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MPAA Chief Dodd Hints At Talks To Revive SOPA

suraj.sun writes "Christopher Dodd, the former Connecticut senator who now leads the MPAA, hasn't given up on his dream of censoring the Internet. In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, he said that Hollywood and the technology industry 'need to come to an understanding' about new copyright legislation. Dodd said that there were 'conversations going on now,' about SOPA-style legislation, but that he was 'not going to go into more detail because obviously if I do, it becomes counterproductive.' Asked whether the White House's decision to oppose SOPA had created tensions with Hollywood, Dodd insisted that he was 'not going to revisit the events of last winter,' but said he hoped the president would use his 'good relationships' with both Hollywood and the technology industry to broker a deal."

10 of 279 comments (clear)

  1. My goodness by Sigvatr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What motivates this man to be so evil?

  2. CISPA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I believe the current bill trying to snake its way into US law is CISPA:
    http://kat.ph/blog/GreenPirate/post/1774/

  3. Re:If that language doesn't by geminidomino · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are you kidding? That's downright diplomatic for Dodd.

    Did you forget about him Calling out the government for not doing what they were told?

  4. It's just like home... by mark-t · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a Canadian, I'm torn between taking some sort of sadistic delight in seeing that the characteristic of elected representatives making decisions contrary to the electorate's desires is not a uniquely Canadian trait, and feeling genuine empathy for the USA in this situation.

    After careful consideration, I'll go with the latter. It's a more PC.

    I am Canadian, after all.

  5. How much more openly? by blind+biker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How much more explicitly should he say that he doesn't give a rat's ass about the general interest? Should he say "I poop on all you little folks!"

    I swear, Americans seem to just *love* these self-interested politicians.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  6. Re:Really? by paiute · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Progressive policies are those which seek to establish control over all aspects of people's lives by experts who know better what those people really want and need than those people do themselves.

    In stark contrast to that are the Conservative policies, which seek to establish control over all aspects of people's lives by nonexperts who know better what those people really want and need than those people do themselves.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  7. Speaking of Lamar Smith... by Freddybear · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://www.tomsguide.com/us/REddit-TestPAC-SOPA-PIPA-Lamar-Smith,news-14720.html

    "What better way to kill the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill for good than to nuke its author right out of Congress? That's what a group of Reddit users are trying to do after forming a Political Action Committee, or PAC. They want Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX.) booted out of office, and will do everything they can to see it happen."

    If they succeed in booting Smith in the primary, that should put some fear into others who might otherwise support SOPA/PIPA style legislation.

  8. Re:LOL! American Freedom! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why hasn't the MPAA been declared an illegal price-fixing conspiracy under RICO statutes yet? They've been convicted of price fixing TWICE...

  9. Re:Really? by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1, Interesting

    No, conservatives seek to limit government to the minimum amount of power necessary to keep society functioning. Unfortunately, there are many politicians who claim to be conservatives, and manage to appeal to conservatives by careful marketing, who seek to expand their power and thus the power of government.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  10. Re:An "Understanding," You Say? by dweller_below · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Thanks for the link to Macaulay on Copyright. It is extremely relevant. His summation was amazingly prescient:

    "And you will find that, in attempting to impose unreasonable restraints on the reprinting of the works of the dead, you have, to a great extent, annulled those restraints which now prevent men from pillaging and defrauding the living."

    This is the modern copyright wars in a nutshell. Copyright can NOT exist in defiance of common sense. It must be reasonable or it will destroy our respect for the law. If we wish to continue as a lawful nation, we must restore reason to copyright.

    Reason would look like:

    • Copyright should last 20 years.
    • Things that can't be copied (IE works with effective technical copying restrictions) are not subject to copyright.
    • And, either no punishment for non-commercial copying or the punishment is limited to just the actual cost of buying a copy.

    But, when negotiating with a crazy opponent, you can't begin with reason.

    Our initial negotiating position must be:

    • Copyright is only granted to works submitted to the Library of Congress.
    • Mandatory licensing. Anybody can get a copy from the Library of Congress at any time for $1
    • Copyright duration is 5 years, with 1 renewal.

    Miles