Megaupload takedown / the real backrounds

[patrick bateman]

That just have nothing to do with the underground business who is the one being mostly affected by all of these problems we see, including piracy.

there's no question there, Patrick. But it really is a two-bladed sword.

Case in point: I come from Romania, a country where the medium salary is about 300 euros.
Presuming that a young & up-coming artist does earn that much [most don't], and presuming that he's still living with his parents so doesn't have too many expenses, you can deduce that he still doesn't earn so much to spend on music as, say an artist that comes from a country where the medium salary is 1000 euros. Supposing, further on, that they're both full of talent, but one succeeds just because he legally had the advantage, and the other one didn't, just seems unfair to me, strictly because its [in my view] totally against the philosophy of art-learning and art making. The problem arises when our young pirating artist gets the liftoff needed but doesn't switch to giving back that what ignited his liftoff in the first place. Even though he may still remain on the local scene for years, the international community will surely notice him for what he is.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that one's talents and/or abilities shouldn't be stopped by one's economic wealth, especially in this day&age. If, as a producer, my economic status would become stable, I really wouldn't mind that some kid is copying my stuff and would later on become one of the artists I admire the most. It would actually be an honor for me

What did Romanians do back in the days of hardware music gear only? Did they steal it in other countries or were there just no musicians in Romania?
I can of course follow your points, but...

[fir3]

Of course not I wasn't alive back then [pre-'89], but listening to tales from people who were, although you could only buy [mostly] domestic products back then, the average person could afford a record or a piece of hardware, unlike today.

Art is something that transcends economic or social status. Even more than that, its function is to improve society by questioning its outdated moral views and spot the wrong from the right. But this is just my opinion and we don't have to agree on it

As a label owner though, I can see where you're coming from, but I truly believe that people from this scene earn more from shows/performances than from copyright royalties. I don't have any data to back this up, it's purely an [un?]educated guess.

[patrick bateman]

As a label owner though, I can see where you're coming from, but I truly believe that people from this scene earn more from shows/performances than from copyright royalties. I don't have any data to back this up, it's purely an [un?]educated guess.

Sorry, but I still don't buy into the whole 'just get some gigs man, that's where the money is'....

but anyway, that's a totally different discussion IMO.

I can't see anything wrong in the takedown of Megaupload.

[hairblz]

This whole thing is a huge pickle.

Do I think it's fair that people can start a website that offers uploader anonymity whilst completely shrugging off any responsibility for what is uploaded?

No.

Do I think it's fair for the government to take away our right to share files?

No.

Seems to me like the only option is for sharing files to become more like crossing a border - with searches and security to make sure you're not smuggling.

[fir3]

^ Police searching your pcs/ipods/flash drives without a warrant sounds great to me!!
it's not like the good ol' folks from the police are abusing their rights these days, is it?

and when we'll be old farts, we'll be telling nostalgic stories to our grandchildren about "the good ol' days when you were considered innocent until proven guilty". man, what a great stories that'll be...

[hairblz]

and when we'll be old farts, we'll be telling nostalgic stories to our grandchildren about "the good ol' days when you were considered innocent until proven guilty". man, what a great stories that'll be...

ABSOLUTELY DUDE.

That's why I say to my friends, to download as much sh!t as possible, because if I were the music/film industry, I would put a stop to this ASAP. They have every right to - IMO.

These are actually glorious days of being able to steal every movie / song / software imaginable, I love it, but I wholeheartedly agree with people wanting to put a stop to it. It wouldn't kill me to be a bit more moral, and get stuff on the legit, it's just that the selection is so much bigger with movies, and software literally runs better when pirated atm, and it's simply easier.

^ Police searching your pcs/ipods/flash drives without a warrant sounds great to me!!

I mean, aye, that sounds a bit sh!t. Getting searched going onto planes / crossing boarders is unpleasant, but I think it's worth it for the reduction in heroine and perhaps being held hostage / hijacked, terrorism, rape!

Just like the cyber police will be a real pain in the behind, but then at least people will steal less / find a new way to steal.

[fir3]

hairblz, I honestly DON'T believe that:
a) copying a file from the net is stealing. Taking a vinyl from another's bag and claiming it is your own, is. Can you see the difference?
b) people who download from the net won't pay for what they download in the first place. If they did, Napster wouldn't have been superseded by iMesh/Kazaa, superseded by eDonkey, superseded by torrents. You'd think we'd have learned that by now.
c) enforcing harder rules on people will lead to solving a problem. Education and free & critical thinking do.
d) the drugs problem is solved by those kind of measures. Taking the case of the UK, actually only 1% of substances that enter the country are seized. Did illegality solve the problem? There's one answer for that, and it ain't "yes"... [but that's another story]
e) the future is about more repression. If there is anything that we could define as "human nature" it would be the sense of freedom. [but again, this is another story]

Please don't take them personal, they're all opinions, and I believe educative discussions are really constructive/needed.

[hairblz]

Please don't take them personal, they're all opinions, and I believe educative discussions are really constructive/needed.

Big time - I don't think I'm saying anything that hasn't been said a million times before, I just like talking sh!t on forums tbh.

hairblz, I honestly DON'T believe that:
a) copying a file from the net is stealing. Taking a vinyl from another's bag and claiming it is your own, is. Can you see the difference?

Yeah I see the difference - if you like, substitute the word "steal", with the term "take what you don't own without paying for it"

d) the drugs problem is solved by those kind of measures. Taking the case of the UK, actually only 1% of substances that enter the country are seized. Did illegality solve the problem? There's one answer for that, and it ain't "yes"... [but that's another story]

Our efforts may be ineffective but they're (arguably) the best we have and I agree with the idea behind them! At least, they're better than not putting any effort at all.