A (Semi) Retraction
A well placed reply from my SYB (Smarter Younger Brother) - Ok, I'm not entirely backing down, but I will concede that this may not be the ultimate evil I thought it to be at first blush. (And I will continue to use FedEx. Which I don't, so this is something of a bluff, I admit.)
I'm of many minds on this sort of issue. My first scream is because I really do believe that our own security forces are intentionally hamstrung just so some people can feel good about themselves (see? we're not the bad guys) while this to me feels like a rather extraordinary measure to protect our ENTERTAINMENT industry (who is one of the principal voices trying to hamstring our security!). To take a comparison to my usual tortured extremes, it's the same way I fell when I see people murdered over cartoons of Mohammed (NAFHNTY - No Acronym Following His Name Thank You) while the Da Vinci Code is expected to do brisk business. (Assuming its sales aren't crippled by pirated DVDs. See? It all comes together.)
The other reason that I tend to look slantways at this on contact is because I really do believe that our entertainment industry is strangling (well, trying to) a lot of progress and subverting a couple of laws. They call it DVD region codes, we used to call it price-fixing. What's the length of copyright up to now? (See? Rhetoric: I don't have to have the answers cause you guys will go get them, right?) How many times has it changed in the last 30 years? Has it ever gotten shorter? How does Fair Use stand? Are judges still telling me that it's ok that I can't back up my DVDs because I should be able to put them on VHS?
While I will certainly accept the rights of creators to protect thier work, I think that The Entertainment Industry (ladies and gentlemen, welcome to sweeping generalization Monday!) is not being forced to adapt to a changing market. They are trying to legislate the old playing field back into existence.
I'm waiting for the day (much like I'm waiting for alternative fuels) for somebody to make GAZILLIONS of dollars outside of our current copyright system. Someone just has to come up with the right product. Changes like this have happened before, they'll happen again.
Today's rambling has been brought to you by the letters c, k, y, and the number 5. (They don't mean anything. Not everything is a reference. I mean... Other than the Sesame Street thing... But you got that...)
3 comments:
Well, you've certainly given me a lot to think about today! I hadn't read that whole comment debate until now.
The argument I see, is that you're saying that Fed-Ex is diverting attention away from more serious threats, and overstepping their boundaries as a private company, by opening mail that isn't theirs to open, and potentially catching photo DVDs or DVDs made by fair use standards (and potentially messing up the packages and violating privacy). The counterargument was that the entertainment industry is a private industry, and they have a right to protect their copyright laws. I think what you're saying this time is that the old copyright and "fair use" laws just don't work in today's market (and you have a point--I agree with you that it should be okay to make your own copies, or to scramble track orders and play with stuff).
Two questions, then: first, what is your opinion on what is and isn't fair use (i.e. do you have a different solution?)? Second, do you know why this is so important to you? I can tell it is, but I can't figure out why.
Thanks!
Ahh, but NAFHNTY is saying "I'm not playing in your sandbox" but PBUh is saying "I'm finding ways to piss you off." It's the difference between "I'm not going to see your movie" and "I'm going to blow up your McDonald's".
*lol* Well put.
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