ESA Tucks Its Tail Between Its Legs And Pulls SOPA Support
Clay Shirky: Why SOPA's Not Going Away

MPAA Directly & Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren't Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought

Politics

from the sickening dept

Fri, Jan 20th 2012 06:25pm -

Reinforcing the fact that Chris Dodd really does not get what’s happening, and showing just how disgustingly corrupt the MPAA relationship is with politicians, Chris Dodd went on Fox News to explicitly threaten politicians who accept MPAA campaign donations that they’d better pass Hollywood’s favorite legislation… or else:

“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,”

This certainly follows what many people assumed was happening, and fits with the anonymous comments from studio execs that they will stop contributing to Obama, but to be so blatant about this kind of corruption and money-for-laws politics in the face of an extremely angry public is a really, really, really tone deaf response from Dodd.

It shows, yet again, that he just doesn’t get it. People were protesting not just because of the content of these bills, but because of the corrupt process of big industries like Dodd’s “buying” politicians and “buying” laws. To then come out and make that threat explicit isn’t a way to fix things or win back the public. It’s just going to get them more upset, and to recognize just how corrupt this process is. If Dodd, as he said in yesterday’s NY Times, really wanted to turn things around and come to a more reasonable result, this is exactly how not to do it. It shows, yet again, a DC-insider’s mindset. He used Fox News to try to “send a message” to politicians. But the internet already sent a much louder message… and, even worse for Dodd, he bizarrely sent his message in a way that everyone who’s already fed up with this kind of corruption can see it too. It really makes you wonder what he’s thinking and how someone so incompetent at this could keep his job.

The MPAA doesn’t need a DC insider explicitly demanding the right to buy laws and buy politicians. The MPAA needs a reformer, one who helps guide Hollywood into the opportunities of a new market place. The MPAA needs someone who actually understands the internet, and helps lead the studios forward. That’s apparently not Chris Dodd.

Public Knowledge issued a fantastic statement that not only highlights the ridiculousness of Dodd’s threats, but also the hypocrisy of the Hollywood studios on this issue:

Public Knowledge welcomes constructive dialog with people from all affected sectors about issues surrounding copyright, the state of the movie industry and related concerns. Cybersecurity experts, Internet engineers, venture capitalists, artists, entrepreneurs, human rights advocates, law professors, consumers and public-interest organizations, among others should be included. They were shut out of the process for these bills.

We suggest that in the meantime, if the MPAA is truly concerned about the jobs of truck drivers and others in the industry, then it can bring its overseas filming back to the U.S. and create more jobs. It could stop holding states hostage for millions of dollars in subsidies that strained state budgets can’t afford while pushing special-interest bills through state legislatures. While that happens, discussions could take place.

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Comments on “MPAA Directly & Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren't Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought”

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343 Comments
wvhillbilly (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:4 Disgusting

The RIAA and the MPAA could save themselves and all the rest of us a whole lot of grief, if instead of trying to make out all their potential customers as criminals, they would provide a legal means for those who want to download by providing a means of licensing downloading for a reasonable monthly fee or per copy or some other way. The arguments the RIAA/MPAA are using against Internet copying today are the same arguments the entertainment industry has used against every new technology that has ever come out, from the cylinder phonograph onward. They made the same arguments about radio, the same arguments about the VCR, the same arguments about the cassette recorder, and every other new technology that has come out that touches the entertainment industry. And every time they have relented and accepted that new technology it has been very much to their advantage. And the Internet is no different. I’m quite sure most people who download would be more than willing to pay a reasonable fee to do so legally, but the RIAA?MPAA refuse to provide any way to do so. They would rather turn all of us into criminals and sue us back to the stone age, and/or utterly destroy the Internet, rather than give in. Nice way to win customers and influence people, huh? And then they wonder why their sales are tanking!!!

Get real, guys!

wvhillbilly (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:4 Disgusting

The RIAA and the MPAA could save themselves and all the rest of us a whole lot of grief, if instead of trying to make out all their potential customers as criminals, they would provide a legal means for those who want to download by providing a means of licensing downloading for a reasonable monthly fee or per copy or some other way. The arguments the RIAA/MPAA are using against Internet copying today are the same arguments the entertainment industry has used against every new technology that has ever come out, from the cylinder phonograph onward. They made the same arguments about radio, the same arguments about the VCR, the same arguments about the cassette recorder, and every other new technology that has come out that touches the entertainment industry. And every time they have relented and accepted that new technology it has been very much to their advantage. And the Internet is no different. I’m quite sure most people who download would be more than willing to pay a reasonable fee to do so legally, but the RIAA?MPAA refuse to provide any way to do so. They would rather turn all of us into criminals and sue us back to the stone age, and/or utterly destroy the Internet, rather than give in. Nice way to win customers and influence people, huh? And then they wonder why their sales are tanking!!!

Get real, guys!

Jay (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:3 Disgusting

I’d better respond to this…

Karl is 100 percent accurate. The problem that I had with Opensecrets is that the money could not be filtered into what MPAA centered industries had and what technology industries donated to politicians.

So Sony Music and Google are considered tech industries.

But with all of the focus on which exact industries were afflicted, that information has since been updated.

Also, just to drive a stake here, Sunlight Foundation’s research

wvhillbilly (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:4 Disgusting

Drive a stake? Yeah, right! Every one of these congressmen who accepted money from this legacy entertainment industry ought to be impeached for accepting bribes (yes I know campaign contributions are legal, but if it’s for the purpose of influencing congressmen to do things that are against the public interest it shouldn’t be, and its purpose and intent is exactly the same as if it were an outright bribe) and those who gave the money ought to be prosecuted for bribery. Sadly, though, this has become accepted practice, and with liberals in control I seriously doubt anything will be done about it.

John Fenderson (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:5 Disgusting

Legal or not, bribery is corruption and wrong. I’m glad to see Dodd saying this kind of thing out loud. It makes it easier to get the naive to really understand how thoroughly our politicians are bought.

“with liberals in control I seriously doubt anything will be done about it”

Well, we’ll probably not find out in our lifetimes, as there are maybe three actual liberals in office right now (hint: Obama’s not one of them — he’s a right-leaning centrist), and those are the only liberals available. There is, effectively, no liberal political force in the US right now, and hasn’t been for at least a few generations.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

What makes you think we wouldn’t also push for jail time for bribery and blackmail originating from other industries? Looks like you’re making the same mistake that Dodd is, thinking that the people who are against SOPA/PIPA are all about the tech industry and not simply just the people.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

They probably do, they contribute to campaigns as that seems to be the norm out there in the wacky west but at least they don’t GO ON THE NATIONAL NEWS to demand the LEADERS OF THE COUNTRY let laws pass that ignore the rights of citizens and allow those tech companies to sue the population, en masse I might add.

Loki says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

Them: Infringement is theft.
Us:Actually it’s not, the courts have rules that infrinement…
Them:Doesn’t matter, to us infringement falls under our definition of theft.

Us: So basically, your admitting you regularly bribe Congress.
Them:Actually it’s not bribery, the courts would rule that “donations”…
Us: Doesn’t matter, to us your donations fall under our definition of bribery.

Hey, we’re just playing by your rules here. Deal with it.

deepblue54 (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:4 Disgusting

I believe this should be viewed by EVERYONE who uses the internet, let alone every American citizen. It is THE most clear, concise and easily understood explanation of this issue and its historical roots I have seen, heard or read.
The Media conglomerates fear us? GOOD!!! They’ve been too comfy regurgitating the same old ideas over and over and over again, for decades. I see more brilliant stuff created by ordinary people than by the Media monstrosity. I’d much rather go to my local club to see a band play their own music than spend a fortune to see some media-hyped creation. Inevitably, the local band members are much better musicians and so are their songs.
Fight PIPA and SOPA and anything the Media giants try to foist upon us in the future that denies, or fundamentally changes, our rights!

wvhillbilly (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re:2 Disgusting

What are you? A shill for the MPAA or something?

I write articles to post on the Internet and I put them in the public domain so people can rip them off legally. I want people to “rip them off” if that’s what you call copying. I want them to get the widest circulation possible, because I’m doing it for the purpose of winning people to Jesus for the forgiveness of their wrongdoings and the salvation of their souls. Otherwise they’ll go to hell.

How does that grab you?

abc gum says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

“Money = Speech”

Therefore, no money equals no speech.

First amendment: “Congress shall make no law …”

The 1st amendment says nothing about the other branches of government because those branches are not authorized to create new laws. These other branches have been attempting to skirt this distinction for some time and apparently the constitution is now more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.

Dean says:

Re: Disgusting

Giving campaign contributions to someone you believe supports the same ideals as you is not illegal or bribery. It’s what every campaign contribution made in this country is based on. The immoral and possibly illegal aspect is the politician who votes against his or her consience because of campaign dollars received. It appears there were a lot of politicians who were not willing to do that in this case.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

One could argue that giving campaign contributions with the expectation of specific results is literally bribery (although not in the legal sense, just the dictionary definition) and that threatening to pull future contributions if demands are not met is literally blackmail (although not in the legal sense, just the dictionary definition).

