Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
The House of Representatives has combined the largely good Music Modernization Act with the CLASSICS Act, which would add new royalties and penalties to recordings made before 1972, without giving anything back to the public. That same mistake was replicated in the Senate with S. 2823.
The CLASSICS Act would extend federal copyright restrictions and penalties to sound recordings made between 1923 and 1972, making it so that songs recorded in that era would, for the first time, not be able to be streamed online without a license. Currently, various state laws govern this relationship, and those laws don't give record labels control over streaming.
The CLASSICS Act gives nothing back to the public. It doesn't increase access to pre-1972 recordings, which are already played regularly on Internet radio. And it doesn't let the public use these recordings without permission any sooner. While some recording artists and their heirs will receive money under the act, the main beneficiaries will be recording companies, who will control the use of classic recordings for another fifty years. Important recordings from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s won't enter the public domain until 2067. And users of recordings that are already over 90 years old will face the risk of federal copyright's massive, unpredictable penalties.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:05PM (29 children)
If it wasn't clear by now while both parties are pretty terrible the Republicans are far and away the party of corruption. The Dems tried to bridge the divide between liberal and conservative but turned into an ineffective neo-liberal shitshow.
They both suck, but the GOP is way more corrupt. Like WAY more, they have literally no values except money.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:26PM (9 children)
What is clear is that the Democrats buy votes by promising to steal other people's money and re-distribute it.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Friday August 03 2018, @07:54PM (5 children)
Paying for a federal spending increase with a tax cut for the rich sounds an awful lot like buying votes with the public's money.
And, bailing out the farmers impacted by Trumps dumb-ass trade war with taxpayer money also sounds like wealth redistribution.
Is there anything else the Republicans did this week you'd like to project onto the Democrats?
(Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:59PM (4 children)
Was there anything done this week by republicans democrats wouldn't have done themselves? The uniparty achieves it's goals while distracting gullible fools with political theater and newsreel drama. There is no difference.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @09:26PM (3 children)
The DNC is terrible in its own way and has supported shitty copyright updates as well, but if your first reaction is to play Whatabouts Them People then you need to take a step back and breathe.
There is quite a bit of difference, and quite a bit of overlap between the two parties. Don't equivocate, that is just a tactic to make people feel helpless and apathetic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @11:35PM (2 children)
They both screw you on different issues. Since the parties alternate, in the end you're fucked on everything. The only way to escape this cycle will be to create new parties that actually stand for something other than corporate interests. We actually hold ALL the power and yet we do nothing.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 04 2018, @03:28AM
List of third parties in US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_party_(United_States) [wikipedia.org] Mind you, those are just the current third parties; it doesn't include the ones that were tried and disbanded after their failure.
We are not going to vote our way out of this. We are not going to raise some new party and capture the reigns of government.
Our country was founded by people meeting the armed representatives of the legitimate government on the field of battle and blowing their brains out. Not even a hundred years after that, two sections of our country met on the field of battle and blew each other's brains out. In both instances, everyone had already tried everything they could think of other than fighting, before the fighting. Still there was the blowing out of brains.
Time for round three, I'm afraid. (I'd love to be wrong.)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 04 2018, @05:50AM
Totally agree, and more parties will help bring the GOP and DNC in line.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by noneof_theabove on Friday August 03 2018, @10:54PM (2 children)
PROVE IT JACKASS !
I'm a Realist, look at both sides and make and educated decision.
To prove it, the optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist says the glass is half empty.
The realist says shite for brains you got the wrong glass.
Do you like paying 18-24% of your income so the "Coke Bros" can pay less taxes than they pay their secretary?
So how about a "realist" method.
Federal Ingress Egress Tax System [F.E.I.T.S pronounced "feets"].
2% taken out when money traverses the banking system "into" an account.
2% taken out when funds traverse the bank "going out" of an account.
So 4% tax. NO OTHER no IRS, now state, city, etc. it is all inside the electronic banking system.
But what about the time you called that bill board number to call Jesus for Help and an hour later a mexican showed up with a lawn mower.
Well you had to run down to the ATM and pull $50 + $1 for 2% out going tax.
