Discussion: Online Piracy, Net Neutrality, Killswitch, and Other Internet Issues

[Raiden]

Just for the next 24 hours im just going to have a black avatar in memoriam of Megaupload.

I can't believe that they shut down Megaupload. Makes me wonder if they're going to target other file-sharing sites as well. Maybe Mayans have seen this coming.

 

[Thundercrack85]

They can't kill the internet. They sure can try, and they might even take down websites, but the genie is out of the bottle.

The people in congress behind this bill have admitted, they have no understanding of how the internet works. The Daily Show had a good piece on it. A montage of congressional leaders referring to people who know how the internet works as "nerds". Rather disconcerting.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Megaupload is primarily a piracy site.

 

[wiegeabo]

Megaupload is primarily a piracy site.

Which is also used for legitimate purposes.

Companies use it to share large files between them.


This is like a bank that has illegal goods in a safe deposit box put there by a customer, and the police shut down the entire bank, without letting anybody get their legitimate goods out.

 

[craigdbfan]

@Spock Right.

Bu this is flexing nonetheless. Hopefully once the internet is killed and neutered people will get the hypocrisy in all of this.

Rupert Murdoch was just indited for hacking the phones of celebrities and then publishing their private info for money in his **** newspaper.

Yet everybody else are the criminals. Megaupload is petty when compared to the real criminals (congress and the **** companies who buy them out) who live in comfort and judge everyone from their ivory tower.

But who cares seeing as people are so lazy and complacent that they deserved to be rear ended.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Which is also used for legitimate purposes.

Companies use it to share large files between them.

I never said it wasn't I said it was primarily a pirate website.
Certain websites like this and piratebay are specifically about stealing and sharing content. I'd be happy if piratebay was gone, it would probably help pc game sales.

 

[wiegeabo]

I bet it would help less than you think. Because a lot of people who pirate wouldn't buy the game any way. And, unlike physical goods, if you download something you would never have paid for, you're not taking sales away from the producers.


Still, the owners of the site said they complied with DMCA and copyright claims, and pulled those files. But there's no way they could possibly check every single file for copyright infringement. Firstly, how would you know that MyGraduation.avi was actually a pirated copy of The Dark Knight? Secondly, what if the file is under copyright, but the content creator used the Creative Commons license that allows for free distribution and use of the content? Is the site supposed to contact every creator and double check that?


A lot of time, effort, and money would be saved if the big media corporations just realized that consumer demand has changed and aren't satisfied with the old distribution models. We want streaming and downloadable content, on demand. And we're willing to pay for it, or watch advertisements (like on tv). Bootleg recording of live Dave Matthews Band concerts used to run rampant. Then the band starting recording their concerts and selling them. The bootleg market dried up, and the band made a ton of extra money.

 

[Morg]

Hacker takes DofJ, Universal, MPA and RIAA sites offline


t:

Hackers 4 - Big Brother 1

wouldn't be too happy with that IMO, acts like that might give more people to vote for things like SOPA

 

[wiegeabo]

wouldn't be too happy with that IMO, acts like that might give more people to vote for things like SOPA

Maybe not SOPA.


More like NDAA...

 

[Kane52630]

I bet it would help less than you think. Because a lot of people who pirate wouldn't buy the game any way. And, unlike physical goods, if you download something you would never have paid for, you're not taking sales away from the producers.


Still, the owners of the site said they complied with DMCA and copyright claims, and pulled those files. But there's no way they could possibly check every single file for copyright infringement. Firstly, how would you know that MyGraduation.avi was actually a pirated copy of The Dark Knight? Secondly, what if the file is under copyright, but the content creator used the Creative Commons license that allows for free distribution and use of the content? Is the site supposed to contact every creator and double check that?


A lot of time, effort, and money would be saved if the big media corporations just realized that consumer demand has changed and aren't satisfied with the old distribution models. We want streaming and downloadable content, on demand. And we're willing to pay for it, or watch advertisements (like on tv). Bootleg recording of live Dave Matthews Band concerts used to run rampant. Then the band starting recording their concerts and selling them. The bootleg market dried up, and the band made a ton of extra money.

agreed.