The Retarded Brain Surgeon says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

Hey, yo Vinnie – Its called a campaign contribution – No its called Bribery, when you say pass this legislation or we will cut you off.

Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty.

abc gum says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

“Its not bribery or blackmail. Its called a campaign contribution. Its a lovely loophole like giving a gift to a prostitute instead of payment.”

I see what you did there …
bribed politician == prostitute.

However, politicians are take to the high court where everything is peaches ‘n cream. Where as most everyone else is taken to low court where you get screwed but you are not paid for it.

The Logician says:

Re: Re: Disgusting

His statement, perhaps, Reid, however that does not negate the illegality of the actions he has all but confessed to. For those, he can and should still be prosecuted.

For those advocating a boycott of major studio/label content, it is a viable strategy, yet I do not believe it can be effective unless it is both organized and extremely widespread, such that the participants number in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions.

I believe that an official boycott month should perhaps be declared and promoted all around the internet?Worldwide Media Boycott Month. It would be best for this organized boycott to take place during the summer, as it is during Hollywood’s blockbuster season and it would hit them hardest at that point. Get major consumer rights organizations such as the EFF involved, as well as high-profile websites like reddit, Wikipedia, and Google, so that as many people as possible across the world can be made aware of the boycott and participate in it.

These sites and organizations could provide information about the reasons behind the boycott and links to alternative content, much as many did about SOPA/PIPA during the recent blackouts, as well as statements of intent in regards to beginning a widespread, full-scale investigation of Hollywood and the major labels’ business and financial practices as well as those of the top level executives including Chris Dodd, with petitions and information for contacting congresspeople to promote and sustain such an investigation.

As for the matter of our voting the current officials out of office, it would be a sound strategy were it not for the fact that our votes have little direct effect on election results. The process has long been rigged against us, and I have come to wonder if it should not be done away with entirely, and political service reformed to be more akin to jury duty, where one is randomly chosen and serves for a period of one year, no more, with a modest stipend and no multiple terms.

One difference from jury duty would be that entry into the selection pool would be voluntary. A congress of teachers, office workers, waiters, artists, writers, actors, cab drivers, delivery people, doctors, and people of every other profession would, I think, have a far better sense of loyalty to the populace than the group of wealthy bureaucrats who currently infest our government.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re: Disgusting

“As for the matter of our voting the current officials out of office, it would be a sound strategy were it not for the fact that our votes have little direct effect on election results. The process has long been rigged against us, and I have come to wonder if it should not be done away with entirely, and political service reformed to be more akin to jury duty, where one is randomly chosen and serves for a period of one year, no more, with a modest stipend and no multiple terms.

One difference from jury duty would be that entry into the selection pool would be voluntary. A congress of teachers, office workers, waiters, artists, writers, actors, cab drivers, delivery people, doctors, and people of every other profession would, I think, have a far better sense of loyalty to the populace than the group of wealthy bureaucrats who currently infest our government.”

This reminds me of a Tom Clancy book. I believe it’s “Debt of Honor”. Where the main character to put it rather simply, accidentally becomes President. He hates the bureaucratic process and the people who work the system to keep themselves and their agendas ahead of the interest of the people and the country as a whole. So he gives a stirring speech asking for exactly the type of people you listed to run for office, in the novel, this frightens the lobbyists and the traditional elected officials. Why? Because now the common man can run for elected office and does so victoriously to some extent in the book.

I think the speech he gives is something along the lines of “I want doctors who help people in office, because they know what’s going on and what the problems are and how best to fix them without jumping through hoops. I want teachers who are aware of the problems in our education system to help create laws and bills that will put our children’s education first and foremost. I want farmers who grow and raise the food we eat, etc etc etc.”

Which makes sense. I’d rather listen to someone who knows what they’re talking about and has firsthand experience in a given field drafting laws related to those fields, than someone who has a desk job and listens to lobbyists who are only presenting what’s best for them, as opposed to us.

Joe says:

Re: Disgusting

It’s so sad… Justice only works against the people now. This bastard is everything wrong with our country. ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT BRIBES. You are there for the PEOPLE! Elected BY the PEOPLE. Where is the justice!? Where, dead. Bought, shelved, filed under “Not profitable unless used against citizens”.

Strawbear says:

I’ve been catching up on all your recent posts after a absence and was thinking about the internet and how it’s all a community and so on and was wondering whether in this day and age a country’s population ought to be able to vote for a representative(s) for the net.

So just like you have in the States, a senator for NY and Texas etc you’d have one who represented the best interests of the net, determined of course by the platform they stood on.

Obviously all countries can have their own representative.

More and more thru 2011 we saw issue after issue after issue on how the Gov.ts (wilfully?) misuinderstand what happens online alongside the disgruntled comments on forum after forum that no-one in the political world is talking for our communities.

In a time where some people spend half their waking life online isn’t about time cyberspace had it’s own voice to fight back against the old/dumb/crooked politicians?

OK so there’s huge issues related to how you could vote for them, but still it’s an idea worth considering, despite how stupid it sounds.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re:

I don’t know, but I think a good name for the new party would be the Internet Party.

It would have to promote scientific/technological advancement and also freedom and inclusiveness.

I doubt very seriously that any new party will be able to break into the good old boys club that Washington has become, but the last few days have also shown that the internet can be a powerful tool to mobilize people and to make an end run around business as usual in DC.

We use the internet to put the power of government back into the hands of We the People.

Ed C. says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

I’m afraid you’re right, traditional media has the traditional outlets locked down. They inflate the cost of access to the public to the point that only the richest or most indebted candidates even have a chance. Even then, almost no one can get through without their consent. (which is why people like Ron Paul don’t get much attention).

At this point, it’s almost impossible to fight them directly on their own turf, their stranglehold over media and government is just far to great. If anything, I think the protest may have created a tipping point in history where an online campaign could have a fighting chance. It’s time that we bring the fight on OUR turf on OUR terms. Bring the campaigns online. Bring the fundraising online. Bring “town halls” online. Bring the debates online.

The Net largely takes the issues of cost and access out of the equation, this is completely doable. Of course, that’s not to say real world face time with voters isn’t important–it’s crucial. It’s also expensive. However, once the Internet candidates get momentum, getting funding shouldn’t be a problem.

The biggest threat to such a movement, of course, is the same as it always has been–traditional media. Their “journalist” no longer have any qualms with spreading half-truths and bold faced lies with the kind of fervor that gets listeners riled up and into the polls. Over shouting their numbers at the polls is going to be hard, as is getting their attention and turning them around to see that the old guard never any stake in their interest at all.

crissy m says:

Re: Response to: Strawbear on Jan 20th, 2012 @ 6:43pm

“Ready Player One”…. they had elections for a complete government system within the internet hub. (Wil Wheaton for internet pres!)

It isn’t a bad idea. In fact it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take champaining and everything online so it wasn’t so money driven in the first place.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

This is a very interesting idea in the sense that it would be nice to have just a little order… but a little moderation over a very large population means a lot of power in the hands of a select few(again). To organize would require the hiring of private contractors, investors, and public relations, all of whom would naturally push(a little) for their own agendas. It should be as it has always been, free speech doesnt need a muzzle, The internet should remain free.

PaulT (profile) says:

Re: Re:

“I used megaupload to distribute my original game media, wich is now lost to my customer base”

How? Did you not bother to have an offline backup (in which case you’re a fool), or did you just use Megaupload as the primary distribution method? if the latter, stop whining and use the hundreds of other file lockers to distribute your software. Those sites need people like you to help prove that the lies about them being used purely for piracy are simply lies.

jalapeno on a stick says:

Re: Re: Re:

Gee lemme keep my work on a consumer laptop/desktop instead of on enterprise class servers with enterprise backup solutions. This is a perfect example of collateral damage we always talk about, and why storage lockers will never thrive. They just cannot be trusted, or I should say you can’t trust that the government/MAFIAA et al, won’t get a bug up their ass and decide they dont like you.

ShellMG (profile) says:

What worries me is the far more predictable result – pols will quietly change their minds on SOPA/PIPA and start drafting back-door deals. Money + power is a powerful drug and many are quite comfortable addicts.

No one, not for one minute, should ever assume SOPA, PIPA and similar bills are dead, stake in the heart and body nailed in the coffin covered with garlic. This is now a riskier game, about to be played out in the shadows, and will be passed in the dark of night when they think nobody is looking.

And remember the watchmen — Murdoch, NBC/Comcast, etc. — are supporting these bills. It’s in their best incentive to look away.

HavaCuppaJoe (profile) says:

DODD: We've Given Our QUID, We Want Our QUO!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the reason that campaign contributions aren’t viewed as bribes is because they’re not a “quid pro quo”? And yet here’s former Senator Dodd going on television and other public media saying that they’ve given their quid and now they want their quo?

Isn’t attempted bribery illegal also?

Sounds like an admission of guilt to me.

