If we really wish to stop this, the only option is the nuclear one. Everybody boycott the movie and music industry until they break.
We must stop renting movies, buying movies, going to the movies. No CDs, iTunes whatever until they cave.
If you just whine and keep buying their s**t as they ram this down your throat the battle is over. We lose.
Having Google or Wikipedia challenge this is not enough. We need a boycott of the movie theaters for a weekend or two. The movie people would freak. Do it for a month and we will never see this s**t ever again.
They need our money more than we need their IP. We need to take them to the woodshed and give them a lesson they never forget.
This attempt at governing the freedom of the web is dangerous and wrong on all levels. The internet can and does police itself - case in point is the recent work from Facebook against the Koobface group. Although I do not usually agree with Facebook or the way they treat information, I do strongly believe that this type of action should be used to demonstrate to the lawmakers just how the freedom of the web operates.
And aliens are mind controlling the government. And we didn't land on the moon. This is capitalism, and if they refuse to hear my voice then they will be subjected to hearing from my wallet, since that seems to be the only thing they care about.
I bet you didn't buy a cassette recorder in the mid 80's because recording a song off the radio was "stealing". At least that's what the RIAA was claiming. And you didn't own a VCR or ever record a movie or a TV show because that's "stealing". That's what the MPAA was claiming. I have lived long enough to see five different technologies enter the mainstream, and the entertainment industry fought every one of them until they couldn't fight anymore, then they made money off them by embracing them. Same cycle over and over.
My wallet will be heard, and if they want my money they will stop trying to put me in jail and embrace the latest technology, and make money off it. Just like they did with VCR's, DVD's, cassette tapes, CD's, Etc.
Although in theory, a nice idea. In practice, it will never work. First off you need to get lots of people involved. That is difficult to do. Then you have to educate them on the issue, with SOPA, that is even harder to do, as the majority of people don't even know what it's about. Third, you need multiple countries involved to make it an issue, Fourth you need Media attention...
And most importantly, Fifth, you need people to actually follow through. Which won't happen, not to any degree that will show up on their books.
People have been attempting "no gas" days for years to protest rising gas prices.. even though people are "all for it", they never practice it.
Of course it is back. The Feds will keep trying to pass it until they do, or they will just rename it and try to pass it again. Doesn't matter what we do, cause they are going to pass it.
I work with all the major music, film and television firms here in Tokyo and I can confidently say that these old guys will go bankrupt before they admit that the only way to earn money on the Internet is to provide high quality streaming or downloads with framed ads. And so.. ..major retail stores such as HMV are indeed closing. Stop SOPA/PIPA. Stop any attempts to control copy right infringement because it is impossible.
It seems to me that it's Big Content (RIAA, MPAA, MAFIAA, etc) *corporations* that are trying to get this passed, and the feds are the ones that have been "lobbied" and otherwise "persuaded" to do the bidding of their corporate "doners".
I cancelled my cable a couple of years ago and live off Netflix, Hulu, and downloading - and I have never been happier with my choices. I still spend a lot of money, probably over $1000 a year on theater, Blurays, etc, but I think this is the final straw. I maintained that I would pay for a service that gave me the content and delivery that I wanted, but the more money I give them the more they abuse me.
Looks like it's a pirate's life for me - not because I am not willing to pay for the content, but because I am not willing to have my freedoms taken away by these large corporations. Never has there been a better example of the 1% abusing the 99%.
This really isn't new news. Even before voting on SOPA was put on hold, there was talk about an alternative approach being proposed. In fact, that's the reason the legislation was shelved.
It's because we have corporate shills instead of progressive fighters for freedom in Congress.. The internet is communications but will the President tell the FCC it needs to be so declared - NO. Now the Congress who are beholding to corporate donations and easily led by corporate lobbyists and by the controllers of the highly consolidated and biased Big Media conglomerates are patsy to give our rights away - to take our voice away.. To have us subject to guilt by accusation and to fines or worse. In China there is a saying that if you stick your head up it will be cut off.. Try getting leaders who matter in that. I'm afraid the US is just going to roll over and die..
Instad of focusing on SOPA specifically, we should be focusing on the influence of corporations and money in politics. Citizens United needs to be reversed, then decades of poor SCOTUS decisions need to be legislated around to return corporations to their rightful place in society, at the mercy of its citizens. Only then will things like SOPA not be problems anymore.
They were relying on sneaking this through. I don't think they'll get away with that this time... so I'm not too worried about it. The guard has been rallied.
The proposed law is such bulls**t because it allows mass abuses of free speech without due process.
