Day Against DRM October 2, 2006
Copyright is broken October 1, 2006
This weekend we did a promotional Music City Tour as part of the “Day Against DRM” campaign by DefectiveByDesign.org which is happening this Tuesday, Oct 3rd (more on that in a future post). So, I picked up some stencils from the local hobby store to make signs and paint messages on the car windows. It was only after the event that I discovered I had just committed a serious violation of copyright law in front of hundreds and hundreds of on-lookers. Down at the very bottom of the stencils packaging in letters so small you almost need a magnifying glass to read it says “These designs may not be reproduced in any form“. Click image for larger view.
I’m guessing they mean any form except for fair use’s such as commentary and criticism, like this post, as well as it’s intended use as a stencil, but you can’t be too careful. People are threatened with legal action over activities as seemingly harmless as embroidery or learning to play the guitar all the time. .
Avast! It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day! September 19, 2006
Yes, that very special day is upon us once again, International Talk Like A Pirate Day! This is the one day of the year that you can sound sane while making comments like:
“Arrrr, that be my mp3 now, ye scally wag, Ye’ll ne’er get me buried booty!“
“Avast! ye filthy bilge rat. That be my intellectual proparrrrty ya have tharrr“
and
“Aye, who needs t’ pillage and plunder when ya can sue land lubbers by the tens o’ thousands? Aye, me parrot concurs.“
These are dangerous times. Having the skills necessary to communicate with pirates is critical but there are some very good resources to help you learn. Happy TLAP Day!
30 Days of DRM with Michael Geist September 18, 2006
Michael Geist (Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa) has spent the last month posting “some of the exceptions and limitations that should be included in the event that a Canadian DMCA is introduced.” On each of the last 30 days he posted about one of the many pitfalls that DRM and DMCA-like laws cause for society including issues like anti-circumvention, time-shifting, educational institutions and libraries access to media, and backup archival copying. If you want a good over view of the problems with DRM read the the 30 Days of DRM.
FreeCulture.org at University of Southern California September 9, 2006
FreeCulture.org is growing with the latest chapter at the University of Southern California. This monday USC is holding their inaugural meeting at University of Southern California, Annenberg School lobby on Monday, September 11 at 6:30PM. This makes USC the 39th chapter with more on the way. Check out this map on the Freeculture.org site to find out if your school has a chapter and if it doesn’t, start one!
Anti-DRM day is October 3rd September 1, 2006
Defective by Design is organizing Anti-DRM Day on October 3. They are asking for ideas and handing out prizes for things like Best Idea, Best Action, Best Team Action, Best Photo, Best Blog, Best Video and more.
“Clear your schedule for a world wide day of action against DRM. On Tuesday October 3rd we will all be taking action to raise the stakes and attempt to increase awareness to the threats of DRM - in a very significant way.”
There are some good ideas up already like a Post-it Plague and Get arrested for violating your own copyright. You can even do something as simple and easy as print an anti-DRM image on a plain piece of paper and tape it to your car window.
Steal This Film August 29, 2006
In 2006, a group of friends decided to make a film about file sharing that they would recognize, and they did just that! In part 1 of this series Stockholm, Summer 2006 (link to torrent) the film documents the raid on the popular torrent sharing web site Pirate Bay. The MPAA somehow got the US to pressure the Swedish government with trade sanctions if the Swedes didn’t break their own laws in the process of taking the site down (BB post with more).
From the site,
“We wanted to make a film that would explore this huge popular movement in a way that excited us, engaged us, and most importantly, focused on what we know to be the positive and optimistic vision many file sharers and artists (they are often one) have for the future of creativity”
One of my favorite parts of the video is a clip with actor Richard Dreyfuss who says (time index ~23:25)
“I think that the laws going to be re-writen as the technology insists that it is. It’s not a question of right or wrong anymore. People will do what they want to do in order to get what they want….whats the line about.. ‘behind every great fortune lies a great crime’. So, the guy’s who started this business cheated somebody to get there and so now they are being cheated perhaps.“
This really is a fantastic documentary and a slice of our digital culture. Go steal it and see for your self!