Jess (profile) says:

Re: DODD: We've Given Our QUID, We Want Our QUO!

This is how our political system works now. People endorse and donate to politicians with whom they agree in hopes of furthering their message and thus gaining more support. Corporations are empowered to do the same with their vastly larger mountains of excess cash.

It’s supposed to work that a politician as a platform and a company or individual donates to support that platform. It DOES become bribery when those funds are given with an expectation that the politician will act against his platform and instead in the interests of that ‘donor’.

It’s an incredibly thin line.

Anonymous Coward says:

Stop being so mean to poor old Dodd.

It seems quite clear that the temp setback to SOPA/PIPA has put his lobbying job at stake.

“Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake”

All he is saying is that they made him promises and then reneged on him and he could lose his job over it.
It seems we have located the one job that SOPA/PIPA was to protect.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

“All he is saying is that they made him promises and then reneged on him and he could lose his job over it.”

Nobody “promised” him anything.
If he gave a politician money, that’s his choice.
Legally, it did not obligate the politician to do anything for him, any more than if a private citizen gave a politician money.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re:

We all know that donations are not a one off thing, like everything else in life the continuity of the process is what is important, so although they can’t do nothing about what was already given they can pressure officials into compliance by withholding funds that is just as bad as any bribery, that is the exact system people keep complaining about and apparently some can’t grasp why it is so bad.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

Interestingly enough, lobbyist funding is worthy of the description that certain politicians like to use about social welfare.
Only with lobbying it is actually true in general rather than only being true in minor specific instances as it might be with some poorly thought out social welfare systems.

It creates dependency.

MrWilson says:

And this is where you see the hypocrisy of the IP maximalist. The troll-shilling AC (or a Poe’s Law-worthy parodist) who posted here claimed that artists should be indicted for their complicity in Megaupload’s supposed conspiracy.

But here, Dodd essentially admitted that he and the organization he represents is actively engaged in the corruption of the legal system. Where are the AC’s demanding Dodd be brought up on charges, if they’re so concerned about the rule of law? They’re not, of course. They’re just corporate shills who are concerned with corporate profits, laws be damned. They believe that the only good laws are ones that protect their profits. This is why they’ll push for legislation like the DMCA and SOPA that suppress free speech because they only care about profits rather than civil rights repercussions.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

I’m more interested in the congress people TAKING the money being brought up on political corruption charges. While Dodd definitely needs to be charged with bribery, a few congressmen going to jail over this would send a MUCH stronger message. The question is, how do you go about charging your congress people with corruption ?

TtfnJohn (profile) says:

It’s at least nice to hear it laid out so clearly.

Dodd to Congress: We bought and paid for these bills so do as you are told. Who cares what the public thinks even if it could cost you your job. We paid for you to be more concerned about MY job.

So now that the worst fears of people have been confirmed why bother with the silliness of elections? Pick a person for each district and they go to Washington paid by the highest bidder. For the Senate it would be two per state with the same rules in effect.

Same for the President.

That way. at least, we’d all know who owned whom. That’s about the only mystery left. None of them are there to serve the citizenry.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

The US congress should start inquiries into the well known accounting practices of the music and movie industries, they should also start to pass a law reducing the terms of copyrights something like -20 years just so they know congress can change sides and there is nothing the idiots can do about it and if need be they will go after them and the public most probably will not lift a finger to help them, people could even go out to defend their government from “monopolistic” influences that are trying to ruin a great country.

abc gum says:

Re: Re: Re:

“The US congress should start inquiries into the well known accounting practices of the music and movie industries, they should also start to pass a law reducing the terms of copyrights …. “

That would be epic ….

MPAA: We’ll stop giving you bribe money unless ……
Congress: We’ll remove copyright
MPAA: Oppps – on second thought, lets discuss this

Anonymous Coward says:

Chris Dodd(The Liar) is scared, he failed to get something he is supposed to be an expert in(i.e. making laws).

But I am afraid that threatening campaign contributions is effective, even though it shows to everyone what really happens in Washingtonian, it is all about the money, congress only changed its mind after companies did a blackout because companies donate money.

That is why people need to bring the process of law making outside of Washington or any other political location and into the public, crowdsourced law making.

Then people can attack the tools that are used to justify such nonsense from those people and that is ending the granted monopolies given to some(i.e. copyright and patents).

Monopolies makes everybody poor.

King Reggin says:

Everyone that doesn't support SOPA is a traitor

All of you are traitors to your country. Every last one of you. Laws like SOPA will preserve our nation’s honest buisnesses. The FBI should charge you pirates that cost innocent people billions of dollars a year with treason, or perhaps as terrorists for purposefully attempting to ruin the economy.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Everyone that doesn't support SOPA is a traitor

>perhaps as terrorists for purposefully attempting to ruin the economy.

Considering that the PIPA/SOPA crowd are/were trying to do just that with the passage of these bills, then yeah, that’s almost certain to be satire. Or massive, unbelievable stupidity. One of the two.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Everyone that doesn't support SOPA is a traitor

Know what else costs billions of dollars a year? Lobbyists! Those guys are the crooks we should be getting rid of – all they do is cost companies billions of dollars which is passed onto consumers – thus making consumers pay billions of dollars that they could have otherwise spent on products that actually do create jobs.

demented (profile) says:

It is SO MUCH FUN to see Chris Dodd screaming and rolling around in his own poop. He’s openly admitting to criminal actions and howling because the public won this battle (even though the war is ongoing).

This guy acted like a vile little dishonest turd throughout the last few months, and nothing gives me more joy than watching him shriek hysterical threats. He’s scared. His power has dropped off dramatically. And worst of all, it was a bunch of powerless nobodies who defeated him.

And now he’s freaking out and shrieking anything that crosses his tiny evil mind. It’s so fun to watch!

Chris says:

Re: to Demented

It is SO MUCH FUN to see Chris Dodd screaming and rolling around in his own poop. He’s openly admitting to criminal actions and howling because the public won this battle (even though the war is ongoing).

This guy acted like a vile little dishonest turd throughout the last few months, and nothing gives me more joy than watching him shriek hysterical threats. He’s scared. His power has dropped off dramatically. And worst of all, it was a bunch of powerless nobodies who defeated him.

And now he’s freaking out and shrieking anything that crosses his tiny evil mind. It’s so fun to watch!

Textbook example of the saying: “When a control freak loses control, that person FREAKS.

Anonymous American says:

Re: Re:

It’s different in that RIAA/MPAA/WhateverAA have given donations in expectation of specific legislation and preferential treatment in the law.

Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty. [Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery%5D

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

GoDaddy can’t make laws.
The bar should be higher in politics.

1% of people have all the money, and they use it to buy laws for them, that is not a democracy, it is just another form of feudal system cloaked under the disguise of something else.

Aside from that the balls to say it in public to the face of the 99% is just asking for trouble.

I think Mr. Dodds forget what it means to be a representative of the US congress, it means they can investigate the entertainment industry and start inquiries one after the other, it means they could change laws to diminish the power of copyrights that don’t need to be so strong, the next act that could come out of congress could be PPDA(Protect Public Domain Act) limiting the duration of copyrights to 75 years.

That would send a message to Dobbs and anyone else and it would be greated with applause from the public, they wouldn’t lose one vote.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

Of course it is – GoDaddy’s customers were paying for a legitimate service and have every right to move to another provider if they choose.

Paying politicians money to pass legislation that you want, is illegal because it is an attempt to corrupt the government and interfere with and undermine the democratic will of the people (please note how this would be wrong even if there were not laws against it) and admitting to attempted bribery, in fact complaining about the failure of your bribery should in itself be enough to warrant arrest and trial.

Michael Leza (profile) says:

Fight back

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/14472117492/mpaa-directly-publicly-threatens-politicians-who-arent-corrupt-enough-to-stay-bought.shtml

I NEED YOUR HELP!

First, at least read the lead on the attached story. Then look below, I have created a petition on we the people to have Chris Dodd and the MPAA investigated for Bribery by the Obama Adminstration. If this petition reaches 150 signatures it will be visible on the page. If it reaches 25,000 signatures it will be addressed by the Obama administration directly.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

Please do two things: Sign the petition and reshare the article and the petition together so that we can at least have a chance of seeing some justice on this issue.

If you care about SOPA and PIPA, this is how you can fight back against the villains who want to hijack the Internet.

http://wh.gov/KiE

Jassie says:

Chris Dodd Is Corrupt

Dodd is an I-D-I-O-T. It’s the same Chris Dodd from Connecticut who was involved in Country-Wide (Predatory Lenders) and getting favors from them while country-wide was trying to screw EVERYONE(PARTICULARLY THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZEN).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123362399705441875.html

http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/chris-dodd-countrywide-scandal-mortgage-fraud-and-aig-bonus-scandal/ (Here’s the bloody scandal right HERE)

I could have been homeless because of Country-Wide!!!

Dodd is crap and SOPA/PIPA I couldn’t least expect from him. Sad to say Connecticut has a history of corrupt politicians white-collaring.