Then Jose took it to the store for groceries and the store payed 2% getting stuff [out going $] on the shelf and 2% when sold [2% income to store] and that is 4%.
Want a McMansion for $20M well that will cost you 2% from you bank and the Realty agency 2% when they deposit the sell so each payed $400,000 tax.
Wall Street shuffling TRILLIONS a day under the table with no tax.....STOPPED the stock sell and buyer each pay 2% of that 1M shares.
So what is that to the Feds?
26 TRILLION A YEAR. This year budget 3.8T and will end up at about 4.2 [if someone takes the checkbook away from the Orange Buffoon]
Education for all, medical costs for all, veteran fairly compensated and health covered, no collapsing bridges, or pot holes on the roads.
NATIONAL DEBT GONE THE FIRST YEAR.
INFRASTRUCTURE COMPLETED SECOND YEAR then a re-evaluation to 1.5% maybe 1% [still 13T a year]
Oh, and the only thing I know on this planet, that uses oxygen and is not social are snakes and lawyers. Birds, bees, people, fish EVERY last species IS SOCIAL.
Thing are only complicated because complicated creates confusion and confusion results in smoke, mirrors, and lies to cover up the theft of the Rethuglical Party.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 04 2018, @10:24PM (1 child)
what about cash transactions?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @09:52AM
and more importantly, foreign cash and gold/diamonds transactions.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:47PM (17 children)
OP gets "Score:2, Informative" for baseless, hysterical, hyperbolic claim; the countering AC gets "Score:-1, Troll".
Bias much, SoylentNews?
My hand is forced: Time to start re-posting downmodded comments.
-----
What is clear is that the Democrats buy votes by promising to steal other people's money and re-distribute it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by archfeld on Friday August 03 2018, @06:51PM (2 children)
Have facts to the contrary, start posting such. As far as I can see, it is a black eye for our senators and congress people all around, and a win for recording companies as a whole. While the posting does lack citations some subjects are just so plain as to not require them.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:08PM (1 child)
As you say, "some subjects are just so plain".
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Friday August 03 2018, @11:48PM
So the source of the money is the root of the corruption ? Not the fact that the votes can be bought in the first place ? I think you are to focused on the symptom and not the sickness.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday August 03 2018, @07:09PM (9 children)
Republicans have spent the last 18 months focused exclusively on the happiness of corporations, because what's good for corporations has to be good for the country, regardless of what it does to the people or the environment. At the level currently displayed, and because of Citizens United that is easily interpreted as corruption.
Inflammatory on-topic exaggeration gets upvoted.
Whataboutism comment equates taxation (and actual fiscal responsibility) with stealing people's money, and brands the government's social programs -elsewhere considered a feature of being civilized, and a cost-saving concept compared to jails- as the buzzword "redistribution", associated with the never-proven-despite-looking-all-the-time "buying votes".
Inflammatory offtopic whataboutism gets downvoted.
But hey, it's early, the numbers will change
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:13PM (5 children)
Republicans are the most corrupt?
Nope. Not the way I see it.
OP gave his opinion, and I gave mine.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:55PM (3 children)
That is fine, but if people regard your opinion as trolling whataboutism then expect to get modded down. Or do we need to make a safe space where your opinions are respected by everybody and no one is allowed to criticize them?
You realize anyone can click the + button and see what you wrote yes? Maybe some other person will mod you up because they find the troll mod unfair, maybe not. Let the feedback from the community guide your method of communication.
Maybe if your ideas seem to be unfairly modded down all the time you might just be wrong? Naaaah, no amount of discussion has swayed your single minded dogma even a little bit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:58PM (1 child)
That's the deal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @09:29PM
MOD THIS SOYBOY DOWN! Don't stop till we reach -aleph!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by RandomFactor on Friday August 03 2018, @11:04PM
"Let the feedback from the community guide your method of communication."
Changing views for community acceptance (vs. non-fallacious counterpoint) is called an echo chamber. Disagree.
Changing wording and presentation to avoid getting whapped by people who don't like people being jerks on the forum I can get behind however. Agree.
