7 ms·

I'm not sure which is more embarrassing: today's ludicrous copyright terms that automatically lock away culture from all of us for potentially over a century, o

by acabal 11y ago

I'm not sure which is more embarrassing: today's ludicrous copyright terms that automatically lock away culture from all of us for potentially over a century, or the fact that legislation that spans centuries can be bought for a mere $149,612. The article claims Trent Lot got a piddling $1,000 (well, publicly at least) for getting on board. That's less money than Disney generates for itself per second of its existence.

frozenport 11y ago
Recall the LIBOR rate was fudged for a cup of coffee [1]. Life is more about politics then wealth in capital. [1] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/interest-rates-were-fixed-for-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-25-billion-fine-2015-04-23 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/interest-rates-were-fixed-f...
- tristanj 11y ago
  I wouldn't take that quote too seriously. If you read the doc where those quotes came from, it's clear the traders are joking around. They would have done it for favors anyway, no coffee needed. Source here, with some example quotes below: http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr6510-13 http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr6510-13 December 4, 2008: (RBS Order p. 25-26.) Swiss Franc Trader: can u put 6m swiss libor in low pls? Primary Submitter: NO Swiss Franc Trader: should have pushed the door harder Primary Submitter: Whats it worth Swiss Franc Trader: ive got some sushi rolls from yesterday? […] Primary Submitter: ok low 6m , just for u Swiss Franc Trader: wooooooohooooooo[,] 0.01%? thatd be awesome Primary Submitter: 1.33 Swiss Franc Trader: perfect[.] u r a nice man May 5, 2009: (RBS Order p. 27.) Swiss Franc Trader: can we get high 3m, low 6m pls! Primary Submitter: maybe Swiss Franc Trader: PPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEEE Primary Submitter: ok 41 52 Swiss Franc Trader: perfect perfect May 14, 2009: (RBS Order p. 28-29.) Swiss Franc Trader: [Primary Submitter] pls can we get super high 3m[,] super low 6m Swiss Franc Trader: PRETTY PLEASE! Primary Submitter: 41 & 51 Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that[,] i would lvoe [sic] u forever Primary Submitter: 41 & 55 then … Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice Primary Submitter: 41+51 it is Swiss Franc Trader: thouht [sic] so Primary Submitter: so shallow
  - lawpoop 11y ago
    Well then OP's point is even more sharp: it's all about connection and politics, not payout.
  - witty_username 11y ago
    I can't help but think it sounds like two cringey teens chatting.
    - digi_owl 11y ago
      Yeah, i was strongly reminded of a MMORPG chat channel. Then again, most of the guys doing this kind of trading is likely to be in their early 20s or so...
      - witty_username 11y ago
        Still, normally I imagine all these finance people as people in suits, not the type who says this "if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice"
        digi_owl 11y ago
        Judge a man not by his wardrobe but by his statements and actions. Again and again the biggest assholes and criminals in this world either wear a suit, or a uniform.
danieltillett 11y ago
Actually this is a very good thing. Politicians being such cheap dates over this topic means that it should be possible for a bunch of us to chip in and buy them all off when the next extension comes up. A PAC or a public pledge of donations devoted to ending the copyright mafia’s control would not need much support to get real results.
- theGimp 11y ago
  People who stand to make money off copyright legislation will almost certainly be willing to pitch in more than you are.
  - danieltillett 11y ago
    Yes it could get into a bidding war, but it would at least be worth trying. The most likely chance of success would be a fight for better handling of orphan works. We could free 99.9% of all material that should be coming out of copyright while having very little or no impact on the copyright mafia.
    - eru 11y ago
      That's why they should just pass a law that specifically puts Mickey Mouse under copyright forever instead of general extensions for everything.
      - danieltillett 11y ago
        It would probably be best to not get into specific cases, but try to find a way that could be more general - say let a current copyright holder extend the copyright of an item for 10 years for a nominal fee (say $100). The money could go to fund a website that would list which old works were still copyright protected. Mickey would be safe from entering the public domain and everything else would automatic become public domain.
        eru 11y ago
oldmanjay 11y ago
I'm sort of embarrassed to contemplate how much emotional energy goes into casting copyright arguments in such overwrought terms. Locking culture away from us? My god, the violence!
- scrollaway 11y ago
  Where do you get violence from a metaphorical lock and the idea of culture? Care to explain how copyright does not achieve that? The term isn't overwrought, it actually perfectly describes what it achieves. It puts a lock on cultural works.
- baldfat 11y ago
  It is a big thing if you step back and think what should have become Public Domain this year. https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2016/pre-1976 https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2016/pre-1976 Nothing has entered Public Domain until 2019 IF it isn't extended. Good case of how it sucks: Sherlock Holmes. Half the stuff is copyrighted and the earlier stuff is Public Domain. So we only get half the stories and nothing about an older Sherlock.
  - kuschku 11y ago
    By the way, this year in Germany "Mein Kampf" and Anne Frank’s diary entered the public domain. In the US, it’s a bit more complicated, and they’re still illegal to copy, despite being out of copyright in the country of the copyright holder.
rhino369 11y ago
They'd probably do it for free. It was seen as protecting American business interests. It was argued that it would protect art by incentivizing storage and restoration of old works. There are counter arguments to these arguments, but it wasn't a super controversial bill. The biggest part of lobbying is just getting people to notice your issue. Meeting the right people and getting the right language crafted is like 9/10ths of the process. Not all (probably not even most) lobbying is bribery.
- existencebox 11y ago
  I'd be hesitant to make the latter statement in isolation. Given my experiences with various levels of "important individuals" over the years, the money is MOST useful for opening that door in the first place. It's a lot easier to offer a group of high power individuals a 5 star dinner with a realistic expectation they'll who up, as opposed to cold calling them as just another average joe. Once that connection is established, the relationship is much less active bribery and much more "let's have a little chat and see if we can't find something mutually agreeable"; although to be frank, I'm not sure I'd say the latter is any less worrying.
squozzer 11y ago
You made the point well, maybe the U.S. Govt should squeeze a little harder. Something like a perpetual copyright for 10% of the gross, taxes not included. That's a deal the Hollywood set can understand.