SPREAD THOSE LINKS AROUND. THIS IS THE CHRIS-DODD WHO WANTS TO CENSOR THE INTERNET BUT TAKES FINANCIAL FAVORS FROM CORRUPT COMPANIES.

Grover (profile) says:

Symbiosis

Typically, when there is an apparent symbiotic relationship, removing one will cause the demise of either. With the advent of declaring corporations ‘individual entities’, our government effectively declared its willingness to be bought by these deep-pocketed ‘citizens’.

Personally, I really, really hate politicians – first, and foremost, because of their inherent self-serving greed and corruptness; and coming in a fast second, they quickly forget who put them in office in the first place – we, the voters. We, who trusted them to go forth and help run our country in a sane and honest manner, are invariably left with a bad taste in our mouths as we discover that we were simply pawns in a game of deceit, a game of power and money. I will never trust a politician, at any level, to be honest and stand up for the benefit of their constituents.

What is truly needed here is a law that would make it illegal for a politician to accept ‘donations’ – of any kind, from anyone. Let them stump about on their own dime if they want to reach the voters with their chosen platform of lies and deceptions. It would be my desire to see every politician’s time at bat limited to four years – and no more, ever. Once you’ve completed your ‘public service’ in office, you’re out and someone else gets their turn. Never should we have people in an elected position for any longer – it begs to be corrupted. Never should we have politicians sponsoring laws that would only benefit a group, a class, or an industry to the detriment of the whole. Laws should only be made to prevent evil, at whatever level, and to promote the greater good for all.

Florin says:

My senator office thought this was business as usual

I called my senator, Chambliss, and complained of the brazen public threat that the MPAA made in regards to money and PIPA. Their answer left me helpless and astounded. They said that this was business as usual and that veiled or not, all interests do that and the politicians need the money to run campaigns.

Term limits would seriously shake up politics. The industry would be overwhelmed by constant effort to corrupt new incoming officials.

Gwiz (profile) says:

Re: My senator office thought this was business as usual

Term limits would seriously shake up politics. The industry would be overwhelmed by constant effort to corrupt new incoming officials.

I still like the idea of elected officials having to wear NASCAR style patches on their suits with their largest campaign contributors listed. At the very least you would know which corporation or PAC you are really talking to.

nasch (profile) says:

Re: My senator office thought this was business as usual

They said that this was business as usual and that veiled or not, all interests do that and the politicians need the money to run campaigns.

Term limits would seriously shake up politics.

If the problem is campaign contributions, the solution is not term limits. The solution is to get rid of campaign contributions.

Ed C. says:

The simple turth

He thinks he’s so rich and powerful that his above the law. His organization practically owns TV news, so he thinks he can just climb to the top of his mountain and proclaim his greed and corruption to the world by openly threatening congress. He doesn’t even think about the consequences because he honestly believes that there are none.

I guess that he forgot that the “fright club” can only exist as long as everyone obeys the first rule.

Heretic3e7 says:

Dodd is Completely Without Ethics or Shame

What the hell is he thinking? Has he completely lost his mind? Chris Dodd has lost anything resembling a moral compass or any sense of ethics or even self preservation at this point.

To go on national television and pretty much complain that he bought votes and then people reneged on the deal is like something out of one of the bad movies that is produced by the people that he represents. It is not unlike some whacked-out druggie calling the police to tell them that their dealer shortchanged them.

This disconnect from reality is nothing new from the MPAA or their Dodd. I initially believed that all of the blatantly false information they were offering up to justify their lunacy was simply an attempt at misdirection or deceit.

Now a much more disturbing scenario is starting to appear even more likely.

They actually believe it.

An entire industry along with their lobbyist in chief Chris Dodd has made the terrible mistake of believing their own hype. This is the hazard when you manufacture fantasy worlds for a living. One might start choosing to live in them.

Deluded as he is Chris Dodd is not entirely off base in his belief that votes are for sale and that many but thank God not all of our lawmakers can be rented by the hour like so many common prostitutes. His anger is somewhat understandable. One can almost imagine him sitting in nothing but a shirt on the edge of a hotel room bed yelling at an open doorway, “But I paid for the whole hour!”

It would be funny and sad if they were not so much of a threat. The MPAA and RIAA have set themselves up as an enemy to the American people and to the free world. They have to be stopped. If only there was some way that we as consumers could somehow stop their supply of income so that the were unable to continue their attacks and corruption and lies.

John Atten (user link) says:

Chris Dodd's new gig

How is that 30 year Senate veteran is remotely quallified to become CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America? After all, Dodd has spent the last 30 years of his life engaged in the political arena, not the motion picure business. The two could hardly be more different.

The motion picture industry is one in which manufactured reality, suspension of public disbelief, and manipulation of the viewing public are the prime concern. A career in politics on the other hand . . . Oh. Wait. Oops.

Anonymous Coward says:

The root of our problem isn’t Congress, its the MPAA/RIAA.
We won a battle last week, but let’s be clear about this–the score isn’t “Internet 1, Hollywood 0”, It’s more like “Internet 1, Hollywood 36”. And now that we have their full attention, expect them to start fighting dirtier and more secretly than ever before. One other commenter likened it to a group of pepper-spraying police being routed by a sudden flash mob. Now it’s just a matter of time before they bring in their SWAT team.

We can’t win on their terms. We can’t play the money and lobbyist game and expect to easily overcome such an entrenched foe. But there is one thing we CAN do:

We cut their supply lines. Stop going to the movies. Stop buying DVDs or CDs from MAFIAA affiliated groups. Organize a boycott on the scale of the Jan 18 internet blackout and keep it going for as long as it takes. Not just one week. Not just one month. AS LONG AS IT TAKES, until they no longer have enough cash to pay to play.

Don’t think it would work? I wasn’t sure the SOPA blackout would work. I didn’t think there were enough people out there that would care about something that wasn’t reality TV, but look what happened only a couple of days later. Now imagine a blackout that hits their wallet instead of just their puppets. It’s not like you’ll be missing much anyway, given the quality of what comes out of the MAFIAA labels these days. Use the money to support independent artists instead, if you want to. At least that way you’ll actually be supporting a creator instead of parasitic middlemen.

The MPAA/RIAA started this fight. With SOPA/PIPA, they’ve declared open war on the internet. Don’t let them win. Their power only comes from their money, and we are the ones that choose whether or not to give them money. Don’t give them the weapons today that they’ll use to attack you, your freedom, and your livelihood tomorrow. Starve their war chest, and let’s see how many politicians they can afford to buy a couple of years from now.

Erin (user link) says:

Throw Them Out

Patriot Act. TSA. NDAA. SOPA. PIPA. This goes beyond the MPAA. The whole system is stalled by corruption.

Let’s make a pledge to throw most incumbants out of office next election cycle.

I’ve started a list to try to keep track of the “Good” ones and would welcome any suggestions for additions: http://politicalmiasma.com/2012/01/19/the-good-politicians-list/.

Get Innocuous says:

We are witnessing the death of a business model. That’s never pretty.

Like mortally wounded animals, those who have built empires on it will lash out with their dying gasps in any way they can to survive.

Who, with an ounce of compassion could begrudge them the effort?

But, just as if we were watching some poor animal, we protect ourselves while letting nature take its course.

Many who have known and loved these creatures of the industrial era quite naturally are moved to try to save them, while we who have lived with the new technology for many years know that their virtual extinction is inevitable.

Online copyright infringement is assuredly a major problem. PIPA/SOPA supporters however, have chosen to publicly focus on foreign perpetrators only in order to head off opposition were the public to know that no such distinction between domestic and foreign infringement exists in the bills.

We want to encourage and support creativity and innovation while minimizing
copycats. Creativity and innovation comes from artists, writers, composers, programmers and other creators. PIPA/SOPA would make it much more difficult for these people to eliminate the now unneeded middlemen and bring their creations directly to their audiences.

Congress must not be intimidated by these fading business creatures.

Just stand back, let them exhaust themselves, and make way for the future.

Jan Schwieterman says:

For good or bad... Hollywood "GNP" is 80% Jewish owend and run...

However, because the United States is a bastion of free thought and an open source of media opinion, you and your career within the Ent industry should be safe, right…? Being critical of an industry is ok right? Wrong… The complete blackballing of the individual within the entertainment (read: Movie/Music) business without recourse would be the out come if an individual uttered the above “Subject Line”. I should know as my “Welcome to Hollywood” was my first agent stealing 13K from a joint account as I shot my first series south of the border in Mexico City and losing my first speaking part to the “son of a friend of the producer.” Yes, the stereo types in Hollywood are sadly very true… Unfortunately the upper echelons among the industry end up souring the larger part of that mythology. In the end, good individuals are good individual void of race color or creed but to point out that a small controlling element are ruining it for the 99% of the internet is not racism or anti-Semitic, on the contrary, it is being CRITICAL… And being critical is only “wrong” in a fascist nation. If we can’t be vociferous in our criticism of a certain industry then let us define now… define what this nation has become, fascist by media (specifically Entertainment) aggregation without prejudiced towards other colors, creeds or beliefs… but hey we should all suffer as long as it doesn’t hurt the bank accounts of Hollywood, right..?

