Slashdot Mirror
Do We Want ISPs Penalizing Music Fans?
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Noted singer songwriter Billy Bragg has written an excellent column in The Guardian, coming out against the pro-RIAA '3-strikes' legislation the big 4 record labels are trying to push through. In the article, entitled 'Do we want ISPs penalizing our fans?', Bragg writes: 'Having failed miserably in previous attempts to stamp out illicit filesharing, the record industry has now joined forces with other entertainment lobby groups to demand that the government takes action to protect their business model.' He goes on: 'Fearful of the prospect of dragging their customers though the courts, with all the attendant costs and bad publicity, members of the record industry have come up with a simple, cost-free solution to their problem: get the ISPs to do their dirty work for them. They are asking the government to force the ISPs to cut off the broadband connection of customers who persistently download unauthorized material, without any recourse to appeal in the courts.'"
Fucking hell, enough with the piracy articles on Slashdot. It's what, two or three a day now? I know Slashdot is a pro-piracy haven where the existence of the RIAA somehow justifies you pirating somebody's work, but don't you get tired of discussing the same thing over and over?
Do We Want ISP's Penalizing Music Fans?
... (/me coldly stares at the person asking the question)
SURE! Why not? After all, they're just working for the innocent record companies who just want to make an honest buck but can't due to those gosh-darn music fans and geeks!
I am ever-so-grateful that this question has been asked! And in such a nice, balanced headline! I'm certain that we should only have pleasant, rational discussions resulting from a headline that isn't a fucking sensationalistic piece of shit and is in no way shape or form a stupid, devoid-of-content attention-whoring "question"! What a wonderful testament to hard-hitting journalism coming back!
Wow, very good point, and you should be modded...
I for one think that the RIAA should be able to do what they do. Not because I like the RIAA, but because I believe in Open Source...
Remember Open Source relies on copyright. And if people believe in infringing in copyright then what stops a company from infringing the rights of Open Source?
So when the RIAA wants three strikes you are out, I would actually like to apply this to companies that infringe on Open Source copyright!
Think about it, a side benefit of this is that a company like DieBold that infringed could be cut off the Internet! They could not get back onto the Internet! Imagine how fast they might even comply!
So folks think of this as a blessing in disguise...
"You can't make a race horse of a pig"
"No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
Why should ISPs police their networks and eliminate revenue without compensation?
I know this is Slashdot and all, but isn't the answer "because that revenue is generated by helping people to break the law" reasonable?
I don't think it's necessarily the best answer, but making cute comments about the recording industry's tactics when substantial numbers of people are currently ripping them off in violation of the law isn't exactly strengthening the case against these sorts of tactics.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
Really... like Billy Bragg would support big business even if this had nothing to do with the RIAA. The guys been a commie well before there was a RIAA.
"NOTED singer songwriter Billy Bragg has written an excellent column in The Guardian,"
????
"Noted" by who? A bunch of left wing assholes?
Billy Bragg is a champagne socialist - a wanker who lives in 100% WHITE Burton Bradstock in Dorset, in a million pound mansion on the cliffs, while telling the working class whites of Britain how lucky we are to have so much 'diversity' around us.
Just go to his website and look at the 'politics' section of his forum - notice how there are hardly any posts on there? Isn't that a bit strange, seeing as he is constantly spouting politics? If you dare to disagree with anything 'The Party' says, on the forum, you are banned, and your posts are deleted. Hence it consists of nothing more than a handful of self-obsessed Marxist wankers who spend their time patting each other on the backs about how 'progressive' they are, and berating anybody who dares to disagree.
Billy Bragg is a talentless tosser. Stop pretending he isn't.
If he believes his political views are the views of the majority, why isn't he standing as an MP?