SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the second-rule-is-don't-write-anything-down dept.
Earlier this month, [TechDirt] noted that the Hollywood studios were all resisting subpoenas from Google concerning their super cozy relationship with Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, whose highly questionable "investigation" of Google appeared to actually be run by the MPAA and the studios themselves. The entire "investigation" seemed to clearly be an attempt to mislead the public into believing that it was somehow illegal for Google's search engine to find stuff that people didn't like online. A court has already ruled that Hood pretty clearly acted in bad faith to deprive Google of its First Amendment rights. As the case has continued, Google has sought much more detail on just how much of the investigation was run by the MPAA and the studios -- and Hollywood has vigorously resisted, claiming that they really had nothing to do with all of this, which was a laughable assertion.
However, in a filing on Thursday, Google revealed one of the few emails that they have been able to get access to so far, and it's stunning.
To read some of the content of the e-mail (which really is stunning, if only for how openly the MPAA is doing this), read more here: TechDirt article
takyon: Dec. 12: Google Ends MPAA Anti-Piracy Cooperation
Dec. 23: As Hollywood Funds a SOPA Revival Through State Officials, Google (And The Internet) Respond
Jul. 3: Google Scolds MPAA on Cozy Relationship With the Mississippi Attorney General
(Score: 2, Offtopic) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday July 27 2015, @10:53PM
I have many reasons to ourchase compact discs rather than download. Among them is that I am a musician, and I have many close friends who are musicians. Some of them sell out every ticket to their live performances.
Even so they are all of very modest means. This leads me to wonder why they arent wealthy given that they sell so many recordings.
Canada taxes blank recordable CD media to compensate musicians for downloading. I lived in Canada for a number of years, my music while not mainstream is quite popular there, yetnno one every sent me my royalty check. Perhaps they dont have my current mailing address? If so you could really help a brother out by telling me how to file it.
Thanks! -- Mike
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 27 2015, @11:14PM
Silly person - you thought that CD tax was to help musicians. That's not the way governments work. That money is for their rich friends - in this case, the big shots who run the record labels. When these sociopaths get the money, they kick some of it back to the politicians so they get re-elected so they can come up with another scam to take money from the poor and give it to the rich. That's called capitalism.
You don't count and never did. Giving money to you is socialism. Even if you do all the work.
On a more serious note: Jon Stewart had it right when he said something like "Modern democracy means socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor." That's why the rich get the handouts (e.g. bank bailouts - the thing Stewart was commenting on) and the poor get the losses (taxes to cover those bailouts).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 27 2015, @11:23PM
Even if it did go to actual musicians and such, it's still insane to have the government charge a tax on something like blank CDs for absolutely everyone just because some people may 'abuse' it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Nerdfest on Tuesday July 28 2015, @12:46AM
Not at all. I've paid my fees and therefore get to download all available recorded music.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday July 28 2015, @06:52PM
Not at all. I've paid my fees and therefore get to download all available recorded music.
From the Wikipedia page for Private Copying Levy:
"Currently, private copy royalties are generated in the US by the sale of "blank CDs and personal audio devices, media centers, satellite radio devices, and car audio systems that have recording capabilities.".
Note that is only in the US, many other nations have higher and lower taxes for more or less categories of items. Perhaps they should be providing us with download credits, as you would be hard pressed to find examples of them actually paying artists. In fact, you might realize the artists mentioned in the OP are being charged a tax for the blank media used to record and sell their own music!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 28 2015, @02:45AM
Despite what conservatives and reactionaries constantly claim, that's not a property inherent i government, but merely blatant corruption.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 27 2015, @11:20PM
My son has been a few bands, cut some CDs, opened for some very popular bands, toured the states, has award winning music videos, etc. Has not received a cent from the record labels. I say torrent what you want and donate directly to the artist, like I do.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Snotnose on Monday July 27 2015, @11:32PM
I've wanted a system to only reward the artists since the 80s. Back in the day I used to buy an album and make a cassette tape of it. Sometimes I'd make mixtapes for my friends. Not to try to hook up with them (I had cocaine for that :), but because I thought the music was good, never got played on the radio, and deserved to be known more widely.
