Songwriters want piracy investigated by FBI, compare it to bank robbery

LOL! Good luck SGA!

"By contrast, online copyright piracy dwarfs bank robbery in causing economic losses, yet the FBI has limited criminal investigative interest and no civil mandate whatsoever to pursue this devastating economic harm. This inequity must change."

That's because bank robbery numbers aren't fictitious estimates.

If so much music today didn't suck there wouldn't be a need. Greedy DB's.

yup sounds very convincing..robbing a bank, usually done with a gun,while threatening peoples lives is just about the same criminal degree as a 12 year old logging onto the piratebay or even google to download a 0.99c song.
i in contrast believe that everyone whos already made a million, and im saying a million because its obvious theyre all multi millioners, should pipe down and take what overrated payday he has in his bank already and let the poor 12 year old kid listen to a song or 2 to make his normal work-a-day life a little easier

it might be a crime but so is shoplifting. niether is justifiable yet you dont see the FBI logging losses made by shoplifters and follow them around to make sure they dont do it again. there are more important things to attend to,like bank robberies for instance.

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That's because bank robbery numbers aren't fictitious estimates

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Thats right banks cant get away with the crap that media mafias are allowed to get away with harrassing the customer

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If so much music today didn't suck there wouldn't be a need. Greedy DB's.

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I agree. Maybe they're trying to blame the drop in sales on piracy instead of horrible music :P
And I think the reason for spending more time on bank robbery is that it's a crime that puts HUMAN BEINGS (not just money, like piracy) in immediate danger.

This remind me:
The stupid and lazy Police stopping people with old cars 'cos they are easy target in stead to go for the real Criminals.

Don't they know this will affect sites like youtube WERE EVEN The Music and Movie is involved within it, hell even the white house has a account on youtube If this does go threw I doubt it will is these IDIOTS will commit Economy Suicide and help cripple it even farther. Think about it, it could make legal sites even with DRM in it be affected what they propose.

Waste of time and how is downloading a bank robbery really are you serious? Everyone is going nuts over piracy! Get it straight we are file sharers! Piracy,Pirate - Selling illegal copyright materials without permission of the right holder. The right holder law bullsh*t are just messed up law to begin with. We don't need to make File-sharing a serious murder crime or bank crime. We need to uncripple the laws that have been set by the industry and find new ways the right holder laws! If you want me or any other file sharer on the net to start buying music again stop trying to push me farther down the hill by stupid and harsher laws. It doesn't do any good. Look at the drug laws hmm i can see pattern going on. Law enforcement spends millions on stopping drug trafficking, but they can't stop it. Its a waste of time and resources. When did smoking weed ever be problem. One it doesn't messup the persons motor system in his brain like Alcohol does that is praised by because its LEGAL. THINK Before you take our nation down with your stupidity. LONG-LIVE-FIle-SHARING

Sounds like this SGA group is just another front from the RIAA (sic).

Originally posted by darkmetal:

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Waste of time and how is downloading a bank robbery really are you serious? Everyone is going nuts over piracy! Get it straight we are file sharers! Piracy,Pirate - Selling illegal copyright materials without permission of the right holder. The right holder law bullsh*t are just messed up law to begin with. We don't need to make File-sharing a serious murder crime or bank crime. We need to uncripple the laws that have been set by the industry and find new ways the right holder laws! If you want me or any other file sharer on the net to start buying music again stop trying to push me farther down the hill by stupid and harsher laws. It doesn't do any good. Look at the drug laws hmm i can see pattern going on. Law enforcement spends millions on stopping drug trafficking, but they can't stop it. Its a waste of time and resources. When did smoking weed ever be problem. One it doesn't messup the persons motor system in his brain like Alcohol does that is praised by because its LEGAL. THINK Before you take our nation down with your stupidity. LONG-LIVE-FIle-SHARING

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I could say the same to you. You act like copyright law is a bad thing and people shouldn't be able to protect their work at all. Though hugely flawed, copyright law is important in that it protects people from putting time, maybe years, into a project then someone just copying it off.

However, this is getting ridiculous with the enforcement of copyright law, such as with this stupid proposal. Next we'll be ignoring Al'Qaeda to go after the real terrorists, premature and pubescent children downloading R rated movies.

