Author Topic: Internet freedoms restrained - SOPA/PIPA/OPEN/ACTA/CETA/PrECISE-related updates (Read 236847 times)

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #100 on:** October 06, 2012, 10:23 PM »

It's prob been news before but I'll repeat it here.

Copyright is now taking on the First Sale doctrine, and it's now up at the Supreme Court level, which is scary because I'm starting to trust the Supreme Court less lately.

http://www.marketwat...E2-AC22-002128049AD6

That's the Print Version, because Printers tend not to like ads. But companies are known for breaking their Print links.

Renegade · « **Reply #101 on:** October 06, 2012, 11:00 PM »

I'm starting to trust the Supreme Court less lately.
-TaoPhoenix (October 06, 2012, 10:23 PM)

You mean you actually still have some faith in it?

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #102 on:** October 06, 2012, 11:13 PM »

I'm starting to trust the Supreme Court less lately.
-TaoPhoenix (October 06, 2012, 10:23 PM)

You mean you actually still have some faith in it?
-Renegade (October 06, 2012, 11:00 PM)

Heh well when it's not a Bill of Rights issue, and more of a "mundane" point of law they do all right. And generally the rest of the Constitution is in good shape, sorta.

It's just getting eerie because we had to amend the C. the first time to get those rights, and now they're getting dismantled bit by bit.

The consequences of *everything* having a resale value of Zero are immensely bad.

IainB · « **Reply #103 on:** October 07, 2012, 06:07 AM »

Superb speculative fiction short film about digital surveillance in the year 2023: PLURALITY

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #104 on:** October 07, 2012, 08:22 AM »

That's pretty good Iain. To make a message it helps sometimes to have good production quality.

I didn't expect the Time Travel angle at all.

P.s. Look at the list of credits, that's no 5-man college project.

Renegade · « **Reply #105 on:** October 07, 2012, 08:53 AM »

Superb speculative fiction short film about digital surveillance in the year 2023: PLURALITY

-IainB (October 07, 2012, 06:07 AM)

That was superb!

From the YouTube page:

Directed by: Dennis Liu
Written by: Ryan Condal
Produced by: Jonathan Hsu, Dennis Liu
Cinematography by: Jon Chen
Music by: Pakk Hui
Starring: Jeff Nissani, Samantha Strelitz, John Di Domenico

2 years of filmmaking with very little money and my friends and I made this.
We're a tiny production so please help spread the word! =) Please facebook/tweet/write to some big blogs so we can make more! (slash film, collider, gizmodo, engadget, wired., etc!)

And please watch my other videos! I promise that they're good! Thanks!!

[email protected]
http://www.facebook....om/pluralitythemovie

PRESS:
WORLD STAR HIP HOP -
210,000 VIEWS (As of 10/4/2012)
http://www.worldstar...wshhvTl8o0h8F5qwzAkZ

USA TODAY - 10-04-12 - TV ON THE WEB - OUR TOP PICKS, PAGE 6D

I09.COM - http://io9.com/59484...ry-surface-is-a-dna-...

The IO9 link is: http://io9.com/59484...ace-is-a-dna-scanner

It would make a great TV series.

Oh, BTW - do check my sig below.

(1:45)

IainB · « **Reply #106 on:** October 11, 2012, 07:00 AM »

Potentially threatening moves afoot: see discussion thread Re: Major ISPs to implement "Six strike" rule

- the discussion stems from the post at Demand Progress.org: Tell ISPs: No Punitive "Six Strikes" Plan -- Or We'll Take Our Business Elsewhere

I personally wonder if this isn't a pincer move - likely to be a fait accompli - by the State in collaboration with the **AA.
It otherwise rather looks like the thin end of a very big wedge.
The implications could be pretty stunning. Assign regulation and monitoring responsibility to the **AA or those service providers selected by the **AA. At the moment, there may be some possibility that an Internet services user/consumer could "take their business elsewhere", but watch this space and see if that potential doesn't evaporate to become a myth.
For example, consider the possibility that only "licensed" ISPs will be approved to provide Internet services, and they won't get a licence if they don't enforce the "Six Strikes" policy (or whatever it mutates into) in its entirety.
The US$35 you would have to pay to even start to assert your rights would seem to be unconstitutional. If it goes ahead, then you might be able to expect that price to multiply a hundredfold to make it prohibitively expensive to fight for your rights. Best to just capitulate then.