Free Download 8, Don’t Download This Song! August 22, 2006
Weird Al has released a song about file sharing entitled “Don’t Download this song” (thanks BoingBoing!). You can download it from his MySpace page or from www.dontdownloadthissong.comtracks/DDTS.mp3 when the server recovers from the millions of pirates trying to download it.
The lyrics are a hoot,
“You don’t want to mess with the RI-double-A
They’ll sue you if you burn that CDR
It doesn’t matter if you’re a grandma
Or a seven year old girl
They’ll treat you like
the evil hard-bitten criminal you are…”
and
“…don’t download this song
or you’ll burn in hell
(and you deserve it)…”
It’s good to see artist’s standing up for what they believe in.
The Contrarians, Should copyright be abolished? August 13, 2006
Michael Geist was one of the people interviewed on this cool CBC Radio show, The Contrarians (link to mp3).
from the CBC website
“The Contrarians is a radio show about unpopular ideas that just might be right. Each week, host Jesse Brown invites listeners to step outside of their intellectual comfort zones and try an unorthodox opinion on for size. You may be surprised by what starts making sense.”
Jesse Brown explores problems with current copyright law through examples and insightful interviews. I love the quote below (from time 22:05), but it occurred to me that this wonderful utopian library of the future already exists for millions of people (more…)
RIAA gives children of dead defendant 60 days to grieve August 12, 2006
One of the many thousands of people being sued by the RIAA, Larry Scantlebury, passed away before the case was resolved. So the RIAA is graciously giving the family 60 days to grieve before they depose Mr. Scantlebury’s children. From the Warner Bros. v. Scantlebury motion filed August 8 in Michigan
“3. Plaintiffs do not believe it appropriate to discuss a resolution of the case with the family so close to Mr. Scantlebury’s passing. Plaintiffs therefore request a stay of 60 days to allow the family additional time to grieve.”
Thanks to Recording Industry vs The People for reporting this story.
Update:
The RIAA has dropped the suit out of “an abundance of sensitivity“. Isn’t that special.
Down with the lawsuits July 17, 2006
For those of you who may not have participated in the defectivebydesign.com campaigns, they have announced that wednesday July 19th they will be hosting a conference call with Ray Beckerman who is the leading attorney fighting the lawsuits against the RIAA. This conference call is open to the public and the details will be posted on their website Tuesday July 18th at noon pacific time. Details can be found at the link above and more information about defective by design can be found at their website at http://defectivebydesign.com
Update: The audio and transcripts of the call are now available on the site as well for those of you who missed it.
We aren’t all pirates? July 10, 2006
Then why do we all get treated like pirates? IPac has a post on the LA Times article “We aren’t all pirates” that talks about the entertainment industry’s efforts to keep their dusty old business model afloat in the new world of the Internet, and computers, and all those filthy pirates.
From the IPac post,
“The Hollywood cartels want complete control over every and all digital device that is capable of playing back media in any form. PERFORM would cripple satellite radio and Internet radio. SIRA would also cripple Internet radio. The Broadcast Flag would cripple HDTV. The Audio Flag would cripple digital radio. And IPPA (DMCA 2.0) would throw every file trader in jail for 10 years.”
Indie artist says DRM is “extremely stupid” July 6, 2006
From technozid.de, BB, the German bitpop group Bodenständig 2000 is done with itunes and DRM. While some members of the band think file sharing may contribute to lost revenue, DRM is most definitely not the answer, at least not for them, and they have finally managed to opt out.
“We know that mp3 is part of our relative
poverty, but Apples proprietary digital rights
management is an extremely stupid answer.”
I have never seen Digital Rights Management used to do anything other then infringe upon the rights granted to the public by law. More and more artists are realizing that DRM is the worst thing you can do to artistic expression, aside from a good old fashioned book burning.
Free Download 7, God Save The Internet! June 24, 2006
The Broadband, three singer/songwriters, Kay Hanley, Jill Sobule, and Michelle Lewis, (with special guest appearance by Michelle’s mom) have released their new hit single for free download at SaveTheInternet.com called God Save The Internet. If the song doesn’t move you to call your reps you could always Ask a Ninja or watch a bunch of cool videos. Download this great new tune by independent artists while you still can!
Files are not for sharing!
Matthew Baldwin and Goopymart have an informative yet humorous on-line book for kids called Files are not for sharing.
