Lexi Zelin Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hi, I am the Owner and Designer of AngelRED Couture a popular Full Perm Clothing provider in world and on marketplace. I have made all my customers aware of the all three of these acts and the harmful affects they could have on the internet and SL it's self. I have also put up a censorship on my marketplace banner and hope that many other stores will do the same and join me and in making SL residents, store owners and creators aware of these acts, what they are and what they could do to our virtual world and how we can all act to stop it! I like many, use SL as a form of real life income. I make more money with what I do on here, using my creative artistic skills to provide items for SL users than I ever did being a full time nurse! I don't want to lose that option and neither would anyone else making money off SL. So I ask all store owners! Make your customers aware! Send out notecards, change your marketplace logos (Here is mine: AngelRED Couture @ Marketplace) Send out links to sites and videos that explain the laws aswell as sites like the wiki blackout page (https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/SOPA/Blackoutpage) that gives US residents a quick way to contact all their senators and state representatives. Every ones word counts! My states senate has recently changed his mind and has decided that he is going to oppose the acts on internet censorship because of all our messages to him about how we feel it is not right! So, do the same! Also, don't forget this doesn't just apply to the US! This applies to ALL countries! The affects of the PIPA and SOPA laws affect us ALL! Plus, a law that not many are talking about that is also trying to be passed is the ACTA law. It is by the same Hollywood people trying to get PIPA and SOPA to go through except the ACTA law is WORLDWIDE. It will apply to EVERYONE's censorship not just America's. So please, let everyone you know, know about this. We all need to be aware of what's at stake here! Say 'NO' to Censorship & 'YES' to Freedom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenni Darkwatch Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Two small corrections: 1. ACTA is by no means worldwide. The European Union countries didn't sign it, along with some fairly important countries. 2. These laws would only affect the US. Everyone else would just switch to uncensored DNS servers if need be (and probably a lot of Americans will do, too). Other than that I'd agree, SOPA and consorts are worth opposing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrable Amat Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Cool idea but worthless... Remember you are fighting a lobby system that is offering congressman millions to even billions of coffer dollars. The fact is all the black out sites where to inconvenience people and push them to call their local congress man. Keep in mind there is a epic primary coming soon and the people they lobby on this have no clue about the internet and they do not use it . All the people making this bill said in public record "I aint got no idea about the internets,im just a old southern politician,we might have to call in some nerds to explain it to us" Obama has already stated he will veto pen it in its current form . As stated by paypal and other bank institutions online there could be some issue but as they made a public statement they are to spread out to really effect them . If you want to help get off the computer and out in the streets with pen and paper,make well written statement making sure to use rhetoric like "your seat is up for vote soon,I have these names already starting not to vote in local for you to keep your seat ,the lobby dollars will not change my vote" Now you have to drive many others to do the same. Banners on the net do very little good unless you are trying to get some free marketing out of this for your product and the real goal is self monetary and not the good of others. Sorry if this comes off rude,but im sick of people using thing of this nature as a add campaign for them self . What wiki did was good, it pissed people off as they could not use a needed resource and it pushed them to get off their computer and say something . You can not fight billions of lobby dollars with paid for adds on market place. This has got world wide exposure and no one just happen to miss the problem , thinking a market place add will inform them is silly. I spent 7 hours beating the streets in my home town passing out a paper with all the needed information of who the local congress representative was and their phone numbers . It cost me about a 100 dollars in gas and getting the papers printed drinks and snacks for all the people i talking into helping , it took 13 of us to pass them all out that is how you fight back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexi Zelin Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Sure, it would affect Americans until ... companies like Youtube, SecondLife, Flicker, etc etc started closing down due to the american laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexi Zelin Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Well, I was going to be upset over your marketplace remark. But, then I saw your next sentence able getting in the streets and giving them information that way and it made me smile! No, I myself am not using this issue as a benefit for myself. I do see where your coming from though and know that idiots out there use ANY social issue as a way to boost their own greedy personal needs. But, no my banner is simple to put the question in those minds who don't know or haven't heard about this issue yet. If only to provoke a meir Google search by the viewer. My hope is to just get the word out through SL so that they can contact they're representatives. And it does count, because one of my states senators changed his opinion on this matter and has now put his name on the opposing side along with 18 other state senators across the US and perhaps more today. Yes, half of these people known nothing of the internet because they don't use it. But, public opinion matters to them because as your said they need our votes soon. So, Blowing up they're email box, writing them letters, calling them, showing up at they're office door will make an effect and already has. All we as the people can do is