Suppose I write a website that is highly critical of someone, a business, a government institution, a celebrity- whoever wants to silence me can accuse me of infringing anything, a picture, a bit of prose, anything. Do I wind up in court before my website gets shut down? No, I get presumed to be guilty my website is down. The youtubes, diggs, facebooks, and reddits of the world are forced to get tied up with legal proceedings in a specially created bureaucratic process that favors anonymous accusers and presumed "Intellectual Property Owners". This is just an extension current government processes already established in the DMCA (for information on how the DMCA is used in this fashion see http://chillingeffects.org/ .)
It's worth pointing out that to truly do this means to refrain from consuming the content at all. The truest protest would be to stop consuming and stop any use of piracy as well. The content creators are not solely to blame for this. It was largely created by the idea that rather than sacrifice to protest it was better to simply take in protest.
The original protest was not invalid, but the approach made the problem worse rather than better. The only solution is to change our methods as well. As it is, I haven't seen a movie in theaters in years, don't watch TV, don't buy almost any DVDs or Bluray disks and what I do watch is primarily a few select TV shows on Netflix. I realize this isn't completely removing funding from them, but it certainly reduces it by 90% from what I used to use.
We only need the US for we are the biggest market.
It is more than SOPA, tell the folks it is about inflated prices, too. Let this be about all the abuses.
Finally, movies, tv and music are far different than gas. We actually need gas and we can never hold out long enough. We do not need any specific form of entertainment. We may appreciate it, but we do not need it. When we act like we need it by never reacting to price or abuse, the producers will act accordingly.
We need to remind them that they sell an optional product. I have already cut down my usage due to price, but I would be willing to cancel netflix and Huluplus for a month.
If there was NO US box office receipts and Netflix and Hulu had massive cancellations while at the same time CD and iTunes sales drop to zero. I think we could get a serious reaction.
Keep in mind this should be about everything, including prices, lawsuits and over-reaching laws.
diggduggjoeJan 18, 2012Buried
If we really wish to stop this, the only option is the nuclear one. Everybody boycott the movie and music industry until they break.
We must stop renting movies, buying movies, going to the movies. No CDs, iTunes whatever until they cave.
If you just whine and keep buying their s**t as they ram this down your throat the battle is over. We lose.
Having Google or Wikipedia challenge this is not enough. We need a boycott of the movie theaters for a weekend or two. The movie people would freak. Do it for a month and we will never see this s**t ever again.
They need our money more than we need their IP. We need to take them to the woodshed and give them a lesson they never forget.
h8f8kesJan 18, 2012Buried
After watching five minutes of the golden globes and seeing the stupid sh!t they are putting in the theaters count me as all in buddy.
docpettyJan 17, 2012Buried
This attempt at governing the freedom of the web is dangerous and wrong on all levels. The internet can and does police itself - case in point is the recent work from Facebook against the Koobface group. Although I do not usually agree with Facebook or the way they treat information, I do strongly believe that this type of action should be used to demonstrate to the lawmakers just how the freedom of the web operates.
MrFrogyJan 18, 2012Buried
And aliens are mind controlling the government. And we didn't land on the moon. This is capitalism, and if they refuse to hear my voice then they will be subjected to hearing from my wallet, since that seems to be the only thing they care about.
I bet you didn't buy a cassette recorder in the mid 80's because recording a song off the radio was "stealing". At least that's what the RIAA was claiming. And you didn't own a VCR or ever record a movie or a TV show because that's "stealing". That's what the MPAA was claiming. I have lived long enough to see five different technologies enter the mainstream, and the entertainment industry fought every one of them until they couldn't fight anymore, then they made money off them by embracing them. Same cycle over and over.
My wallet will be heard, and if they want my money they will stop trying to put me in jail and embrace the latest technology, and make money off it. Just like they did with VCR's, DVD's, cassette tapes, CD's, Etc.
g8kprJan 18, 2012Buried
Although in theory, a nice idea. In practice, it will never work. First off you need to get lots of people involved. That is difficult to do. Then you have to educate them on the issue, with SOPA, that is even harder to do, as the majority of people don't even know what it's about. Third, you need multiple countries involved to make it an issue, Fourth you need Media attention...
And most importantly, Fifth, you need people to actually follow through. Which won't happen, not to any degree that will show up on their books.
People have been attempting "no gas" days for years to protest rising gas prices.. even though people are "all for it", they never practice it.
southsideirishJan 18, 2012Buried
Of course it is back. The Feds will keep trying to pass it until they do, or they will just rename it and try to pass it again. Doesn't matter what we do, cause they are going to pass it.
ren1999Jan 18, 2012Buried
I work with all the major music, film and television firms here in Tokyo and I can confidently say that these old guys will go bankrupt before they admit that the only way to earn money on the Internet is to provide high quality streaming or downloads with framed ads. And so.. ..major retail stores such as HMV are indeed closing. Stop SOPA/PIPA. Stop any attempts to control copy right infringement because it is impossible.
specimen7Jan 18, 2012Buried
I don't see anything on digg protesting SOPA. Is digg supporting this policy?
jefffurryJan 18, 2012Buried
It seems to me that it's Big Content (RIAA, MPAA, MAFIAA, etc) *corporations* that are trying to get this passed, and the feds are the ones that have been "lobbied" and otherwise "persuaded" to do the bidding of their corporate "doners".