This book is a must read for young people trying to understand file sharing.
“What is sharing?
Sharing is when you give something to someone else, like a cookie or a toy.
What happens when you share?
Your friend has a cookie and a toy and you have nothing.”
URGENT: The Broadcast Flag Is Back, Again June 21, 2006
From the EFF and BB: The RIAA and MPAA have managed to get the broadcast flag into the official Republican version of the telecoms reform bill and it’s being considered in committee tomorrow (Thursday, June 22). Senator Sununu (R-NH) has filed an amendment to get the flags thrown out. If you’re in the States below, call your Senator NOW, and ask him or her to support the Sununu amendment to remove both TV and audio flags (he also has an amendment to modify the audio flag, so be clear you want to kick out both flags).
For more info visit these links
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/06/21/urgent_call_now_to_s.html
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004759.php
Here is the list, call and let your voice be heard!
Chairman Ted Stevens (AK), (202) 224-3004
John McCain (AZ), (202) 224-2235
Conrad Burns (MT), Main: 202-224-2644
Trent Lott (MS), (202) 224-6253
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), (202) 224-5922
Gordon H. Smith (OR), (202) 224 3753
John Ensign (NV), (202) 224-6244
George Allen (VA), (202) 224-4024
John E. Sununu (NH), (202) 224-2841
Jim DeMint (SC), (202) 224-6121
David Vitter (LA),(202) 224-4623
Co-Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (HI), (202) 224-3934
John D. Rockefeller (WV), (202) 224-6472
John F. Kerry (MA), (202) 224-2742
Barbara Boxer (CA), (202) 224-3553
Bill Nelson (FL), (202) 224-5274
Maria Cantwell (WA), (202) 224-3441
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ), (202) 224-3224
E. Benjamin Nelson (NE), (202) 224-6551
Mark Pryor (AR), (202) 224-2353
DRM Stinks. Let Freedom Ring…..the RIAA
DefectiveByDesign.org is staging another protest against DRM. Thanks BB! From the site
On Friday, June 23rd, we will coordinate a day of action, and this time it doesn’t involve yellow hazmat suits. You don’t even have to leave your desk. We will provide contact numbers for executives at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and similar organizations around the world. We’re asking you to proclaim your support for digital freedoms by calling the RIAA and telling them what you think of DRM and what you think of them!
Bound By Law, interview with the authors June 20, 2006
Wired has an interview with the law professors Keith Aoki, James Boyle and Jennifer Jenkins, authors of Bound By Law? Tales From the Public Domain. Thanks reddit! We covered this wonderful Creative Commons comic book when it came out here.
DefectiveByDesign DRM demonstrations tomorrow June 9, 2006
DefectiveByDesign.org, an anti-DRM campaign targeting Big Media, unhelpful manufacturers and DRM distributors will be picketing Apple Stores across the USA tomorrow to inform consumers about the DRM hiding in Apple’s iTunes. From the site
“Let the fun begin! We will be on-site tomorrow from 10am (local time) getting suited-up and you can expect the action to start at 10:30am - remember to bring those cameras!”
Apple Store - 1 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Apple Store - 679 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Apple Store - 4702 NE University Village Pl, Seattle, WA 98105
Apple Store - 100 Cambridge Side Place, Cambridge, MA 02141
Apple Store - 767 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10153
Apple Store - 160 Walt Whitman Rd. Huntington Station, NY 11746h
Apple Store - 6121 West Park Blvd. Plano, TX 75093
Apple Store - 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036
Over 500 Art Professionals Call for Balanced Copyright Laws June 6, 2006
A coalition of over 500 art professionals are calling on the Canadian government to reform copyright law (thanks BB!). The list of members includes the President of CARFAC, (Canadian Artists Representation/Le front des artistes canadiens), an organization that believes that “artists, like professionals in other fields, should be paid for their work and share equitably in profits from their work”. From the website,
“The Coalition offers three principles that it argues must ground Canada’s copyright policy:
FAIR ACCESS TO COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL LIES AT THE HEART OF COPYRIGHT. Creators need access to the works of others to create. Legislative changes premised on the “need” to give copyright owners more control over their works must be rejected. (more…)
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