TELL them that we want our internet to be free and open not censored. Yes, Obama said he would veto the bill as it is now. But, Obama is sneaky as many of us already know. If one tiny change is made to it is he going to go ahead and let it through? I personally don't take his 'word' as a very strong reason to let this issue go. I use the internet daily, I work online, I go to school online. I am able to support my child through my SL income. I am able to communicate with family through Facebook that I would have never become close to otherwise. I am able to share my opinions, share my music and my digital art through Youtube. I don't want to lose any of that. As I'm sure many others wouldn't want to lose that either. The point is. As far as Second Life goes, if these bills are passed we can pretty much say BYE to SL. And that is the cold hard truth of the matter. DJ's and streaming radio will be blocked as it would infringe upon copyright laws. So, no more clubs or streaming music in SL. That in it's self is enough to send thousands of SL users running for the hills. That will be less revenue for LL not to mention The US government may just shut SL down all together because the fact that anyone could be uploading and sharing copyrighted material through SL at anytime. Many users like me will lose their real life income and they're platform to share what they are good at be it creating, designing, scripted etc etc. We don't want to lose this! So, I feel even if putting up a silly banner on marketplace is only reaching a few thousand people a day, that's hundreds of people a day who don't know or haven't heard of this issue and will then look it up and learn how dangerous this could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 After reading the posts above a few responses... SOPA & PIPA are technically laws created by greedy American special interest groups (primarily from Hollywood) and handed personally to several Internet-Stupid US politicians with likely some sweet personal perks that were slid under the table. They have no clue how the Internet works and how devastating and far reaching these naive laws would be to so many. They also have no clue how the ones that Hollywood and the naive politians are actually targeting would be the first ones to get around most of the limitations. Although SOPA & PIPA are US Laws with no jurisdiction outside the US borders, these US laws would begin to destroy many of the most popular Internet services that are base within US Borders. It would impact Search Engine providers (like Google), ISPs, multi-media distributors (YouTube), and any US operated services like SL. ACTA is not world-wide enforced BUT many Governments of many countries (like the naive current government up here in Canada) are actively working on adopting ACTA regulations. So, NO not all countries have yet endorsed it but unless Internet users put pressure on their Government, many countries will start adopting it because all their neighbouring countries are. So... taking a "ACTA wont happen to me" attitude is being naive too. I think it was Ziggy that said... streaming music content illegally within SL is wrong and it shouldnt happen. Yes you are completely right. BUT, as long as you understand the impact of doing what is completely right in SL. I would guess that the VAST MAJORITY of SL Club DJs are ameteurs that download and stream music to clubs in SL which are not legally acquired. As such, the Right Thing will surely mean that most sims in SL as well as most clubs in SL will go silent. Since there will basically be almost no DJs left and even a lot of Live "recorded backtrack" singers would have to shut down.... SL will have done the right thing but it will be a DEAD EMPTY shell of sims. Heck, even the SL Karaoke community I so much love in SL would likely come to an end as most karaoke singers use music tracks from sites like youtube or sing over their own downloaded songs. So... SOPA & PIPA may force LL to wipe all the evil illegal use of copyright material on the grid... but... LOL... there wont be much left on the grid when LL is done. And before you respond that..."all these DJs have to do is buy a licence to all these songs they play and they can be a DJ or singer legally".... remember that SL is a world of Micro-Pay. Most DJs would not be able to afford to be a DJ if they have to get licensing for all they play so they just wont be DJs anymore. It was also said that if people would read the details of SOPA they would see that its fair and sites cannot be shut down without a fair hearing.... COUGH COUGH... yeah right! WAKE UP! The second this law comes into place, HOLLYWOOD Billion $ movie and music companies will use this huge hammer they bamboozled US Politicians to create for them and start swinging it. Courts in the US will start blocking sites... illegal and legal but not favored by these companies... and if because many of these targeted sites are not American.... how do you think these small site owners will have any $ or means to travel to the US to fight their blockage. It simply will not be feasible and Hollywood will also stand by the ready with truckloads of their $ to challenge anyone through the courts into submission. To dismiss the abuse and misuse of SOPA & PIPA & even ACTA as "ohh sure there will be some abuse of the law but generally these laws will be used fairly and Hollywood $ wont have any influence" is utterly naive. vGenerally proposed laws like SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA might have good intentions on the surface but these laws will be used by Greedy Hollywood industry players that dont like that they can no longer control their stranglehold on distribution and they can no longer get their unfair cut on Artist's talents. In their blind greed quest to regain control - they will destroy all that makes the Internet as popular and powerful as it is now. These laws are being developed to serve one industry only.... it serves NO ONE ELSE and it will damage most everyone else that loves the Internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WADE1 Jya Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I've done some research on SOPA, and although en masse i see many people hate it, I don't see ｇｏｏｄ ｓｏｌｉｄ ｒｅａｓｏｎｓ why ｙｅｔ.... so I can not follow the herd on this one sorry? I'd like to see a return to rewarding originators of 100% original content & an end to today's culture of endlessly rehashing/remixing dirivitive works and openly disrespecting copyright holders ＆ ｉｇｎｏｒｉｎｇ ｃｏｐｙｒｉｇｈｔｓ. Ｈｏｗ ａｂｏｕｔ ａ ｒｅｔｕｒｎ ｔｏ ｔｒｕｅ ｉｎｎｏｖａｔｉｏｎ？ ＳＯＰＡ ｉｓｎ’ｔ ｐｅｒｆｅｃｔ ｂｕｔ ｌｏｏｋｓ ｌｉｋｅ ａ ｇｏｏｄ ｓｔａｒｔ． Ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ ｓｔａｒｔ ｓｏｍｅｗｈｅｒｅ ｒｉｇｈｔ？ Facebook & google are opposed to ＳＯＰＡ because they don't want to have to pay new staff and hire 100s of new employees， ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｗｈｏ’ｓ ｓｏｌｅ ｊｏｂ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｔｏ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔ ＩＰ ｈｏｌｄｅｒｓ （ｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃ ｓｔｉｍｕｌｕｓ ａｎｙｏｎｅ？） is what I think is going on! Ｍａｎｙ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｌｙ ｍａｒｋｅｔ－ｄｏｍｉｎａｔｉｎｇ ｃｏｍｐａｎｉｅｓ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ａｆｆｅｃｔｅｄ． Ｆｏｒ ｅｘａｍｐｌｅ，ｅｖｅｎ Linden Lab would ｓｕｄｄｅｎｌｙ become 100％ responsible for ａｌｌ the content on SL and ｗｏｕｌｄ ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ set up an iron-clad IP approval process ｔｏ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔ ｉｎｎｏｖａｔｏｒｓ ＆ ｅｎｓｕｒｅ ＳＬ ｗａｓ ｆｕｌｌ ｏｆ ｐｕｒｅｌｙ ｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ ｏｎｌｙ， ｎｏ ｍｏｒｅ ｇｒａｙ ｍａｒｋｅｔ ｇｏｏｄｓ ＆ ｎｏ ｍｏｒｅ ｅｎｄｌｅｓｓ ｄｉｒｉｖｉｔｉｖｅ ｎｏｎｓｅｎｓｅ. Ｌｏｔｓ ｏｆ ｂｉｇ ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ｃｏｍｐａｎｉｅｓ ｍｉｇｈｔ ｎｏｔ ｌｉｋｅ ＳＯＰＡ ｂｕｔ ｉs ｉｔ ｒｅａｌｌｙ a bad thing？ Many ｏｆ ｔｈｅｓｅ big internet companies would have to create non-profitable new departments to protect the copyrights of ａｌｌ ＩＰ ｈｏｌｄｅｒｓ， ｈｏｌｌｙｗｏｏｄ ｔｏｏ， ｂｕｔ ａｌｓｏ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ＩＰ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｓｍａｌｌｅｓｔ ｏｆ ｉｎｄｉｖｉｄｕａｌ IP holders （ｌｉｋｅ ｍｙｓｅｌｆ）. Ｒｅｍｅｍｂｅｒ ｃｏｒｐｏｒａｔｉｏｎｓ ｄｏｎ’ｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｓｐｅｎｄｉｎｇ ａｎｙ ｍｏｎｅｙ ｏｒ ｔｉｍｅ ｏｎ ｎｏｎ－ｐｒｏｆｉｔａｂｌｅ ｔｈｉｎｇｓ． Ｔｈｅｙ ｗａｎｔ ｔｏ ｋｅｅｐ ｍａｋｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ ｍｏｎｅｙ！ Ｔｈｅｙ ａｌｓｏ ｄｏｎ’ｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｒｉｓｋ， ｓｏ ｉｔｓ ｎｉｃｅ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅｍ ｗｈｅｎ ａ ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ ｃｒｅａｔｏｒ ｆａｃｅｓ ａｌｌ ｔｈｅ ｒｉｓｋｓ． Ｔｈｅｒｅ’ｓ ｍａｙｂｅ ｙｏｕｒ ｍｏｔｉｖａｔｏｒｓ ｗｈｙ ｓｕｄｄｅｎｌｙ ａｌｌ ｔｈｅｓｅ ｃｏｒｐｏｒａｔｉｏｎｓ ａｒｅ ｐｌａｙｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｇｒａｓｓｒｏｏｔｓ ａｃｔｉｖｉｓｔ ｄｒｕｍｍｉｎｇ ｕｐ ｈｕｇｅ ｐｒｏｔｅｓｔｓ ａｇａｉｎｓｔ ＳＯＰＡ／ＰＩＰＡ DMCA ｉｓ ａｌｌ ｔｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ｎｏｗ ＆ ｔｒｕｓｔ ｍｅ ．．．． ｉｔ doesn't work. I make ｌｏｔｓ ｏｆ content outside of SL and ｑｕｉｔｅ ｏｆｔｅｎ there is essentially no protection for a creator of original works ｕｎｌｅｓｓ ｙｏｕ ｈａｖｅ ａ ｂｉｇ ｓｌｕｓｈ ｆｕｎｄ ｔｏ ｈｉｒｅ ｌａｗｙｅｒｓ ｗｉｔｈ. Ｔｈｅ ｏｎｌｙ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｏｎ ａ ｃｒｅａｔｏｒ ｈａｓ ｉｓ ｔｈｒｏｗｉｎｇ ｂｉｇ ｍｏｎｅｙ ａｔ ｐｉｒａｃｙ． Ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｎｏｔ ｒｉｃｈ ｆｏｒｇｅｔ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｎｇ ｙｏｕｒ ｃｒｅａｔｉｏｎｓ ｅｆｆｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ．Ｉ ｆｏｒ ｏｎｅ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｏ ｓｅｅ ｔｈｉｓ ｓｉｔｕａｔｉｏｎ ｃｈａｎｇｅ！ Ｆｏｒ ａｎｙｏｎｅ ｗｈｏ ｃｒｅａｔｅｓ １００％ ｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ ｗｏｒｋｓ， ＳＯＰＡ ｌｏｏｋｓ ｔｏ ｂｅ ａ ｂｏｏｎ． Ｙou can send "cease & desists" all you like... ｉｎ ｍａｎｙ ｃａｓｅｓ ｕｎｄｅｒ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔ ｌａｗ ｑｕｉｔｅ ｏｆｔｅｎ the copyright holder is powerless. Ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ｉｔ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｅｑｕｉｖｅｌｅｎｔ ｔｏ ｉｎ ｒｅａｌ ｗｏｒｌｄ ｉｆ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ ｏｋａｙ ｔｏ ｓｈｏｐｌｉｆｔ ｆｒｏｍ ｓｔｏｒｅｓ．． ｋｉｎｄ ｏｆ ｒｉｄｉｃｕｌｏｕｓ ｒｉｇｈｔ？ Ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ｈａｖｅ ｍｏｒｅ ｉｎｆｏ ｏｎ ＳＯＰＡ， ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｅｄｕｃａｔｅ ｍｅ ａｓ I have yet to see how (especially for a ｈａｒｄ－ｗｏｒｋｉｎｇ content creator) thｉｓ SOPA is a bad thing！ It just ｌｏｏｋｓ ｌｉｋｅ ｉｔ ｉｓ maｙｂｅ ａｎｔｉ－ｃｏｐｙｒight companies & companies ｍａｒｋｅｔｉｎｇ dirivitive works ｔｈａｔ ａｒｅ panicｋｉｎｇ ａｂｏｕｔ ＳＯＰＡ & that is what's driving protests. Ｆａｃｅｂｏｏｋ ｗａｎｔｓ ｕｓ ｔｏ ”ｆｒｉｃｔｉｏｎｌｅｓｓｌｙ ｓｈａｒｅ” ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ．．． ａｋａ ｉｇｎｏｒｅ ｃｏｐｙｒｉｇｈｔｓ．．．． ｇｏｏｇｌｅ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｓａｍｅ， ｔｈｅｙ ａｒｅ ｐｒｅｔｔｙ ｍｕｃｈ ａｎｔｉ－ｃｏｐｙｒｉｇｈｔ．． ａｎｄ ｔｈｅｓｅ ｃｏｍｐａｎｉｅｓ ａｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｂｉｇ ｆｏｒｃｅｓ ｄｒｉｖｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｐｒｏｔｅｓｔｓ． Please tell me how I am wrong as Ｉ’ｍ ｏｐｅｎｍｉｎｄｅｄ ｏｎ ｔｈｉｓ ＆ I'd love to understanｄ ｗｈａｔｅｖｅｒ facets of this ｎｅｗ ｌａｗ I am missing ：） Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Honestly Wade.... If the original content providers that are crying soo much about content theft and the evils of piracy - specially those that RELY UPON THE INTERNET FOR THEIR CONTENT BEING DISTRIBUTED - they should shut down all use of the Internet in their business. The cry-babies are the same ones that have reaped 10 fold more benefit from the massive reach of the Internet then the losses they have encountered from it. The Internet is the most massive and pervassive distribution arm that ANYONE has access to. But what some creators and more sickenly the leech middleman agents of the creators who didnt even create the content have so conveniently forgotten is how much the reach of the INTERNET has done to make many of them known that would have otherwise never started or left their basement as just a personal hobby. They have forgotten how those that were popular prior to the Internet have been able to massively expand the popularity and revenue by tapping into the Internet.... Yet they are the same creators and greedy middlemen that want to shut down this same INTERNET for bit of negative it impacts these creators with. They love the 2000% (or even infinate) increase in revenue they have attained because of the Internet but they want to bite the hand that feeds them by shutting down the 10% 30% that they lose to the darker sides of the Internet. So.... for these content creators..... if you dont like losing a portion of your content $ that the Internet takes from you because of piracy etc.... then DONT USE THE INTERNET AT ALL. Dont have a website. Dont publish and promote on the Internet. Dont electronically publish your content or send it over the Internet. Dont stream on the Internet. I am a content provider of both 2D digital art as well as virtual creations with SL (my landscape sculpties) so I am not speaking as one who doesnt understand the other side. Am I naive in thinking that some of my digital photo art that I display on my sites like Deviant Art, Flickr, and my own personal website are not easily copied and downloaded and used elsewhere? NO! I know a good portion of my art is likely taken and used without my permission. Do I like that this happens? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But, would I want to go to a world where I do not have an INTERNET where I could show the world my art on the websites I use? NO! How stupid do you think I am? My new growing popularity of my art and my life as a budding artist would never have ever happened if it were not for the Internet. Same holds true with SL. I sell full perm Sculpty Landscapes. I do this because the vast majority of my customers on SL are honest and appreciate the skill and effort I put into my creations that they love. Do I know that there is a small % of users out there that disrespect my rights and ownership of my content and likely either free free copies of my sculpties to their friends or even possibly sell my sculpties to others in places I have not discovered? YES I do know. I dont like it either and I will do what ever I can to stop it if I find out. BUT... I would not want to see laws like SOPA or PIPA or ACTA destroy the very Internet that allowed me to make the money I have just to stop the small percentage of theft of my content. I am not greedy and I appreciate the fact that the massive enormous good that the Internet as we know it now has done far more to help me than it has to hurt me. I had ZERO without the Internet. So... SOPA PIPA and ACTA are laws for the unappreciative greedy content creators and their middleman agents.... They do not speak for the majority of creators that they keep harping to the stupid US politicians that they are supposedly speaking on behalf of. GREEDY GREEDY GREEDY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexi Zelin Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 You aswell as every are entitled to your own opinion on the issue. But, you might aswell go ahead and close your SL account, close that store you own aswell because if these bills are passed it's not just going to affect the DJ's in SL. It's going to affect all of Linden Labs and the US government will have the ability to close Linden Labs all together because it is 'possible' for users to upload or share copyrighted property within secondlife. The same goes for Facebook, Youtube, Google, Reedit, Twitter, Tumblr, Photobucket...Pretty much any social networking or online community that allows users to share videos, and copyrighted imagery. Aswell as communities such as Secondlife that is completely user content driven. Yes, piracy and copyright infringement is a big issue online and it IS something that needs to be handled but it should not involve the US government having the ability to completely black out popular websites and online communities. This is 2012. If these laws pass the internet will basically be reverted back to 1996. Online innovation will be done. Investors have already stated that they will be reluctant to invest in any online start up businesses if these laws are passed because it would be too risky for them financially. Online innovation as we know it will be dead. Many people will lose jobs because of online companies closing and that will put America in even more of a economical bind. Stocks in these internet companies will die putting the entire world in a bind. Have your opinion, you are entitled to it of course. But, do you really want to wake up one day and find that the internet has taken a giant step backwards and amazing creations such as virtual worlds like SecondLife that are completely user driven are gone forever? I don't and many others agree that's why we oppose these acts. Not because we want copyright infringement and piracy to continue but because we want it handled in a less extreme manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Otoole Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 IMHO people need to pressure the EFF to join with the other major tech companies and form a Super PAC to fund independent candidates that have brains and are not corrupt to get elected. The only way to fix this issue is vote out all republicans and all democrats, install honest people as elected reps, and then the new government make political corruption a capital crime. This will never be fixed until the oligarchy is destroyed and the existing 2 party corrupt system is destroyed forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Ann Otoole wrote: IMHO people need to pressure the EFF to join with the other major tech companies and form a Super PAC to fund independent candidates that have brains and are not corrupt to get elected. The only way to fix this issue is vote out all republicans and all democrats, install honest people as elected reps, and then the new government make political corruption a capital crime. This will never be fixed until the oligarchy is destroyed and the existing 2 party corrupt system is destroyed forever. If that dream could ever be accomplished - great - but Americans cant get their heads around anything but a 2-Party system. But maybe the "Average Joe" Americans can use the Internet and collect enough $ to become a powerful Lobby Group for the Average American. Ten they can use their power and buy off enough politicians in Washington DC to introduce a new Act to pass as law. It would become the... S I P S C P A STOP INFLUENCE PEDDLING of STUPID or CORRUPTABLE POLITICIANS ACT This Act would be a set of laws that would force all Lobby Groups to be identified and all their activities monitored and if any Amercian citizen suspects or has enough evidence to show that a Lobbyist or a Politician in DC were in the act of influencing, bribing, or being influenced / bribed by a Lobbyist, the organization leaders would be brought up on charges and face jail time for violation of the SIPSCPA. Ohh and this new law would allow anyone in the world to bring a suspect lobbyist or politician up on these charges. It would be enforced unless the accused can prove otherwise. (sorta like the SOPA will allow a lobby group member from Hollywood to file a order to shut down a site unless the site owner can attend in person and prove their innocence). I wonder how fast this act will be endorsed by Washington politicians? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I'm voting for this response as the best and most on target so far..........good job Toysoldier. But I want to add something that, I think, is left out (perhaps it's a little inconvenient for many. There are laws that anyone in the United States (and other countries) can use to protect their digital property. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). It's not perfect but it's available to all and it will get the pirated content taken off the Internet if use properly. It also can lead to expenses for the owner of digital property and that is where a lot of this "lets make a law" comes from........it's the owners of the property who just don't want to put forth the effort or funds to protect what they own. Make it so someone else will do the "hard work" for them........it's laziness. Digital content can be copied in an instant and distributed in another instant.........it's a fact of life that anyone who chooses to use the Internet for distribution of their work should know and plan for. If they don't then they have to learn to live with the losses that will occur. If it's too expensive for the creator to pursue (or too much trouble) the get off the Internet and open a brick and mortar store where you have more control. Enlisting a government to "do the hard stuff" for you is the easy way out.........but you lose much more than you ever gain with the restrictions you will have to endure on your freedoms. Popular belief is the biggest backers of laws such as SOPA, PIPA and ACTA are the "artists". Is that really true? No.......it's the money people who "represent" the artists. RAIA, Microsoft, EA Intertainment, Disney, Newscorp, James Cameron......I could go on practically forever. Those are not the artists.........those are the money people who want a law so they don't have to do the "hard stuff". Let someone else do it for them.....and they get to realize the added profit without doing a thing. Stomping on our freedom for their gain........and telling us the biggest lie possible: "It's for our freedom". It's amazing to me that people actually buy into that thought (I guess it shouldn't though since I know people don't understand what freedom requires from everyone..........just because you have a freedom does not mean you don't have to sacrifice for it). Do you really think pirated copies of "Avatar" dented James Cameron's checking account? How about Microsoft? Disney? Sure those businesses and people need to protect their work or else, over time, pirated copies will hurt their finances (even completely destroy the efforts of their work)........but at the expense of my (and your) freedom? They have the resources necessary to put a stop to their property being stolen......they even budget for it. But they don't want to put out the money or effort. They want someone else to do the "hard stuff" for them. They don't give on mouse t**d about you or me. Yet they plead their case to you and me........in the name of protecting you and me. That's the lie put out and that's the lie we must constantly fight. Educate your representatives in both houses of Congress........if necessary, threaten those buyers of the big lie with expulsion (vote them out of office). That usually gets their attention......especailly when you follow through in the next election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WADE1 Jya Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hmm, people keep repeating that SOPA will destroy the internet. Mark Zuckerberg says this too... maybe it is true if you call the internet FACEBOOK. I don't see how it would play out... maybe I am just not getting it. Please explain how SOPA would literally destroy the internet? I've asked around outside of SL, so far no concrete exploanation of how it would actualy be destroyed. Maybe reinvent or reshuffle the internet I can see, but destroy it??? The logic of calling out GREEDY GREEDY GREEDY sounds a bit saying to store owner to not open a store if you can't accept shoplifting happens - - in a world where there is no police to call when your goods get stolen, or maybe you can call 911 but there is no good laws to govern & protect you, so the police can do nothing. Companies like Youtube, Facebook, Google & yes even Linden Lab would be given time to implement new policies so there wouldn't be shock closures I think! The UK has something similar to SOPA/PIPA already enacted on the books some time ago, but sensibly the implemation is being slowly & methodically discussed still to this day... so there is no panic or problem Long ago, the wild west began to install real policing system. Must have made some people angry! Other people would be very happy! Were the rejoicing shopkeepers GREEDY in their wishes to stop rampant banditry & pillaging? I think not, they were only trying to make a living & bandits make this more difficult. In todays world, things are much less extreme than wild west... I have friends who own real life shops, I also sell my goods in real world shops. We do ecerything possible to stop shoplifting & theivery.. does this make us greedy people? I think it is just a sensible policy to try out best to elimnate all methods of theft. Surely the theives are not entitled to free merch becasue some people buy we should just be happy to let them do it? Sorry no can do. It is hard enough for honest hardworking people to make a good living these days! I'm not even saying we need SOPA/ PIPA in specific. the internet is grand... I love it, but is it so delicate that we cannot change a thing we cannot trying to make it into safer place to do business? SOPA might be flawed, but it looks like a start in the right direction from what I see? I'd be happy to see less djs, more masters of the craft of sound creation with their own private libraries of rare hard-won collections. Less social media, more sharing of our own thoughts, ideas, perhaps even a profound silence only interrupted by outbursts of original creativity. Less sampling, remixing/rehashing -- more composing of original new music. Did people protest DMCA this strongly back when there was nothing to protect creative individuals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene Erlanger Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Toysoldier Thor wrote: These laws are being developed to serve one industry only.... it serves NO ONE ELSE and it will damage most everyone else that loves the Internet. Just like the current US Online Gaming laws were to protect the interest of large US Casinos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene Erlanger Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 You fail to see the bigger picture though.....without music available inside Second Life, you'd be selling your beloved SL products to a greatly reduced audience. It directly impacts LL in 2 ways....User concurrency and their Sim tier income!.....not to mention threat of being closed down at any time! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Rene Erlanger wrote: Toysoldier Thor wrote: These laws are being developed to serve one industry only.... it serves NO ONE ELSE and it will damage most everyone else that loves the Internet. Just like the current US Online Gaming laws were to protect the interest of large US Casinos. YUP Rene... Exactly. The US SOPA & PIPA laws will be for Hollywood and the Music Distribution industry what the US Online Gambling Art was for the US Bricks & Mortar Gambling industry in Vegas. Both sets of laws were put in place and are planned to be in place only to serve the interests of the largest industry players in both the Movie / Music and Gambling industries. NO ONE ELSE. Wade... to put in perspective, unlike the DCMA which likely you and countless of even the smallest copyright owners have engaged and used, do you in any way honestly believe that you will take advantage of the laws that would engage in SOPA / PIPA? If you actually answer YES.... please explain when how and why? If you are reasonable about tthis debate your answer should be NO unless you are secretly a Sr. Executive of a large movie or music industry player or distributor. If not, you are defending a set of laws that will pretty much in no way benefit you directly. In fact, it will more than likely only hurt you. If you are selling content to the inworld population of SL, you will surely see a quickly eroding SL population as the already weak SL inworld economy dries up as countless SL resident abandon SL as a fun place to hang out. Most clubs will close and most SL DJs are likely not using their own legally licensed music libraries and in no way could afford to buy a library just yo make $5 or $10 US per gig. But at least you will feel good that a law that does nothing positive for you personally will benefit only the largest copyright players in the industry. Just not sure what your personal motivation is for defending a law that does nothing for you - unless maybe it does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Rene Erlanger wrote: You fail to see the bigger picture though.....without music available inside Second Life, you'd be selling your beloved SL products to a greatly reduced audience. It directly impacts LL in 2 ways....User concurrency and their Sim tier income!.....not to mention threat of being closed down at any time! I dont think Wade is stupid so I think there are personal private interests for Wade that would be of benefit if SOPA . PIPA become law. Either a secret large music artist, large hollywood actor / director, Sr. VP of a movie or music industry or has an interest in a company that would see a large competitor hurt by this new law. Any average citizen, musician, artist, content creator will gain nothing from these laws. Its purely designed to be a crushing hammer for only the big players with a gaggle of well paid lawyers to used to protect their own personal interests. So Wade must fit into one of these players in some way. Do you care to tell us WADE what RL interests you might have that this law will personally benefit you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WADE1 Jya Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well I do not think it is prudent to reveal too much about my inner business workings at this time, it is diverse anyway so the explanation would be rather long & involved... although I may connect my works more to SL some time in future, not at this time. However since you asked, I will try to be most forthright... I am a very minor player outside of SL creating original content which can be digitally transferred. Basically everytime a pirate site is wiped out, my business improves. I have helped take down pirate sites in the past, with help of much bigger friends It really doesn't matter who exactly takes out pirates, be they big or small, as long as somebody does this! I am all for more power given to take down sites of pirated materials and charges laid against copyright violators. I feel for the small creators like myself, and I also feel for large talented teams much much larger than myself. For example I just enjoyed watching "Puss in Boots" by Dreamworks Studios. It was amazing fun and it did cross my mind that it is a shame that those creators will see some degree of reduced profits due to rampant piracy. I think creators deserve to have all money possible go to them for their hard work. Why call great creative people like this greedy and lazy and wish to take away some of their success? If a creative person works hard (like the creator of "Avatar" worked very hard) and they attain a rich standard of living... I say they deserve every penny earned! I think that is very cool such success is actually possible for creative people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 WOW... wasnt that easy to figure out from your posts what was driving you to be one of the RARE people that support SOPA and PIPA and likely ACTA. Sorry for being blunt WADE but you are one of those that are in the category of GREEDY, UNAPPRECIATIVE, and also LAZY. I was dead-on in saying that this law has been created for and is being pushed and supported by a very small portion of the population. It serves NO ONE ELSE but movie / music industry players that are getting a portion of the profits. This is either a large or high profile creator tha is compensated by sales but moreso this proposed law is heavily being pushed and promoted by those that have NO DIRECT INPUT in the creative process. They are the financiers and business people and agents of the creators that get rewarded directly from the profits of the creators. So you are in this group - as predicted. Funny thing is that you say you are smaller but even you admit that you are too small to be able to effectively leverage even the existing laws that YOU are responsible for using to protect your