MrFrogyJan 18, 2012Buried
I cancelled my cable a couple of years ago and live off Netflix, Hulu, and downloading - and I have never been happier with my choices. I still spend a lot of money, probably over $1000 a year on theater, Blurays, etc, but I think this is the final straw. I maintained that I would pay for a service that gave me the content and delivery that I wanted, but the more money I give them the more they abuse me.
Looks like it's a pirate's life for me - not because I am not willing to pay for the content, but because I am not willing to have my freedoms taken away by these large corporations. Never has there been a better example of the 1% abusing the 99%.
busterblackJan 18, 2012Buried
This really isn't new news. Even before voting on SOPA was put on hold, there was talk about an alternative approach being proposed. In fact, that's the reason the legislation was shelved.
skyislandJan 18, 2012Buried
It's because we have corporate shills instead of progressive fighters for freedom in Congress.. The internet is communications but will the President tell the FCC it needs to be so declared - NO. Now the Congress who are beholding to corporate donations and easily led by corporate lobbyists and by the controllers of the highly consolidated and biased Big Media conglomerates are patsy to give our rights away - to take our voice away.. To have us subject to guilt by accusation and to fines or worse. In China there is a saying that if you stick your head up it will be cut off.. Try getting leaders who matter in that. I'm afraid the US is just going to roll over and die..
stubearJan 18, 2012Buried
Instad of focusing on SOPA specifically, we should be focusing on the influence of corporations and money in politics. Citizens United needs to be reversed, then decades of poor SCOTUS decisions need to be legislated around to return corporations to their rightful place in society, at the mercy of its citizens. Only then will things like SOPA not be problems anymore.
karmashockJan 18, 2012Buried
They were relying on sneaking this through. I don't think they'll get away with that this time... so I'm not too worried about it. The guard has been rallied.
beralteJan 18, 2012Buried
we must be together in this and support a good action to take. we are the people that move this world and our opinion count....
dougm68Jan 18, 2012Buried
Digg is just happy that Reddit is blacked out and supporting SOPA. Creates traffic for Digg. =)
SauntOroloJan 18, 2012Buried
The proposed law is such bulls**t because it allows mass abuses of free speech without due process.
Suppose I write a website that is highly critical of someone, a business, a government institution, a celebrity- whoever wants to silence me can accuse me of infringing anything, a picture, a bit of prose, anything. Do I wind up in court before my website gets shut down? No, I get presumed to be guilty my website is down. The youtubes, diggs, facebooks, and reddits of the world are forced to get tied up with legal proceedings in a specially created bureaucratic process that favors anonymous accusers and presumed "Intellectual Property Owners". This is just an extension current government processes already established in the DMCA (for information on how the DMCA is used in this fashion see http://chillingeffects.org/ .)
Other links -
http://blog.reddit.com/2012/01/technical-examination-of-sopa-and.html
http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/sopa/sopa.gif
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJIuYgIvKsc *the dude is hard to watch, but makes a strong case, piracy has been enabled by Viacom and other media titans for forever*
dougm68Jan 18, 2012Buried
must...
resist...
netflix....
red webpage...so pretty...
ajh16Jan 18, 2012Buried
It's worth pointing out that to truly do this means to refrain from consuming the content at all. The truest protest would be to stop consuming and stop any use of piracy as well. The content creators are not solely to blame for this. It was largely created by the idea that rather than sacrifice to protest it was better to simply take in protest.
The original protest was not invalid, but the approach made the problem worse rather than better. The only solution is to change our methods as well. As it is, I haven't seen a movie in theaters in years, don't watch TV, don't buy almost any DVDs or Bluray disks and what I do watch is primarily a few select TV shows on Netflix. I realize this isn't completely removing funding from them, but it certainly reduces it by 90% from what I used to use.
diggduggjoeJan 18, 2012Buried
I disagree with several points.
We only need the US for we are the biggest market.
It is more than SOPA, tell the folks it is about inflated prices, too. Let this be about all the abuses.
Finally, movies, tv and music are far different than gas. We actually need gas and we can never hold out long enough. We do not need any specific form of entertainment. We may appreciate it, but we do not need it. When we act like we need it by never reacting to price or abuse, the producers will act accordingly.
We need to remind them that they sell an optional product. I have already cut down my usage due to price, but I would be willing to cancel netflix and Huluplus for a month.
If there was NO US box office receipts and Netflix and Hulu had massive cancellations while at the same time CD and iTunes sales drop to zero. I think we could get a serious reaction.
Keep in mind this should be about everything, including prices, lawsuits and over-reaching laws.