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France Surrenders On File Sharing Proposal
from the too-good-to-last dept
An amendment to a copyright bill that would have legalized file sharing in France by collecting a monthly downloading fee from Internet users that would then be paid out to artists, has been withdrawn by the government. The new bill enumerates a nominal monetary fine for illegal downloaders, which still seems much more sensible than the arbitrary lawsuits against file-traders here. The penalties are stiffer for organized criminal groups, while hackers, who show people how to subvert DRM, can still go to jail. A file-sharing tax would have its own problems, but the music industry ought to come up with some alternative way to profit from file sharing, not just attempt to fight it by turning listeners into criminals.
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No Subject Given
It's not the best solution, but it is a very small step in the right direction. Now if we can just get USA going in the same direction.
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Haven't the French...
...always been considered pussies?
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A lost opportunity
This is very disapointing for many in the p2p community, finally a government seemed to be making some sense of the situation only to eventually bow down, yet again, to the power of mass media corporations. The p2p issue, more than anything in the last 20 years, highlights the fact that money controls governments.
When will these stupid members of parliament start listenting to the people that vote them in instead of accepting only the word of the monopolies... They say that a collective license will dessimate their online businesses - I say EXACTLY - the whole point about p2p is that the middlemen - the distributors - are no longer required. Am I supposed to feel sorry for not wanting to more artists money in the hands of Apple or Napster2? Am I supposed to feel guilty for downloading a movie when actors are paid ridiculous amounts of money for each appearance - $25million to do a movie!!! Even professional sport stars have salary caps. Am I meant to feel guilty that the next Michael Jackson may not be able to build a private amusement park?
come on France !!!!!!! get it together
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No Subject Given
Unfortunately it seems like legitimate people, like those at videolan.org/vlc, could get jail time too.
All that program does is play media, and to nail them with anything is stupid, so exceptions should've been made rather than blanket statements.
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Teh Funnay
Muahahahaha!!! France and Surrender in the same sentence!! Aren't they synonymous with one another???
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Re: A lost opportunity
everyone that votes supports legal p2p and a tax. everyone that opposes it is a monopolist. your political analysis is astounding.
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