The Netherlands Buckles to Post 9-11 Copyright Hysteria

The website Mininova, one of the freedom fighters for free speech and innovation in the land of permissiveness, progressive politics and tolerance -- the Netherlands -- is getting harassed by a scared Dutch government kowtowing to the post 9-11 civil- and human-rights-infringing, copyright-cartel lobbyists in Washington and Hollywood.

The Dutch download site has been ordered to stop linking to files with copyrighted material:

The ruling was the result of a complaint by the Brein foundation, which represents the entertainment industry in the Netherlands. Brein says Mininova, a so-called torrent site, provides links to thousands of movies and music tracks that can be downloaded without the consent of the copyright holders.

Whether it's Switzerland violating its own banking laws to appease America and its desire to install a Goldman Sachs toll booth attached to every financial transaction around the world, or Britain appeasing the copyright cartel, the world seems incapable of resisting the onslaught of free speech-and-innovation-suppressing lobbyists and monopolists who try to put every piece of intellectual property ever conceived behind corporate fire walls.

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Comments

[Sense Hofstede]

Starting when the USA became a world power halfway the WWII the Netherlands have always done what the government in Washington wants. It's the reason we let our own aircraft manufacturer go bankrupt, it's the reason we supported the invasion in Iraq politically -- not military! That was promised during the elections! We didn't send soldiers! Well, apart from some navy ships and after the invasion was done soldiers -- it's the reason we went to Afghanistan, it's the reason we're going to buy the way too expensive Joint Strike Fighter, etc, etc.

You should have seem our prime-minister visiting the White House a while ago. He was all happy and proud Obama spent some time with him. "Look mummy! Mister Obama invited me! I really am important now!"

However, the Mininova case probably isn't the fault of USA based lobbies, although they sure have influence, but of a system where the organisation responsible for fighting 'content theft' is run by the music industry. It's like shop owners would start an organisation that would be responsible for preventing, tracing and punishing shop lifting. They have their own interests, not always in accordance with the public well-being.

[freeridertheory]

Yeah!! What he said!

[Moment in passing]

When art is introduced into the market it becomes part of the culture. Part of how we perceive the world, ourselves, our paradigms etc. Copyrights are a compromise between the desire to reward individuals for their creative work, and the need of others to be able to meaningfully comment on and co-create their own culture. You cannot fully own your culture if monopolies control the distribution of creative content for 100 years. Perpetual copyrights are an oppression of our need to freely express ourselves, and the need of society to be able to benefit from each of our perspectives whether they have merit or not. When you can't express yourself freely, you soon stop thinking freely (because what is the point?), and stop benefiting from the same from others.

Think North Korea. Consider the students there, top of their classes, who graduate business school with the firmly held belief that North Korea's government is the envy of the world. That is the kind of ignorance we can expect to succumb to when we aren't able to properly express ourselves.

This piracy wave is a direct response to monopoly and oppression. If we were active participants in our own culture's creation and partakers in the profits. If those monopolies didn't exist. The piracy movement would have been squashed long ago. It is a problem of the monopolists' own creation because they're not simply trying to protect creative works. They're trying to control thought, perception, and culture.

[BlackJAC]

What on Earth are you talking about?

[hidflect]

Well, it's no surprise with The Netherlands. I lived there 5 years and they're always pompously proclaiming how much they do for human rights, etc. etc. Meanwhile that ogre Queen Beatrix (who was a Billionaire before she was even born) has been sucking a river of cash out of Nigeria as the largest shareholder in Shell. Famously mean with money, she's never given up one penny to the real owners of her income.

This is a country that has been a net exporter of oil since 1955 and is the world's 5th largest oil producer. But its people live mired in poverty to this day, forced to try and steal the odd bucket or two from the pipelines that lead right through their properties straight out of the country. Nigeria can expect no help from their government, being the hand-picked sock-puppets of Shell that they are.

Lifetime entitlement and endless free wealth is the Dutch government's meme.

[will925]

It would be redundant to talk about what Shell has been doing to Ecuador, as well.

[Kitty4Title]

And of all the musicians out there, how many actually get to make a living through copywrite material?