Where I wrote:

How bad could the loss of Intenet freedoms get?
Try this for size - maybe coming to a State near you soon...
Google Users in Pakistan Suffer as ISPs Block Sites Without Reason
I guess it couldn't be all that bad really - I mean, you'd at least still be able to browse the local government websites and government-approved websites.
-IainB (October 02, 2012, 03:07 AM)

- I couldn't really have foreseen that a US "free-market" prototype version of the Iranian model - i.e., along the line of this Six Strikes model - was already on the drawing-board.

Renegade · « **Reply #107 on:** October 11, 2012, 08:29 AM »

- I couldn't really have foreseen that a US "free-market" prototype version of the Iranian model - i.e., along the line of this Six Strikes model - was already on the drawing-board.
-IainB (October 11, 2012, 07:00 AM)

This seems to be the typical behaviour of governments to absolve themselves of their responsibilities - schluff off any work that would be considered illegal for the government, and send it over to the private sector, then call the otherwise illegal activity "rights of the private sector".

I expect we'll see more of this pattern of behaviour.

IainB · « **Reply #108 on:** October 11, 2012, 03:50 PM »

Legislators slam advertising group for advising members to avoid Do Not Track technology

Yes, but will legislators actually do anything about it?

(Sound of crickets chirping.)

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #109 on:** October 11, 2012, 04:14 PM »

Meanwhile in Canada,

http://www.theglobea...bill/article4602164/

"John Ibbitson: The quiet death of the Internet surveillance bill ...

C-30, you will remember, would grant the federal government and law enforcement agencies the power to obtain information about individuals who are online without having to apply for a warrant."

Aka Canadian SOPA.

So we won another one. More attempts to follow.

Renegade · « **Reply #110 on:** October 11, 2012, 11:47 PM »

Meanwhile in Canada,

http://www.theglobea...bill/article4602164/

"John Ibbitson: The quiet death of the Internet surveillance bill ...

C-30, you will remember, would grant the federal government and law enforcement agencies the power to obtain information about individuals who are online without having to apply for a warrant."

Aka Canadian SOPA.

So we won another one. More attempts to follow.
-TaoPhoenix (October 11, 2012, 04:14 PM)

Seems Bill C-11 is still alive:

http://www.parl.gc.c...1&billId=5134851

More legislation written by the copyright industry.

So absolutely YES! More attempts DO follow.

IainB · « **Reply #111 on:** October 12, 2012, 03:25 PM »

The Six Strikes Anti-Piracy Plan has apparently been implemented and is now up and almost running:
(Only part of this post from TorrentFreak is copied below. Read the rest at the link.)

AT&T Starts Six-Strikes Anti-Piracy Plan Next Month, Will Block Websites
by Ernesto

Last year the MPAA and RIAA teamed up with five major Internet providers in the United States to launch the Center for Copyright Information (CCI).

The parties agreed on a system through which subscribers are warned that their copyright infringements are unacceptable. After several warnings ISPs may then take a variety of repressive measures to punish the alleged infringers.

Thus far the participating Internet providers have refused to comment to the press on any of the details including the launch date. But, leaked internal AT&T training documents obtained by TorrentFreak provide a unique insight into the controversial plan.

The documents inform AT&T staff about the upcoming changes, beginning with the following overview.

“In an effort to assist content owners with combating on-line piracy, AT&T will be sending alert e-mails to customers who are identified as having been downloading copyrighted content without authorization from the copyright owner.”

