MegaUpload shutdown US gov.

[Wiglaf]

Why do people get so butthurt when their access to pirated music and movies is cut off. I support the spirit of what the gov't and RIAA is trying to do. File sharing is supposed to be used for the exchange of media that was not created with the intent to turn a profit, not for copyright infringement.

I'll tell you why: because the RIAA and MPAA have been at this bullshit for years. They treat us like criminals, meanwhile artists have to sue them just to get the money laid out in the contract. This has been going on since before the cassette tape got popular. I have not bought an album signed by a company that's part of the RIAA in the last ten years, and I will not until they modify their business model to recognize that the internet is a very good thing, not just something that exists to hurt their margins. The artists I like, I see in concert. I buy tshirts. This directly gives them more money than 10,000 CD sales would ever net, without funding RIAA. The days of re-buying the same album because a new format came out are OVER. They need to fucking get over themselves and realize that the magnitude of piracy is a direct result of their own ineptitude.
With movies I like to support my local theatre, which unfortunately has the side effect of supportiung the MPAA. But I don't have to buy DVD's. I can use netflix, which supports alternative new business models. I would be happier if I could somehow show support for something remotely innovative without money trickling back to the MPAA but I like movies and I hope they get a clue.
The music industry is making more money than ever, despite cries from the recording industry that the sky is falling. They are totally full of shit.

Here's the bottom line: Copyright only protects your name being on the work. You don't own the content, how it gets viewed, who gets to view it, etc. Once it's out in the wild, just fucking forget any sense of controlling it. It's NOT THEFT. It's sharing information.

[cale]

Been doing some more reading on SOPA/PIPA, it goes a lot deeper than I thought as far as attempts to control us. I know how tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist that sounds, but it's an unfortunate reality.

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2012/01/17/craigslist039s-sopa-pipa-fight-dig-monster-cable

That's right, companies want to be able to stop the sale of used merchandise. Now many of these articles speculate that it's in an effort to boost sales, others say it's to stop the grey market. Either way, it's just another attempt for big companies to police our actions and SOPA/PIPA would allow them to do this. Distrubing IMO.

[redsubdivisions]

I read it wrong. Whoops.

[cale]

z31maniac, I can understand where you are coming from, but a majority of internet users are going to be siding with the opposition of the SOPA bill.

For selfish purposes.

People think nothing of downloading a movie, but wouldn't dare take something worth a few dollars directly from a store. They've become so accustomed to it so much so that it no longer registers as theft. I've done it too, if I see a move on tpb that I don't care to watch in bluray format I'll dl it. I'm stealing when I do that, I have no rights to that material.

I hope SOPA and PIPA get shut down because they're trying to rule with an iron fist through something that no one owns in its entirety. I'd just shrug my shoulders and say it was fun while it lasted if they could go after specific movies/music sources.

I'm saying these attempts to control the internet will continue as long as stealing users cost industries billions in lost revenue. The industries with big powerful lobbies.

QFT. It's been happening since VHS and cassette's hit the scene, they tried to ban VHS. This is just the most current and broad medium which the piracy has been occurring on and actually stands to do serious damage to those industries. They're fighting a beast they'll have a hard time reckoning with though. They underestimate what millions with the same goal can accomplish.

[z31maniac]

z31maniac, I can understand where you are coming from, but a majority of internet users are going to be siding with the opposition of the SOPA bill.

I oppose the SOPA bill, just said that.

I'm saying these attempts to control the internet will continue as long as stealing users cost industries billions in lost revenue. The industries with big powerful lobbies.

[z31maniac]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12010/1202520-454-0.stm?cmpid=MOSTEMAILEDBOX

"They point to federal statistics that show that Pennsylvania has one of the lowest food-stamp fraud rates in America: one-tenth of 1 percent."

Sorry, I estimated WAY high.

[Ryan Stewart]

Pennsylvania, considered one of the most corrupt states in regards to food stamps, has something less than a 2% fraud rate. So less than 2% of people are wrongly on food stamps.

Sauce for numbers and definition of fraud? Because there is countless misuses outside of criminal fraud.

[navid41691]

so his last name is dotcom?

[redsubdivisions]

z31maniac, I can understand where you are coming from, but a majority of internet users are going to be siding with the opposition of the SOPA bill.

[z31maniac]

True it IS stealing and it shouldn't be happening, but shutting down websites which don't 100% monitor or turn a blind eye to what is being streamed or hosted by their servers is bullshit when a lot of what they're doing is legit stuff. They're trying to circumnavigate due process, they want absolute control without an authority to answer to. They essentially want aboslute power to control what is and what cannot be posted online, fuck monoplizing the internet.

I don't agree with either bill.

I'm just saying the big reason this has come about, is because the kiddies won't stop stealing.

[Holland]

True it IS stealing and it shouldn't be happening, but shutting down websites which don't 100% monitor or turn a blind eye to what is being streamed or hosted by their servers is bullshit when a lot of what they're doing is legit stuff. They're trying to circumnavigate due process, they want absolute control without an authority to answer to. They essentially want aboslute power to control what is and what cannot be posted online, fuck monoplizing the internet.

Quoted for truth.

[cale]

Why do people get so butthurt when their access to pirated music and movies is cut off. I support the spirit of what the gov't and RIAA is trying to do. File sharing is supposed to be used for the exchange of media that was not created with the intent to turn a profit, not for copyright infringement.

True it IS stealing and it shouldn't be happening, but shutting down websites which don't 100% monitor or turn a blind eye to what is being streamed or hosted by their servers is bullshit when a lot of what they're doing is legit stuff. They're trying to circumnavigate due process, they want absolute control without an authority to answer to. They essentially want aboslute power to control what is and what cannot be posted online, fuck monoplizing the internet.

[z31maniac]

You must be a Mac user.

Witty and poignant.

But no, I dislike Apple products and do not own any.

[Sagaris]

Why do people get so butthurt when their access to pirated music and movies is cut off. I support the spirit of what the gov't and RIAA is trying to do. File sharing is supposed to be used for the exchange of media that was not created with the intent to turn a profit, not for copyright infringement.

[redsubdivisions]

Pennsylvania, considered one of the most corrupt states in regards to food stamps, has something less than a 2% fraud rate. So less than 2% of people are wrongly on food stamps.


I hate to go all high-horse, because I used to do it to, but what you call "sharing" is actually stealing. And don't give me some crap about "those people wouldn't have bought it anyway."

You must be a Mac user.