The first thing they can do is by shoving the Intellectual Property Protection Act right back up Hollywood’s ass. The entertainment industry is practically a PR arm of the Democratic National Committee, so it really makes no sense from a political perspective to reward their support of your opposition with quick, under-the-radar action.
From Wired:
The Senate might vote on the Intellectual Property Protection Act, a comprehensive bill that opponents charge could make many users of peer-to-peer networks, digital-music players and other products criminally liable for copyright infringement. The bill would also undo centuries of “fair use” — the principle that gives Americans the right to use small samples of the works of others without having to ask permission or pay.
…[T]he Senate Judiciary Committee chairmanship of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) will expire next year, with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) in line to take over the committee. Bill opponents hope Specter would take a different approach to copyright law than Hatch, who has been an advocate of several bills that have rankled public-interest, technology and consumer-electronics camps.
The entertainment industry has been lobbying hard for quick Senate passage during the lame-duck session, with opponents gearing up for a tough fight.
Hollywood’s involvement has even irked the American Conservative Union, which holds considerable sway with conservative Republicans in Congress. The ACU plans a major print ad campaign this week to oppose the bill, mainly because some provisions would require the Justice Department to file civil copyright lawsuits on behalf of the entertainment industry.
“It’s just plain wrong to make the Department of Justice Hollywood’s law firm,” said Stacie Rumenap, ACU’s deputy director.Since Specter is already on the hot seat, it’s probably worth finding out if he supports your right to fast forward through commercials on your TiVo. That is supposedly one of the things that the entertainment lobby is hoping to outlaw.
I want my empty V.
I called this one just after the election. For other points of payback – check out my opinion piece here: Let’s order a big steak…
Hang on, folks. Hatch’s bill protects “intellectual” property rights. That’s got to eliminate 90% of the material that comes out of Hollywood.
Sounds good to me.
Way ahead of you guys there. I use WinMX, Warez, and (when I’m on a network that allows it and depending), KaZaA Lite.
For Example, I downloaded Intervideo’s winDVD 4.0 Player for free. So sue me. I finally was able to play some comedy clip video files without my computer freezing during processing (spike lag).
This would never would have happened if people had paid for Orrin Hatch’s music CDs (oh, yes, it’s true), instead of downloading them for free off the internet.
These guys want their cake and eat it too?
I’ve got a solution for that. Quit buying their products.
Period.
I don’t have TiVo, don’t plan on having it either. Let television go the way of 8 tracks.
They want to criminalize entertainment? Let them. Also let them try to have lunch out of CDs, DvD discs and
broadcast programs.
It wouldn’t take long for the hollywood fat cats to lose lots of weight.
This is nothing more than a bunch of unimportant rich people trying to pull one of the ‘peasants’ that keep them rich.
Feh!
Using political power as a tool for revenge is foolish. Horrible post.
Well, well, well. The Liberal-Left Hollywood Neo-Socialists are capitalists after all. It figures. The entertainment elite talk like hippies but behave like the Mafia.
May I suggest the following sites?
http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/
http://www.lessig.org/blog/
http://www.corante.com/copyfight/
Whoa, the entertainment industry and actors are different things. Actors supported democrats, the large entertainment comapnies supported us. Take a look at the record of entertainment indudstry support for GOP HHouse and Senate campaigns. Very strong.
IP rights are no different than real estate or real property. It is the left wing that thinks different.
I just wrote my delegation in support of these bills.
Absolutely – don’t support the latest legislation to protect the corporations at the expense of the individual. I beg of you – don’t support it.
The fun in Wizbang calling for this bill to fail is that it’s got bipartisan sponsorship. I’m guessing the Pubs in the Senate like it because it’s pro-business. The Dems in the Senate must like it because it helps all those celebrities who give them money.
In the spirit of bipartisanship, I say that us average citizens should all fight it (both right and left) – we’re the ones who actually use the technology that will be affected.
One other comment. Hollywood is generally perceived as a liberal bastion and it certainly has its enclaves. But don’t forget that it’s business, big business. And while celebrities may be liberal as hell, those running the entertainment business are not. The money and support goes both ways.