OT: DVD Woes WAS: Paypal WAS: PostgreSQL speakers needed for OSCON - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

On Wed, 2004-01-07 at 12:42, Bruce Momjian wrote:
> Chris Travers wrote:
> > I personally think that breaking the law is a last resort.
> >
> > Ghandi was successful.  The successes of the Tieneman(sp?) square protesters
> > is only now really becoming apparent, as well.  The point is that when it is
> > the last resort, it should be done , with one's identity known.
> >
> > You cannot compare anonymously downloading pirated software or music to the
> > legitimate acts of civil disobedience.  The point is that civil
> > disobedience, done publicly and strongly, sends a powerful message, and
> > the message is all the more powerful based on the willingness to spend time
> > in jail over it.
> >
> > I am all for destroying our system of record labels today (I do NOT think
> > they serve much of a purpose anymore) but you have to replace it with
> > something better, not just hoping that the RIAA will eventually decide to
> > change their strategies.  The only change that will happen here will be a
> > hardening of it.
> >
> > If you want to pirate music as civil disobedience, actually do something
> > noteworthy and send letters to the law enforcement agencies documenting your
> > approach and why you are doing it.  Indicate that you will IN NO WAY pay
> > damages to the RIAA or any related companies, and are willing to spend years
> > in jail as a way of proving your point.  Then publicize, publicize,
> > publicize.  But I do not think that this is necessary... yet...
>
> Yes, I think the big point is whether you are gaining anything
> personally from the illegal activities.  If you are, you have to ask
> yourself if you are doing it because you want to protest or because you
> want to get benefit from the action.
>
> I don't think in the Ghandi or Tieneman cases that the protesters
> benefited, and in fact went through great hardship.  It was clear that
> they were doing it out of conscious.  The MP3/DVD/Kazaa cases are
> unclear because there is benefit from the actions.
>
> Frankly I think 99% of it is getting something for free, and I think it
> is more prevalent because it is so _easy_ to do.  It is not like walking
> into a bank and taking money, and it isn't taking something that
> deprives someone else of also having it, so it has a shared value that
> doesn't diminish if multiple people own it, which also make it more
> prevalent.
>
> [ Am I far enough off topic yet?  :-) ]
>

Let me toss in the anecdote that my TV broke a couple weeks ago, so
we've been using an old TV that doesn't have any digital inputs. In
order to hook up the dvd player we have to run it through the VCR, but
alas in the infinite wisdom of the conglomerates you can't play DVD's*
through a VCR due to the copy protection programs. I'm not trying to
pirate/steal/whatever anything, I'd just like to watch the DVD's I have
purchased legally without buying new hardware... This little episode is
sure to curtail my DVD spending habits this coming year...


*not all DVD's have the copy protection program, but most of the newer
ones do. I was able to rent winged migration and watch that the other
night...

Robert Treat
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