EU Digital Commissioner Says Copyright Laws Encourage Piracy

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
1
0
EU Digital Commissioner Says Copyright Laws Encourage Piracy


The Digital Agenda Commissioner of the European Union says punitive, hardline enforcement of copyright laws is only serving to encourage piracy.

Even the staunchest supporters of effective copyright laws have moments when they want to throw their hands in the air and give up. Reasons are numerous; I have a tendency to lose my mind when I'm wrestling with various idiotic copy protection schemes that I know people with pirated games never even think twice about. Another good reason: stories about the multi-gazillion-dollar music and movie industries using the courts to bankrupt random schmucks who were unlucky enough to get caught downloading a few tunes. It's infuriating and, for some, no doubt responsible for some splash-damage feelings of "stick it to the man" that lead angry, uncowed consumers to vent their frustrations the only way they know how: by downloading even more.

It's a mess and in the eyes of Neelie Kroes, the EU's Digital Agenda Commissioner, something needs to change because the system as it stands is just making things worse. "Is the current copyright system the right and only tool to achieve our objectives? Not really," she said. "We need to keep on fighting against piracy, but legal enforceability is becoming increasingly difficult. The millions of dollars invested trying to enforce copyright have not stemmed piracy."

"Citizens increasingly hear the word 'copyright' and hate what is behind it," she added. "Sadly, many see the current system as a tool to punish and withhold, not a tool to recognize and reward."

Kroes didn't lay out any specific ideas for improving the system but argued that clinging to the current system, which she described as an "old set of rules made for a different age," stifles meaningful development of new, better ideas that could prove beneficial to creators and consumers alike.

"We need to create a framework in which a model - or indeed several models - can develop organically, flexibly, in ways that support artists," she said. "It's not all about copyright. It is certainly important, but we need to stop obsessing about that. The life of an artist is tough: the crisis has made it tougher. Let's get back to basics, and deliver a system of recognition and reward that puts artists and creators at its heart."

Source: Techdirt [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111121/07305616860/eu-commissioner-kroes-copyright-is-tool-to-punish-withhold-new-business-models-not-more-enforcement-needed.shtml]


Permalink
 

Althus

New member
Sep 24, 2010
52
0
0
This is a small step in the right direction I hope, to end once for all whit this "DRM" stunt ans similar and more obscure means to punishes legit consumers,and solves noting to avoid Piracy. But I fear it may be just empty word but I really hope that I am wrong.
 

samsonguy920

New member
Mar 24, 2009
2,921
0
0
Good luck trying to change anything. She tries to do so, billion-dollar companies will be on her like flies to honey trying to protect their security blanket.
 

chstens

New member
Apr 14, 2009
993
0
0
samsonguy920 said:
Good luck trying to change anything. She tries to do so, billion-dollar companies will be on her like flies to honey trying to protect their security blanket.
They would in America, corporations aren't that powerful in Europe.
 
Feb 28, 2008
689
0
0
samsonguy920 said:
Good luck trying to change anything. She tries to do so, billion-dollar companies will be on her like flies to honey trying to protect their security blanket.
If there is anything more ridiciulously powerful than companies it is the EU. The Commission regularly hands out ridonculous fines to major corportations, some which are outside of Europe (e.g. Microsoft had to pay a fine of $794m in 2004). I have no doubt they can resist any pressure.
 

Althus

New member
Sep 24, 2010
52
0
0
Dexter111 said:
Althus said:
This is a small step in the right direction I hope, to end once for all whit this "DRM" stunt ans similar and more obscure means to punishes legit consumers,and solves noting to avoid Piracy. But I fear it may be just empty word but I really hope that I am wrong.
Only real way to do it is to keep voting Pirate Party if you can whereever you are xD

Other than that... just had another nice encouter with DRM today, bought "Saint's Row: The Third" off of Amazon.co.uk because I wanted it Uncut like all my other games and it just got delivered today, I opened the package and game to install it, put in the disk and started, came to the Steam Activation Screen, put in the Key and get a "Sorry, but the following items are not available for purchase in this country. Your purchase has been cancelled." ... well thank you very much.

After looking for the issue on the Web and seeing that I'm not the only one e.g.: http://saintsrow.com/community/go/thread/view/136781/28700433/UK_Copy_of_Saints_Row:_The_Third_Not_Activating_on_Steam_in_Germany?pg=1 I decided to install and use OpenVPN (which is the first time I was required to do such with Steam) just to install the game I bought...

I imagine people that won't know what to do or not willing to do it via VPN are royally screwed.
There is no Pirate party in my country so no vote there, I use steam and have lots of games there, but to give you and example of Punishing DRM go check the Ubisofts Anno 2007 game in their steam page, and see if its a good way to treat a legit costumer who could spend 50 euros in that game.

