French web users caught pirating movies or music could soon be thrown offline.
Those illegally sharing files will face the loss of their net access thanks to a newly-created anti-piracy body granted the wide-ranging powers. The anti-piracy body comes out of a deal agreed by France's music and movie makers and its net firms. The group who brokered the deal said the measures were intended to curb casual piracy rather than tackle large scale pirate groups. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the deal was a "decisive moment for the future of a civilised internet".
Net firms will monitor what their customers are doing and pass on information about persistent pirates to the new independent body. Those identified will get a warning and then be threatened with either being cut off or suspended if they do not stop illegal file-sharing. The agreement between net firms, record companies, film-makers and government was drawn up by a special committee created to look at the problem of the net and cultural protection.
Denis Olivennes, head of the French chain store FNAC, who chaired the committee said current penalties for piracy - large fines and years in jail - were "totally disproportionate" for those young people who do file-share illegally.
View: Full Article @ BBC News
Link: Neowin Forum Discussion
Those illegally sharing files will face the loss of their net access thanks to a newly-created anti-piracy body granted the wide-ranging powers. The anti-piracy body comes out of a deal agreed by France's music and movie makers and its net firms. The group who brokered the deal said the measures were intended to curb casual piracy rather than tackle large scale pirate groups. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the deal was a "decisive moment for the future of a civilised internet".
Net firms will monitor what their customers are doing and pass on information about persistent pirates to the new independent body. Those identified will get a warning and then be threatened with either being cut off or suspended if they do not stop illegal file-sharing. The agreement between net firms, record companies, film-makers and government was drawn up by a special committee created to look at the problem of the net and cultural protection.
Denis Olivennes, head of the French chain store FNAC, who chaired the committee said current penalties for piracy - large fines and years in jail - were "totally disproportionate" for those young people who do file-share illegally.
View: Full Article @ BBC News Link: Neowin Forum Discussion
Last edited by Lasker on 24 Nov 2007 - 15:50
use someone elses' internet? use public cafes? use university/college internet? use wireless connection?
it's easy to bypass heh
Your suggestion does sound good and would be a nice middle ground, but I don't like it. The first reason is that you're giving the recording industry profits that they are not working to generate. Suppose I use the internet for purposes besides downloading music - you're telling me that the recording industry, which doesn't contribute to my broadband service, is entitled to some of my broadband bill? Under what merit? They'd love it, I'm sure. No matter how small a jump in my internet bill to pay them, it would bother me simply because they're getting money that they truly do not deserve.
The next reason why this bothers me is what you mentioned about how else the industry would derive profits. You mention that people who want to own original CDs would be another source of profit. If we're all going to be getting taxed, then the music had better damn well be free. If you want a physical CD, pay for the product but none of the overhead. If you want to download through a service like iTunes, pay for the bandwidth, but none of the overhead. By overhead, I'm referring to the seemingly arbitrary price hike. CD prices are more reasonable these days, but it wasn't too long ago that a single CD cost around the $20 mark. In my mind, that's a bit of an extreme price jump from what you'd expect.
So if you want to tax us for music, the music had damn well better be freely available. Somehow I can't imagine that the record labels would agree to this. I also have to wonder if the smaller artists, who try to make their profits on their own, wouldn't be adversely affected by this - with people being accustomed to just paying a music tax rather than paying for the music itself, and the taxes going to the larger companies, it seems you'd be setting up a hostile environment for the smaller artists.
Overall conclusion: your idea sounds nice and does have some merit, but ultimately there's a larger issue to be dealt with here and your idea doesn't aid in advancing its resolution.
The real problem is in the IP (an awkward and false word) legislation. And idiots known as politicians made this mess, and we stupid people looking up to them to solve the mess they deliberately or not deliberately (who knows) created, and every day make it worse... well I don't know, but I buy every music I listen if I like that music, and I don't want to pay another tax in my life, just because the music industry has powerful friends in high politics. About this nonsense to "cut" the Internet to citizens... well I think if stealing is illegal then you have to catch the criminals, to raise charges against them and if sufficient evidents presented, the outcome should depend on the court on the law. If the government can "cut" you off something because he thinks you broke the law, without a court trial... well thats called tyranny. And if stealing is illegal, and you are convicted, then the "punishment" should be to repay the damages to the damaged person (not millions but the real damages) and not to be "cut" off the Internet, because first the Internet is not just about music it is about many other things it is about information, and I believe every man (even the criminals) are endowed with inalienable rights... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Information is like oxygen, if you "cut" it you will commit the worst crime imaginable.