Originally posted by WierdName:

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Originally posted by darkmetal:

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Waste of time and how is downloading a bank robbery really are you serious? Everyone is going nuts over piracy! Get it straight we are file sharers! Piracy,Pirate - Selling illegal copyright materials without permission of the right holder. The right holder law bullsh*t are just messed up law to begin with. We don't need to make File-sharing a serious murder crime or bank crime. We need to uncripple the laws that have been set by the industry and find new ways the right holder laws! If you want me or any other file sharer on the net to start buying music again stop trying to push me farther down the hill by stupid and harsher laws. It doesn't do any good. Look at the drug laws hmm i can see pattern going on. Law enforcement spends millions on stopping drug trafficking, but they can't stop it. Its a waste of time and resources. When did smoking weed ever be problem. One it doesn't messup the persons motor system in his brain like Alcohol does that is praised by because its LEGAL. THINK Before you take our nation down with your stupidity. LONG-LIVE-FIle-SHARING

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I could say the same to you. You act like copyright law is a bad thing and people shouldn't be able to protect their work at all. Though hugely flawed, copyright law is important in that it protects people from putting time, maybe years, into a project then someone just copying it off.

However, this is getting ridiculous with the enforcement of copyright law, such as with this stupid proposal. Next we'll be ignoring Al'Qaeda to go after the real terrorists, premature and pubescent children downloading R rated movies.

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Copyright law is better bad since it can't tell the difference in selling something for profit and trading information for free.

Rob a bank, stash the money, get 25 years possibly less with good behavior. get out of jail,retrieve money. Go to Canada and live like a king.

Or

Go to website, download movie, go to jail for 25 years. Get out owe the media cartel $500,000 dollars. refuse to pay. go back to jail.

i don't know about you guys but id rather really Rob a bank.

You heard them people...let's go out and rob some banks, clearly it is a completely harmless activity if it is less harmful than piracy.

BTW...when you rob a bank, you take money away. No one holds up a bank to setup a counterfeit operation where they copy all the money and leave all the real money there...the SWAT team would kill you long before you could get through a plan like that. On the other hand, piracy can occur completely without the knowledge of the IP holder, as nothing is taken away. The truth is, piracy is less damaging to society than a 4-year-old child stealing a candybar.

I could say so much. But I'm pretty sure all of you here would just agree with it. So to sum it up, LOL

Their requests simply cannot be done. They are either too far-fetched or can be bypassed.

Originally posted by DXR88:

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Rob a bank, stash the money, get 25 years possibly less with good behavior. get out of jail,retrieve money. Go to Canada and live like a king.

Or

Go to website, download movie, go to jail for 25 years. Get out owe the media cartel $500,000 dollars. refuse to pay. go back to jail.

i don't know about you guys but id rather really Rob a bank.

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lol 2nd time we agree mate,nice one

Headline from the Future:

"Man Holds up bank, demands that his iPod be filled with DRM-free music."

Guess they haven't heard government already declared their studies BS
http://www.osnews.com/story/23153/US_Gov...es_Are_Nonsense

Here is a little bit better source to listen to, a study released on April 12th, 2010 and posted on a U.S. government website, here. It says, as quoted below, that assumptions are used because accurate data cannot be gathered.

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Three widely cited U.S. government estimates of economic losses resulting from counterfeiting cannot be substantiated due to the absence of underlying studies.

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Generally, the illicit nature of counterfeiting and piracy makes estimating the economic impact of IP infringements extremely difficult, so assumptions must be used to offset the lack of data.

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This is crazy talk and why I joined the pirate party of Canada.

Hypothetically, if everyone were to stop pirating music and boycott from buying music, the SGA would still complain. They would say things like "The FBI should make everyone purchase a certain quota of music every year, like the government did with healthcare insurance."

....LOL

im sure the FBI has better stuff to do like stopping child pornography for 1.Most people arn't downloading and distributing music for money they just want to listen to it and yeah they may even make the occasional copy for a friends.if alcohol was a problem and the governement wasn't making millions of dollars from it they soon crack down on it or try to, same with tobacco.

They'll have to start closing down radio stations then, I hear free music on them all day....

Our jails will now be filled with music lovers? Is that what they want? The problem it won't be the jails, it would be reform schools. Most bank robberies aren't done by kids 12 to 18 years old.

ARGHHHHHHH!!!

So many comments! This must have hit a nerve.

I guess they first need to outlaw libraries they share more than anyone else.

You have the BOSS suing a bar for having a live band playing his music. As if he EVER did anything like that. He didn't sue the band because they had no money. I will never buy or see the BOSS ever again. I used to like Bruce up till then.

They are charging for the radio. I see no artist who produces good music starve. I guess a few million a year isn't enough for them they need billions to support what they think their life style should be.

F()CK them!

Originally posted by Molinari:

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They'll have to start closing down radio stations then, I hear free music on them all day....