Angry Voter says:

Avoiding taxes in time of war

The media cabal is using abusive tax shelters to avoid paying taxes during time of war.

Normally, it would simply be dishonest but since we are at war and they are sleezing out of the taxes that pay for the war effort it sure looks like Treason to me.

A favorite of theirs is called the Double Dutch Sandwich where expenses are claimed in the US and profits are hidden outside the US.

stonecarver (profile) says:

MPAA threats

Think back to where you saw the download links for limewire ,Kazaa,bit torrent ect.That would be Cnet or Znet owned by CBS-Viacom with partnership and of course download links to ALL of the big boys behind SOPA,PIPA & the next incarnation of this rather nasty set-up. Who was it that gave step by step instructions on how to use this software using COPY WRITTEN music and movies/tv shows as examples ? Who was it that demonstrated the effectiveness of these very programs in side to side comparisons once again using COPY WRITTEN music and movies/tv shows as examples ? And last but no means least Who was it that hosted reviews & blogs extolling the comparative virtues of all of these EEEvillle file sharing programs ? Why that would be our usual suspects Cnet,CBS-Viacom,Disney,and all of the rest of the SOPARISTS.
Just a thought but by distributing and providing step by step instructions on effective use of the file sharing software according to the very laws being used to arrest every one from teenagers to Mega-upload wouldn?t that make the SOPARISTS as guilty if not MUCH more so ?
Also wouldn?t providing the tools necessary, step by step instruction, comparisons and ongoing encouragement be legally regarded as IMPLIED CONSENT or at the VERY least entrapment? Just askin

So to sum up The very groups that originally provided the tools necessary, step by step instruction, comparisons and ongoing encouragement for citizens to download media from the internet are now punishing the leader of the country for not handing over defacto control of the net and arranging to incarcerate ANY citizens using the VERY tools they worked so very hard to get into use?Am I missing anything ? WoW!!!

Creator says:

A new priority

Stop locking up people for,marijuana and start locking them up for Piracy. It is theft, pure and simple. Are you a low life that steals from people? Then admit it and stop all the BS about new markets and new tech and opportunities and all the other crap.You know the first people in line with lobbyists crying and whining when code gets stolen by the Chinese screaming about copyrights and intellectual property? The tech sector.

I think the MPAA has rightly looked at the music business and the “new market” and the “opportunity” that Steve Jobs showed them and said no thanks.

Rick Ladd (profile) says:

Transformation, not reformation

“The MPAA needs a reformer, one who helps guide Hollywood into the opportunities of a new market place.”

Some may see it as splitting hairs, but I think the MPAA (and many, many more organizations and entities) don’t need to be reformed . . . which is akin to rearranging the deck chairs on you-know-what. What they need is a radical transformation into enterprises that understand and make use of the new tools available to them to effect change.

The Internet, especially in its 2.0 incarnation, is not a reformation of how we communicate and interact; it’s a far reaching transformation that’s affecting everything we do – including how we responded to SOPA & PIPA. We need leaders who understand or, at the very least, are open to learning about, the changes taking place in communication and, yes, entertainment. Dodd clearly isn’t one of them.

I’m sure transformation is what you meant 🙂

AlexFury (profile) says:

Would be nice if...

I recall a comedian. Might have been Robin Williams, but not sure. But in the theme of what I recall. ‘it would be nice if political candidates were more like NASCAR… so that every candidate who gets money from a corporation, wore the sticker. That way we’d at least know who they’re voting for, since it’s obviously not the public.’

Yes, a paraphrase, but I think the point is there.

It is not where this country is headed, but, sadly says:

Seems to me Chris Dodd is very centered and concerned only with his neck of the woods. He’s practically saying he does not care how SOPA could negatively effect everyone involved but, rather, would like for it to be passed carelessly so that a selected few (Hollywood) can benefit from it. He not only sent out a message on corruption within the government, but he also sent out a message that Hollywood is more important than We The People. I agree that Hollywood is a luxury and not a necessity.

anonymous says:

Re: Re:

First you have to research to find out how to sue someone on behalf of the People, US law, and the United States Constitution, and Government.

There has to be a way for the people to bring suit legally against someone of an organization trying to do harm to the United States. Or lets call them what they want to be called too “people” Because Dodd is speaking as “the” people for the MPAA then we can sue the “whole” MPAA Every division, extension, regardless of where they are located at because they claim to be a people. So even Dodd’s words, or any of them that threaten the US can be taken to court.

The Constitution says we have a right to protect our Country. Against foreign and domestic. Dodd threatened our politicians.

As an American we should have the right to sue/charge the MPAA because Dodd threaten our politicians.

Roy says:

MPAA RIAA

What I dont understand that we are living in 20th century Hollywood Hogs and all other need sit back and shut the hell up. I am a begginer and going to school so I make money just like everyone on here. I cant ask for anything better. If Hollywood Hogs or whoever want to control the monoply on the internet and who the hell in IT world is going to hand them that privelige. I hope everyone out there is create there own films from home or where ever that it time to drive them all down to hell. We aint acting we have power enough is enough. Lets us all create jobs so other people dont suffer like Hollywood, Government Hogs have always eating a fricken fancy on TV saying to American Taxers you are paying for this. What do I know probably nothing.

That Anonymous Coward (profile) says:

And he admitted in his statement what the actual problem is.

“Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,”

His job is at stake, because they are paying him a shit ton of money not because he can solve their problems, but because of the influence they hope he can peddle.
His job should be to tell the studios that it is the 21st century and it might be time to bite the bullet and *gasp* adapt.
Instead they expected him to “lobby” (read bribe) Congress into giving them everything they ever wanted. It doesn’t matter if it would make things less safe, would leave the door open to massive censorship, or anything else. He wanted to show his new overlords he had clout. He almost made it…and then was stopped, by some “nerds” and people who spend less on their political access than he pays for lunch.

This is a man who most likely will be fired by June unless he manages to deliver something. His ass is on the line, and rather than look for real solutions to a supply & demand based problem in the business model they use – he decided they could just buy another decade for the business model.

He is still working just like a regular Congresscritter though – creating an issue not directly related to the real problem, create the ultimate solution, ignore the repercussions. (See TSA for prime example).

Anonymous Coward says:

“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,”

This is more than just an admission of financial bribery. It’s also an admission of intended blackmail. It’s all hidden in the wording.

“Don’t ask me[…] “don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake””

In other-words: “If you keep doing what we tell you to, we’ll keep your “dirty laundry” on the down-low. But if you stop dancing to our tune, we won’t ignore your “dirty laundry”.

Anonymous Coward says:

Disgusting

‘considered valuable enough to rip off.’

Subjective and deliberately obtuse.
One mans trash is another mans treasure.

That aside, even if I made some mega-super-fantastic multi-million revenue piece of published media I wouldn’t give a damn if anyone downloads it or otherwise (plagiarism is another matter, otherwise I’d scrap copyright in it’s entirely right now and leave the world all the better off without it).

Anonymous Coward says:

Disgusting

This reminds me of something someone said to me:

Him: You know that video games are bad for you, right?
Me: That’s what the Egyptians said about writing. That’s what the Early Christians said about punctuation and spaces between words. That’s what Congress said about jazz music. (And I did memorize those lines due to people often saying that)
Him: …well, it’s not like that will always be the case.

So, yeah. I think that’s what the MPAA and RIAA are thinking.

Wilhelm Reuch says:

What is the problem?

The MPAA use its money to support those who is sympathetic to their cause. And if that politician changes his/her mind the MPAA get a little grumpy. So?

The problem here is that the net/web is flawed. The nerds forgot they need to finance the production of new content. They just built simple cheap webservices to distribute (copy) stuff that already exist. We are doomed to only have cover-bands in the future.

And all the rhetoric and finger-pointing elsewhere, all the name-calling “old media”, “dinosaurs” will not hide this fact. The nerds and the web2.0-heads are now asking for free content “you will be rewarded in heaven”. Or “Google will pay a (very-very small) amount when they monetize your content”.

Brendan (profile) says:

Symbiosis

I can get behind you on term limits and laws for public good, but forcing candidates to self-fund seems to be a good way to guarantee we only get super wealthy elected officials. You think any honest hard working mother or father is going to put the mortgage or kids college fund on the line for a bid for office?

I would love to see more non-career-politicians in office, but to do that we need to make it _easier_ for good people to run.