I know company's have the right to protect the IP but just check the latest Jiquisition to se what the good old USA is trying to do.
 

gunner1905

New member
Jun 18, 2010
223
0
0
Dexter111 said:
Althus said:
This is a small step in the right direction I hope, to end once for all whit this "DRM" stunt ans similar and more obscure means to punishes legit consumers,and solves noting to avoid Piracy. But I fear it may be just empty word but I really hope that I am wrong.
Only real way to do it is to keep voting Pirate Party if you can whereever you are xD

Other than that... just had another nice encouter with DRM today, bought "Saint's Row: The Third" off of Amazon.co.uk because I wanted it Uncut like all my other games and it just got delivered today, I opened the package and game to install it, put in the disk and started, came to the Steam Activation Screen, put in the Key and get a "Sorry, but the following items are not available for purchase in this country. Your purchase has been cancelled." ... well thank you very much.

After looking for the issue on the Web and seeing that I'm not the only one e.g.: http://saintsrow.com/community/go/thread/view/136781/28700433/UK_Copy_of_Saints_Row:_The_Third_Not_Activating_on_Steam_in_Germany?pg=1 I decided to install and use OpenVPN (which is the first time I was required to do such with Steam) just to install the game I bought...

I imagine people that won't know what to do or not willing to do it via VPN are royally screwed.
I don't think that's DRM. That's just your government censoring things.
 

ElPatron

New member
Jul 18, 2011
2,130
0
0
gunner1905 said:
I don't think that's DRM. That's just your government censoring things.
It's managing digital rights. It's still DRM even if it's not trying to stop piracy.
 

Twilight_guy

Sight, Sound, and Mind
Nov 24, 2008
7,131
0
0
That's be nice. Call me when you come with a plan that keep people for being dicks and stealing because they just want to shit on your rules. We can have tea and pet the unicorns while watching the flying pigs.

I don't think any system will prevent people from obstinately opposing it. Any barrier at all, no matter how legitimate will piss people off. Still you can't not have the laws since then nobody would be able to make any money off anything they produce and it'd be the end of money in any creative medium. I'd like some new laws but It'd like a better plan then "we need a new system." That's not a plan, it's a hippy protest.
 

Beryl77

New member
Mar 26, 2010
1,599
0
0
Yeah, how can you expect piracy to stop, if the only thing you do is making it easier and more comfortable to download a game illegally, compared to buying it. I just don't get the logic behind this.
The pirates just give a better service, so obviously many will download it instead of buying it.
 

Aeshi

New member
Dec 22, 2009
2,640
0
0
So her "Grand Plan" to stop Piracy is to make it easier to do it?

Hate to break it to you love, but Plagues are always going to adapt to whatever works against them, regardless of whether those plagues are Viral, Bacterial, Digital or Human in nature.
 

Aggieknight

New member
Dec 6, 2009
229
0
0
What kills me about this issue is how tiny the content industry is compared to the tech industry, yet everyone bows down to them. Google, Apple or M$ could buy the entire movie industry with their cash on hand.

Glad to hear a official raising the concern, but I'm not anticipating much progress here.
 

TheBelgianGuy

New member
Aug 29, 2010
365
0
0
MasterOfHisOwnDomain said:
samsonguy920 said:
Good luck trying to change anything. She tries to do so, billion-dollar companies will be on her like flies to honey trying to protect their security blanket.
If there is anything more ridiciulously powerful than companies it is the EU. The Commission regularly hands out ridonculous fines to major corportations, some which are outside of Europe (e.g. Microsoft had to pay a fine of $794m in 2004). I have no doubt they can resist any pressure.
Exactly. In fact, the lady in question here, Neelie Kroes, IS THE ONE TO HAVE SUED MICROSOFT. And not just one time, either.
According to her Wikipedia page, she sued companies for over 9.000.000.000 euro's.
Look. At. The. 0's.
 

MrTub

New member
Mar 12, 2009
1,742
0
0
TheBelgianGuy said:
MasterOfHisOwnDomain said:
samsonguy920 said:
Good luck trying to change anything. She tries to do so, billion-dollar companies will be on her like flies to honey trying to protect their security blanket.
If there is anything more ridiciulously powerful than companies it is the EU. The Commission regularly hands out ridonculous fines to major corportations, some which are outside of Europe (e.g. Microsoft had to pay a fine of $794m in 2004). I have no doubt they can resist any pressure.
Exactly. In fact, the lady in question here, Neelie Kroes, IS THE ONE TO HAVE SUED MICROSOFT. And not just one time, either.
According to her Wikipedia page, she sued companies for over 9.000.000.000 euro's.
Look. At. The. 0's.
Yeah, another example is when Intel got sued for 1.45 billion dollars

