p2pnet - rss feed: Hatch gets it wrong. Again.
p2pnet.net News:- “The peer-to-peer community is massive. Show me another technology on this scale that’s been litigated or legislated out of business. You can’t make us go away.”
That’s from Sam Yagan, president of P2P United member eDonkey, in a USA Today story here, which goes on to quote him as saying that all he wants is, “the entertainment industry to stop fighting him and instead use his giant audience - an average 2.2 million - to sell media with him. But on his terms.”
However, the only terms acceptable by Big Music are its own as it flagrantly uses the American political and law enforcement systems to shore up its business enterprises.
The entertainment industry yesterday saw its INDUCE Act ushered into a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing, chaired by senator Orrin Hatch [$159,860].
With him were Charles Schumer [$509,635], John Edwards [$314,547], Arlen Specter [$273,800], Dianne Feinstein [$272,316], Patrick Leahy [$221,950], Edward M. Kennedy [$200,708], Mike DeWine [$111,199], Dick Durbin [$81,100], Joseph Biden [$75,774], Chuck Grassley [$73,572]. Lindsey Graham [$72,523], Russ Feingold [$45,450] and Herb Kohl [250].
[The figures inside the brackets indicate support from the entertainment industry.]
Custom-design to kill p2p that’s not owned and/or controlled by the labels and studios, INDUCE (Inducement Devolves into Unlawful Child Exploitation) is, “an over-reaching new form of indirect liability that will force technology companies of all kinds to ‘ask permission’ before innovating for fear of ruinous litigation if they don’t,” said EFF lawyer Fred Von Lohmann.
Forty-two major companie are actively opposing it, saying it would “chill innovation and drive investment in technology (and accompanying jobs) overseas”.
Among Hatch’s supporters is Marybeth Peters, the US Register who among other things, wants the Betamax case (under which the movie studios tried to keep the first consumer VCRs off the market) re-opened.
The US Supreme Court foiled the attempt, stating: “It seems extraordinary to suggest that the Copyright Act confers upon all copyright owners collectively, much less the two [studios] in this case, the exclusive right to distribute VTR’s simply because they may be used to infringe copyrights. That, however, is the logical implication of their claim.”
Hatch gets it wrong. Again
“If you help us, we just might get it [INDUCE] right, but if you don’t we’re going to do it [anyway],” Hatch is quoted as saying in a Washington Post story here.
Suggesting that he does indeed need help, he also says on the Judiciary site here, “When used as intended, this software [p2p] automatically redistributes every file downloaded. This makes uploading and redistribution automatic and invisible to the average user.”
At no time and under no circumstances are users’ hard drives (or, indeed any files in their computers) automatically made available to other users, Morpheus owner StreamCast emphasised during the hearing, continuing:
“Rather, all the software does by default upon installation is create two empty file folders which the user immediately has the option of deleting. One folder, the ‘Shared Folder’ is intended to accept files manually inserted by users that they wish to share. The other ‘Download Folder’ is where files that users download using our software will reside, or a folder where they can place other files previously downloaded using other P2P file-sharing software.
“Furthermore, at that point in the installation, the user is conspicuously cautioned with asterisked text that, ‘If there are any folders on your computer you do not wish to share, please be sure to remove them from your shared folders directory.’
“We are in the process now of further strengthening this warning in the next generation of Morpheus now under development,” a company spokesman told p2pnet. “The new text will read: ‘If you have downloaded any files that you do not wish to share, please remove them from your ‘Share Folder’ or modify your default settings under ‘Preferences’.”
Isn’t it strange how Hatch keeps making ‘mistakes’ which are subsequently picked up and quoted by the mainstream media as ‘facts’.
July 23rd, 2004 at 8:29 pm
Can they realy do that, get all that money and get away with it? Just curious.
July 24th, 2004 at 3:36 am
I don’t understand this guy. he’s on a vendetta or something. with everything going on in this country the past few years the only bills he can introduce is like this one? Wake up Utah!!! BTW if he doesn’t get any help to do it right what’s he gonna do anyways?? do it wrong just so his buddies in the movie industry can reward him?
July 24th, 2004 at 4:23 am
Who the Hell does this assclown Hatch think he is. If you don’t help us to get it right Were going to do it anyway?????? What ever happen to the goverment for the People. This Moran has been a Senator WAY to long. To the People of Utah send this assclown packing PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 24th, 2004 at 3:18 pm
What amazes me is that these people can take all this money and get away with it. We know politicians are corrupt, most of them anyway, but isn’t there some kind of law? I gues not.
July 27th, 2004 at 11:10 am
america is slowly fucking itself out of existance, some people (like me) dont object to this at all tho, infact i hope induce is passed, it would be great to see the yanks further behind technologicaly from the rest of the world
August 13th, 2004 at 3:36 am
Over the years I’ve never paid much attention to the guys we elect.
However, recently I’ve taken an interest. The ” long ” view of our government and those who make it run seems to be centered around one and only one thing, i.e., * MONEY *. The more someone gives ( read as donates ) them the more they do for the someone who’s donated.
Bottom line is, we have the best government money can buy.
If they’d only pay as attention to the real problems that need solving without holding their grubby, filthy, stinking hands out to be filled with money we’d sure have fewer problems.
My final observation is that as I was taught in school, we’re supposed to have a government which is of, by and for the people. Instead, we have a government that is totally self serving; it’s OF, BY, AND FOR BIG BUSINESS.
Sure hope those morons in DC shape-up and get real before it’s to late.
August 13th, 2004 at 3:40 am
> Can they realy do that, get all that money
> and get away with it? Just curious.
Sure thing - it’s their job. Most, if not all politicians are just money grubbing, bottom feeding lawyers who found an even easier way to get thier hands on money. If a member of the house or senate isn’t a millionaire when they take office, they for sure will be one when they leave office; you can take that to the bank.