Are you suggesting that making it illegal to download mp3s is an unobservable law? I mean I like music, but I get by just fine without downloading it....
This is possibly one of the worst article summaries I have ever seen. They did NOT make P2P networks illegal!!!!!! They made unauthorized P2P sharing illegal! Okay? That means it's illegal for people to share files that they have no right to be sharing (copyrighted works that they don't own the copyright for!).
And ISPs are not being required to block P2P networks, they are only being asked not to "facilitate" illegal file sharing (by providing information on who an IP address belongs to when requested).
Spain should be careful that they do not let the record companies dictate their legislation going forward, as the RIAA is doing in the US. But please, please, please RTFA before declaring a country "a tool" and their laws "very stupid" in all caps!
Yeah I'm pretty sure if they develop a business/legal model that drives them out of business... their successors will be more than happy to do away with those laws.
If they continue to make their DRM worse, eventually they will back themselves into a corner where NOONE wants to pay for their non-working crap any more... seems to me that THEY lose, not us.
Oh but if you're worried about the day when you won't be able to purchase the latest Christina Aguilera album, don't worry, there will still be musicians. Real musicians. But if you simply must have the corporately produced crap, the pirates will be happy to supply you.
I agree that it shouldn't be necessary. But that's the way they do business, since he recorded the conversation I'm guessing he knew that's the way they do business, and he antagonized the poor customer service rep who didn't design the policy. There's no point getting all pissy about it. Imagine you're running a business and you have 2 customers (seriously who the hell uses AOL any more?). So one of your customers calls and says, "I don't want your services any more." Your company is going under, you're desperate. Are you going to say, "Okay, peace." and hang up? Or are you going to say, "What! Why! How can I keep your business? Come on man!" Too busy for such bullshit? I spent all morning reading slashdot, what about you?
Vincent was just a dick. I've had (and cancelled) a couple AOL accounts over the years, and it was always a hassle, but if you tell them why you want to cancel and don't get all pissed off about it, it's over quickly. He was telling the rep he doesn't use the account any more (for a very long time), and yet the rep sees hundreds of hours of usage this month. What's he supposed to think? I'd rather have customer service that over thinks things than a phone monkey who just clicks the "cancel" button all day long.
I work in tech support. If somebody calls me up and says, "My computer doesn't work, upgrade it." I don't run down there with a new machine. I'll say what do you mean it doesn't work? What's wrong, how can we fix this? And if it does require a new machine, okay. To do your job you have to understand your job, not just take orders blindly.
Sex offenders have additional restrictions placed on them because they have proven they can't control themselves. Wireless network usage may not be on the list of things they can't do (though maybe it should be, certainly a sex offender would have incentive to hide behind a public access point so his internet activities couldn't be tracked as easily). However I'm willing to bet hanging out in a parking lot for hours at a time, for a 3 month period, is a no no.
No, it's more like putting a tv by your window, then your neighbor buys a universal remote and starts changing the channels. And you say, "Hey, please stop changing the channels." and they continue to do it. For three months. So finally you have them arrested.
Using someone's wireless network effects their bandwidth! It is NOT like watching a tv or looking at their painting or enjoying the shade from their tree. When you use their connection, you are taking a percentage of their connection for yourself (minimal as it may be). It's like he tapped into their water lines, used the water for himself, and defended it by saying, "Your pipes go under my house."
FTA: "When deputies told Smith to knock it off, he came back and is now charged with theft of services."
He knew they didn't want him using the access point, he came back and used it anyways. This is fair in my opinion, he was warned that the access point was for customers of the coffee shop. Unfortunately there is no good way to limit the signal to just the confines of the coffee shop, and they didn't want the hassle of a security key so they took the very reasonable step of leaving it open and asking continuous offenders to please not use their access point before arresting them.
Have you worked in a company lately? This week's public announcement may have been the first time a lot of top executives heard about this, never mind everyone else in the company. Confidentiality is everything these days.
Wouldn't it be *much* easier to allow yourself remote access from your laptop to a "beefier" machine in the office for such purposes? Or since that probably wouldn't work very well trying to transport gigs of data back to your office to be converted... slap a spare hard drive in the client's server? 20 lbs is HEAVY...
LOL. Yeah, I'm sure they'll just say, "DRM? No, that's not necessary. We trust people not to illegally share our movies." DVDs have always been (in my experience) harder to pirate than CDs, why would they suddenly give up? On the plus side, Apple's DRM is extremely user friendly (let's hope the MPAA doesn't realize that, or this deal is toast!)
I don't think Steve would be happy with tiers regardless of where they were placed. He wants to keep things simple, with one easy to remember price. That's his vision for iTunes, and it's worked VERY well so far. But you're certainly right that the *AA wants to use tiers to max out their pricing.
Somehow I don't think their target market is people who dig through the bargin bin at Wal-Mart. When you go on iTunes, are you browsing around looking for old favorites like it was a used CD rack? I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm looking for mostly brand new material, stuff I would pay $13+ for in a store.
The RIAA is already playing his game, and they're pissed off because he's winning, but they haven't quit yet. If he manages to get the movie industry to play along, I propose we send him to negotiate with OPEC next!
