america is failing
So today the news of a new copyright bill HR2391 which would make it illegal to fast-forward through commercials, but permit people to skip objectionable content (this is already legal, probably added to make it sound less evil, and/or propose to dumb right-wingers in the senate aka all the senate.)
It would also of course raise the penalties for copyright violation for people just downloading stuff off the internet. Ah yes, it’s this issue again, and it’s getting worse by the day. Also announced today, the MPAA sues people who downloaded movies on the internet. Great.
What’s all this accomplishing again? Oh yeah, making the rich richer, abuse of intellectual property laws, extortion of the poor by the rich. What the hell is wrong with this country that lets a 100+ year old law get totally mutated and anal-raped by giant corporations so it benefits them and makes the public lose out?
I’ve got a new idea that’s simple enough. Don’t let companies own copyrights. Simple enough, if an artist writes a song, and wishes to be signed to a record label, the label can’t own the copyright, only the artist. On top of this it shall be illegal to make a contract binding the individual to use the copyright in any way, shape or form, so companies can’t just simulate owning it by saying “you must do what we want with it and we’ll make you money.” And there shall be punishment to any company who is trying to bribe or use any other type of manipulation to get someone to enforce their copyright in a certain way. This includes threatening to end contracts over it. Assume greed.
This will ensure that those who are using copyright’s protections against people are the actual creators of the object, not some corporate giant who had it signed over to them, and is going to use it to “protect” it’s investment even if the creator doesn’t agree with it.
It also means we know who to buy from, and who to avoid like the plague. Who’s evil and who’s good. But oh no, this proposal would take away the god-given-right of companies to be treated as individuals. Tough shit.
This is getting ridiculous. Of course you know I’d propose total elimination of copyright in favor of a system guaranteeing creator-recognition and listing works used, but not guaranteeing any type of profit, but this would get mr.right-wing’s panties in a bunch, so I won’t go there in this one.
This is just an addition onto an existing law, after all, most laws are. Radical changes never get made in this country because everyone is afraid of failure. Of course those who are really afraid of the change are those in control, those who lose, and those who don’t know. When it’s already failing, those three are one in the same.