by acabal 11y ago

frozenport 11y ago

Recall the LIBOR rate was fudged for a cup of coffee [1]. Life is more about politics then wealth in capital. [1] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/interest-rates-were-fixed-for-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-25-billion-fine-2015-04-23 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/interest-rates-were-fixed-f...

tristanj 11y ago
I wouldn't take that quote too seriously. If you read the doc where those quotes came from, it's clear the traders are joking around. They would have done it for favors anyway, no coffee needed. Source here, with some example quotes below: http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr6510-13 http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr6510-13 December 4, 2008: (RBS Order p. 25-26.) Swiss Franc Trader: can u put 6m swiss libor in low pls? Primary Submitter: NO Swiss Franc Trader: should have pushed the door harder Primary Submitter: Whats it worth Swiss Franc Trader: ive got some sushi rolls from yesterday? […] Primary Submitter: ok low 6m , just for u Swiss Franc Trader: wooooooohooooooo[,] 0.01%? thatd be awesome Primary Submitter: 1.33 Swiss Franc Trader: perfect[.] u r a nice man May 5, 2009: (RBS Order p. 27.) Swiss Franc Trader: can we get high 3m, low 6m pls! Primary Submitter: maybe Swiss Franc Trader: PPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEEE Primary Submitter: ok 41 52 Swiss Franc Trader: perfect perfect May 14, 2009: (RBS Order p. 28-29.) Swiss Franc Trader: [Primary Submitter] pls can we get super high 3m[,] super low 6m Swiss Franc Trader: PRETTY PLEASE! Primary Submitter: 41 & 51 Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that[,] i would lvoe [sic] u forever Primary Submitter: 41 & 55 then … Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice Primary Submitter: 41+51 it is Swiss Franc Trader: thouht [sic] so Primary Submitter: so shallow
- lawpoop 11y ago
  Well then OP's point is even more sharp: it's all about connection and politics, not payout.
- witty_username 11y ago
  I can't help but think it sounds like two cringey teens chatting.
  - digi_owl 11y ago
    Yeah, i was strongly reminded of a MMORPG chat channel. Then again, most of the guys doing this kind of trading is likely to be in their early 20s or so...
    - witty_username 11y ago
      Still, normally I imagine all these finance people as people in suits, not the type who says this "if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice"
      - digi_owl 11y ago
        Judge a man not by his wardrobe but by his statements and actions. Again and again the biggest assholes and criminals in this world either wear a suit, or a uniform.

