http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com A fresh look at the media industry and how trends affect the independent artist and publisher. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:49:58 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com/favicon.ico http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com/2006/07/no-bits-for-you/ http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com/2006/07/no-bits-for-you/#comments Thu, 13 Jul 2006 21:45:15 +0000 Eric Marden http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com/2006/07/12/no-bits-for-you/ What is this world coming to?
It seems that the idea of innocent until proven guilty is one tenant of freedom we can cross off our personal liberties list.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI, not to be confused with the British Pornographic Industry) has begun to lobby for a new tactic in dealing with internet pirates. BPI has sent two letters to different broadband ISPs in the UK to terminate the DSL service of customers that BPI has identified as copyright thieves. Instead of the standard, Cease & Desist action that allows anyone (read: any corporation) to censor any web site by accusing them of copyright infringement, the BPI would like to be able to shut down the internet connections of anyone they deem unworthy of using it because of alleged illegal activity.
It makes me sick to my stomach to even type this.
These are the same tactics the Church of Scientology uses when protecting their cash cow from detractors. Diebold used it against IndyMedia to keep critical facts about the defects in their voting machines from reaching the public. Earth to BPI: Is this really the company you want to keep?!
Copyrights are intended to protect creative expression. Corporations keep thinking that their concerns over their failing business models give them the right to trample our rights to free speech, and now due process in the court of law. Why bother having to spend money on expensive lawyers and lawsuits to prove their cases, with evidence mind you, in a court of law and to a judge, when you can just accuse someone and have them silenced and taken off the internet completely?
The Cease & Desist policy (also known as notice and takedown) is at the heart of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). The BPI is attempting to get the United Nations to adopt the new thinking, Notice and Termination, and make it a part of global policy (the C&D policy started with UN and was adopted by the US as the DMCA; a similar law has been adopted by the European Union).
There are more chilling facts to this story, but I can barely stand to even repeat them right now. I think it’s time for Polyvibe to up it’s contribution to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
originally published on dr.xnlb.com

]]> http://www.polyvibeentertainmentgroup.com/2006/07/no-bits-for-you/feed/ 0