How Copyright Industries Con Congress(cato-at-liberty.org)
cato-at-liberty.org
How Copyright Industries Con Congress
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/how-copyright-industries-con-congress/
5 comments
It's scary that they have this kind of power on a global scale now, and they are starting to convert country after country and get them to censor their own Internet. It's like MPAA and RIAA are the oil cartel of the 21st century.
Of the total $6.1 billion in annual losses LEK estimated to MPAA studios, the amount attributable to online piracy by users in the United States was $446 million—which, by coincidence, is roughly the amount grossed globally by Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.
That's the money quote right there.
That's the money quote right there.
In his latest remarks to the press, Representative Smith is still citing a $100 billion dollar figure as the cost of piracy to the US economy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/13/us-usa-internet-pi...
*edited spelling error.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/13/us-usa-internet-pi...
*edited spelling error.
This is a good article, and the bit about money saved by pirates being pure economic surplus that is spent and stimulates actual jobs is gold.
But it is obvious on its face that the publishers' concerns have virtually nothing to do with jobs (except a particular few of course), and that this is just offered up to Congress to use as talking points when replying to constituents or deflecting questions.
But it is obvious on its face that the publishers' concerns have virtually nothing to do with jobs (except a particular few of course), and that this is just offered up to Congress to use as talking points when replying to constituents or deflecting questions.
Remember during the build up to the Iraq war (2003) when a dossier used to justify the war was revealed to have copied portions of a graduate student's essay?
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/529
Think of how information is gathered for any kind of group/commission report...often through the use of assistants of varying skill in information-processing. It's not surprising that some number copied out of context from an out-of-date op-ed would be repeated ad nauseum.
Paper reports aren't easily hyperlinkable to ensure accuracy of their sources.
Think of how information is gathered for any kind of group/commission report...often through the use of assistants of varying skill in information-processing. It's not surprising that some number copied out of context from an out-of-date op-ed would be repeated ad nauseum.
Paper reports aren't easily hyperlinkable to ensure accuracy of their sources.
They are also often written by young consultants who don't really care about the topic at hand. I have often seen reports to congress be handed down 5+ layers of management to a 22 year old in the middle of a huge time crunch who basically says whatever seems reasonable to them and then everyone above them signs off on it at most skimming over what's said and then passing it on.
One example that comes to mind was someone who asked their boss a basic policy question which then traveled though 8 hops before someone asked them their own question. (up 4 over 1 down 3 then back to them) You could see their email address on the top and bottom of this long chain. He almost sent it back up just to see what would happen.
One example that comes to mind was someone who asked their boss a basic policy question which then traveled though 8 hops before someone asked them their own question. (up 4 over 1 down 3 then back to them) You could see their email address on the top and bottom of this long chain. He almost sent it back up just to see what would happen.
I hate to do this, but is there anywhere I can read that story (and forward the link to people that might... benefit)?
If I had the money I'd get this into easily digestible form and plaster it all over TV so that people could see that a trivial amount of cash was being used to bring in appalling laws.