Moley's Musings
I'm concerned with aspects of freedom, choice, respect, courtesy and consideration. This is obvious from my contributions. I also believe in the value of common sense.
Thursday 26 June 2008, 12:04 AM
File Sharing
When I became aware of file sharing of copyright material, before even the wide spread adoption of broadband, I could not understand why this could not be stopped. I was worried about the impact it would have on our freedoms and choices on the Internet in the longer term, in particular, such impact on those of us (the majority) not file sharing illegally.
To me it seemed that the facilitation of illegal sharing of copyright material fell into the classification of "accessory before (and/or after) the fact", and therefore there were already legal ways of proceeding and enforcement.
Contrary to current trends, I do not consider that it is the job of private organisations to pursue and prosecute infringements. This is the job of the Police, Prosecution Services and subsequently The Courts. Neither is it the job of ISP's, except when under instruction from the correct authorities.
To me the solution was simple. Identify the individuals/organisations making available and facilitating/encouraging the sharing of copyright material and either shut them down or instruct the ISP's to block their traffic. Subsequently only hold ISP's responsible for failure to comply with court instructions.
Now we blame the grannies and the children, when we should have blamed and prosecuted (where possible) the big players deliberately flouting reasonable interpretation of law with spurious arguments regarding 'freedom', when in fact the consequences will be massive infringement of everyone's genuine freedoms.
Of course, the entertainment industry has been far too slow to move with the times and adopt new technologies. Now illegal file sharing has become so prolific and embedded in the culture, out of control so to speak, that only draconian measures, affecting everyone, might stop it. In effect, another step towards the Big Brother society.
I 'fix' computers, mostly family or young people's computers, when these have got in a mess and no longer work properly. The amount of 'shared' music and video on these computers is staggering, much of it just copied/downloaded for the sake of it.
What troubles me here, and in society as a whole, is the loss of the moral imperative, the knowledge of right and wrong, which will inevitably lead to increasing legislation and technical control, again leading us towards the Big Brother society. The technology to enable and support this is already developing at a rapid rate.
If it's not too late, it's time to get the law working for us properly and to restore the basic values which make for a good society. I know that didn't work for John Major and he got pilloried for the attempt, but how much more relevant is it now?
PreviousComments on this post
I was reading an item on 'The Register' concerning the current proposals by BT to cut off file sharers' Internet connections (after a warning). Of course we have heard from the government that they expect ISPs to do something, or else; it is not the ISPs responsibility, it is the responsibility of government and the duly constituted law enforcement agencies.
While I personally think that action is required, that action really must be taken by the duly constituted authorities, perhaps on information received from the 'Entertainment Industry' but not by the 'Entertainment Industry' It is enough that we are moving into a Totalitarian State, one that may ultimately dwarf the Russian and East German regimes, without also introducing the concept of private law enforcement. I remember how we cheered the end of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Times are changed.
Of the 118 comments to the item, I did not find a single one that agreed that file sharing of music, video and DVDs is actually wrong and to be deprecated. Do people not realise that, by endorsing all the spurious arguments in support of what is quite literally theft, they are actually causing serious harm to our genuine freedoms and choices and those of our children and grandchildren. Action and reaction, more draconian legislation, more loss of freedoms etc., more likelyhood of contributing to the future of Big Brother, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, V for Vengeance and etc., surely not what people really want.
Of course, the time to have put a stop to illegal file sharing was many years ago when file sharing was in it's infancy but many spurious arguments were raised in defence of file sharing, now it is a so much harder task as so many people have got used to the idea of just getting music, video and DVD's, in great quantities, for nothing and without conscience.
Equally obviously, the 'Entertainment Industry' has been appallingly slow to move with the new technologies, in particular the Internet, and arguably still 'doesn't get it'. Their delay has contributed to the universal, conscience free, illegal sharing culture.
Our parents and grandparents fought the Nazi in the Second World War for our freedom from tyranny, not for the freedom to be dishonest, steal, cheat and lie, but for real freedom with responsibility.