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If you live in the US it isn't. You don't pay but the stations do. It will put many out of business espceially those that play too much music.

they should use their own money to bring themselves into the 21st century the music companies rip off the musicians in the first place paying them f*** all the musicians are the ones that suffer at the hands of these music corporations and i may d/l a song but if i really like it ill purchase the album so much music coming out got to sample first

Lets not get too hasty here, maybe some of us can get this copyright thing to work in their favour. What about beer, maybe it's illegal to share my beer with a friend. If you can't share music you paid for after you robbed the bank, then it should be illegal to share your beer...more beer for me!! Unless of course, I'm the friend whooz gonna get the shared booz..we'll call it sampling or testing.

Originally posted by bastrdx:

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they should use their own money to bring themselves into the 21st century the music companies rip off the musicians in the first place paying them f*** all the musicians are the ones that suffer at the hands of these music corporations and i may d/l a song but if i really like it ill purchase the album so much music coming out got to sample first

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If you live in the US maybe you remember the writer's guild strike. The "industry" lobbied hard for internet payments to compensate the writers for all their hard work. When their contracts came due the writers wanted a fixed piece of the action 1 or 2 % but off the top, otherwise they were afraid the industry would show a loss of millions going in but nothing going out. They were told "the business model is too complex for us to do that". So we had to watch 6 month of re-runs. The industry made money there because they didn't have to pay the writers anything because everyone was watching re-runs.

There are two huge problems with the Guild's statement, other than the stupid comparison with bank robbery particularly when someone is killed or permanently injured.

The first is "economic loss." This is not the same as accounting loss. You can have an accounting profit and still have an economic loss. Revenue - costs = accounting profit. Accounting profit - entrepreneurial activity (e.g. song writing, acting) = economic profit or loss. So, if I have an accounting profit of $100, I will have to pay taxes on that, but I value my entrepreneurial activity, at $200, I will have a $100 economic loss, which I cannot get the IRS to agree to not paying any taxes. Why do I value my effort and time at $200? Am I pricing it too high? Huge possibility. Econ 101.

The second is "decimating an industry." If they are really decimated, why to they still exist? This happens when you have continual accounting losses. So, here they are saying that accounting losses are happening because there are accounting losses. The music industry is not decimated, otherwise they would all go bankrupt.

I also contend that to prove a loss, you need to prove that the person who downloaded the content would have bought that content if it was not available for downloading. If you wish to buy the CD/DVD/Blu-ray/vinyl disk, and if you are in the unfortunate circumstance of that buying that content or getting food on the table and keeping the lights on, most sane people would chose to eat and keep the electricity flowing (if the electricity stops, you won't be able to listen to the music anyway). So, in this condition, they have not lost a sale. The person would/could not buy the content. The law says downloading is illegal, so if you downloaded the content, you broke the law. But did you actually cause a loss if you did not spend? No. Putting a parent/guardian of a child in jail, and fining them, would essentially take your possible customer out of the the category of "absolutely would buy" and "possible future customer" (most people tend to lose their jobs if they are in jail). Thus destroying families and possibly putting children in harm's way, because they want more money so that they can afford their huge mansions and expensive cars?

WAHH WAHHH WAHHH!!! do you hear that? That's the RIAA , MPAA, and the SGA crying and whining because they aren't getting what they want! There's more important things to deal with (like a nuclear armed Iran/Terrorism) than online piracy!

if you have to kill someone to rob a bank, your in the wrong business.

I guess they do not realize I already paid for their music by listening to the radio or my XM/Sirius account

I dont see any logic in people earning money long after they do the work - copyright gives musicians and the like protection that most ordinary people do not have. What most of us create belongs to our employers and when we stop producing we stop earning.

If I had my way copyright would last only as long as it takes to make a decent return from your work - 2-5 years at most because if you havent earned much from it in that time then it probably isnt worth it.

Equating violent crime with file sharing? This is the kind of stuff their lobbyists spoon feed our dopey corrupt politicians.
Oh yeah, and while were at it, lets take away all freedom on the internet, and start monitoring everyone like we live in a police state. Even these idiots might want to be careful of what they wish for.

but also how much do they pay to those dopey politicians to lobby on their behalf..........also they shouldn't worry about this years model Ferrari and the petrol to go in it just pay the musicians and songwriters what they deserve and snort a bit less then they wouldn't worry about file samplers :)

Originally posted by Molinari:

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They'll have to start closing down radio stations then, I hear free music on them all day....

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Do you remember when the RIAA or somebody like them was trying to say that listening to the radio is piracy?