Cynthia (profile) says:

corrupt idiots blowing OUR money, they have to be stopped

I was wondering how this country would be “IF” the people we elected (or think we elected) performed the job with ethics, morals, using the constitution as the guide book, reported unethical behavior to an honest press. If special interest groups and lobbyists were banned, if we had term limits, background checks, drug testing, performance reviews, swift and harsh punishment for un-american behavior and social damnation, prison and not allowing them to go to work for the company that bought them. I believe that if they started being honest and doing the job we sent them to do, that possibly, the corrupt corporations would have to follow suit or face prison too. It just has to be possible to clear the congress and senate from the thieves, liars and whores corrupted by greed. We as the 99% must put our foot down, join forces and demand the new people stand up to the monster. We have to stop supporting the world, policing and bullying the world, shut our doors, kick out the illegals, stop the welfare ride and spend money on rebuilding our country. Rather than sending billions to countries that don’t need it and hate us, that money could go towards repairing bridges, roads, buildings, starting businesses that manufacture everything we need. Stop the farm subsidies, lets grow our own food and sell the leftovers. Drill our own oil, create alternative power. Train all the people on welfare to work a good job, with good pay, benefits, force the mortgage companies to either give back all of our bail out money, or stop foreclosing on houses that we paid for. Change the way banks and mtg companies structure mortgages so it is much more fair, lower taxes, stop taxing at least half of the things they tax. Spend the military budget on protecting our country here. Clear the prisons of poor people that got screwed by some ego prosecutor climbing his way to the top on the backs of the poor, got a unfair trial. Legalize marijuana for God sakes, just make it illegal to drive or use at work. Stop the BS advertisements from drug companies, spend our money on helping people with affordable rehab programs, common sense training, enforce the laws we have. There are good people in this country that want to work, lets get some jobs going, and put more into supporting the positive life activities, stop hollyweird from glamorizing war, murder, violence, bad behavior and start setting good examples of positive behavior. Pay teachers, Drs, police and firemen/women what they are worth, and stop the outrageous salaries of the sports people, It makes little sense to give millions because a person can throw, kick or catch a ball, when scientists are so limited and trying to create live saving ideas that could really help our country and planet. Stop the greed, manipulation, and unethical “relationships”. It should not be allowed that pharm companies own the medical schools, it should not be allowed that some group owns the media and is brainwashing the masses with lies that benefit them, not the country. It should be illegal for the “news” be owned by the networks, it has to be free to tell the truth to the American people straight, no fear mongering, war mongering or ignoring presidential candidates because they want to uphold the law, the constitution. We have to stop all the deals, the campaign donations for special laws for some.

I look at it this way. Why be spending all our money to “protect” our country with our back door wide open? Would any citizen allow some stranger that broke into their home, stay? Would they pay for their food, medical, housing, give them cash and then let that burglar demand better food? demand to let the rest of the family move in? Bring the military home from all 150 bases all around the world. It is like paying people to like us and that never works. Uncle Joe is getting $5,000 a week from you, threatening that if you don’t keep paying him the money that he will go to the other neighbors and bad mouth you. We know Joe is never going to be able to stand on his own, run his own life, heck, where is the motivation? They are doing it all wrong! There is NO way Japan needs money, or China or any of the others. We need to be able to keep more of the money we earn. When a country has a tragedy, we can help along with other countries, but when they start living much better than us, things have to change. It started before Reagan and has spread like cancer and is so out of control that it is going to take a revolution from ALL the people, get us back on our feet, fix our country. Pay the seniors their money, pay the Veterans MORE for risking their lives, the injuries, let them live a good life after such a brave honorable service, stop giving it to ungrateful, illegal criminals.

It sucks pretty bad when a disaster happens here and people have to get money out of their own pockets to pay and help people when that is what we are paying taxes for!!! WE have to stop the BS charities, evil corportions, organized religions and large chain restaurants from deceiving the trusting public from the greed. When would they ever cure cancer, diabetes, or any other disease when the CEO is making 875 million a year from OUR donations, fast food is not even food anymore, it is fat, high fructose corn syrup, salt, fillers, binders, additives and preservatives, GM frankenfood along with liquid toxins sold as meals, bullying organic farmers, making our kids fat, starving the seniors that paid in all their lives while free loaders sneak across the border and actually get three times as much money, plus food, plus housing, medical, education when our children have to go into outrageous debt. NOT right! We have watched the “morning news” go from a half hour of news weather and sports to all day fluffy, misleading, manipulative, fear mongering CRAP, most of it lies or BS. We have brave men and women in grave yards all over this planet that gave their lives to protect the country, the constitution and save some others from evil. They deserve honor and it is the least we can do to stand up for the same. Run those thieves out of office and into a prison cell. We have the laws, we just need the courts to stop the corruption, if a person files a lawsuit against a criminal and the judge isn’t just or fair, kick the jerk out. No more caps on lawsuits, but if a guy that is injured during the commission of a crime, he must lose the right to sue his victims. The guys that made us all those promises to get into office don’t care about us, will send our children into war for oil, oil that we could get right here! The jobs created are needed. I feel that it should be illegal for a foreigner to own any business in America, become an American and OK, but use American workers, stop sending jobs overseas. If we can do it so can they. If we just keep giving them money for nothing, they are all just going to keep sitting on their corrupt asses while their people starve, cut off the money, fix our country, then, and ONLY then should we teach others to do what we are doing, we should Never do it for them. If we don’t stop all this crap soon, we will have a bunch of dependent good for nothings with their hands in our pockets.

We need to form a class action suit against Chris Dodd (the guy that designed the mortgage collapse)and get him OUT of government, then Frank Barney, that guy is incompetent, corrupt, has NO idea how to do anything but line his own pockets… and remember, it is our money, NOT theirs… time for a revolution!!!!!! Respectfully submitted:

btrussell (profile) says:

What is the problem?

“The problem here is that the net/web is flawed. The nerds forgot they need to finance the production of new content. They just built simple cheap webservices to distribute (copy) stuff that already exist. We are doomed to only have cover-bands in the future.”

Better tell that to these guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UALSKBc_Hk4

They’ve already cut their own album full of original songs.

Basement band. They don’t have a garage.

demented (profile) says:

What is the problem?

Read this: http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/fairyland/about

Hugely flawed argument. And I would rather have a future filled with cover bands than no free Internet.

And you’re just perpetuating the usual lies that the big corporations are feeding you. It’s been shown that lots of “nerds” DO buy content, but they don’t want to just blindly gobble up the crap the dinosaur old media produces.

Oh, and piracy is possible WITHOUT the web. I once gave a friend a burn of three CDs I owned and paid for, so he could see if he liked the bands. Guess what: HE BOUGHT THE CDS HIMSELF, and some bands got a new fan.

nasch says:

Transformation, not reformation

Some may see it as splitting hairs

I wouldn’t say it’s splitting hairs, just incorrect. 😉

reform: Verb: Make changes in (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it.

It doesn’t say small changes, just changes. Radical transformation is a type of reform.

nasch says:

Symbiosis

I can get behind you on term limits and laws for public good, but forcing candidates to self-fund seems to be a good way to guarantee we only get super wealthy elected officials.

Not self-funding, public funding. Nobody is allowed to contribute to a campaign fund, including the person running. All campaign funds come from tax revenue. Yes, it would be expensive, but how much is honest democracy worth?

John Fenderson (profile) says:

Re:

“They can VOTE to get rid of ‘crooked politicians’.”

Actually, no, this isn’t anything like a complete solution.

First, there are very few candidates in the offing who are not corrupted to some degree. Most elections boil down to picking the least corrupt — but the choices offered are still all corrupt.

Second, the system itself is geared to require corruption. If a completely honest politician is elected, they are be ineffectual. They are unable to get legislation modified or passed. They have to compromise — to become corrupted — in order to get anything accomplished at all.

We can’t vote our way out of this problem. Voting is important, yes, but insufficient.

David says:

let's use other laws against them.

I think we need to have some hearings and put a few people out of office and into jail. Dodd has already admitted his guilt where are the charges against him?

it’s against federal law.

18 USCS ? 597 reads, in part:

“Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote–

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Dilapidated Irritant says:

May be more effective?

You know, the movie industry will just chock it up to pirates, and the theater owners will suffer needlessly. Did you know that movietheatre (cinema) owners do not make one cant off ticket-sales? They get their money through mostly popcorn and drink revenue.

So how about we go to the movies, but only to get some popcorn and a drink?
This way we could show the MPAA that we are not pirating, we are actually boycotting them.
The theatre owners will not needlessly suffer, and we might be able to engage in conversation with them, make them understand that we are actually on their side, and that the MPAA is wrong.

They will relay the information to the MPAA, and we can be sure not to have our boycott bunched up with “them ebil pirates”.

How’s it sound?

Anonymous Coward says:

Re:

Actually voting is the only way in a pacifist way we can change anything, what is needed is and unprecedented level of coordination by the public to achieve it, by no means impossible just very very difficult.

The Tea Party proved that they can get their people there, they just didn’t had any legislation in hands, in Japan Koizumi showed everyone in the world how it is done with the Koizumi Children, he was being blocked by the Japanese parliament so he just told the Japanese public on whom to vote and after that he got his laws passed.

The key is to have the laws ready to be enacted and then just worry about people who can deliver their votes for those laws.

The drafting of those laws has to occur in the public space and only after agreed upon by the majority of people move to congress, the tools for that are here already, what is needed is an iLaw editor kind of things, something that can make the process painless to everyone, so they can group together, discuss, write, review and vote.

