Bill S.978: Stop it ASAP!

[Drtooth]

Somehow the wording of the bill is a bunch of mangled legalese that seems to suggest they want to redefine "public performance" to include the internet.

 

[CensoredAlso]

There's really not much to say about removing songs from YouTube; it's their property and they have the right to do it. We don't like it when we create images or Blog entries online and someone uses them without our permission.

I will say, if they're going to do this, they should be making more of an effort to give audiences other resources to enjoy older media. There's definitely been some significant progress with iTunes, Hulu, Netflix etc. But it's still an uphill battle. And DVDs are still far too expensive, especially during a recession. And I blame the box sets to a certain extent. It used to be enough to occasionally buy two episodes of a TV show on one VHS. Now the only way to own hard copies of individual episodes is to buy a $40, $50, $60+ box set. It's very frustrating and again, inappropriate in these economic times.

Bottom line, copyright law is very important, but it shouldn't be the means to deprive audiences of art.

 

[Drtooth]

I will say, if they're going to do this, they should be making more of an effort to give audiences other resources to enjoy older media. There's definitely been some significant progress with iTunes, Hulu, Netflix etc. But it's still an uphill battle. And DVDs are still far too expensive, especially during a recession. And I blame the box sets to a certain extent. It used to be enough to occasionally buy two episodes of a TV show on one VHS. Now the only way to own hard copies of individual episodes is to buy a $40, $50, $60+ box set. It's very frustrating and again, inappropriate in these economic times.

Yes, but said VHS cost upwards of 15 bucks, and you only get a select few episodes. The price of Box sets is sharply declining. Mill Creek is selling the entire 65 episodes of Bravestarr for 20 bucks. Only real expensive ones are current TV sitcoms, and those are the ones dragging the sales down.

Personally, I don't buy the "Stealing's stealing" argument. The copyright law is EXTREMELY flawed, the industry is hardly angelic and often steals from itself (in cases they have been known to pass on show ideas/film treatments only to change names and minimal concepts and claim it as their own), and overall artists don't make money, the people who own them do.

Copyright is meant to protect the creator, but it doesn't. It protects whoever has the money to buy something from ever having to share it with people who want it. it does NOT by any means prevent TRUE plagiarism (I can name numerous examples of films, television shows, and music to back that up. Why would there be so many identical medical dramas and Judge programs if anyone gave a crap about Plagiarism?) It protects CEO's and rights holders from anything that could potentially lose money that simply doesn't exist. If someone pirates a movie, chances are he wasn't going to see it anyway. It's an "if every kid did it" scenario... but not every kid WANTS to do it.

Remember the stink years back when no one was buying CD's? it wasn't because of file sharing and piracy... it was both a reluctance to go into new medium AND the fact the industry was producing all these terrible one hit wonders at the time. This was the era when cheap dance hip hop came about. Who wants to legally support someone who mechanically writes "Women, shake your euphemism for butt?" When someone burped out "Shake your Laffy Taffy," that's when the industry just got stupid and greedy.

Oh, and a fraction of the money goes to the actual performers and writers.

I'm not saying we should watch all the current movies on bit torrent or download current available CD's, I'm saying fan remixes, covers of songs, and stuff done NOT for profit needs to be re-examined as fair use. Companies need not chastise, but rather embrace this stuff. You realize, of course, these big entertainment companies have NO qualms about stealing internet videos themselves and claiming ownership.

Just... at least let stuff up with a disclaimer.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Mill Creek is selling the entire 65 episodes of Bravestarr for 20 bucks.

Yeah but I've bought series sets from Mill Creek and the quality wasn't so hot compared to other companies selling the same shows, heh. Don't get me wrong I'm grateful to have them at all, but it is noticeable.

The copyright law is EXTREMELY flawed, the industry is hardly angelic and often steals from itself (in cases they have been known to pass on show ideas/film treatments only to change names and minimal concepts and claim it as their own), and overall artists don't make money, the people who own them do.

Oh I definitely know that; it's hypocritical when you consider that often artists don't even get to own their own songs. I'm just being realistic; if the company owns it we shouldn't be too shocked when they make their presence known, heh.

Why would there be so many identical medical dramas and Judge programs if anyone gave a crap about Plagiarism?

That's not Plagiarism. That's just lack of originality, lol.

 

[D'Snowth]

Copyright is meant to protect the creator, but it doesn't. It protects whoever has the money to buy something from ever having to share it with people who want it.

That's why it's best to be independent, and own the rights to all of your own stuff... this is why Walt Disney himself told people, like Sid& Marty Krofft, NEVER SELL ANYTHING YOU CREATE, and that's where Henson's family have failed.

 

[Drtooth]

Oh I definitely know that; it's hypocritical when you consider that often artists don't even get to own their own songs. I'm just being realistic; if the company owns it we shouldn't be too shocked when they make their presence known, heh.

The events of the writer's strike give me NO sympathy to the companies that make this stuff. The fact they rely on reality TV shows only synches it. The industry does all this double dealing and middleman cutting so they don't have to pay writers what they deserve. And the only time an actor/actress matters is when their names are huge. Look at what happened to the girl from Family Matters after her greedy mother wanted more money. It ruined any chance of a career she had. i could go on and on, but unless you're a VERY big name, you don't get squat. You aren't even entitled to a reasonable percentage of your own merchandise unless you have one heck of a contract. And studios can kill your vision for any reason at any time. Look at Symbiotic Titan... they killed the show because no toy company wanted to make toys of a female lead in an action show. That was much more important than keeping on Genndy Tartikofsky, who helped BUILD the network's original cartoon programming with Dexter's Lab.

That's not Plagiarism. That's just lack of originality, lol.

The fact that someone's willfully stealing someone else's idea to make money off of it IS plagiarism. That's what copyright is supposed to protect against.

 

[CensoredAlso]

The fact that someone's willfully stealing someone else's idea to make money off of it IS plagiarism. That's what copyright is supposed to protect against.

Anybody can have similar ideas. It's plagarism if the script is literally identical word for word.

 

[D'Snowth]

Did everybody just miss my previous point?

 

[CensoredAlso]

Did everybody just miss my previous point?

Lol, good for you for asking. Yes being independent does indeed give you more control. It's just that when young artists are just starting out, a big company offering to publish their work seems very enticing. They don't consider that they're signing everything away.

It always amazes me how young artists never seem to do their history homework regarding these things. The same mistakes just keep happening!

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

while being Independent is cool and you do keep sole control of your prodict its not always a walk in the park and is actually double the work that someone who is signed in any area.

you technically spend more one and more time promoting and selling what you have that a second hand or company does for you

dont get me wrong i love independent stuff but if someone ever came along and said we ant to sign your comic or your puppet or video work...theres and 95% chance id take it