 

[Donut]

Did the Feds take down Megaupload due to Obama not supporting SOPA & PIPA ?

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

I bet it would help less than you think.

It's been estamated that a game that sells 1 million units can be pirated as much as 5 million times. Personally, I think people pirate because the likelyhood of any punishment is nill. It's inherently accepted as acceptable.

My problem with SOPA and PIPA is that companies are *****bags, they will (and already have) abused their powers. Actual hardcore piracy (as in sources specifically dedicated to it unofficially) something does need to be done about it. I wouldn't be surprised if alot of people whining about this is less about creativity and freedom and more about getting free shizzle. Which I suspect most of the people on this board do in some form or another.

 

[Boom]

They really shut down all of MegaUpload before this bill is even passed?

 

[wiegeabo]

I always question where those estimates come from. There's really no way to measure that.

Would a game really sell 6 times as much if there was no piracy?

Or could it be that the $60 price point most games sell at is too high, and if they just brought it down to, say, $50, that would put a huge dent in piracy.

 

[Donut]

They really shut down all of MegaUpload before this bill is even passed?

If Obama stands by & does nothing. This will be the end of Obama. This is exactly what will happen if SOPA & PIPA pass

 

[wiegeabo]

They really shut down all of MegaUpload before this bill is even passed?

That's the power DMCA gives them. And SOPA would give them even more power.

 

[Dr Lee]

Warner Music Group is down.....

 

[Donut]

That's the power DMCA gives them. And SOPA would give them even more power.

In a way I am glad that this is happening while Obama is the President. Take a good look Obama & the next guy

 

[wiegeabo]

In a way I am glad that this is happening while Obama is the President. Take a good look Obama & the next guy

Yep. I'm hoping every person who had legal files on the site starts contacting their government officials.

 

[Thundercrack85]

To be fair, companies like Megaupload make a fortune from piracy through ads. Most of their traffic comes from downloading copyrighted material. Though, no one involved in this dispute is a saint.

If you ever find yourself between a pack of wolves, and the RIAA, run towards the wolves.

 

[Donut]

Yep. I'm hoping every person who had legal files on the site starts contacting their government officials.

This will also hurt Obama's image & the candidates better be taking notes

 

[LOBO3315a]

They can't kill the internet. They sure can try, and they might even take down websites, but the genie is out of the bottle.

The people in congress behind this bill have admitted, they have no understanding of how the internet works. The Daily Show had a good piece on it. A montage of congressional leaders referring to people who know how the internet works as "nerds". Rather disconcerting.

Actually, for a long time even the "nerds" didn't know how the Internet worked. It wasn't until the first address exhaustion issue that a lot of how it functions came to light.

Bottom line is that a lot of what currently happens with file sharing, will probably go underground, or have to find a means of distribution that circumnavigates the roadblocks put in place. While I'm sure it's an inconvenience that some sites have been hit and taken down, until someone starts losing money it wont make them stop the legislation.

 

[craigdbfan]

Someone call the Avengers!

 

[SuperSoldier985]

Skynet is taking over

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

It's been estamated that a game that sells 1 million units can be pirated as much as 5 million times. Personally, I think people pirate because the likelyhood of any punishment is nill. It's inherently accepted as acceptable.

My problem with SOPA and PIPA is that companies are *****bags, they will (and already have) abused their powers. Actual hardcore piracy (as in sources specifically dedicated to it unofficially) something does need to be done about it. I wouldn't be surprised if alot of people whining about this is less about creativity and freedom and more about getting free shizzle. Which I suspect most of the people on this board do in some form or another.

Even if they didn't abuse it, there exists the problem is that it punishes the wrong people. If I post a copyrighted film to YouTube, then I'm to blame, not YouTube. Instead if I did that, they would shut YouTube down. How is that fair? That's like me walking into a restaurant and shooting someone and when the cops show up they arrest the restaurant owner. It is beyond idiotic.

The pirates will get away and all they will achieve is killing jobs in a bad economy.