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My answer is complex. >Why would you assume secret copyright interests I did not. I said "western IP, financial, and other regulation.". That includes a lot b

My answer is complex. >Why would you assume secret copyright interests I did not. I said "western IP, financial, and other regulation.". That includes a lot but in all amounts to essentially geopolitical control. However, this being a thread about copyright and this being a technology website I mentioned copyright and I think copyright laws and regulations are vastly more important than you are implying. The article mentions trade agreements that can force ISPs to block web pages. As it stands right now, the internet is decentralized but single government control of the internet is increasingly becoming apparent. Western nations share copyright laws which ultimately centralizes the internet across many different people and countries. So, for example, ISP web site blocking can be performed across many different ISPs globally with similar regulation and controls in all these different jurisdictions. (edit: especially at the behest of US based corporations) I think this is ultimately harmful for internet users especially because it can be associated with censorship. Previously, the decentralized nature of the internet made it harder for any single entity to control it, however, it is looking increasingly feasible to do so. So I agree with the parent commenter and add that it is actually beneficial for the internet if Russia enables pirating and is not under US/western internet regulations. Having alternatives is good for the internet and I think that's a very important point.

bawolff 4y ago
I don't doubt that copyright serves to cement usa's geopolitical position. However on a scale of things that maintain usa's geopolitical position, copyright is kind of minor comparatively. Copyright is the long game soft power sort of thing. Ukraine is the short game. USA needs to show the world that if bad things happen to a country because they are friendly to usa, america wont let it go unremarked. If they don't, other countries will take note, and america loses its pax americana position. The ukraine thing is a rather direct challenge of america's hegemonic position. America is responding to it because its either that, or they lose their world position (or a step in that direction). Im not saying america is above the type of long term power games you suggest, just that in this case they have a much more pressing reason to be involved, and i don't think secret conspiracy reasons make sense when their hand is basically being forced by direct means.
- sudosysgen 4y ago
  Copyright is actually hard power, like all other economic considerations. Without intellectual property so massively favouring wealthy countries, the US wouldn't be the hegemon, and I mean that literally. IP is hard power, and it is very major indeed. Imagine a world where Chinese, Russian, Indian and Japanese companies get to sell their goods worldwide without a single care about American patents? If that happened tomorrow, just for one example, BYD would probably become the largest car company in the world (because they have the cheapest and most reliable batteries, but only in China due to IP laws around the chemistry). It would be a direct and immediate challenge to the American hegemony.

bawolff 4y ago

I don't doubt that copyright serves to cement usa's geopolitical position. However on a scale of things that maintain usa's geopolitical position, copyright is kind of minor comparatively. Copyright is the long game soft power sort of thing. Ukraine is the short game. USA needs to show the world that if bad things happen to a country because they are friendly to usa, america wont let it go unremarked. If they don't, other countries will take note, and america loses its pax americana position. The ukraine thing is a rather direct challenge of america's hegemonic position. America is responding to it because its either that, or they lose their world position (or a step in that direction). Im not saying america is above the type of long term power games you suggest, just that in this case they have a much more pressing reason to be involved, and i don't think secret conspiracy reasons make sense when their hand is basically being forced by direct means.

sudosysgen 4y ago
Copyright is actually hard power, like all other economic considerations. Without intellectual property so massively favouring wealthy countries, the US wouldn't be the hegemon, and I mean that literally. IP is hard power, and it is very major indeed. Imagine a world where Chinese, Russian, Indian and Japanese companies get to sell their goods worldwide without a single care about American patents? If that happened tomorrow, just for one example, BYD would probably become the largest car company in the world (because they have the cheapest and most reliable batteries, but only in China due to IP laws around the chemistry). It would be a direct and immediate challenge to the American hegemony.