It took me 3 years of practice and playing in a band to feel somewhat competant at guitar... I've never played guitar hero but I get the impression that it isn't quite as much hard work and cramped hands as the real thing (and there's the attraction, anyone with a few hours to waste can be an instant guitar hero!)
Of course having the actual skills is much more satisfying in the long run, and if you want to learn it definitely pick one up.. but don't expect it to be simple!
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Are you suggesting that making it illegal to download mp3s is an unobservable law? I mean I like music, but I get by just fine without downloading it....
And ISPs are not being required to block P2P networks, they are only being asked not to "facilitate" illegal file sharing (by providing information on who an IP address belongs to when requested).
Spain should be careful that they do not let the record companies dictate their legislation going forward, as the RIAA is doing in the US. But please, please, please RTFA before declaring a country "a tool" and their laws "very stupid" in all caps!
Yeah I'm pretty sure if they develop a business/legal model that drives them out of business... their successors will be more than happy to do away with those laws.
Oh but if you're worried about the day when you won't be able to purchase the latest Christina Aguilera album, don't worry, there will still be musicians. Real musicians. But if you simply must have the corporately produced crap, the pirates will be happy to supply you.
I still don't see the problem...
I agree that it shouldn't be necessary. But that's the way they do business, since he recorded the conversation I'm guessing he knew that's the way they do business, and he antagonized the poor customer service rep who didn't design the policy. There's no point getting all pissy about it. Imagine you're running a business and you have 2 customers (seriously who the hell uses AOL any more?). So one of your customers calls and says, "I don't want your services any more." Your company is going under, you're desperate. Are you going to say, "Okay, peace." and hang up? Or are you going to say, "What! Why! How can I keep your business? Come on man!" Too busy for such bullshit? I spent all morning reading slashdot, what about you?
I work in tech support. If somebody calls me up and says, "My computer doesn't work, upgrade it." I don't run down there with a new machine. I'll say what do you mean it doesn't work? What's wrong, how can we fix this? And if it does require a new machine, okay. To do your job you have to understand your job, not just take orders blindly.
Because my God, we need to defend the right of 17 year olds to fuck like rabbits!
Sex offenders have additional restrictions placed on them because they have proven they can't control themselves. Wireless network usage may not be on the list of things they can't do (though maybe it should be, certainly a sex offender would have incentive to hide behind a public access point so his internet activities couldn't be tracked as easily). However I'm willing to bet hanging out in a parking lot for hours at a time, for a 3 month period, is a no no.
Using someone's wireless network effects their bandwidth! It is NOT like watching a tv or looking at their painting or enjoying the shade from their tree. When you use their connection, you are taking a percentage of their connection for yourself (minimal as it may be). It's like he tapped into their water lines, used the water for himself, and defended it by saying, "Your pipes go under my house."
He knew they didn't want him using the access point, he came back and used it anyways. This is fair in my opinion, he was warned that the access point was for customers of the coffee shop. Unfortunately there is no good way to limit the signal to just the confines of the coffee shop, and they didn't want the hassle of a security key so they took the very reasonable step of leaving it open and asking continuous offenders to please not use their access point before arresting them.
Have you worked in a company lately? This week's public announcement may have been the first time a lot of top executives heard about this, never mind everyone else in the company. Confidentiality is everything these days.
Wouldn't it be *much* easier to allow yourself remote access from your laptop to a "beefier" machine in the office for such purposes? Or since that probably wouldn't work very well trying to transport gigs of data back to your office to be converted... slap a spare hard drive in the client's server? 20 lbs is HEAVY...
I'd buy one!
But what's he planning to do with all this power? Force us all to use a secure, stable OS? Blue jeans and turtle necks for everyone? Bastard!!!
The new iTunes movie store will have the same hardware requirements as Windows Vista! Wouldn't that be ironic.
LOL. Yeah, I'm sure they'll just say, "DRM? No, that's not necessary. We trust people not to illegally share our movies." DVDs have always been (in my experience) harder to pirate than CDs, why would they suddenly give up? On the plus side, Apple's DRM is extremely user friendly (let's hope the MPAA doesn't realize that, or this deal is toast!)
I don't think Steve would be happy with tiers regardless of where they were placed. He wants to keep things simple, with one easy to remember price. That's his vision for iTunes, and it's worked VERY well so far. But you're certainly right that the *AA wants to use tiers to max out their pricing.
From what I've read, actors have been rewording their contracts so they don't get screwed the way the musicians did.
Somehow I don't think their target market is people who dig through the bargin bin at Wal-Mart. When you go on iTunes, are you browsing around looking for old favorites like it was a used CD rack? I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm looking for mostly brand new material, stuff I would pay $13+ for in a store.
The RIAA is already playing his game, and they're pissed off because he's winning, but they haven't quit yet. If he manages to get the movie industry to play along, I propose we send him to negotiate with OPEC next!
Of course having the actual skills is much more satisfying in the long run, and if you want to learn it definitely pick one up.. but don't expect it to be simple!
Are you nuts? Or maybe I am, but I play air drums all the time... and I know how to play a guitar!
Wouldn't the sky have risen 2mm for this effect? Stop it, it's getting away!!
Scientific progress goes Boink!