Every now and then you come across these news items that make just too much sense to be true. Earlier this year, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry threatened Norway's largest ISP, Telenor: block access to The Pirate Bay within 14 days, or face legal action. Telenor refused to comply - so it went to court. In what can only be seen as a major victory, the judge sided with Telenor.
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Would it be reasonable to sue a city which provides the road to a building which some says contains an illegal business?
Who's doing something wrong? The city or the business? Should the workers who built the road be held responsible too for something they don't have control on?
RE: Comment by big_gie
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2007-02-22
Seriously, what kind of legal reasoning did this federation use to arrive at the conclusion they could win such a lawsuit?
IANAL, but in the states, I'm pretty sure such a lawsuit would be laughed out of court and have "frivolous litigation" written all over it.
Edited 2009-11-07 19:27 UTC
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2007-04-06
The real lack of common sense is in the actual ability of an ISP to block access to a website. An HTTP proxy, or something like Tor is next to trivial to setup, even for not-terribly-savvy computer users.
I cannot think of a way any ISP can easily block access to an individual website, while still allowing general access to the Internet that cannot be easily circumvented.
And even if they did, or could, so what? How many other public torrent trackers are there? Do they seriously think that blocking access to one will slow the flow of torrents one iota?
Once again, we have the problem of people and organizations ignorant of technology trying to use/implement the legal system around it. Legislators don't understand, lawyers don't understand, and judges don't understand; I despair that we can never hope to have reasonable laws regarding techology, copyright, and freedom of speech.
Member since:2005-11-13
And even if they did, or could, so what? How many other public torrent trackers are there? Do they seriously think that blocking access to one will slow the flow of torrents one iota?
You're right, there's nothing they can do to stop torrents, or piracy in general. This is the same reason why the content providers will never be able to come up with a business model that competes with piracy. No matter how cheap they make the content, people who want to download it for $0 will continue to do so, and there's nothing that can be done about that.
And I like the pic of the shirt that says 'You wouldn't download a car...', though I'm sure most people would if they could. And they will, just as soon as technology allows them to do so. And then they'll bitch about how expensive cars are in order to justify their actions.
Edited 2009-11-08 16:21 UTC
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2007-03-30
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2006-12-05
Congratulations to all those other countries whose governments still have at least some common sense and decency. Good job, Telenor and Norway. Stick to your rights. Too bad it seems my own country is always in favor of throwing them out every chance these big companies get. And they almost always get their way.
Edited 2009-11-08 06:08 UTC
Member since:
2009-01-03
Not that I care much for The Pirate Bay, (who has made the IFPI and others so pissed off they are likely to get governments even another reason for introducing more strict copyright-fascism, like in the recent ACTA laws and the three-strikes-and-your-off-the-net). But it would be ridiculous if the IFPI won this case. Telenor supplies the tubes.. They cant be put as a watchdog to the content of them .. Except in the case of the child porn filter that KRIPOS supplies in Norway.
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2006-02-05
There must only be a finite amount of common sense on Earth. When you see an abundance of it in some areas, as in this case, it seems to leave a vacuum in others -- like in the US, where the Obama Administration is not-so-secretly-anymore-thanks-to-the-Internet trying to turn the RIAA's and MPAA's agendas into international treaty (the aforementioned ACTA).
I truly hope the rest of the world gives Mr. O the finger on this one.