COICA - The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act

[McLovin]

COICA

In the United States, a new law proposal called The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was introduced last week, and there will be a hearing in front of the Judiciary Committee this Thursday.

If passed, this law will allow the government, under the command of the media companies, to censor the internet as they see fit, like China and Iran do, with the difference that the sites they decide to censor will be completely removed from the internet and not just in the US.

Please see the following article from the Huffington Post for more information.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-segal/stop-the-internet-blackli_b_739836.html

Stop the Internet Blacklist!

And if you are a US citizen, please take the time to sign this petition
http://demandprogress.org/blacklist/ !

This probably should go in P&N, but figured that everyone on the fourm would like to know about this, and what retched hive of scum & villany P&N is, more people would see it here.

Discuss

 

[spidey07]

How's that hope and change working out?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

How's that hope and change working out?

<- P&N is that way. stop being a wise and beautiful woman.

 

[foghorn67]

<- P&N is that way. stop being a wise and beautiful woman.

Stop insulting people.

 

[KeithTalent]

Meh, delete all the torrent sites for all I care.

KT

 

[Engineer]

How's that hope and change working out?

LOL. It's co-sponsored by 6 Republicans (out of 15 total) so it's swinging both ways.

Don't know the details but from the "sounds" of this, a shitty law. Not surprising though.

 

[foghorn67]

The bill sucks. You think it's only torrent sites? Ignorance, lol.

 

[McLovin]

How's that hope and change working out?

I didn't know Sarah Palin posted here! :-D

I kid spidey <3

 

[Wyndru]

the sites they decide to censor will be completely removed from the internet and not just in the US.

wat.

So they will essentially be "censoring" other countries too? Or does this only apply to US hosted sites?

 

[KeithTalent]

The bill sucks. You think it's only torrent sites? Ignorance, lol.

Nah, just said that due to the place being quoted.

KT

 

[McLovin]

Nah, just said that due to the place being quoted.

KT

Isn't that like saying you hope the internet gets "deleted" because it has porn?

While I'm not advocating piracy here, I'm just saying that with the way the world works today, you know that it may in fact be done because of honest reasons, people far wealthier/influential then you and I will use to fit their agenda, whatever that may be.


Besides, it's not like the invention of the car alarm completely stopped people from wanting to steal cars.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

While I'm not advocating piracy here, I'm just saying that with the way the world works today, you know that it may in fact be done because of honest reasons, people far wealthier/influential then you and I will use to fit their agenda, whatever that may be.

that's exactly it.

 

[amdhunter]

Is there anyway they can add this thread to the list?

 

[KeithTalent]

Isn't that like saying you hope the internet gets "deleted" because it has porn?

While I'm not advocating piracy here, I'm just saying that with the way the world works today, you know that it may in fact be done because of honest reasons, people far wealthier/influential then you and I will use to fit their agenda, whatever that may be.

Porn is generally not illegal/stealing, so no it's not like that.

I'm certainly not for censorship, but I'm also not a chicken little type either. Reading the bill (I've not made it all the way through yet) it does not have me frothing at the mouth, announcing the internet's demise.

KT

 

[waggy]

<- P&N is that way. stop being a wise and beautiful woman.

while i'm not going to debate if spidy is a wise and beautiful woman or not. he does have a point.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

while i'm not going to debate if spidy is a wise and beautiful woman or not. he does have a point.

besides bringing partisan politics into an unrelated thread, what would that point be?

 

[McLovin]

Porn is generally not illegal/stealing, so no it's not like that.

I'm certainly not for censorship, but I'm also not a chicken little type either. Reading the bill (I've not made it all the way through yet) it does not have me frothing at the mouth, announcing the internet's demise.

KT

My issue isn't so much with censorship, which is wrong IMHO, it's more along the lines of the fact that this issue isn't being raised by hundreds of thousands, hell millions, of citizens. It's the fact that a handful of companies in this country seem to think that piracy is all about some pre-pubescent teenager sitting in there parents basement has nothing better to do when 9 times out of ten when the issue is discussed by myself and my fellow peers, we would all agree that piracy is only committed because of the fact that the items in question are either so prohibitively expensive that we can't afford them (see photoshop, etc.), the company in question makes so many bad titles/music/movies, when a good one comes around, it's not worth contributing money to said company (see EA, Ubisoft, Recording/Movie Industry, etc.)