danieltillett 11y ago

Actually this is a very good thing. Politicians being such cheap dates over this topic means that it should be possible for a bunch of us to chip in and buy them all off when the next extension comes up. A PAC or a public pledge of donations devoted to ending the copyright mafia’s control would not need much support to get real results.

theGimp 11y ago
People who stand to make money off copyright legislation will almost certainly be willing to pitch in more than you are.
- danieltillett 11y ago
  Yes it could get into a bidding war, but it would at least be worth trying. The most likely chance of success would be a fight for better handling of orphan works. We could free 99.9% of all material that should be coming out of copyright while having very little or no impact on the copyright mafia.
  - eru 11y ago
    That's why they should just pass a law that specifically puts Mickey Mouse under copyright forever instead of general extensions for everything.
    - danieltillett 11y ago
      It would probably be best to not get into specific cases, but try to find a way that could be more general - say let a current copyright holder extend the copyright of an item for 10 years for a nominal fee (say $100). The money could go to fund a website that would list which old works were still copyright protected. Mickey would be safe from entering the public domain and everything else would automatic become public domain.
      - eru 11y ago

oldmanjay 11y ago

I'm sort of embarrassed to contemplate how much emotional energy goes into casting copyright arguments in such overwrought terms. Locking culture away from us? My god, the violence!

scrollaway 11y ago
Where do you get violence from a metaphorical lock and the idea of culture? Care to explain how copyright does not achieve that? The term isn't overwrought, it actually perfectly describes what it achieves. It puts a lock on cultural works.
baldfat 11y ago
It is a big thing if you step back and think what should have become Public Domain this year. https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2016/pre-1976 https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2016/pre-1976 Nothing has entered Public Domain until 2019 IF it isn't extended. Good case of how it sucks: Sherlock Holmes. Half the stuff is copyrighted and the earlier stuff is Public Domain. So we only get half the stories and nothing about an older Sherlock.
- kuschku 11y ago
  By the way, this year in Germany "Mein Kampf" and Anne Frank’s diary entered the public domain. In the US, it’s a bit more complicated, and they’re still illegal to copy, despite being out of copyright in the country of the copyright holder.

rhino369 11y ago

They'd probably do it for free. It was seen as protecting American business interests. It was argued that it would protect art by incentivizing storage and restoration of old works. There are counter arguments to these arguments, but it wasn't a super controversial bill. The biggest part of lobbying is just getting people to notice your issue. Meeting the right people and getting the right language crafted is like 9/10ths of the process. Not all (probably not even most) lobbying is bribery.

existencebox 11y ago
I'd be hesitant to make the latter statement in isolation. Given my experiences with various levels of "important individuals" over the years, the money is MOST useful for opening that door in the first place. It's a lot easier to offer a group of high power individuals a 5 star dinner with a realistic expectation they'll who up, as opposed to cold calling them as just another average joe. Once that connection is established, the relationship is much less active bribery and much more "let's have a little chat and see if we can't find something mutually agreeable"; although to be frank, I'm not sure I'd say the latter is any less worrying.

squozzer 11y ago

You made the point well, maybe the U.S. Govt should squeeze a little harder. Something like a perpetual copyright for 10% of the gross, taxes not included. That's a deal the Hollywood set can understand.