I always felt a little bit guilty giving these tapes away (I seemed to be the Guy Who Knew Bands Nobody Else Did, like Metallica and Queensryche). Then in the 90s they started charging a tax on blank cassettes and my guilt went away. Replaced by anger, knowing that tax went to bigwigs who couldn't tune a guitar, let alone play it, and the bands got bupkiss.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Tuesday July 28 2015, @07:59AM
All the local musicians here, the ones who know my face, know I'm contributing positively (with $$$) to the music scene here, and they happily fling me URLs to torrents which would technically be illegal (even if by downloading that music it leads me to purchasing the CD, and thus has in reality been free advertising). That tells me the moral right is with me, no matter what the MAFIAA say.
Anyway, enough seriousness, here's some Fast Show: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeYmvrtrq7I
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1) by ThePhilips on Tuesday July 28 2015, @08:48AM
I say torrent what you want and donate directly to the artist, like I do.
Another way to "donate" to artists, is to buy the CDs and apparel at the concerts.
Most of the time, the proceeds go directly to the artists.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 27 2015, @11:26PM
Join the union to collect what they have negotiated??
http://www.ascap.com/members/payment/whocollect.aspx [ascap.com]
There are others too, but ASCAP is the big one -- formed in the early days of radio,
http://www.ascap.com/about/ [ascap.com]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday July 28 2015, @03:31AM
I know about ASCAP, and I support them.
But if that tax only goes towards ascap members and not to ALL canadian musicians then the tax itself is in clear violation of the law. I dont know which one but I will find out; I know a canadian public interest solicitor while this isnt his kind of law he could refer me to one.
A badly contrived example would be for the US to collect a tax on the purchase of used cars then to give all that money to United Auto Workers. There are many other laborers who lose out one one doesnt buy new.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday July 28 2015, @05:14AM
The auto makers sure made out like a bandit on California's "Cash for Clunkers" program where politicians used taxpayer money to take used automobiles and SUV's off the market.
Having spent California's money for things like this, we exhaust our treasury, then we have Governor Brown approaching the microphone to plead with the California Taxpayers to "work with him" by passing a sales tax increase.
Guess what... we approved it!
We will actually willingly pay additional tax to support higher prices! All the special interests have to do is let their pleas be said through a microphone - nicely. "Say YES" they intone.... and we do.
I think we will do damned near anything the "microphone people" tell us to do.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday July 28 2015, @05:33AM
He is a close friend of one of my close friends.
I readily agree that Jerry doesnt make a whole lot of sense. But even so he is a deeply insightful political thinker.
Reaaly, he should have been a journalist.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Tuesday July 28 2015, @06:08AM
Ah, the media tax. Some places also tax memory in MP3 players and the like. I recall seeing an article some years ago, in which the author traced the money. What little was paid out did mostly go to the big companies. IIRC most of the money went to fund the bureaucracy in charge of collecting the money. Pournelle's Iron Law in action.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Tuesday July 28 2015, @07:51AM
For years, the Canadian Private Copying Collective just took in the money and kept it [and of course, paid themselves quite handsomely for doing so]. Eventually somebody noticed, and now they actually do distribute some of the funds they receive.
For you to receive money for your work [either as a performer or a songwriter], you have to join one of it's 'subagencies' [depending on which 'rights' you have], and then they decide what fraction of all the money they collect each year should be yours.
Likely, that number rounds to $0.00.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday July 28 2015, @05:44PM
I would not do so if the money really goes to the artists.
But after receiving my first check - or lack thereof - I would have standing to haul them into court soma forensic accountant could uncook their books.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 28 2015, @11:36AM
Here's one story "Warner Music's Royalty Statements: Works Of Fiction"
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091201/1957497156.shtml [techdirt.com]