I know it's not like this topic has been discussed many times and obviously my opinions, unlike what Malak believes, really won't make a difference, but it just kills me that greed is so rampant in this country now-a-days that making a good product that's worth buying rarely the focus. Any type of anti-piracy/DRM out now, seems to be more of an inconvenience to a person who actually buys product then it is for someone who pirates/steals it.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

My issue isn't so much with censorship, which is wrong IMHO, it's more along the lines of the fact that this issue isn't being raised by hundreds of thousands, hell millions, of citizens.

it's an issue raised by organizations with $billions to protect and grow their interests. the gov't is for sale, just like it always has been.

regarding your points about quality and DRM, i agree completely. DRM is only a pain to legit users, and it's not unusual to get a superior experience from stolen, DRM-less version. also, the vast majority of audio, video and software isn't worth "free" never mind full price.

 

[KeithTalent]

Ahh yes, the wonderful justification that it's not worth paying for, so I'll just take it. So if you thought the new Volkswagen on the lot down the street was overpriced, or a not worth paying for, would you go and take it? :hmm:

Anyway, we've argued this enumerable times and that argument of 'it sucks, so I'll just take it', absolutely boggles my mind; if it sucks, why do you want it in the first place? Absurd.

KT

 

[Ns1]

also, the vast majority of audio, video and software isn't worth "free" never mind full price.

if it isn't worth "free" then why are so many people downloading them?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

if it isn't worth "free" then why are so many people downloading them?

that's their value to me, and some others in a disgruntled, picky minority. lots of people obviously thought very highly of 'avatar' and other things, enough to hand the owners shittons of money. i suspect it's because they were told to. others want it without paying, and that's natural too.

when a friend asked me to go see 'avatar' with him, i offered to go do something else instead. his reply was "dude, that movie is HUGE. EVERYONE IS GOING TO WATCH IT! WTF???" i don't care.

to me, popular does not equal good. advertising has never worked on me, and i live by the credo "the masses are asses."

 

[Ns1]

if it's not worth anything to you don't watch it


does that mean you have a right to download it and watch it because you don't want to pay for it? NO.

 

[KeithTalent]

that's their value to me, and some others in a disgruntled, picky minority. lots of people obviously thought very highly of 'avatar' and other things, enough to hand the owners shittons of money. i suspect it's because they were told to. others want it without paying, and that's natural too.

when a friend asked me to go see 'avatar' with him, i offered to go do something else instead. his reply was "dude, that movie is HUGE. EVERYONE IS GOING TO WATCH IT! WTF???" i don't care.

to me, popular does not equal good. advertising has never worked on me, and i live by the credo "the masses are asses."

You just said a whole bunch of nothing. WTF does this have to do with anything being discussed here?

KT

 

[McLovin]

Ahh yes, the wonderful justification that it's not worth paying for, so I'll just take it. So if you thought the new Volkswagen on the lot down the street was overpriced, or a not worth paying for, would you go and take it? :hmm:

Anyway, we've argued this enumerable times and that argument of 'it sucks, so I'll just take it', absolutely boggles my mind; if it sucks, why do you want it in the first place? Absurd.

KT

Personally, I really only download stuff that I already own but don't have I guess in digital format, i.e. Music and Movies. Software such as games/applications/operating systems I don't touch with a 10-foot pole for the potential of it being tracked or having a virus/trojan being hidden in the software.

I personally don't feel like I'm taking advantage of the developer/artist/movie studio by doing this or taking food out of afore-mentioned people's mouths. That does not mean however, I would just walk down the street and steel the car because I thought it was over priced. In that case I would do what I do now and find another way of owning it in a legal sense.

I feel like your example is being just a tad extreme to be honest. You're example to me is like the RIAA/MPAA saying that the only reason they are seeing a decline in sales is because of theft/piracy and not because of the fact that what they put out now is garbage compared to even 10 years ago. Hell I got a part time job at a movie theatre just so I wouldn't have to pay to see movies anymore!

if it's not worth anything to you don't watch it


does that mean you have a right to download it and watch it because you don't want to pay for it? NO.

Absolutely not but it also doesn't justify charging outrageous prices for movies/music/software then say the only real justification for lack of sales is piracy. Make something that's worth buying and at make it affordable so I can buy it. I understand some people will continue to pirate stuff just to pirate it but that's also like my friend who smokes pot for no other reason then just to say he smoked it.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

You just said a whole bunch of nothing. WTF does this have to do with anything being discussed here?

KT

you're right. i award me no points, and may god have mercy on my soul.