Here is the link

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/06/recording-indus/

Originally posted by Koji7280:

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Originally posted by Molinari:

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They'll have to start closing down radio stations then, I hear free music on them all day....

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Do you remember when the RIAA or somebody like them was trying to say that listening to the radio is piracy?

Here is the link

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/06/recording-indus/

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use a sterio with a tape deck and make a recording of a song you like on the radio and RIAA will probably try to sue you.robbing a bank is stealing money and downloading is stealing data quite a big difference there.I'm pretty sure if you robbed a bank without stealing anything,without intimading/threatening anyone they couldnt charge you.I dont know if its a problem in america or anywhere else in the world but here people are using skimming devices on atm's or stealing eftpos machines and transferring other peoples money no one wastes time robbing the banks.

Come to think of it, I am a bank robber...I accidentaly stole a pen once...but it was a nice pen, at least a couple dollars...so bank robbery was still worse than stealing a MP3. Perhapse if it had been a $0.45 cheap-o pen, then stealing a $0.50 MP3 would be worse.

Originally posted by KillerBug:

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Come to think of it, I am a bank robber...I accidentaly stole a pen once...but it was a nice pen, at least a couple dollars...so bank robbery was still worse than stealing a MP3. Perhapse if it had been a $0.45 cheap-o pen, then stealing a $0.50 MP3 would be worse.

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I got in trouble for stealing 50pens.worth about $3-5 each when i was 13 cops got involved i was lucky to get off with a caution and a 3month ban from the shop.

Originally posted by gbswales:

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I dont see any logic in people earning money long after they do the work - copyright gives musicians and the like protection that most ordinary people do not have. What most of us create belongs to our employers and when we stop producing we stop earning.

If I had my way copyright would last only as long as it takes to make a decent return from your work - 2-5 years at most because if you havent earned much from it in that time then it probably isnt worth it.

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In the UK they went form 50 yrs to 75 yrs. That is your gov at work helping you.

Out of all of these comments, not one of you addressed how much the RIAA and the MPAA would be price raping us consumers if it wasn't for piracy and file sharing. Bank Robbery.....what a joke..lol. Let's not forget that around 1998 when Napster was first launched, CD prices were up to $20 a piece. If not for piracy, consumers today could potentially be paying up to $40-$50 a piece instead of $10 a piece through the use of sites such as the Zune Marketplace and iTunes. Some sites offer CD buys for even less than that!!

For consumers who feel obligated to continue to pay for their media, good job!! File sharers need you more than you think, but you should thank file shares as well. It is the P2P community that keeps the Music and Recording Industry greed in check, allowing you to pay the lower prices you do today.

I am sorry but comparing music piracy to bank robbery is absurd! Anyone can hear practically any song over an FM radio station or streamed online over the web. In contrast, banks do not hang $100.00 bills from trees throughout the 12 year old's neighborhood and then bust them for plucking the bill from the tree. Cassette recorders were used quite some time ago as the preferred method of piracy.....how many people did the FBI arrest for this?

What these people need to do is find a way to add value to their product i.e. provide the liner notes, album cover, band interviews, concert footage, and additional perks which would persuade everyone to purchase the digital files legitimately at a fair price.....and not $0.99 per song.....perhaps $2.99 per album with all of the add-on perks. Essentially make it more attractive then what is being shared by the masses online for free.....yes.....I say free, because the last time I listened to the radio in my truck.....I did not have to plug any coins into it!

Pretty soon plumbers will want a dollar every time someone craps in a toilet they put in. Why should writers get paid every time a song get played? We ALL ought to get paid every time something we made or helped make is used or seen or heard. Then we could afford to pay them.

Originally posted by Mez:

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Pretty soon plumbers will want a dollar every time someone craps in a toilet they put in. Why should writers get paid every time a song get played? We ALL ought to get paid every time something we made or helped make is used or seen or heard. Then we could afford to pay them.

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LOL...sounds about right...car makers will start charging a fee for every time you drive to work too. Oh, and you have to pay for beer again if you vomit...because it is in your mouth again.

It is really unfair to song writers and we know it. Just think of yourself as a song writer and the song that you are writing is being pirated of course you will feel bad. But facing reality and the fast technology we have today... It is not a good idea.

Originally posted by KillerBug:

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Originally posted by Mez:

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Pretty soon plumbers will want a dollar every time someone craps in a toilet they put in. Why should writers get paid every time a song get played? We ALL ought to get paid every time something we made or helped make is used or seen or heard. Then we could afford to pay them.