copyrighted creations (if you actually create copyright content - you might be a RL middleman). As you said, you need to ride on the coattails of the giant industry players that have the war-chests and teams of lawyers to go after all the pirates. Unlike 99% of creators with copyright creations, you are lucky enough to have connections to get others to fight for you. If it wasnt for your connections, the value of SOPA or PIPA have no direct value to you unless your big boy bodyguards take down a site that just happened to pirate your content too. Good for you on being one of the lucky ones. So.... now that we know where you stand in RL... I also know that there is nothing that can be posted that would convince you otherwise from your perspective. So I will just respond on a couple points. WHY ARE YOU LAZY? Because you support a set of new laws that will force by threat of legal action and threatened criminal charges everyone else (other business, organizations, and individuals) to protect your copyrights. Right now THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY - no one else's. But you support a law that forces players that have no interest in your content or business to be legally responsible to protect YOUR CREATIONS! The ISPs, the Search Engine Servinces, the Government, the streamers and platform providers, the owners of clubs or any one facilitating a potential pirate would now all be responsible to protect YOUR content and at a cost to them and at a profit impact to them. YOU LOSE NOTHING for this law going in place - you just sit back and force others to do your dirty work, your fighting, your responsibility to proetect your content. As you see your profits continue to skyrocket, countless other business take hits on their business models and profits and even possible existence... But as long as you get more of your share - that is what counts... right? Yes you do have full rights to protect your creations (if you do actually create). You also have laws on the books now that YOU can engage and leverage to protect your content. In fact, it has been proven many times including this week when the Hollywood legel bigboys took down megadownloads.com and had charges laid on the owners. Funny... they were able to do this without SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA. They did this by using the laws already in place and not being lazy and actively protecting their copyrights. BUT... now we get to why you are not only LAZY but GREEDY.... You are lazy because you want others to protect your copyright as you sit back... You are GREEDY because you dont want to spend any of your gobs of profits created from your created content to protect your content. You would rather keep your profits for yourself, lower your budget on protecting YOUR content and bamboozle the US Government into thinking that its their responsibility and the responsibility of everyone else that participates in making the Internet the amazing creation it is now to take on your expense and fight against the pirates. The Hollywood giants have the legal tools to continue the fight against piracy but they dont want to spend the $millions to protect the $ BILLIONS they make on their copyright content. They would love to BS the Government to force all others to take on this financial burden when they get no share of these $billions in profits. BUT now why are you unappreciative? We already established that in previous posts.... You are more than willing to tap into and leverage the amazing reach and potential sales generation that the Internet provides you, but, you are more that willing to criticize and attack and destroy huge aspects of what makes this same Internet successful for all others and that was a part of the profits that your content generated for you - just because you expect to get 100% of the benefits from your creation. Internet be Damned.... I want ALL MY REVENUE FROM MY CONTENT - at all costs. Finally about the BS you and many in your industry try to fling around to convince everyone that SOPA and PIPA and ACTA are required..... this notion that amazing creations from the teams like Puss n Boots from Dreamworks should deserve to get 100% of the reward from their efforts. So lets slam that BS door shut. Except in some few situation, exactly how many in this team of digital creators - the farm of computer graphic designers - are getting anything more from that movie than a 9-5 salaried pay? How many of the Actors, Graphic Artists, Lineart specialists, and other staff from these huge copyright owning organizations like Disney, Dreamworks, Sony, James Cameron, etc. are getting a percentage of these profits you are saying they are losing to piracy? I am sure you will find examples but for the most part, most of them lose NOTHING because James Cameron's Titanic only earn $1.5 billion from all proceeds vs $2 billion (those are guessed estimates only of the profits). That Disney and Sony and James Cameron shut down Megadownloads.com will not make one penny of difference to these creators that actually made the creation. Another funny thing for your to think of is that you sit there supposedly puzzled (and I know you are not puzzled - just greedy lazy) why there is such an outpouring of anger and hatred for SOPA and PIPA... why massive sites like Wiki Flickr, Google, and even creative sites like my own Deviant Art (which is a site dedicated to artists and their creations) are openly protesting SOPA and PIPA...... But funny thing is that when megadownloads.com was being threatened to be taken down, the news reported that even high profile celebs that are in the copyrighted content being pirated were supporting megadownloads.com. WHY??? You explain Why these creators and creators like me with copyright content do not see SOPA and PIPA as being a good thing? Why WADE? Its not that you and the lazy greedy industry players are confused at the overwhelming protest againt SOPA... its that you realized that most of the Internet community saw through your scam to put YOUR RESPONSIBILITY in everyone else's hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Withdrawn, for now http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46072484#.Txme7IG8uSo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yes I heard that SOPA was killed. This is good news but as many in the Internet industry are already fully aware.... the "greedy lazy" copyright