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Last week we wrote a critical analysis of Elizabeth Warren's big plan to break up "big tech." As we noted, there was a lot in the plan that was nonsensical, unsupported by the facts or just plain confused. We'll be talking more about some of these ideas a lot over the next few years I imagine (stay tuned), but there was one line in Warren's plan that deserved a separate post: it appears that a part of Warren's big attack on big tech... is to give a massive handout to Hollywood. Here's the line:
We must help America's content creators — from local newspapers and national magazines to comedians and musicians — keep more of the value their content generates, rather than seeing it scooped up by companies like Google and Facebook.
That may sound rather basic and lacking any details, but what's notable about it is that the language reflects -- almost exactly -- the language used in the EU in support of the absolute worst parts of the EU Copyright Directive (specifically, Article 11 and Article 13). For example, this Q & A page by the Legislative Affairs Committee of the EU Parliament uses quite similar language:
The draft directive intends to oblige giant internet platforms and news aggregators (like YouTube or GoogleNews) to pay content creators (artists/musicians/actors and news houses and their journalists) what they truly owe them;
Why, that sounds quite familiar. Indeed, Warren's announcement even uses "keep more of the value their content generates," which appears to be a reference to the completely made up notion of a "value gap" between what internet platforms make and what they should be paying artists.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 21 2019, @05:49AM (2 children)
But the devil is in the details, as always.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 21 2019, @12:52PM (1 child)
The stated goal (protect content creaters) could be nobel if you ignore the idea that copyright is a deal between producers and consumers.
But the actual goal (protect big content providers but ignore the little ones and especially the deal) is not anywhere close to nobel.
The irony is that the Internet is a whole new game which makes it possible for the little creater to make a living.
As a Democrat, Ms. Warren should be all over this.
But the established movie and recording industries don't want to have to adapt to a better world.
So she seems to be off in a hole.
Copyright reform needs to address fair use in the age of the Internet (a few notes does not make a song), accountability for false takedowns (can you say takedown timeout?), and the regulatory capture of the Congress (Mickey Mouse copyright extensions).
Hopefully her plan will make some progress in some of these areas and not make things worse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 22 2019, @07:27PM
Actually I meant the goal to kill go-ogle and failbook.