October 18, 2007 -
A House subcommittee will hold hearings today on International Piracy: The Challenges of Protecting Intellectual Property in the 21st Century.
The Subcommittee on Court, the Internet and Intellectual Property comes under the House Judiciary Committee and is chaired by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA, left).
Among witnesses scheduled to testify is Eric Smith, president of the International Intellectual Property Alliance, of which the ESA, representing U.S. video game publishers, is one of seven member organizations.
Presumably, Smith will represent the interests of the video game industry at the hearing. Other IIPA member organizations include the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
Comments
It's like when Steve Ballmer (Microsoft's CEO) claims that Linux infringes on Microsoft's 'intellectual property'. Then he goes on to simply say that they're patent violations, yet he lumps copyright and trademark in there as well. Even though his claims are BS, it's an effective scare tactic.
You should also read some stuff Richard Stallman has written on the subject, such as http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.xhtml
Yeah, of his own type. Not the stereotype, like THIS.
Relax. No on here likes piracy, it's the "guilty until proven innocent" approach they're taking that we have a problem with. Especially their "possession = intent" regarding mod chips is also rather horrid.
I wonder what this hearing will decide?
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Security at the hearing will be tight. As you were....
Jack Thompson
GP: Funny doesn't work for you...
Someone who understands the history and purpose of IP law (hint: governments did not introduce the supposedly limited monopolies that are copyrights on the grounds that it'd be excellent if corporations were to own everything indefinitely) might be nice.
It WOULD be refreshing, for once, to have the "other side" getting represented in these sort of hearings, but I suppose it's too much to ask from the legislators, since their bribes are paid by the MAFIAA.
Your attempts to be intentionally funny are far less humorous then when your just being your normal, hateful, vitriolic self. Stick to what your good at. BTW, heard the judge in that whole florida bar mess gave you a legal spanking, hit you with like 9 denials of your various motions. It was all over the NGN website recently. Guess Norm Kent remains a free man, and word is he's gonna sue your for libel, that should be fun.
Anyone go that article so we can remind dear ol jack about how much he SUCKS as a lawyer?
As for this summit or whatever it is, It's a one sided whoring fest were the Big media Mafia, MPAA, ESA, RIAA, and so forth, will buy off as many politicains as they can so that they can get away with screwing over the consumers.
Makes me sad and angry at the same time.
Hey, what do you know jack ,I found it.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1883/173
Ouch, that day must have been rough for ya.
I dunno, that does look like a pretty low quality fake tan, doesn't it? Especially for someone from CA.
So...
Let's be honest: Do you think they'll bring up the recent piracy and mod chip raids in this meeting? Sadly, as it's a "hearing" we know that answers will be short and crappy. I just hope it comes out a bit better overall than the recent Hip-Hop hearing (may as well call it that since that's what took center stage at the hearing). I mean, look at the link Dennis provided, they are covering a LARGE subject matter and hearings like these just aren't built for a REAL discussion on these broad issues.
(Hey, he's (if it's really him and not someone else using his computer) being... tame... so can I.)
Anyway, Dennis, will there be a live feed or a transcript on this that you know of? Thanks.
Nightwng2000
NW2K software
@ Neo_senku
Did you see that new episode of The Boondocks "Or Die Trying"? That's what you made me think of just then.
"Now put this meat-loaf and gravy under your shirt."
@ Jack Thompson
If you can't add anything constructive to the conversation, don't add anything at all. Oh, wait, that would ensure you'd never post again. That's pretty Win-Win for us!
God, I KNOW i've seen that man before. And it wasn't anything to do with Congress either.
That all you got? Mocking his skin tone in a photo? Lay off the gay porn, it's turning you wonky.
The Challenges of Protecting Intellectual Property in the 21st Century
Challenge #1: How do we restrict the consumer as much as possible, without pissing them off so much they turn to illegal means just to be able to use our product.
@JT
You can't do funny.
Was that an attempt to incite violence against a person? Naughty, naughty. You know that's a lot worse than sending someone flowers.
Isn't that what the ECA is supposed to protect us against?
Unless the EFF or ECA is there, this is just a one-way sham.
That joke was full of fail.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
We install spyware on their computers to make sure they aren't using illegal methods. Then we sue the hell out of those who do.
Is the local retailer that marks up local distributions of the game by 50%
Um, Jack, that wasn't very funny. I admit his head does look funny, but I think those idiots who go around mashing up a kid's hard work for "the lulz"can tell the difference between a pumpkin and a human head.
As to the article. I've grown, spiteful toward the ESA for even considering joining the RIAA. They represent why people are beginning to hate these industries.Basically, if an artist sucks but sells well, they promote the hell out of it and hype it up, if an artist is good but doesn't sell much, they sweep it under the rug and pretend it never existed.
Sorry, but it just snapped. He was on an episode of Without A Trace. Uh.. hold on. Who the hell is he?
But it can't be him. If it isn't then the guy looks so much like who I'm thinking of it's scary.
If it is, how the hell did he get on Without A Trace?
@Twin Skies said "Piracy… Is the local retailer that marks up local distributions of the game by 50%"
Yeah, God forbid he should be able to pay his rent, or his employees, or give himself income.
You don't like what someone charges, then vote with your wallet and buy it elsewhere.
Your heirs deserve the fruits of your labor? Whatever happened to people providing for themselves? You're advocating providing your descendants with a revenue stream that they would have to put forth no effort to earn, no create anything themselves?
Methinks you speak bad things.
~Sol~
Not just piracy. These guys are all for DRM (hi Starforce) and DMCA (what do you mean I can't make a legal backup of what I already purchased?).
Piracy is not the issue.
Controlling what their revenue-generators (customers) can do with what they already purchase, is. The RIAA and MPAA (can't speak for the ESA on this particular point beyond DMCA) want to doubledip and charge you for content you already own. They hate "timeshifting" and "formatshifting" and basically anything you can do that doesn't involve them getting more of your money.
Copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc. don't generate money on their own. Somebody has to market them and work that as a business, or sell them if they choose.
Wealth? That's fine. Intellectual "property"? Not fine.
Take a look at the copyright clause in the Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 8, Clause 8): "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."
Key phrase: "limited Times". Copyrights and patents were never meant to be a gravy train for future generations. No one, especially future generations who have not contributed to society, has an intrinsic right to continually profit off of their ancestors' works. They are in no way *entitled* to it.
Yes. But over 120 years? Seriously, don't you think your invention / song / wathever the hell is't late at night / film / see third thing won't have been used by someone else at that time? Wouldn't have open sourcing it 20 years latter have been more beneficial to every one? I mean, 120 years is more than the time between the flyer and the strat nuke.
20 years seem nice to me. No spyware. Online registration with a real registry. modable consoles. No more BS, I can live with a soldering iron if I want to. (Like you can pass your money / patent to someone).
And those guys deny us that right you claim to own. You don't because you can't do the same things with other people's stuff.
That being said, Verbinator, if you are going to give that to your kids. Well, raise them properly. I do mean spanking and such to get them to behave and be normal human being instead of feeling "entitled" to pretty much anything.
well fcking said!
We're not attacking him more than scratching our heads and going "Why the bloody hell is he acting no better than a stereotypical troll, and not a JT troll?"
1. Get rid of the ridiculous 120 year copyright period. Origional copyright laws existed for a period of 7-15 years. Lobbyists have extended this period for the sole benefit of greedy corporate middlemen who sap and steal money away from artists. Copyright serves little to no function as it is currently implemented.
2. Lower the price of games on the market today. Games cost half of one-hundred dollars: that's almost 20 hours of work on minium wage pay!