“The reports are made by the content owners and are of IP-addresses that are associated with copyright infringing activities. AT&T will not share any personally identifiable information about its customers with content owners until authorized by the customer or required to do so by law.”

The papers further reveal the launch date of the copyright alerts system as November 28. A source connected to the CCI previously confirmed to TorrentFreak that all providers were planning to start on the same date, which means that Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon are expected to have a simultaneous launch.

The training documents also give insight into the measures AT&T will take to punish those who receive a 5th and 6th alert.

When repeated infringers try to access certain websites they will be redirected to an educational page. To lift the blockade, AT&T will require these customers to complete an “online education tutorial on copyright”.

The training does not give any information on what sites will be blocked temporarily, but it’s mentioned that “access to many of the most frequently visited websites is restricted”. What the copyright education tutorial entails remains a mystery.
...(Read the rest at the link.)

Tinman57 · « **Reply #112 on:** October 12, 2012, 06:26 PM »

I posted a link to a site that you can do an online protest of the Six Strikes crap, hope you all contribute to the protest....

tomos · « **Reply #113 on:** October 13, 2012, 05:45 PM »

^ http://act.demandpro...letter/six_strikes/?
good idea...

For people directly affected, threatening to move -and letting them know all about it, should get a good response here.

IainB · « **Reply #114 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:28 PM »

...threatening to move
-tomos (October 13, 2012, 05:45 PM)

If the powers behind this have arranged it such that the consumer is likely to be stitched up sideways, then "threatening to move" could be infeasible or an empty threat. "Move where" exactly?

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #115 on:** October 13, 2012, 10:53 PM »

How does this affect non torrent accesses like the old MegaUpload? Does a streamed copy count as a download?

Renegade · « **Reply #116 on:** October 13, 2012, 11:23 PM »

How does this affect non torrent accesses like the old MegaUpload? Does a streamed copy count as a download?
-TaoPhoenix (October 13, 2012, 10:53 PM)

I saw somewhere something about even having it in RAM would count for some law/regulation/destruction of freedom.

At the end of the day, this all boils down to twisting things for money. The MAFIAA cannot be satisfied. Their greed is infinite. Just look at the numbers they quote. It's insane.

tomos · « **Reply #117 on:** October 14, 2012, 04:17 AM »

...threatening to move
-tomos (October 13, 2012, 05:45 PM)
If the powers behind this have arranged it such that the consumer is likely to be stitched up sideways, then "threatening to move" could be infeasible or an empty threat. "Move where" exactly?
-IainB (October 13, 2012, 08:28 PM)

I see your relevant post above now - I hadn't realised it was discussed here. (I was coming from the Major ISPs to implement "Six strike" rule thread.)

IainB · « **Reply #118 on:** October 14, 2012, 06:10 AM »

Very revealing.
(Copied from Slashgear sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)

Leaked AT&T training documents reveal anti-piracy plan
Brittany Hillen, Oct 12th 2012

A leaked batch of AT&T training documents reveal an anti-piracy plan in the books, which includes sending warning notices to flagged accounts. In what seems to be a completely draconian measure, any subscriber who’s account is flagged multiple times for copyright infringement will have access to frequently-visited websites (Facebook? YouTube?) blocked until they complete an online course on copyright. The warning notices will begin on November 28th.

This comes after the team-up of AT&T, Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon, who joined ranks with the MPAA and RIAA to form the Center for Copyright Information (CCI). The providers and MPAA/RIAA set out an agreement in which Internet subscribers would receive warnings for downloading copyrighted items. The subscriber will receive several warnings before the provider can then enact a harsher punishment.

None of the five providers have publicly commented on their involvement in the anti-piracy scheme. The leaked AT&T training documents provide the first glimpse into the plan, which is not without (extensive) controversy. The documents explain the upcoming changes to staff, and include this bit of info: “AT&T will not share any personally identifiable information about its customers with content owners until authorized by the customer or required to do so by law.”