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LOL...sounds about right...car makers will start charging a fee for every time you drive to work too. Oh, and you have to pay for beer again if you vomit...because it is in your mouth again.

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actually the government over here was thinking about taxing people to use the road with a special meter fitted to the car so if you go over the amount of KMs your cars allowed to be driven you will get fined or your vehicle will be immobilized.depending on where you vomit the cleaning bill can be more than the original price of the beer.

Originally posted by Mez:

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So many comments! This must have hit a nerve.

I guess they first need to outlaw libraries they share more than anyone else.

You have the BOSS suing a bar for having a live band playing his music. As if he EVER did anything like that. He didn't sue the band because they had no money. I will never buy or see the BOSS ever again. I used to like Bruce up till then.

They are charging for the radio. I see no artist who produces good music starve. I guess a few million a year isn't enough for them they need billions to support what they think their life style should be.

F()CK them!

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Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
From the official Springsteen site (brucespringsteen.net)
ASCAP LAWSUIT

In regards to the ASCAP lawsuit against Connolly's Pub and Restaurant, ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked. Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit.

Originally posted by powerq:

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In regards to the ASCAP lawsuit against Connolly's Pub and Restaurant, ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked. Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit.

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They didn't even ask him? The effen cheek of those dudes just spells it out.

They should have used that tosser Gene Simmons' name instead.

"Super profits are always short-lived", so said a business study I attended. That particular industry's profits has been living on borrowed time for many years because of special circumstances not because of any particular inherent rights... they were lucky. These jumped up troubadours with their overblown sense of self-importance, who do they actually think they are, Fred Hollows*?

And why should these copyrights extend way way past a patents life? Arguably the lack of eventual public domain material is bad for all of us... artists included.

(*Who's charitable foundation still restores the sight of thousands in 3rd world countries for free).

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Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

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actually didnt read about it on the internet was on tv on current affair and in the newspapers.

Before internet we had reel to reel and casette tapes that were part of our "Media Centers". We recorded right from the radio stations or from our Lp Albums. It was encouraged to do that with dual casstte players . No one ever called it piracy and the record companies never called foul.It is the same thing today just a different method. There is no real loss.

Originally posted by Winddog:

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Before internet we had reel to reel and casette tapes that were part of our "Media Centers". We recorded right from the radio stations or from our Lp Albums. It was encouraged to do that with dual casstte players . No one ever called it piracy and the record companies never called foul.It is the same thing today just a different method. There is no real loss.

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Yes, we call it pirating for a joke... when it's really just sharing.

All in the name of GREED.

Originally posted by Jemborg:

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Originally posted by powerq:

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In regards to the ASCAP lawsuit against Connolly's Pub and Restaurant, ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked. Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit.

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They didn't even ask him? The effen cheek of those dudes just spells it out.

They should have used that tosser Gene Simmons' name instead.

"Super profits are always short-lived", so said a business study I attended. That particular industry's profits has been living on borrowed time for many years because of special circumstances not because of any particular inherent rights... they were lucky. These jumped up troubadours with their overblown sense of self-importance, who do they actually think they are, Fred Hollows*?

And why should these copyrights extend way way past a patents life? Arguably the lack of eventual public domain material is bad for all of us... artists included.

(*Who's charitable foundation still restores the sight of thousands in 3rd world countries for free).

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Thanks! I did not know that. I feel much better. I can see slymie lawyers doing such a thing but not Springsteen. Simmons is another animal all together.

In the US patent last 18 yrs and copyrights 100. A copyright is protecting an idea. Patents protect thing that often cost millions before they can be patented. Copyrights only screw the public while killing patents early allow other business to make a profit. Those business obviously paid off the politicians.

I believe bank robbery is under federal because the money is controlled by the Feds and insured by the Feds. Its their property. Why dont they use all the money they are wasteing on this BS and use it towards protecting their Cds better. Sue the people who manufacture their Cds for not making the Cds secure.

Lets go sue kids with no money. Why else would kids download music from P2P's! IDIOTS.....

You wont see the US like the UK. You people have lost it all now. You will be comming here to the US like the Mexicans. All the Uk needs now is the church to get involved and you have the modern Dark Ages again.

They went after the UK because "We the People" wont put up with their crap.

Live Free or Die!

Originally posted by jimnesie:

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Our jails will now be filled with music lovers? Is that what they want? The problem it won't be the jails, it would be reform schools. Most bank robberies aren't done by kids 12 to 18 years old.

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Maybe in jail they would force us to listen to Boy Geoge all day

Originally posted by blizz26:

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I believe bank robbery is under federal because the money is controlled by the Feds and insured by the Feds. Its their property. Why dont they use all the money they are wasteing on this BS and use it towards protecting their Cds better. Sue the people who manufacture their Cds for not making the Cds secure.

