6 ms·

U.S. Labels Switzerland an Internet Piracy Haven

39 points by benevol 10y ago

ianpurton 10y ago
Switzerland has been placed on a US watch list. I imagine the Swiss are absolutely sh#tting themselves now. That'll teach those cuckoo clock making, tobelorone chomping terrorists. However one thing in the Swisses favor, they do actually make surprisingly good suits. I recommended the Strellson brand. A bit like Hugo Boss but half the price.
- herbst 10y ago
  Thats funny because Toblerone is actually a U.S. product produced by Kraft Foods.
sshasan 10y ago
Since I do not know much about the legal side of this issue, how does being put on USTR "priority watch list" affect a country?
joesmo 10y ago
So I read this headline as: "Switzerland has great privacy laws; US not happy about them"
- benevol 10y ago
  Streisand in full effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
  - forthefuture 10y ago
    The Streisand effect is when trying to hide something becomes publicized and the thing becomes more popular. This is not that.
    - nickpsecurity 10y ago
      Are you sure? I think the parent is saying that calling out Switzerland as safer for pirates will send more there with opposite of intended consequences. I can relate to the possibility. Previously, I thought Switzerland had strong IP laws given many IP companies go there and figured IP address was public. Now, I know they have a high court ruling semi-protecting piracy. If I were a pirate, I'd strongly consider moving to Switzerland.
- Natsu 10y ago
  Why don't they just add the US to a list of places with oppressive IP laws?
transact-ng 10y ago
We've been on that list for a few years now, this is not exactly new (the list is updated every year). We like our sensible laws, like allowing people to make backup copies of their media and not going after people that merely download stuff. How could you know it's an illegal or legal source anyways when clicking on a link? Uploading/distributing is still illegal here, and you can absolutely get in trouble for that if you do it on a large/commercial scale. Also it should be said that due to the very high purchasing power and small wage gap people do in fact buy their movies/music/etc and you won't find fakes of physical items in stores (unlike other countries). Is it going to change in the future? Probably. It's very possible that the we'll be strong armed into changing the laws as part of some related or unrelated trade negotiations with the US. If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet.
- bobwaycott 10y ago
  > If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet. I feel so very sad that this rings so very true.
  - x5n1 10y ago
    It's surprising that all the other countries have decided to basically toe the line, rather than attempt containment.
- alphapapa 10y ago
  > If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet. Please don't forget that the average American citizen does not support this kind of stuff.
  - seanp2k2 10y ago
    Plenty of Americans want to bomb Agrabah: http://www.snopes.com/2015/12/18/agrabah-aladdin-republican-poll/ http://www.snopes.com/2015/12/18/agrabah-aladdin-republican-...
alphapapa 10y ago
Oh well, Canada is also on the list: > After being on the Watch List for some time now, Canada did not do enough in 2015 to get back into favor with the U.S. So I think it's a case of, "So what?" If there's any example of a government agency or program that Congress ought to defund, here it is.
- nickpsecurity 10y ago
  I think it factors into trade negotiations and other politics.
- x5n1 10y ago
  "We are so upset with you, you are not sodomizing your citizens at the behest of our corporations and their rights."
yuhong 10y ago
I wonder what would happen to record companies if DAT existed in the 1970s (before they really consolidated).
throwaway2002 10y ago
Now I know which are the best countries to run VPNs through for all my torrenting needs.

39 points by benevol 10y ago

Switzerland has been placed on a US watch list. I imagine the Swiss are absolutely sh#tting themselves now. That'll teach those cuckoo clock making, tobelorone chomping terrorists. However one thing in the Swisses favor, they do actually make surprisingly good suits. I recommended the Strellson brand. A bit like Hugo Boss but half the price.

herbst 10y ago
Thats funny because Toblerone is actually a U.S. product produced by Kraft Foods.

sshasan 10y ago

Since I do not know much about the legal side of this issue, how does being put on USTR "priority watch list" affect a country?

joesmo 10y ago

So I read this headline as: "Switzerland has great privacy laws; US not happy about them"

benevol 10y ago
Streisand in full effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
- forthefuture 10y ago
  The Streisand effect is when trying to hide something becomes publicized and the thing becomes more popular. This is not that.
  - nickpsecurity 10y ago
    Are you sure? I think the parent is saying that calling out Switzerland as safer for pirates will send more there with opposite of intended consequences. I can relate to the possibility. Previously, I thought Switzerland had strong IP laws given many IP companies go there and figured IP address was public. Now, I know they have a high court ruling semi-protecting piracy. If I were a pirate, I'd strongly consider moving to Switzerland.
Natsu 10y ago
Why don't they just add the US to a list of places with oppressive IP laws?

transact-ng 10y ago

We've been on that list for a few years now, this is not exactly new (the list is updated every year). We like our sensible laws, like allowing people to make backup copies of their media and not going after people that merely download stuff. How could you know it's an illegal or legal source anyways when clicking on a link? Uploading/distributing is still illegal here, and you can absolutely get in trouble for that if you do it on a large/commercial scale. Also it should be said that due to the very high purchasing power and small wage gap people do in fact buy their movies/music/etc and you won't find fakes of physical items in stores (unlike other countries). Is it going to change in the future? Probably. It's very possible that the we'll be strong armed into changing the laws as part of some related or unrelated trade negotiations with the US. If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet.

bobwaycott 10y ago
> If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet. I feel so very sad that this rings so very true.
- x5n1 10y ago
  It's surprising that all the other countries have decided to basically toe the line, rather than attempt containment.
alphapapa 10y ago
> If the US had their way, they'd open up an law enforcement branch in every country and prosecute the people right there and then. I for one am happy that hasn't happened yet. Please don't forget that the average American citizen does not support this kind of stuff.
- seanp2k2 10y ago
  Plenty of Americans want to bomb Agrabah: http://www.snopes.com/2015/12/18/agrabah-aladdin-republican-poll/ http://www.snopes.com/2015/12/18/agrabah-aladdin-republican-...

alphapapa 10y ago

Oh well, Canada is also on the list: > After being on the Watch List for some time now, Canada did not do enough in 2015 to get back into favor with the U.S. So I think it's a case of, "So what?" If there's any example of a government agency or program that Congress ought to defund, here it is.

nickpsecurity 10y ago
I think it factors into trade negotiations and other politics.
x5n1 10y ago
"We are so upset with you, you are not sodomizing your citizens at the behest of our corporations and their rights."

yuhong 10y ago

I wonder what would happen to record companies if DAT existed in the 1970s (before they really consolidated).

throwaway2002 10y ago

Now I know which are the best countries to run VPNs through for all my torrenting needs.