Ella says:

Ridiculous

Chris Dodd claims that piracy problems have led his industry to lose millions of dollars in revenue and that it’s not the actors, directors, etc. that are suffering, but it’s the “make up artists, stage crews, etc” that really feel the burn. ehm, to my knowledge, movies are still produced frequently; i doubt they pay make up artists, stage crews more money just because they can earn some extra $100 million without pirates stealing away their work. bet that $100 million will go into dodd’s, actors’ directors’ pockets— people who already have a ton of money. so, in a way, i don’t see any problems here.

abc gum says:

Disgusting

“as there are maybe three actual liberals in office right now (hint: Obama’s not one of them — he’s a right-leaning centrist)”

Cracks me up when I hear someone refer to CNN as liberal and I have been laughed at several times after stating that Obama is a centrist.

Many people are ignorant and/or deceitful when it comes to the political spectrum and where certain politicians and publications stand in that spectrum.

Thomas (profile) says:

Politicians..

are corrupt, Republican or Democrat. Any politician would sell his own children in order to make sure he gets elected.

Simply revealing the dirty money isn’t going to change things; voters have short memories and don’t really care if the politicians are accepting bribes. Voters are notoriously stupid and they are likely to forget the whole thing by election time. After the election, the newly elected politicians will happily go back and pass whatever bills are paid for by whoever slip them the money.

jakkadan (profile) says:

Everyone that doesn't support SOPA is a traitor

why should we stifle ‘all’ new works of art for sake of the greedy few, u obviously have no idea how the internet workz, so get bak urself back under what ever rock u live under until u do understand what’s really happenin.
u’d have have them all in guantanamo no doubt but that will not stop it, this new way of ‘sharin’ is only gonna get bigger no matter attempts to thwart them is tried, they will always find a away around it
and as for ‘honest businesses’, pllleeeaze give uz all a break, n’ take ur blinkers off, u don’t see the film studio’z or the recording label’z showin much of a dent in their annual profits, especially with companies like amazon around, they are always going to make massive profits. most of their profits don’t even come from cd’z or dvd’z, so it’z time u and them stopped bitching about what amountz to, (in the grand scheme of things), a drop in the ocean, which is more than compensated by other avenuez of revenue.
jakkadan

nasch says:

May be more effective?

They will relay the information to the MPAA, and we can be sure not to have our boycott bunched up with “them ebil pirates”.

I think you’re underestimating their ability to blame things on piracy. “They bought snacks at the theater and then went home to watch bit torrents. If it weren’t for piracy, they would have bought movie tickets.”

AKBWannabe says:

“We suggest that in the meantime, if the MPAA is truly concerned about the jobs of truck drivers and others in the industry, then it can bring its overseas filming back to the U.S. and create more jobs. It could stop holding states hostage for millions of dollars in subsidies that strained state budgets can?t afford while pushing special-interest bills through state legislatures. While that happens, discussions could take place.”

Perfect! Just perfect…

Anonymous Coward says:

Disgusting

Bollocks. ‘Clearing the rights’ is something that you do when creating derivative works (and, IIRC, the term is generally used for the creation of _nonconsensual_ derivative works), not original content.

*MOST* original content out there was produced for a lot less than a million dollars – including all the stuff I’ve worked on that people have found valuable enough to warez.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re:

If you’ve got customers, use some of the money they paid you to pay for real hosting (it’s cheap) and upload your games to it. If you want to give your users the same experience Megaupload did, add some popup advertising for assorted scams, throw in an Evony ad, and make them wait a minute or five for the download to start.

There are a few people who used Megaupload to distribute free stuff, but it was really a bad idea – the idle time deletion means that you can’t trust your files to stick around *ANYHOW*, and the site does a great job of making everything hosted on it look dodgy.

Marah Marie (profile) says:

They get it - but they can't afford to act like they do. Make it stop!

From the OP: It shows, yet again, that he just doesn’t get it. But it’s not just him; there was an AP article the other day saying the reason this is being fought about in Congress at all is that Obama had a chance to block these bills but passed because he himself doesn’t want to offend Hollywood campaign contributors.

Corruption transcends party lines, ideology, status in Washington, and any other form of compartmentalization in politics: it revolves around getting elected or re-elected, which thanks to the high cost of TV ads (which should be given away gratis as a public service) is so outrageously expensive that no one can get their foot in the door anymore without sucking up to everyone out there with a big, fat checkbook.

Thanks to the high cost of running a visible, much less successful campaign, most politicians are forced to sell out. Unless you’re Ron Paul – somehow he’s managed not to – maybe everyone else from Obama on down ought to start taking notes on “how”. In the meantime, campaign ads really need to become free of charge – why does no one pass a bill mandating that or even put one up to a vote? Get rid of the very reason for the corruption so we can start fighting these issues out on a more honest and level playing field?

abc gum says:

They get it - but they can't afford to act like they do. Make it stop!

“there was an AP article the other day saying the reason this is being fought about in Congress at all is that Obama had a chance to block these bills but passed because he himself doesn’t want to offend Hollywood campaign contributors. “

Someone is confused

dateline 14Jan2012 The White House Comes Out Against SOPA

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/14/the-white-house-comes-out-against-sopa/

Anonymous Coward says:

Disgusting

Actually, ‘clearing the rights’ is something you do if you want to distribute a movie via theaters. It is part of the process of obtaining insurance; you need insurance because movie theaters can be sued for copyright infringement and they want a guarantee from you that the movie doesn’t infringe or if it does that you have insurance to cover the cost of a lawsuit.

Lowestofthekeys (profile) says:

Chris Dodd's Brass Balls

It’s sort of ballsy of Chris Dodd to talk about his job being at stake considering that the entertainment industry was going to attempt to funnel movies into video-on-demand, which essentially would put the theaters out of business and thousands of people would lose their jobs.

It’s even ironic that the entertainment industry goes to such great lengths to prevent musicians from releasing their music without a middleman, when they’re trying to take out the middlemen for their own media.

Jason (profile) says:

It happens all the time...

Entertainment is not the only industry that buys politicians. Another example is the companies that manufacture car seats. Why do you think the laws about how long children have to stay in car seats changes every few years? Industry lobbyists buy more politicians who pass laws in the name of keeping children “safe.” (They’re really just doing the bidding of the manufacturers.)

Anonymous Coward says:

Dodd is Completely Without Ethics or Shame

Please don’t compare those in prostitution with Chris Dodd. There is nothing wrong or shameful in being a prostitute, and I feel the horrible insult for the men and the women in prostitution at your comparison to Dodd.

I respectfully ask that you apologise to the men and the women who choose prostitution as their career, for insinuating that their occupation lies on the same low level as Chris Dodd.

David says:

Disgusting

“If you do what I like I will contribute to your campaign; if you don’t do what I like, I won’t contribute to your campaign.” If we have campaign contributions in any form, this statement is the very essence of them. Calling it bribery is incorrect, or an indictment of the system. To jail Dodd for this and not every other politician would be absurd. I disagree with his politics here, but your criticism should have some relation to reality.

Marah Marie (profile) says:

They get it - but they can't afford to act like they do. Make it stop!

Oh goodie, so in the last few days after the sheer amount of protests and negative publicity SOA and PIPA have received Obama has changed his stance ever so slightly; how “nuanced” of him, and how perceptive of you to point this out as though it refutes anything I just said.

Obama will probably back-peddle again in favor of the damn bills before this whole thing is over, seriously, who cares what he’s saying now? In the meantime, as I was saying, he’s afraid of losing Hollywood’s support (can’t find the exact AP article, which I read in a newspaper, but in the meantime here, have this: http://www.imperfectparent.com/topics/2012/01/17/obama-comes-out-against-current-sopa-and-pipa-legislation-but-stops-short-of-killing-it/).

Quote from the article, with emphasis my own:

Before today, Obama has been disappointingly silent on the twin censorship bills. The problem is ? the upcoming election. Obama and the Democrats get a lot of support from the Motion Picture Industry and ?Hollywood types? who seem to be extorting politicians into stifling the freedom of the Internet in effort to eliminate bootlegged material from surfacing on the net. […] In an election year, the President has to walk a fine line, but the bills are far from being dead. While the White House came out and said that it wouldn?t support the current drafts of the legislation, it did say that it would support revised drafts. Hollywood is not going to let this go and they are going to call out favors for political donations.

I could search and search and link and link you to more and more posts, including the AP article I can’t find that said much the same thing, but if you’re locked shut on this nothing is going to change your mind so why bother? Go ahead and trust Obama to do what’s best for us: he won’t – and no, I don’t care what he’s saying at the moment, it makes no difference. At most he’ll support ever-so-slightly watering down (not eliminating) bills like SOPA and PIPA until he gets re-elected, then change his stance again.