Lets go sue kids with no money. Why else would kids download music from P2P's! IDIOTS.....

You wont see the US like the UK. You people have lost it all now. You will be comming here to the US like the Mexicans. All the Uk needs now is the church to get involved and you have the modern Dark Ages again.

They went after the UK because "We the People" wont put up with their crap.

Live Free or Die!

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These are unusual concepts. They try to protect CD and DVDs but then old players can't play them. If you had any knowledge about what you are talking about you would know it is pretty much impossible to completely protect something that can be played. The audio or video can be captured. The best protection is an unplayable disk but you can't sell them for long. Just look at the Avatar BR disk.

The US is becoming more and more like the UK every month. "We the People" including myself elected Obama who is doing just that. So don't say we will not stand for that because we are until the next election. Maybe we will vote out some of the morons ruining this country maybe not.

So let me get this straight....these morons think that stealing from the tax payers of the United States (since that's who is paying to refund the money) is not as bad or on the same level as stealing from a company/individual? These songwriters are morons...they get pennies on the dollar for their songs/albums vs the record companies. All their money comes from endorsements and tours....

I live in australia so i dont have to deal with the government trying to crack down on piracy.O wait they did try with iinet(was an american company not the government) which got thrown out of court.eventually song writers guild or FBI or RIAA or someone will try to crack down on australia's piracy doubt they will succeed but its only a matter of time before they try.doubt the australian courts/people will put in with it personally.

They sued in Sprinsteen's name without alerting him? Wow...he should sue them for slander! I can't say I like his music, but at least I don't want him dead anymore.

Anger is growing slowly, but steadily. The government is slowly making it a crime to create any kind of content on your own...and it won't be long before a 2-hour home video will be considered piracy if there is half of a coke can visible for a second. We live in a system that takes the worst parts of capitalism (extreme greed, violence, hatred), and merges them with the worst parts of Stalinism (lazy, non-competitive companies, an overblown government, and a few monopolies that cover most aspects of life). Whenever these things come to light, and someone says something like, "We should not be selling children into slavery" they get a response like, "What, are you a communist?"...yet you question the wisdom of spending $100,000,000,000 to renovate one room of a school house in Iraq, and now you are a cold, unfeeling, greedy bastard in line with the terrorists (I don't agree with their tactics or goals, but I can certainly see how they would consider the USA to be 'the great satan'). Piracy (AKA sharing like we were taught to do from an early age) is one of the many tips of this iceberg...and I fear that the best (or least-worst) possible end to all of this will involve much bloodshed. At the very least, the governments and corporations are taking a very diverse group of people who are allied behind the idea that sharing is good, and turning them into paranoid, slowly hardening criminals. At this point, I am half-tempted to join a group of real pirates...it seems like that is the closest to being free that I will get without winning a billion-dollar lottery.

Do what you want cause a pirate is free, you are a Pirate. yar har

And a bottle o' rum.

Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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I live in australia so i dont have to deal with the government trying to crack down on piracy.O wait they did try with iinet(was an american company not the government) which got thrown out of court.eventually song writers guild or FBI or RIAA or someone will try to crack down on australia's piracy doubt they will succeed but its only a matter of time before they try.doubt the australian courts/people will put in with it personally.

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I'm an Aussie and sometimes I think our country is the only one that can fake orgasm whilst being raped. I mean look at all the fuss over asking foreign mining companies to pay a little more back.

I am worried about the internet filter, a-la China or Iran, that the government insist on imposing on us, in theory to protect us from kiddy porn (they've been told repeatedly by experts it won't work)... how long before it includes all torrent sites etc.?

Originally posted by Jemborg:

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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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I live in australia so i dont have to deal with the government trying to crack down on piracy.O wait they did try with iinet(was an american company not the government) which got thrown out of court.eventually song writers guild or FBI or RIAA or someone will try to crack down on australia's piracy doubt they will succeed but its only a matter of time before they try.doubt the australian courts/people will put in with it personally.

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I'm an Aussie and sometimes I think our country is the only one that can fake orgasm whilst being raped. I mean look at all the fuss over asking foreign mining companies to pay a little more back.

I am worried about the internet filter, a-la China or Iran, that the government insist on imposing on us, in theory to protect us from kiddy porn (they've been told repeatedly by experts it won't work)... how long before it includes all torrent sites etc.?

