whereas we are talking about scarcity vs. abundance, monopolies, the nature of property, 500-year historical perspectives on culture and knowledge, incentive structures, economic theory, disruptive technologies, etc. The difference in intellectual levels between the sides is astounding... When the Iron Curtain fell, all of the West rejoiced that the East would become just as free as the West. It was never supposed to be the other way around."

4 of 515 comments (clear)

  1. Whites should go on strike by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Following the law, working hard and trying to improve ourselves doesn't seem to do anything. Fuck it. Why should I struggle my whole life to support a system that treats me simultaneously as a checking account and the source of all the world's ills? I'm going on white strike - I'm going to quit my job, stop paying taxes and start behaving like a fucking coon. If they try and stop me, I'll riot and burn my own house down then whine that I'm oppressed because I've got nowhere to live.

  2. Re:Not if you don't want to by DAldredge · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    You sound like a teenage know it all.

  3. Re:Respect to this guy... by cliffski · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    if you want to support someone financially, how about the artists whose music you download, the movie makers whose movies you watch, and the developers whose programs you use?
    Or is it just easier to stick two fingers up to all those people whilst sending money to someone who promises you can have everything for free.

    sorry...correction, that you can have what *other people*, (not him) produce , for free...

    This is amateur hour politics for kids who haven't go their first job yet. Anyone over 13 years old who thinks this stuff is a credible plan for society needs to read some history books on how the system has worked in the past.

    --
    DRM-free indie games for the PC and Mac: Positech Games
  4. Falkvinge argument by Grampaw+Willie · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Falkvinge' argument ("Our ideas are not out on the fringe, we were just a little bit ahead of time" -- is just an argument ad novitam -- a classic fallacy in logic

    essential him and others of his ilk are saying "copyright law is obsolete because it is no longer enforceable "

    he's going to find out he's wrong. in the meantime don't let this goof get you into trouble. if ya got p2p software on yer system get rid of it.