Agaponzie (user link) says:

Let's see some Truth

This has failed to surprise me, and its unfortunate that corruption has become the norm in politics. I would love to see a politician stand up for truth. They would go down in history as one of the greats. I think this is something everybody can agree with from the occupiers to the tea party. Unfortunately, I’m not sure our generation can produce somebody of such character. I discuss the power of a life of Truth here: http://agaponzie.blogspot.com/2012/01/life-of-truth.html

Anonymous Coward says:

DODD: We've Given Our QUID, We Want Our QUO!

It isn’t a thin line at all. Every time a corporation gives money to a politician it’s a bribe because corporations don’t really have platforms; corporations are interested in specific issues but I doubt Proctor and Gamble gives money to Republicans because they are pro-lifers and want to end abortion. I also doubt they give money to Democrats so that they can expand Social Security benefits.

They give money to get action on specific issues that directly impact them, that is the definition of bribery.

Rick Ladd (profile) says:

Transformation, not reformation

Thank you for pointing out the inadequacy of simple dictionary definitions, especially when looked at with little context. I use the words “reform” and “transform” in the sense the late Professor Russell Ackoff did. Here’s an example of how he saw the difference, taken from http://www.tracepickering.com/1/post/2011/1/what-does-transformation-mean-and-how-can-we-avoid-reform-mistakes-of-the-past.html:

“Ackoff defines “REFORM” as “to leave a system as it is and try to change its behavior through a modification of the means it employs.” This, he says, is about “doing things right.” Reforming teacher pay would be to attempt to change behavior by changing the means by which teachers get paid.

“He defines “TRANSFORM” as ” to change a system’s objectives or ends and the means it employs to acheive those ends.” This, he says, is about “doing the right things.” Tranforming teacher pay would be to match the pay system with the explicit outcomes of the new education system.”

The article says nothing about “radical” reform. I’m merely trying to point out that doing the same things somewhat differently likely won’t get us useful results. Based on the teachings of Ackoff (and others, e.g. Deming and Drucker) I think the distinction is important.

nasch says:

Transformation, not reformation

I’m merely trying to point out that doing the same things somewhat differently likely won’t get us useful results. Based on the teachings of Ackoff (and others, e.g. Deming and Drucker) I think the distinction is important.

I agree. But if you’re going to criticize someone’s use of a word because it doesn’t meet a non-standard definition someone made up, it’s best to lay out the definition you’re using at the time.

abc gum says:

They get it - but they can't afford to act like they do. Make it stop!

“in the last few days after the sheer amount of protests and negative publicity SOA and PIPA have received Obama has changed his stance ever so slightly”

I saw no time frame referred to in your original post.

“Obama will probably back-peddle”

This is what politicians do.

“… but if you’re locked shut on this nothing is going to change your mind so why bother? Go ahead and trust Obama to do what’s best for us: he won’t – and no, I don’t care what he’s saying at the moment, it makes no difference.”

I find it humorous when people project their own traits upon others. btw … nice rant.

Zutronic (user link) says:

Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren't Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought

It also demonstrates that politicians and lobbyists like Dodd believe the public is completely stupid; yes they think we are stupid and they’re throwing it in our face by doing what Dodd just did?

How? It is SOOOOOOOOOOOO ILLEGAL to purchase laws, to trade campaign contributions for specific legislation. What he did was just the largest and most publicly made confession! So WTF?

This is one of the biggest problems with our government today! The feds haven’t just gone to grab him for this?? Is it because he is on the purse-strings to politicians? Was the MegaUpload bust ordered by these same currently-in-office politicians to smooth him over since SOPA was clearly not wanted by the constituency?

Clearly he is breaking the law and flaunting it on national TV. Was the constitution secretly re-written so this crap is now legal??? Hasn’t this gotten way too far out of control?

WHERE IS HONESTY AND COMPETENCE IN OUR GOVERNMENT??

Marah Marie (profile) says:

They get it - but they can't afford to act like they do. Make it stop!

I saw no time frame referred to in your original post.

I can’t give you one. It was sometime within the last week; I’m a bit behind on offline reading, so the article I saw ran within the last week and a half or so at most. And I’d make more effort to find it online to link to but like I said, why bother.

I find it humorous when people project their own traits upon others.

Well, I didn’t mean to project that way but I did, so you’re right. I should have caught that before posting.

If I’m locked shut it’s simply because I don’t trust Obama with anything anymore. Too many times he backs down, bends over, and otherwise infuriates people with bill after bill that he either doesn’t stand up to enough or else pushes through himself when the bills in question are not in any normal human being’s best interests. So yeah, I’m getting a little hard-headed about him since my disgust is reaching epic levels lately.

Splive says:

Financial Analysis

I would be really interested in seeing numbers on money spent in lobbying compared to the supposed money lost on piracy. And how those numbers compare to an ACTUAL amount lost on piracy (out of 100 movies downloaded, not all 100 represent lost sales in theaters or dvd’s)

I would probably pay twice as much for netflix each month (or more?) if a larger library of movies was available from major studies on demand. I have not purchased a DVD since the LotR collectors edition. I see maybe 2-6 movies in theatres each year. I watch 5-10 hours of netflix a week most weeks. I am not a completely unusual user in the 25-35 year old male demographic. Seems like a lot of lost opportunity…

LC (profile) says:

Re:

Anonymus American,

Lets take a closer look shall we?

Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty.

The MAFIAA gives money (an item of value) to politicians (a person in charge of a legal duty) in order to get them to vote in favor of SOPA/PIPA (influencing their actions).

Normally this sort of thing isn’t easy to prove, but this is as good as a confession to it. Upon discovering that many of the politicians (a person in charge of a legal duty) did not vote in favor of his legislation (he attempted to influence their actions but failed) he threatens to stop giving any politician whom won’t back his legislation campaign funds (the item of value).

He is guilty of and should be charged with at least bribery, if not bribery, blackmail and threatening Congress. But given his position and power, to think he’ll be investigated by the FBI/SS, let alone arrested or charged, is absurd.

OOPArt (profile) says:

political online reps

It seems to me that the internet far out reaches the concept of countries – invisible lines in the soil if anything. For me the concept of the net is to provide a medium which supersedes the political and social restraints of any one particular place or organisation allowing true expression to take place in a manageable fashion, which can be used by anyone who chooses to take part – I live in a so called democracy, although its actually a dictatorship with a choice of three different puppets, none of whom are suitable for the job in any way, shape or form. It stands to reason that anyone who believes they have the ability to govern or rule over people is a megalomaniac, and therefore should not be suitable for the job. I cant choose not to be part of the political system here, even if I find a better way to live my life and so I feel like an outsider to the system and dwell on the fringes of so called society – the internet is a place where I generally find the things I need and they come from every corner of the world, as regardless of the geographic location or any political or social trends or policies in that region it makes no real difference as it all comes from the same screen.

Since I began using the internet I have seen a marked reduction in the number of racist comments or racially motivated trolling etc. that I see online, while out on the city streets there is a marked rise in racially motivated and generally violent crimes (stabbings in particular).

I wonder if it would actually be possible to appoint a single person or organisation to represent the e-views of the populous, given the hyper-complex and personal nature of individual internet use per person? Every single person I know uses the net in a different way!

Would love to know other peoples opinions on this, feel free to reply!

OOPArt

Tommy Ames says:

Chris dodd fox news

I am watching and waiting for the petition to investigate Chris Dodd now at the Whitehouse. If a investigation does not happen ? I and I hope many others raise hell.

The whole idea of government officials taking these bribes and the people that bribe them is so wrong it threatens the stability of the USA and how and when Laws are made.

I for one am tired of hearing from government that “we are a country of laws” But nothing ever happens on issues like Mortgage fraud, Fast and Furious gun running and now bribery of some of our highest officials.

It seems the corruption has reached the highest level in government with Obama as the boss of DOJ and the head law enforcement in the whole country Eric Holder. Obama should step in and take whatever action that brings Justice BUT Obama does nothing.

So now the quote of “We are a country of laws” is becoming a sick joke through out America.

I hope “we the people” will raise up like we did protesting the SOPA bill and let the world know we practic what we preach.

God bless America
We need his blessing like never before.

david vaughan says:

the MPAA and RIAA had no problems with audio and video tapes….was it because the digital versions are being shared much faster then the cassettes ? no its actually because people now have a voice of which movies and albums they want and or buy, instead of being force fed bullshit…..I only buy albums from bands i want to hear now after i download it to check it out, instead of when you had to go to the record store, buy an album and hope the rest of the album besides the one song on the radio was any good……or go try watching a movie the day it comes out because the trailer gave you nothing of any insight.that’s what they don’t like is the fact that the money they are actually losing is the suckers now have a way to try before they buy….i will keep sharing my e-casettes, and the money grubbing bastards can suck it.

and no, its not illegal if i make a copy and let my friend in new zealand borrow it indeffinately.

PaulT (profile) says:

Re:

“the MPAA and RIAA had no problems with audio and video tapes”

Erm… no. Learn a bit of history. they’ve always had problems with new technology, and have always been wrong:

“I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone.” (Jack Valenti, Head of MPAA, 1982)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios,_Inc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Taping_Is_Killing_Music

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Home_Recording_Act

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