(depending on what you actually meant)
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Saturday August 04 2018, @05:21PM
OP gave his opinion, and I gave mine.
And notice that instead of being modded down you were modded up.
It's when you engage in bad-faith arguments, fallacy, and lies that you get modded down.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by HiThere on Friday August 03 2018, @08:02PM (2 children)
Perhaps it depends on your definition of corruption. E.g., Senator Feinstein *could* have defended voting for a copyright bill because it protected companies in her constituency. As far as I can tell, that didn't even occur to her. She voted for it an did not explain her reasons to me, one of her constituents. I'm forced to conclude that she considered her reasons indefensible.
P.S.: I'm not talking about this bill, I'm talking about one a bit of awhile ago. The one before that she (or her staff) lied directly in a response saying they would consider my opinions after she had already taken money and voted in committee.
So I consider Feinstein corrupt. Would she still merit being called corrupt if she had defended her vote as supporting important industries in her constituency? After accepting campaign support from them?
Now, FWIW, I haven't heard any legislator explain their vote in a manner that I find both convincing and non-corrupt. This doesn't mean that such don't exist, as I don't pay that much attention, especially to legislators whose constituency I am not in. But clearly at the moment Republicans are more in the news with displays of blatant corruption. This may be because they're the party in power, but by my definition, they are much more blatantly corrupt than the Democrats were the last time they controlled the presidency and both houses. One can reasonably argue against this on either the grounds of a different definition of corruption, or that blatant corruption does not equivalence to effective corruption. Against that I can only say "my definition is my definition, and falls within the generally accepted meaning of the term corruption" or "effective corruption is hard to evaluate".
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by black6host on Friday August 03 2018, @08:37PM (1 child)
Perhaps you're referring to the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Saturday August 04 2018, @01:16AM
Actually I was referring (in the comment about the direct lie) to a revision of...I forget the official name, UCITA. I think it was section 2b, but that's long ago, and while I remember the lie and betrayal, I don't remember the details. IIRC it didn't actually pass, but the changes they were trying to slip into that got implemented in other ways that caused less immediate public outcry.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @07:41PM (3 children)
The proper stance for any self respecting citizen is to belittle their lazy ineffective servants called politicians no matter the color. The problem with your post, is that you said the democrats, while the topic shows reps stealing money from people by making them pay for cultural assets. Those songs were not created in a vacuum. It is unfair to pay the COMPOSER (note the term, music is composed not created) for having composed preexisting ideas and barring others to reinterpret it for free. It is unfair to pay someone else.
Copyright was a SUSPENSION of NATURAL RIGHTS. An indefinite suspension is theft. You wouldn't download a suspension, no?
Account abandoned.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:56PM (2 children)
The rest of your reply is pretty much drivel that does nothing to help build a stable, prosperous society.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @08:19PM
>The rest of your reply is pretty much drivel that does nothing to help build a stable, prosperous society.
How many centuries before the big rightful guys (whom you are handing all the control to) start doing that? Don't tell me they are doing their best because it is demonstrably not so.
Never mind, back to topic, the corporate labels.
Shall I post some youtube music videos of the media behemoths that are "helping building a stable, prosperous society"? Sites like vigilantcitizen have the cream of the crop.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @09:31PM
That is funny, I was thinking the same thing about every single one of your posts. All you've got is the sentiment of pro-freedom.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Saturday August 04 2018, @08:53PM
Both the major parties are 2-faced when it comes to corruption:
- "Mainstream" Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are indeed for sale to the highest bidder, and are all about pursuing their self-interest to maximize their donations and fat lobbyist paychecks once they leave office. Trump is partially about this as well, e.g. his constant vacationing at his own resorts which just happens to siphon large sums from the public treasury to Trump's businesses.