And she was the one leading the charges.


http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/13/intel-fined-1-45-billion-dollars/
 

McMullen

New member
Mar 9, 2010
1,334
0
0
Dexter111 said:
Althus said:
This is a small step in the right direction I hope, to end once for all whit this "DRM" stunt ans similar and more obscure means to punishes legit consumers,and solves noting to avoid Piracy. But I fear it may be just empty word but I really hope that I am wrong.
Only real way to do it is to keep voting Pirate Party if you can whereever you are xD

Other than that... just had another nice encouter with DRM today, bought "Saint's Row: The Third" off of Amazon.co.uk because I wanted it Uncut like all my other games and it just got delivered today, I opened the package and game to install it, put in the disk and started, came to the Steam Activation Screen, put in the Key and get a "Sorry, but the following items are not available for purchase in this country. Your purchase has been cancelled." ... well thank you very much.

After looking for the issue on the Web and seeing that I'm not the only one e.g.: http://saintsrow.com/community/go/thread/view/136781/28700433/UK_Copy_of_Saints_Row:_The_Third_Not_Activating_on_Steam_in_Germany?pg=1 I decided to install and use OpenVPN (which is the first time I was required to do such with Steam) just to install the game I bought...

I imagine people that won't know what to do or not willing to do it via VPN are royally screwed.
I'm sorry, but could you please explain what OpenVPN does and why it helps here, and whether I should be using it too? I went to the Wikipedia page but still don't really see what it would be used for.

OT: Well, it's a politician saying we ought to do X, without any plan or policies actually suggested. As such, I don't expect much to come out of it. Nice to hear though.
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
9,909
0
0
The problem is that the industry has gotten increasingly greedy and corperate. It's not so much about defending the rights of the creators, so much as lining the pockets of the producers bankrolling them.

I'm hardly pro-piracy, but to be honest the issue is that we're dealing with a mentality where you have these guys making literally billions upon billions of dollars, and then looking down from their piles of money and saying "whoa, wait that guy didn't pay for something" or "we didn't get a big enough cut". By the corperate schmucks running the show piracy doesn't just encompass someone stealing something directly, but also someone doing something like buying a used game or CD. I mean a game or CD is something that the company plans to support anyway, a used copy doesn't change the absolute number o funits out there, so who cares who actually has it? Well they do, because they see a chance ro make more money off of it. Likewise there is an increased interest in re-selling the same properties again and again in differant formats. It's a touchy issue if you bought the rights to say a song if you really should have to pay again to say put it onto an MP3 player when you bought the CD. The greedy corperate schmucks say "yes", and of course the people who bought the song to have the song are going to disagree about having to re-purchuse something they rightfully already own.

A big part of the issue is that legitimate concerns about piracy have become tied to so many ridiculous, and greedy schemes that it becomes difficult to take seriously as anything other than a power grab, especially when all of the presented solutions wind up intruding on legitimate paying customers.

Really, the issue isn't so much the system for enforcement, but the simple fact that the media companies can't make money off of the current system and that's the bottom line. They aren't interested because they feel they are being wronged, but because of how much more money they can make which is why they are so interested in extending piracy to include things that aren't thievery by any sane definition. Identifying people individually and going after themn in court might be fair, but it's not going to increase their bottom line, and might even cost them money, I mean huge fines or legal expenses someone will never pay because they don't have the money actually wind up being a determinet to the industries... which is why you have attempts at sweeping laws that bypass the regular legal system like the one Jim Sterling is talking about potentially being passed in his latest video her on The Inquisition.


To be honest I agree more or less with this article, though not for reasons of making piracy easier. To begin with the first thing we need to look at is the definition of copyrights and IPs and how far they can go. The current system under which a person arguably pays money for nothing... a liscense to use something that can be revoked at any time, needs to go first and foremost. Things need to be carefully defined so people OWN what they pay for (ie a copy of a game or the right to play it), while specifying they do not own the entire IP as a result. This also including some more clearly defined "fair use" rights such as the abillity to say put up bits of a game for private review purposes or whatever.

Once this is clarified (which would have the media industry kicking and screaming), then you can begin worrying about the actual thieves once common sense is involved. Of course at this point I imagine the media industry will be less interested because honestly I think the industry is more interested in finding backhanded ways to make money off of used games (or preventing the sales) and limit people from say enjoying music they bought 10 years ago on the latest device without paying for it again. I think the public face of the issue... actual piracy, is actually of minimal interest especially seeing as it's always been there. At one time I believe they were concerned about that but in recent years it seems like the most sympathetic and legitimate point rhey can make is simply justification for their other desires.