An alleged source within the Center for Copyright Information told TorrentFreak that all five providers planned to launch the program on the same day. If true, this means that Verizon, Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner customers will begin receiving piracy notices November 28th, in addition to AT&T subscribers. The “online education tutorial on copyright” will be triggered on the fifth or sixth warning notice, at which point access to certain frequently visited websites will be blocked until the tutorial is completed.

[via TorrentFreak]

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #119 on:** October 15, 2012, 07:48 PM »

CETA appears still to be kicking.

https://www.eff.org/...ceta-replicates-acta

Canada-EU Trade Agreement Replicates ACTA’s Notorious Copyright Provisions

Renegade · « **Reply #120 on:** October 15, 2012, 11:38 PM »

CETA appears still to be kicking.

https://www.eff.org/...ceta-replicates-acta

Canada-EU Trade Agreement Replicates ACTA’s Notorious Copyright Provisions

-TaoPhoenix (October 15, 2012, 07:48 PM)

Big surprise... Stephen Harper hard at work making Canadians ashamed to be Canadian... He's an embarrassment.

Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.
-Wilfrid Laurier - 7th Prime Minister of Canada

Nothing will prevent me from continuing my task of preserving at all costs our civil liberty.
-Wilfrid Laurier - 7th Prime Minister of Canada

As long as there is a drop of blood in my body they won't stop me from talking about freedom.
-John Diefenbaker - 13th Prime Minister of Canada

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
-John Diefenbaker - 13th Prime Minister of Canada

Mr. Harper would do well to follow in the footsteps of some of his distinguished predecessors instead of some of his fascist contemporaries.

IainB · « **Reply #121 on:** October 16, 2012, 01:24 AM »

I could be wrong, of course, but I thought Canada had long ago given away a lot of its civil liberties/freedoms, especially freedom of speech.

Renegade · « **Reply #122 on:** October 16, 2012, 02:21 AM »

I could be wrong, of course, but I thought Canada had long ago given away a lot of its civil liberties/freedoms, especially freedom of speech.
-IainB (October 16, 2012, 01:24 AM)

Pretty close. Policy in Ottawa is mostly imported from Washington D.C. So, it usually takes a little bit longer for Canadians to have their freedom stripped than it does for the Americans, though that's not always true. Our Prime Minister is currently selling off large chunks of Canada to China. Not sure whether we'll be Chanada or Chinada in the near future. But, y'know... All the typical stuff that treason is made of, that's our PM.

IainB · « **Reply #123 on:** October 16, 2012, 06:24 PM »

I'm not sure if this PayPal contract to force you to agree to foregoing your rights to all legal remedies is a restriction of Internet freedoms per se, but it sure looks like it to me.
I thought this kind of thing was made illegal in the UK, Australia and NZ, but it is presumably legal in the US(?).
PayPal Wants to Limit Your Legal Rights Against Them, Here’s a Way Around That
This is another cunning pincer move. There's a lesson for the wary here, but you have to write your formal letter to opt-out before December 1st, 2012. After that, it's no longer an option.
I think this stinks.

Tinman57 · « **Reply #124 on:** October 16, 2012, 07:35 PM »

I could be wrong, of course, but I thought Canada had long ago given away a lot of its civil liberties/freedoms, especially freedom of speech.
-IainB (October 16, 2012, 01:24 AM)

Pretty close. Policy in Ottawa is mostly imported from Washington D.C. So, it usually takes a little bit longer for Canadians to have their freedom stripped than it does for the Americans, though that's not always true. Our Prime Minister is currently selling off large chunks of Canada to China. Not sure whether we'll be Chanada or Chinada in the near future. But, y'know... All the typical stuff that treason is made of, that's our PM.
-Renegade (October 16, 2012, 02:21 AM)

Welcome to the China Syndrome. The U.S. sold out to China years ago. We were sold out by greedy politicians. And all this time I thought Canada was better than that.....