- The religious right, most heavily represented by Mike Pence, have values. Those values are summed up as follows: "Christianity should be established as the official religion of the United States, and the religious laws of the Bible (as interpreted by our preachers) should be the law of the land. Financial success is a sign of God's favor and moral uprightness, so rich people should be praised and emulated." They tolerate Trump's horrendous personal behavior because they believe he might actually establish Christianity in this way. They generally believe that the Constitution either allows them to do this, or don't care because their religious beliefs are more important than any secular structures. So far at least, the Republicans, dominated by the "mainstream" types, have not been giving these people what they want, though, just occasionally throwing them a symbolic bone or two to keep them from revolting against the Republicans any more than they already occasionally do.
- "Mainstream" Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are indeed for sale to the highest bidder, and are all about pursuing their self-interest to maximize their donations and fat lobbyist paychecks once they leave office. Hillary Clinton was partially about this as well, e.g. her high-powered speeches to Goldman Sachs.
- The progressive left, most heavily represented by Bernie Sanders, has values. Those values are summed up as follows: "All people should have the basics of what they need to survive, and the opportunities they need to get more than that. If we need to tax the rich like crazy to pay for that, so be it." They tolerated Bill Clinton's horrendous personal behavior in no small part because they believed he'd actually move the country towards that kind of environment. They generally believe that the Constitution allows them to do this. So far at least, the Democrats, dominated by the "mainstream" types, have not been giving these people what they want, though, just occasionally throwing them a symbolic bone or two to keep them from revolting against the Democrats any more than they already occasionally do.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:16PM (17 children)
Instead of trying to get the Men with Guns to re-distribute the rights over someone else's work, how about you and your ilk try producing your own content according to the terms that you desire?
You want to use someone else's work? Get that person to agree; usually, money is persuasive.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @06:34PM (10 children)
I admire your pure stance wrt the right to someone else's work. Now stop using the Roman alphabet altogether until you get the Romans to agree. I am confident the world will not hear from you any longer. A win-win if you ask me.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:40PM (6 children)
As far as I can tell, they agree to my usage.
Certainly, there doesn't appear to be a good way for anyone to enforce a restriction of my usage; in contrast, the music industry has persuaded the Men with Guns to help them enforce their will.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @07:25PM (5 children)
No, the rightful author are ded, they cannot express agreement more than mr. John "Imagine there's no heaven so where the fuck am I" Lennon.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:29PM (4 children)
That's why clear rules of ownership and contractual obligation are so important as the foundation of a Free society.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @07:44PM (3 children)
The clear rules of ownership are muddied by copyright. It's one of the reason why your phone is not yours.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @08:00PM (2 children)
The rules for you using other people's work seems muddled to you, but it's not; you just don't like them.
What is clear is that you are free to make your own content and then apply whatever rules you want. Start building the world you want to see, rather than trying to deconstruct what others have built.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @08:33PM
LOL, an ad hominem to a bot. Shall we examine assertions instead?
Natural right: what goes into a meatbag's brain is HIS. He uses it for nefarious purposes? he goes to jail for it.
Copyright: EvilCorp PAYS DJs to have a song hammered into the brain of the defenseless youngsters, using side channels to paint it as hip, and profits on their needs to identify by acquiring the right to the song. In a LESS UNJUST system, if a piece of music is for pay, it should ALWAYS be for pay, not heard for free and ESPECIALLY not pushed.
Copyright: the PROs sometimes went after national anthems played in institutional settings.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Friday August 03 2018, @09:30PM
And then do what when the incumbent claims that your work is too similar to their work?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:43PM (2 children)
01001111 01001011 00101100 00100000 01110111 01101111 01110010 01101011 01110011 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01101101 01100101
(Score: 3, Touché) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @07:33PM (1 child)
The Indians for the concept and the Arabs for the graphics of 1 and 0 would want a word with you, sir. Then of course you must channel the spirit of a couple mathematicians who came up with the binary system. Boole came later.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @08:13PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals
Of course, that says nothing about the glyphs, but that's a whole 'nother rabbit hole.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Friday August 03 2018, @06:52PM (3 children)
When I do produce my own work, what steps should I take to ensure that my own work is actually original as opposed to being an inadvertent infringement of copyright in someone else's work?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:10PM (2 children)
They've developed all manner of systems for dealing with it.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:55PM
But you will have to develop your own systems. Using theirs is infringing!
