Solutions For Copyright, P2p and Civil Liberties Issues

Solving problems with copyright, P2p and Civil Liberties issues:


The 'angry mob' has been at it again. Lily Allen has declared that she's not planning to make another record and erased her anti-piracy blog due to abuse from the web community. It's a shame that artists who take a stand are subject to name calling and an onslaught of liable damage on the internet just for forming an opinion. Albeit, an opinion that many don't agree with. To be honest, I don't see how trying to tear someone apart and rip them to shreds is productive for p2p. In my opinion, it only hurts your position. And right now isn't very good timing for the file-sharing movement to be looking like a bunch of bullying twats, is it? (oops, see, I've just called the 'bullies' bullying twats! incredible! How hypocritical...'sarcasm intended'... I am. lol)

The thing that bothers me most about all this egg throwing, is that these people who do the name-calling are the same ones who hide behind anonymous identities. They generally are not people who have a public image and I doubt they would actually say some of the things that they say if they were to meet you in person. In fact, all those people leaving nasty comments are more or less cowards who enjoy complaining but rarely take any form of positive action. Nobody's truly interested except for the other sad people who enjoy being destructive. Theoretically, these types of people who waste their time degrading others on the net are same type of people who are proud of their ASBOs. In general, destructive people are a waste of time. And believe it or not, this 'anonymity' on the web will likely disappear in the future. Remember, the net was created by military and was never designed for the public domain. We've known for quite some time that the net is due a redesign. (But, that's another issue concerning the future and ways to deal with your internet passports.)

How many of these web complainers have written to their MP or Senator about their stance on copyright or their stance on P2p? Many have plenty of time to comment, but, how many have actually done at least the bare minimum like sign a petition? Did any of them write to Mandelson? I know I have. I've written to nearly every influential person I can think of for the past few years with what I believe could represent possible solutions. Remember Lawrence Lessig's book "Free Culture".

“A free culture is not a culture without property; it is not a culture in which artists don't get paid. A culture without property, or in which creators can't get paid, is anarchy, not freedom.”-Lessig

He also states: “I believe that "piracy" is wrong, and that the law, properly tuned, should punish "piracy," whether on or off the Internet. But those simple beliefs mask a much more fundamental question and a much more dramatic change. My fear is that unless we come to see this change, the war to rid the world of Internet "pirates" will also rid our culture of values that have been integral to our tradition from the start.”

We mostly all agree that governments & Isp's taking internet access away from their customers is a complete non-starter. Maybe if Lily had a little more time to think about it, she would realise that as well. Not that I could predict the future last year, but, didn't you also see it coming? The 'internet police' plotting to take away your Internet passports (access via your IP, etc.) They are here now. Have you not heard? They want to block you from the internet and in some cases even fine you or whatever. That's what is on the agenda. I told you last year that I don't think it's right, but, they are attempting to do it in the name of 'protection'. They'll find any excuse. In this instance, it's protection of copyright. Now, everyone got really pissed off at me last year when I pointed this out and asked TPB 'why don't you start 'sharing' with the creators. The real problem is that in this past year, you've done nothing to develop or propose a viable solution. The Pirate Party has taken one extreme by saying creators don't have a right to earn from their works (please see Rick Falkvinge's statements as head of the Pirate Party in Sweden as per BBC interview Sun. Sept. 11th, 10am on Scottish BBC and twitter, and youtube videos from my last blog) and the RIAA keeps suing people. It's a joke. Most of you sit somewhere in the middle, make comments, and sit with a bag of crisps next to your PC's typing to the sound of your keyboard revelling at how cutting you can be when someone threatens peer-to-peer.

It's really down to a couple or maybe three rather obvious solutions. Nobody needs to get rid of piracy, it simply needs to be legalised in such a way that it's no longer piracy. There are some obvious solutions that would require participation from all media on the web, all websites who host, track, or deliver media, the ISPs, the government and YOU.