Very few. It is another casino want-a-be model. A few musicians aided by MSM, hogging the limelight and making it difficult for the rest to make a living.

[BlackJAC]

So you're going to screw everyone over by saying they don't own their creations? Ever heard of something called the Emancipation Proclamation?

[Kitty4Title]

It all starts to be about the 'morality' of business models. As if the capitalist model of efficiency has not just economic but moral authority by default.

Shouldn't criminals have the right to copywrite their dna and fingerprints?
If I could copy food with some device would that be prohibited too?

I can buy a copying machine so who can prove the moral highground of when and where I can use it?

I think Max is saying the law is getting skewed way too far into the hands of a select group and it's a legitimate moral issue to think this should be resisted. Especially regarding big pharma.

BTW I've a large DVD collection all bought from shops because I can't stand the quality of those things that get sold in pubs. Also I just can't be asked to collect music so don't pirate music.

As for books they are available in libraries because it is considered they should be freely available. Probably due to some archaic morality now fast becoming defunct.

It's Max's casino model again only this time where middle class intellectuals can't help thinking they have a book inside them. So get a great number like to think (or hope) 'It could be them' so support 'intellectual property' just in case.

[BlackJAC]

If you feel so strongly about this, what say you provide me with all of your story ideas for books, movies and TV shows? If I think they're workable, I'll pay you for them, and if I get signed deals for them I'll cut you a percentage. Sound good?

[Max Keiser - Huffpost Blogger]

For a limited time. Not for the virtual perpetual copyright system in place now. To argue otherwise is to argue on behalf of a copyright gulag of intellectual stagnation.. Hey, sounds a lot like what passes for 'political debate' on network TV.

[hidflect]

The Constitution purposefully limited the span of copyright precisely to stop the killing of innovation. They were aware of this problem from the start. It all went wrong when Disney successfully lobbied Congress to extend their copyrights on Mickey Mouse through the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.

Sonny Bono fer chrissakes - a one hit wonder who lived his entire life off one month's effort...

[BlackJAC]

Unfamiliar with the concepts of Writer's Block and Jumping The Shark, I see. Not surprising, given your complete lack of understanding of the creative process.

[guerilla]

Why for a limited time Max? If you're going to license exclusion (the power of the copyright holder to control what other people do with their property, e.g. "make copies") then why does a shorter arbitrary time limit make any difference compared to a longer arbitrary time limit?

The fallacy that copyright is required for creation has been refuted by thousands of years of history. Oppose rent seeking consistently!

http://www.dklevine.com/general/intellectual/against.htm

http://mises.org/books/against.pdf

Enjoy.

[jhNY]

"the world seems incapable of resisting the onslaught of free speech-and­-innovatio­n-suppress­ing lobbyists and monopolists who try to put every piece of intellectual property ever conceived behind corporate fire walls."

Over the top much? Polemical but uninsightful.

[BlackJAC]

I think a girl he had a crush on ended up with some writer.

[Max Keiser - Huffpost Blogger]

Glib but uninspiring.

[jhNY]

Funny, but 'the copyright cartel' are in the right, and the liberators of their copyrighted materials are freeloading pirates-- it's the law. Folks feeling sufficiently strong in the other direction are free to lobby their respective agencies and legislatures to change the law should they wish. Try to make a business model wherein you must live on the profits that remain yours once all your work is free. Me neither.

[missouriwatcher]

Spot on! I have had many a conversation in which some have thought that it was alright just to download music without paying. I've had to explain that music is a musician's business and source of livelyhood; to take their product without paying for it is stealing. Some still didn't get it, but most understood that point of view once it was pointed out to them. Same goes for writers, inventors, etc. Rightfully, they deserve to be compensated for their effort and creativity.

[Max Keiser - Huffpost Blogger]

For a limited time, like 28 years, yes. But the current system does not match the intent of the founders, or the Constitution. It is morally wrong and in many cases the government is impinging on protected rights to copy by individuals. Copyright monopoly pricing as we see in tthe music and film industry is inconsistent with demoratic principles. Reform of the copyright industry takes precedent over chasing so-called pirates.