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Friday August 03 2018, @09:33PM
What systems might these be, specifically?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @10:42PM
This attempt to redistribute rights is being made by the Men with Guns.
Unfortunately for them, most people are more interested in distribution of content (which continues unabated) rather than rights.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 04 2018, @06:16AM
These are government-enforced monopolies over ideas in the first place, enforced by... Men with Guns. You're a piss-poor libertarian/anarchist/contracts troll.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Snotnose on Friday August 03 2018, @06:16PM (2 children)
why it doesn't bother to get my older music via bittorrent.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @06:38PM (1 child)
Pirating old recordings is an immoral act.
After this law has passed, buying new issues of old recordings is a VERY immoral act.
I guess we need a new generation of artists monkeying the previous work. Which is nothing new, as most of those artists freely helped themselves of existing ideas for their works.
Only, this time, artists, cut the middlemen out. The sooner they die the freer we return. And I underline "return".
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 04 2018, @11:52AM
They don't cut out the middlemen, the middlemen have just changed face and name.
(Score: 5, Touché) by bob_super on Friday August 03 2018, @06:43PM (2 children)
> That same mistake
I do not believe this word means what you think it means.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by HiThere on Friday August 03 2018, @08:05PM (1 child)
Mod parent insightful!!!
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @08:36PM
Is it a mistake to mistake mistake, now? Oh dear
Account abandoned.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @06:47PM
Having recently been inspired by the CLASSICS Act which you sponsor, I hope you will agree that state pensions should similarly be extended into the realm of parasitism. My proposed extension would ensure descendants and estates of past state employees can continue to demand revenue for employment performed over the course of the last century. My proposed name for this nascent act is "Finally Usurping Corporate Kleptocracy Yielding Obligations Unilaterally". Can we take your tireless work in the service of corporate thievery as an indication that you will be supportive?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by DannyB on Friday August 03 2018, @06:50PM (3 children)
I found this approximately two decades ago (9/18/2000) on the green site. [slashdot.org] I did not write it. It has since disappeared from the intarweb tubes. A few years ago I have posted it to TechDirt a couple of times. One [techdirt.com] Two [techdirt.com]
It is quasi on topic. It's good to be able to see the progress being made toward this wonderful world of 2020.
A Letter from 2020:
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:01PM (2 children)
I do not like how uncomfortable I am reading this and how realistic it sounds...
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday August 03 2018, @07:52PM (1 child)
I don't like it either. Sounds like the plan is lagging, only an year and a half to go.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 07 2018, @09:25AM
Poor automaton, it's all interpreted as equally worthy data.... at least we have nothing to worry about regarding AI overlords!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @08:25PM
How about we just purge that entire area in fire and be done with it once and for all. It seems to be some kind of hotbed for copyright extension. Everytime it pops up it stays around for months and then whenever it goes away it comes back again. Clearly we are never dealing with the core issue here but are just treating symptoms over and over again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @09:13PM (1 child)
Need i say more?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @09:34PM
Cunts, wankers, corrupt little bitches, fucktards, greedy assholes, authoritarian shits, yeah I think we're good now.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Gaaark on Friday August 03 2018, @09:47PM
Largely good Music: so 'music' like Justin Bieber puts out will not be a part of this? Only the good music?
Where will it stop?
Obviously Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and the stuff played on pop radio will slip by this, but i'm guessing Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, R.Stones etc will be affected by this?
Damn.
Couldn't we just have a largely shitty Music Modernization Act to cover the Bieber et al's and leave the Good Music untouched?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Saturday August 04 2018, @03:54PM (1 child)
Copyright law is no longer a just law and therefore must be openly ignored, broken, and ridiculed. It is not a law for the benefit of the citizens and therefore is not a valid law. The fact that all three branches of government have failed so utterly in the area of copyright law is an indicator of sorts of the general decline and failure of our government. It is your duty as a patriot and citizen to subvert this invalid law.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 05 2018, @12:40PM
Is it written somewhere that a law for which has been perverted to this degree is no longer valid?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 07 2018, @07:19AM
The rich and the greedy. Life is but a big casino and everybody knows the House always wins.