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I personally havnt heard much about an internet filter(provide a link so i can have a read please).As for kiddy porn knew a guy years ago that got caught with 6 stolen laptops full of child porn and didnt even get locked up he did however spend a few months in a psychiatric ward and got all charges dropped.My mum got a spam email from someone offering child porn and she contacted the police and they got her to forward the email to them and then told her it was from someone overseas they couldnt do anything about it.As far as im concerned the austarlian governement doesn't care about kiddy porn otherwise they would of done something about it.

Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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Originally posted by Jemborg:

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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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I live in australia so i dont have to deal with the government trying to crack down on piracy.O wait they did try with iinet(was an american company not the government) which got thrown out of court.eventually song writers guild or FBI or RIAA or someone will try to crack down on australia's piracy doubt they will succeed but its only a matter of time before they try.doubt the australian courts/people will put in with it personally.

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I'm an Aussie and sometimes I think our country is the only one that can fake orgasm whilst being raped. I mean look at all the fuss over asking foreign mining companies to pay a little more back.

I am worried about the internet filter, a-la China or Iran, that the government insist on imposing on us, in theory to protect us from kiddy porn (they've been told repeatedly by experts it won't work)... how long before it includes all torrent sites etc.?

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I personally havnt heard much about an internet filter(provide a link so i can have a read please).As for kiddy porn knew a guy years ago that got caught with 6 stolen laptops full of child porn and didnt even get locked up he did however spend a few months in a psychiatric ward and got all charges dropped.My mum got a spam email from someone offering child porn and she contacted the police and they got her to forward the email to them and then told her it was from someone overseas they couldnt do anything about it.As far as im concerned the austarlian governement doesn't care about kiddy porn otherwise they would of done something about it.

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In stead of the usual boring links try these...
Four Corners: Access Denied
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2010/s2893505.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/563707

http://www.zdnet.com.au/hackers-target-g...r-339298387.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Australia
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/...orn-filters.ars
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technol...00210-nqku.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...lter-plans.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/...acklist_leaked/
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/...tered_internet/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09...acks-australia/
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php...lian-government
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/02/10/austra...nternet-filter/
And the list goes on and on....




Cheers.

Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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Originally posted by Jemborg:

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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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I live in australia so i dont have to deal with the government trying to crack down on piracy.O wait they did try with iinet(was an american company not the government) which got thrown out of court.eventually song writers guild or FBI or RIAA or someone will try to crack down on australia's piracy doubt they will succeed but its only a matter of time before they try.doubt the australian courts/people will put in with it personally.

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I'm an Aussie and sometimes I think our country is the only one that can fake orgasm whilst being raped. I mean look at all the fuss over asking foreign mining companies to pay a little more back.

I am worried about the internet filter, a-la China or Iran, that the government insist on imposing on us, in theory to protect us from kiddy porn (they've been told repeatedly by experts it won't work)... how long before it includes all torrent sites etc.?

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I personally havnt heard much about an internet filter(provide a link so i can have a read please).As for kiddy porn knew a guy years ago that got caught with 6 stolen laptops full of child porn and didnt even get locked up he did however spend a few months in a psychiatric ward and got all charges dropped.My mum got a spam email from someone offering child porn and she contacted the police and they got her to forward the email to them and then told her it was from someone overseas they couldnt do anything about it.As far as im concerned the austarlian governement doesn't care about kiddy porn otherwise they would of done something about it.

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To be fair most governments do try to control this kind of porn but they do not have the legal right to go into the few countries that choose not to bother about it, also both posters and users are probably using sophisticated security which cannot be broken. The chances are that if someone receives some kind of open email like that then it will either be someone delivering malicious software, or a spoof add to tempt people to a more normally oriented porn site or even a police/vigilante sting aimed at catching the people who go on to visit the site.

The kiddy porn argument is trotted out to try and convince people that there valid reasons for what they want to do - when in reality the legislation is to protect a multi million pound industry. I do not believe that this argument (any more than terrorism) justifies invading privacy without there first being reasonable suspicion of illegal activity and the process of law being required just as for phone tapping.

God, that must be some good crack their smoking, if the FBI starts to take over these cases then guaranteed its time to move to Canada because our country is over..... But the one dudes correct if the music was not complete garbage may be people would by it! But hell really I don't download music I just listen to it on the net now a days, and you know what if i had to buy it.. guess what, I still would not buy the crap.

I'm sorry Mr Jay Z I feel so sorry, while I'm struggling to feed my kids I did not stop and think of your needs and that you wanted that new Porsche thats not due out until 2015 so now you cant be the first person to in the world to drive it.... oh dam my bad! Whats worse is when they sue people that have served in WWII and they actually went threw with it toit and ended up suing him for 2 millions... they wanted to settle for 500k when the dude does not even own a car...... I guarantee they try to sue me and and my life with that crap I will return the favor and it wont be with lawyer.... their sick greedy people!