Do you know even what Communism actually is?
agree with that point, by agreeing with such things we deliberately limit our freedom which will have really bad consequences when we finally realize that
I wouldn't disagree that the IP laws do need updating to suit the internet age, but i dont see them as the real problem. Everyone has the right to protect their work. If an "artist" couldn't protect their work, then they wouldn't make any money, so there would be no incentive for anyone to become a musician, other than for the love of music, and if that were the case, there would be very little music produced (same applies to software developers, authors, film makers, etc...). The problems as i see it, are the fair use policies associated with these works, and the pricing. That is the reason sites like alltunes.com were the most popular music sites on the internet. They offered music in a format which gave the consumer the ability to use it in which ever portable device they chose, and they sold the music at a much fairer price (as far as the consumer was concerned). I believe that people do want to pay for music, but they don't want to be ripped off by corporations which are making hundreds of millions of £ profit every year. Paying £6.99 for a full album download, which is DRM protected is not a good deal. Something will eventually give in this "war", and i think all the consumer can hope for is a bit more freedom to use music, that they have paid for, in which ever way they see fit. The law, with regards to pirates, is inevitably going to come down on the side of the IP owners.
I download tv shows because I want to watch them on my terms, and not wait some 1 to 2 years... Television as we know it is dead - or dying at least. And when they do do somethign like IPTV they can't just "divide" the internet in zones.
Dammit - if I want to buy MP3s on amazon, just let me... If I want to buy some show of iTunes, just let me!
I download tv shows because I want to watch them on my terms, and not wait some 1 to 2 years... Television as we know it is dead - or dying at least. And when they do do somethign like IPTV they can't just "divide" the internet in zones.
Dammit - if I want to buy MP3s on amazon, just let me... If I want to buy some show of iTunes, just let me!
I understand what you are saying
Just a point to think about though is when TV series makers produce a show they do that on the premise of selling it to networks who in turn understand that they will make revenue from appealing to advertisers when the show is broadcast. The advertisers pay for their slots based on the popularity of the show and viewing figures, amongst other reasons.
Now whether it is right that a TV series is shown a year or two, as you noted, later in another country or not, although I personally am not aware of such a huge gap, if more and more people decided to view the way that you do and come the time that it is then shown in your country the viewing figures could be down and revenues potentially lost.
Whether what I have written has any merit or not I do not know but it might be something to consider...?
This plan sucks, majors/lobbies suck, this government sucks.
im not saying piracy is a good thing
but the internet is free, and no one has any right to govern it
with the exception of things that disrupt that freedom
Last edited by X'tyfe on 24 Nov 2007 - 21:13
im not saying piracy is a good thing
but the internet is free, and no one has any right to govern it
with the exception of things that disrupt that freedom
Please ...
ffs ... this is one of the most ludicrous things I've ever read.
Why's that? Do you think that France is some uncivilized country or something? C'mon people, stop being so ignorant.
Why's that? Do you think that France is some uncivilized country or something? C'mon people, stop being so ignorant.
So, what did you expect of the typical American Idiot (Brandnewfantx Jackassius)? He's been told he lives in the greatest country on earth, and since he doesn't know anything about any other country, he believes what he's been told. Ah, indoctrination; thy name is America.
Why's that? Do you think that France is some uncivilized country or something? C'mon people, stop being so ignorant.
So, what did you expect of the typical American Idiot (Brandnewfantx Jackassius)? He's been told he lives in the greatest country on earth, and since he doesn't know anything about any other country, he believes what he's been told. Ah, indoctrination; thy name is America.
Someone give this guy another cheeseburger.
Why's that? Do you think that France is some uncivilized country or something? C'mon people, stop being so ignorant.
So, what did you expect of the typical American Idiot (Brandnewfantx Jackassius)? He's been told he lives in the greatest country on earth, and since he doesn't know anything about any other country, he believes what he's been told. Ah, indoctrination; thy name is America.
Someone give this guy another cheeseburger.
well that is my opinion at least (it would be a lot longer, but it's really late
~xDayan
Why's that? Do you think that France is some uncivilized country or something? C'mon people, stop being so ignorant.
So, what did you expect of the typical American Idiot (Brandnewfantx Jackassius)? He's been told he lives in the greatest country on earth, and since he doesn't know anything about any other country, he believes what he's been told. Ah, indoctrination; thy name is America.
Wow, sounds like you just crawled right out of Micheal Moore's ass. You're a fool.
Go steal something from your local shop for under a £1, see if you end up in a huge court case or just get a small fine or a caution from the police.
From now on all Car manufacturers will be responsible for monitoring the use of their products. Manufacturers will be expected to police the roads , and punish drivers by impounding their cars for any offence on the roads
puuuuuuh-lease , get a grip
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