The Pirate Bay debacle
Apr. 17th, 2009 11:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
innocent_lexA Swedish court has found a torrent website guilty of breaking copyright law. In my view, that's absolutely ridiculous. The website hosted links, didn't copy anything. In fact, other than being a filter for a particular filetype, it's the same as any other search engine. I can find torrent links on via twitter, google, etc. All those media servers that allow people to share files host all kinds of content that would come under someone's definition of illegal. These sites aren't being accused or charged with anything, of course, just the ones created by the end user. Hmm.
What I find ridiculous about all of this is that the companies who brought about this lawsuit (and nobody believes it was the Swedish courts' idea) are run by morons. If you have a company and you refuse to listen to your customers even when they're shouting at you, screaming at you, and demonstrating with their behaviour that how you're doing business is plainly ridiculous, then what's the best idea? Ah yes, criminalise your customers. Not work out how to change your business so that your customers are happy, they buy more of your products and you make a profit. No, that would be silly. Let's not adapt the release of films and television programmes so that consumers are satisfied. Let's not take advantage of new technology to improve availability of our products to the mass markets who are demanding them. Let's not work to create new and better ways to distribute our products now that we have the benefits of digital media that gives us almost limitless options and possibilities. No, let's not be progressive, try to get bigger market share, or make any attempts whatsoever to use what passes for our brains. Let's criminalise the consumers - that's the way forward.
I don't think I've ever encountered another group of companies so determined to put themselves out of business.
What I find ridiculous about all of this is that the companies who brought about this lawsuit (and nobody believes it was the Swedish courts' idea) are run by morons. If you have a company and you refuse to listen to your customers even when they're shouting at you, screaming at you, and demonstrating with their behaviour that how you're doing business is plainly ridiculous, then what's the best idea? Ah yes, criminalise your customers. Not work out how to change your business so that your customers are happy, they buy more of your products and you make a profit. No, that would be silly. Let's not adapt the release of films and television programmes so that consumers are satisfied. Let's not take advantage of new technology to improve availability of our products to the mass markets who are demanding them. Let's not work to create new and better ways to distribute our products now that we have the benefits of digital media that gives us almost limitless options and possibilities. No, let's not be progressive, try to get bigger market share, or make any attempts whatsoever to use what passes for our brains. Let's criminalise the consumers - that's the way forward.
I don't think I've ever encountered another group of companies so determined to put themselves out of business.
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no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 11:19 am (UTC)Recently a colleague was informed that he had to send all the links he was using on a course to the copyright department for approval.
Why? I ask.
Because apparently links are now copyrightable material, he replied.
My response: a) that's beyond stupid and b) I'm not doing it and c) If they send out an official memo saying I have to do that, I'll do a Jack O'Neill and discover that I'm not getting all my memos ;-) Lunacy, sheer lunacy.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 12:14 pm (UTC)Huh? That's like saying the catalog in a library is copyrightable. A link is just directions to find the material, not the material itself. Sheesh. I agree with your response.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 05:33 pm (UTC)Oh the stupid, it burns.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 03:45 am (UTC)Good point. It's a truly slippery slope.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 05:29 pm (UTC)However... there are policies that various firms have where they do not 'deep link' (i.e. link to any page on a site other than the home page) because it may give the erroneous impression that website is being endorsed. That's nothing to do with copyright, though it is equally ridiculous.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 01:19 pm (UTC)Also, I have no doubt that every single one of us have listened to the radio and hit the record button on the tape recorder to get a favorite song.
The entertainment industry has always lagged behind technology. When 8-tracks came out, they didn't want to use them because they said that it would destroy the LP market. When cassette tapes came out, they didn't want to use them because they said it would destroy the 8-track market. They really tried to avoid using CDs because they didn't want to give up tapes and LPs. Now we have the computer and individuals can make their own compilation CDs and get their own movies. The industry really needs to catch up with the rest of us.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 05:35 pm (UTC)To point out the utter ridiculousness of it all, using an iPod for its intended purpose in the UK means you're breaking copyright law. It's illegal to copy music onto your computer or another media device (even from CDs that you bought and own). Yes, everyone knows. No, nobody takes a blind bit of notice.