Below are some solutions that I've suggested before in a previous blog. If you have a moment, have a look at the petition. If you agree with it, sign it. The only way that you will be able to avoid these newly proposed laws that could potentially infringe on civil liberties is to come up with a plan that makes sense to law makers. You start out with a proposal that offers a solution to a problem that we all want solved.


Potential Solutions:


Here’s the real deal, if we don’t try to come to a compromise that suits everyone, government is going to march in and that’ll be the end of it. It’s time to start seriously thinking about this and take some action otherwise; it’s your own fault. It’s like Lily says, “It’s not me, It’s you”. It shouldn’t be just artists who stand up and make points, not just p2p users complaining about or praising artists opinions, and not just media giants who get their foot in the door pressuring governments. It’s YOU. Sweden gave us Abba and now we’ve got The Pirate Party. But, what has a mediocre and apathetic majority given us? Why complain unless you are prepared to take action? At what point will the angry mob actually stand up and organize and present a fair solution? We have the technology. The Internet has provided some of the greatest forms of distribution of Intellectual Property and ‘copyright’ ever known to man. If you like what you’re using, why not defend it properly?

Where are the solutions? I think there are probably several. But, a few solutions are apparent to me. 1) The Internet needs a Compulsory global license for Music.


This would enable websites to calculate their margins and contributions for the use of music and other media would become more standardized, which essentially reduces costs, and create a fair playing field. It would take some of the ‘control’ out of the hands of the music industry, but, the result would be hugely beneficial and rather than oppressing artistic culture financially, it would help stimulate and compensate.

2) A levy on the ISPs needs to be introduced. The Internet needs to be levied at its access points. Telecom companies are your Internet passport. They are the gateway between you and the media on the Internet. Telecoms are expanding rapidly even during a global recession. People have become very dependent on this ‘internet passport.’ The telecoms generate huge revenues and turn over massive profits. They are selling connections and bandwidth based on the premise that people want to access culture. We are paying for access. A portion of their revenues should be allocated to the media that people are accessing. A levy on the ISPs and mobile phone networks towards compensating creators would allow a passage of ‘free culture’ on the Internet whereby piracy could become obsolete. This levy could be introduced without raising the cost of Broadband to the end user if you lobby hard enough. Simply, it could come out of the ISP’s profits.



3) Government subsidies: At the moment, at least in the UK, government is ironically concerned with the economics of the music industry rather than ‘culture’. The government wants to see jobs being created. As the impact that a levy on the ISPs combined with a compulsory license for music on the Internet would essentially help create a cultural expansion on-line, so would the impact on job creation and artistic development. Theoretically, less law suits and lobbying would result in the creative industries focusing on music again. This would help free up government resources into the regeneration of music at the grass roots level rather than the seizure of resources that has been wasted on fighting piracy.

Conclusion:

“Free Culture” shouldn’t be limited to just certain sectors of the Culture and/or Economy. It doesn’t matter if you are a 12-year-old who has no money to buy a tune from itunes because he doesn’t have a credit card or the guy who makes the music and simply wants to be heard and earn a living. I hear people talking about the recession and how they are turning to music because it helps them get through these tough times. Music obviously has an important place in our human culture. Musicians give their heart, soul and left arm to be able to create. How can this all get sorted? ....

Back to Lawrence Lessig’s book ‘Free Culture’. Here’s how he puts it: “…my focus is not just on the concentration of power produced by concentrations in ownership, but more importantly, if because less visibly, on the concentration of power produced by a radical change in the effective scope of the law. The law is changing; that change is altering the way our culture gets made; that change should worry you--whether or not you care about the Internet, and whether you're on Safire's left or on his right.”

To be honest, these solutions could apply to all media on the internet and weighted and distributed based upon traffic to websites, traffic to the specific media being 'consumed' on the web, etc. Now, this could be a way to shake down the monopolies and create free culture and a viable economic culture on the internet, couldn't it?

He was right, the law is changing. It’s up to you to cast a vote otherwise somebody else will decide for you.

What will YOU do? petition