There is so many storys like this its ridiculous and heres a fact! The Artist would get allot more money if they did something smart like..... IDK got rid of the RIAA and the others. Hell their new tactic is bankrupting radio stations demanding they play what they say and to charge them not what the song actually generates but rather what ever the industry says.... They need to be offed and I mean that! Todays music is just garbage anyhow... for more storys read.. http://www.eff.org/wp/riaa-v-people-years-later

if someone served in WW2 or not doesn't give them to right to break the law or commit piracy.yeah if the government wants to go after people for downloading stuff they should go after the rich but they know a rich person can hire the best lawyer money can buy and costs them thousands if not millions in legal fees and get no where.poor people are easy targets for the RIAA thats why they go after them.

Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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if someone served in WW2 or not doesn't give them to right to break the law or commit piracy.yeah if the government wants to go after people for downloading stuff they should go after the rich but they know a rich person can hire the best lawyer money can buy and costs them thousands if not millions in legal fees and get no where.poor people are easy targets for the RIAA thats why they go after them.

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Its not the goverment who is going after people..... Btw these laws where all passed to make downloading a crime by the RIAA because their was opposition to making it a illegal. For instance their is a law that say you can make backup copys of anything you want & the riaa contended you should not be allowed to even make a copy of a song you already own. Another problem was that its not stealing since you did not take something from sone else. Actually its called sharing, So where is the crime? Thats when the RIAA stated that for every download that could have been a purchase of the cd... So for every song shared the person infect actually stole 18 or w/e dollars from them. Its all bullshit! Its a good thing not the hole world acts like this because many things would not be around to day like you tube... Thats why the industry is also turning to shit, many years from now they wont be around anymore anyways trust me. Just know that it was not stealing until the RIAA fought to get it ruled illegal, that made sharing illegal.

Just so you know in their world its illegal to share a DVD or movie with a friend also, Unless they purchased a copy! So If you have shared anything in your life with copyrighted material on it be it a cd, dvd, and of course like those of us who download! You have committed a crime believe it or not! So fuck them, and fuck who ever is with them! Many people don't think about it when they go "yea you should go to jail!" But I know you have share a movie or a album with someone and that my friend makes you as guilty as anyone else! No one thinks about that do they...

Originally posted by Mordhom:

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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:

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if someone served in WW2 or not doesn't give them to right to break the law or commit piracy.yeah if the government wants to go after people for downloading stuff they should go after the rich but they know a rich person can hire the best lawyer money can buy and costs them thousands if not millions in legal fees and get no where.poor people are easy targets for the RIAA thats why they go after them.

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Its not the goverment who is going after people..... Btw these laws where all passed to make downloading a crime by the RIAA because their was opposition to making it a illegal. For instance their is a law that say you can make backup copys of anything you want & the riaa contended you should not be allowed to even make a copy of a song you already own. Another problem was that its not stealing since you did not take something from sone else. Actually its called sharing, So where is the crime? Thats when the RIAA stated that for every download that could have been a purchase of the cd... So for every song shared the person infect actually stole 18 or w/e dollars from them. Its all bullshit! Its a good thing not the hole world acts like this because many things would not be around to day like you tube... Thats why the industry is also turning to shit, many years from now they wont be around anymore anyways trust me. Just know that it was not stealing until the RIAA fought to get it ruled illegal, that made sharing illegal.

Just so you know in their world its illegal to share a DVD or movie with a friend also, Unless they purchased a copy! So If you have shared anything in your life with copyrighted material on it be it a cd, dvd, and of course like those of us who download! You have committed a crime believe it or not! So fuck them, and fuck who ever is with them! Many people don't think about it when they go "yea you should go to jail!" But I know you have share a movie or a album with someone and that my friend makes you as guilty as anyone else! No one thinks about that do they...

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the point i was trying to make is regardless of whether someone served in a war or not is not a reasonable excuse for someone to commit a crime.I may or may not commit piracy.this site doesn't allow piracy so I'm not comfortable discussing it.i will however say i have backed up movies and songs that I own.i'm not saying i've have never committed a crime either.

i commit a crime every time my PC boots up.

Originally posted by DXR88:

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i commit a crime every time my PC boots up.

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I may or may not ambiguously agree...

Originally posted by DXR88:

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i commit a crime every time my PC boots up.

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haha :D