If comments by the head of the Copyright Alliance are any indication of things to come, it's going to be difficult, indeed, for video game consumers to have an intelligent and productive dialogue on IP issues with the video game industry. The ESA, which represents U.S. video game publishers, is a member of the copyright lobbying group.
A portion of a recent blog entry by Copyright Alliance executive director Patrick Ross seeks to marginalize those who would question or criticize the current state of IP law. Ross displays a discouraging mentality reminiscent of the Bush administration's efforts to paint Iraq War critics as soft on national defense.
With elected officials, consumer interest groups and gamers asking legitimate questions about issues like SecuROM DRM, the DMCA, ACTA, PRO-IP, and ownership of user-created content, we were disheartened to read these words from Ross:
Copyright truly is a consensus issue, with people and policymakers of all stripes recognizing its value. A few vocal blogs and a few sympathetic media outlets tend to create this notion of a war between creative industries and, well, I suppose consumers, but such a war doesn’t really exist.
The Copyright Alliance head implies that if one does not get behind IP protection as the content industry sees it, then one is either on the fringe, supportive of piracy, or both. In other words, If you're not with us, you're against us.
That's nonsense.
Honest people don't support piracy. But neither do honest people wish - or deserve - to live in an IP police state where tech-challenged elected officials accept IP industry campaign donations and proceed to pass laws that are heavily, if not completely, slanted toward big business.
Get a clue, Mr. Ross.
Comments
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
Dear Mr. Ross,
Fair enough. But when Securom7 fucks up my computer's ability to function, are you willing to shell out 3000 USDollars to replace it? Are you willing to refund my 60 dollars when my wife can't play spore any more because its locked her out? No? Sounds like a bit of conflict to me.
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
Well said. I pretty much refuse to buy any of EA's products solely because of concerns on my part about the DRM EA uses. That's not to say I pirate them instead, that's to say that I ignore them in favor of other games on my list of games to play eventually.
-Gray17
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
Before SecuROM 2 limited my EA buys to 1 a year, but since SecuROM it is 0... Well... teehee...
Ross's logic: I took a speed reading course and read 'War and Peace' in twenty minutes. It involves Russia. - Woody Allen
Real Logic: War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. - John Mill
We are at war, and this war like any war will not be short lived. The quickest way to end a war is to lose it, and we have no intent on losing this war. These people will fight hard and dirty, but we know the true numbers. We know how many people are against this. Amazon reviews and torrent numbers are valid proof of those that are against these acts. Though the common public may be too disconnected to know the truth, we do. This isn't a normal war like the ones you think of between countries, but a war between people of realization and men of greed. We must win back our industry, gamers and honorable developers alike. The executives and publishers have gone too far.
This is SPARTA!
In seriousness though, this guy is full of bullshit and throwing out typical corporate info to try to sound like they are the good guy, when they are trying to strip consumers of their rights, and all logical meaning of ownership of the consumer. I buy my games to own them, and with ownership, I have the right to resell that item, just like with a car. In the future EA will say their stock numbers were down just because of the market going bad, but they are down for more reasons than that. Consumers are pissed, stock holders leaving, and they try to distort the facts.
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How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
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Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
That was very well done and and very thought provoking untill you brought Sparta into it.
Alas the only way these assholes will listen is when they wake up one morning and find their profits somewhere in the 3rd sub-basement of their corporate HQ.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
It just seemed too dark without it...
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Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
I had the vision of 300,000 gamers showing up dressed in loincloths and bronze breastplates and it frightened me! Hmmmm now that I think about it...yeah treat them like the Picts did the Romans. Everybody show up naked except for blue body paint and mooning them while slapping game cases against the walls of EA! (You have to admit that'd get their attention.)
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
Yeah, I would love to see Will Wrights and the CEO's face in response too.
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Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
I do the same. I wanted to play Red Alert 3, but I contented myself with sending EA a long email explaining why I wouldn't buy it. They probably just trashed it, but at least I tried. So, instead of Red Alert 3, I got The Witcher. Hooray for supporting little studios nobody's ever heard of!
Re: Copyright Lobby Group Adopts Dick Cheney Dialogue Model
im totally the same, i REALLY want to play RA3.
im a MASSIVE C&C fan, ive bought EVERY game (EVEN RENEGADE!!!)
But i wont buy this... not with the drm. SORRY EA.