owners in the world will lay down and accept that they could not get their Government officials in Washington to get this law put in place. They will surely start a new and more sneaky lobby effort to Washington to pass on the protection of Copyrights to others. What I find so sad in this Congressman's published announcement of withdrawing his SOPA bill was this... "It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products," Smith said. Talk about protectionist propaganda that has likely been fed to him via constant lobby brainwashing from these big Hollywood industry players. So Smith has become convinced that this is yet another "WAR ON AMERICA" from all those evil illegal pirates of copyright content of "AMERICAN" content. Talk about wrapping the flag around a law that only serves the right lazy copyright owners that dont want to fight their own fight. As is typical for a US Politician, spin this bill so that it looks like this problem is a National crisis that effects ALL AMERICANS from the EVIL FORIEGNERS! Disgusting! As if there are no American citizens that are pirates of American content? As if this law would have served the interests of all americans when we all know it only serves a fraction of 1% of all US citizens. As if this law was not going to hurt countless other Internet dependent business in America that this Congressman was so naive and brainwashed by the rich Hollywood lobbyists to understand his own bill? Just by reading this Congressman's explanation of why he is pulling the bill and next steps that everyone that was against SOPA, PIPA and the ever slowly growing Governments support of ACTA that we all need to know this was only a won battle - the war against these lazy greedy copyright holders is far from over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yeah, Toy, agree with your statements...but, it will make it a little harder to present another one in the near future. Hopefully this idea will languish for quite awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medhue Simoni Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Check this out. Lamar Smith, the senator that wrote the act, had a copyright violation on his own website. http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/11747/sopa-author-lamar-smith-rtx-breaks-copyright-law-on-his-own-website What a moron! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysoldier Thor Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Medhue Simoni wrote: Check this out. Lamar Smith, the senator that wrote the act, had a copyright violation on his own website. http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/11747/sopa-author-lamar-smith-rtx-breaks-copyright-law-on-his-own-website What a moron! Yes I couldnt agree with you more. It completely proves my arguments to WADE1.... This politician like so many others have absolutely no clue about the bill they brought forward to make a law. They were not even involved in writing up the bill - it was likely written up completely by the Movie Music TV heavyweights and this congressman was given some briefing notes on "How do I sound like I know what I am talking about". Combine that with some unseen lobbyist glad handing under the table.... and you get yourself a new LAW! Then they violate the very laws they are trying to pass. OHHH OHHH but hold on Medhue... this Congressman only wanted a law to stop "foriegners from pirating American content".... since this Comgressman is an American - all is OK. Plus... all this Congressman did was violate a copyright of a lame little IMAGE.... surely that is not covered by SOPA.... the intent of SOPA was to protect the big budget movies, music, and TV shows that the lobbyists wanted protection for. There was no intent or care about protecting copyrighted content from liitle guys like us photographers and artists. They are too small to worry about. LOL - SOPA... a complete joke exposed for what it really was. But be ready everyone - this industry will try to bamboozle another US politician to sneak this scam into law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WADE1 Jya Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I'm not even trying to argue with anybody or anything, and thanks for lots of assumptions and insults, but I just think original content by artist or musicians should be protected against some non-creative theves. I am an artist. I paint, I draw, I create lots and lots of things, I'm not lazy, nor greedy. FYI. Apply this logic to any other industry that it is okay to theive them and you will see the argument doesn't make any sense. Being your own boss in the creative industry is a little more hardscrabble than you are imagining, at least it is at the bottom rungs of the ladder. Creative people most aren't making gobs of cash, more like waiting for one gob of cash & have no idea when you might get it next. It can get scary... you might do odd jobs to bridge gaps (or simply fill the fridge for your family). I just do it for the adventure & I want to do the kind of work I am passionate for, taking a wage job could perhaps make more sometimes but its just not exciting nor fulfilling for me. I like full creative control. Piracy probably only take 5-10 percent profit usually but its the people at the bottom this really hurts. These are likely the ones who notice shortfalls first, track it to a bad site & tell richer friends who help the situation correct (if it is possible to stop it under current weak laws!). Piracy affects many different types of people of widely varying income levels. You never know when that small difference of another 5-10% loss slides someone under the line that they can no longer pay their bills. One is not greedy if your motivation to succeed is to uplift a large group. I want to help a lot of friends & family because basically things suck out there economically & life is short so I want to do a lot of amazing things. Anyways, big or small, it is just not right we need better laws. Take away from a big studio making millions & next operation they must hire less people or downsize the team... also the project budgets get smaller so less cool stuff is possible with tighter & tighter resources, less chance of a successful venture. Just because big numbers are involved does not mean greed is present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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