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Let's see, we're ready for another exciting episode of 'Hackers Go to Washington' or 'As The Real World Turns': Step 1. At a fancy lunch spot on Rodeo Drive a

Let's see, we're ready for another exciting episode of 'Hackers Go to Washington' or 'As The Real World Turns': Step 1. At a fancy lunch spot on Rodeo Drive a lobbyist gets with someone in Hollywood, and they talk about a Hollywood dream law, e.g., shut down Internet movie sharing or some such, just to pick a hypothetical issue! Wink, wink! Step 2. The lobbyist sells the Hollywood guy on an effort to get the dream law passed. "Sign your check, and we will get started from our M Street offices." They do get started and draft the Hollywood Dream Act. Step 3. The lobbyist finds some Dumb-Dumb legislators on Capital Hill who are not very bright, not doing very well, and need some campaign donations, maybe some trips to Vegas, etc. and hands them copies of the Hollywood Dream Act and some campaign donations, trips to Vegas, etc. Maybe if we did some searching we could find a list of the Dumb-Dumbs? Ah, that would assume that Dumb-Dumbs exist! I ask you, are there any Dumb-Dumbs on Capital Hill? Step 4. The Dumb-Dumbs hold hearings and look like they are about to get the Hollywood Dream Act passed. Step 5. People who oppose the Hollywood Dream Act, and there is no shortage, get up on their hind legs, write checks to other lobbyists on M Street, and the battle is on. Legislators who oppose the Hollywood Dream Act get campaign donations, trips to Vegas, etc. Step 6. The Hollywood Dream Act dies in committee or in negotiations between the House and Senate or has some killer amendments added, etc. Ah, it was always just the 'Hollywood Dumb-Dumb Public Wet Dream Act' or 'Who Gets Screwed As the World Turns' anyway! Net, M Street gets richer; both the Dumb-Dumbs and all the opposing legislators get campaign donations, which they don't return, and trips to Vegas, but nothing real happens. It's just Hollywood. Naw, no one would ever do anything so stupid. That would be called a 'scam', and that's SUCH a pejorative locution! We can be SURE that M Street and Capitol Hill would NEVER engage in anything like a scam, can't we?

nazgulnarsil 15y ago
Sure, but the fact remains that bullshit DOES get passed that then has to be fought in courts for YEARS before it is overturned as unconstitutional. In the meantime people get arrested or heavily fined for bullshit. It might not have happened to someone you personally know but bullshit laws SHATTER LIVES.
- HilbertSpace 15y ago
  Yes. If it passed, it would hurt my startup; all the code I've typed would be thrown away. I've wanted to understand better what are the chances of passage. So far apparently in the House it is still in committee, Yesterday I left messages against the bills on the phones of NY20 and the two NY senators. Fred Wilson says that Schumer's for it, and Wilson is "pissed" about that and knows that Schumer knows that. Still, before I send letters to my three, maybe something should come out of committee and be in line for a floor vote? Else maybe my guy in NY20 might not even know what I am objecting to.
apotheon 15y ago
The scam works just as well if it does pass, too -- and the monopolistic content industries have deeper pockets than the people paying the opposition lobbyists. Honestly, though, I think that the most likely case is that a lame duck version of the bill will pass, resulting in an incremental rather than sweeping tightening of the noose around the Internet. That's usually how this crap happens, "As The Real World Turns".
- HilbertSpace 15y ago
  Yes. I agree that maybe the more likely danger would be something a little bad instead of something horribly bad. But, consider my (humorous) scenario: First-cut, the worse the Hollywood Dream Act is, the more donations get from people who oppose it! Yes, there's a danger some such nonsense might pass. But there is also a chance, while some people will take the bills seriously, nearly all the attention is just to a scam. E.g., on the debt limit debate with the threat of no Social Security checks, my assumption all along was that both sides just wanted a lot of free publicity, and that's basically the way it came out. Yes, such scams are dangerous if only because one might get passed.
- cookiecaper 15y ago
  >The scam works just as well if it does pass, too -- and the monopolistic content industries have deeper pockets than the people paying the opposition lobbyists. RIAA/MPAA with more money than major telecoms? I'm not so sure...
Natsu 15y ago
The idea that they're not seriously pushing for this is flawed. Yes, they've hired expensive lobbyists, but that's not all they're doing. They've put up their own campaigns ("Makers vs. Takers" I believe they called it) and are pushing their own employees into supporting it. Moreover, they have quite a bit of political support in this administration. They've got everyone from the RIAA lawyers now in top Justice Department spots, the new Copyright Czar, the US Trade Representative (who negotiated ACTA), several members of the House Judiciary Committee (who are sponsors of this bill), and Vice President Biden. Don't underestimate their ability or willingness to pass crazy laws.
- marquis 15y ago
  Here's the Makers vs Takers video. Replete with scary music and "The Daily Show has been watched x million times.. illegally" (because Comedy Central doesn't let the whole world watch it on their website? I watch it there and sit through their ads. What's not working about that? Oh, I know. Sometimes my net connection might suck. If I hypothetically can't watch it streaming in RT I might look for other options.) http://www.viacom.com/news/Pages/anti-piracy.html http://www.viacom.com/news/Pages/anti-piracy.html
  - TeMPOraL 15y ago
    It's a well made video, actually. I felt moved by it, at least a little bit. I think hackers in tech industry should start making similar videos for our own, arguing against SOPA. For that thing, we indeed do have the technology, and we have the expertise.
    - marquis 15y ago
      I spent a few minutes this morning looking for hollywood celebrities speaking out against SOPA. I wonder if there is a contractual obligation on them not to bite the hand that feeds them..
    - ericd 15y ago
      I was almost moved, but it's so obviously manipulative in other ways that it's kind of sickening. I'm not sure we have the stomach for competing on that level.

nazgulnarsil 15y ago

Sure, but the fact remains that bullshit DOES get passed that then has to be fought in courts for YEARS before it is overturned as unconstitutional. In the meantime people get arrested or heavily fined for bullshit. It might not have happened to someone you personally know but bullshit laws SHATTER LIVES.

HilbertSpace 15y ago
Yes. If it passed, it would hurt my startup; all the code I've typed would be thrown away. I've wanted to understand better what are the chances of passage. So far apparently in the House it is still in committee, Yesterday I left messages against the bills on the phones of NY20 and the two NY senators. Fred Wilson says that Schumer's for it, and Wilson is "pissed" about that and knows that Schumer knows that. Still, before I send letters to my three, maybe something should come out of committee and be in line for a floor vote? Else maybe my guy in NY20 might not even know what I am objecting to.

apotheon 15y ago

The scam works just as well if it does pass, too -- and the monopolistic content industries have deeper pockets than the people paying the opposition lobbyists. Honestly, though, I think that the most likely case is that a lame duck version of the bill will pass, resulting in an incremental rather than sweeping tightening of the noose around the Internet. That's usually how this crap happens, "As The Real World Turns".

HilbertSpace 15y ago
Yes. I agree that maybe the more likely danger would be something a little bad instead of something horribly bad. But, consider my (humorous) scenario: First-cut, the worse the Hollywood Dream Act is, the more donations get from people who oppose it! Yes, there's a danger some such nonsense might pass. But there is also a chance, while some people will take the bills seriously, nearly all the attention is just to a scam. E.g., on the debt limit debate with the threat of no Social Security checks, my assumption all along was that both sides just wanted a lot of free publicity, and that's basically the way it came out. Yes, such scams are dangerous if only because one might get passed.
cookiecaper 15y ago
>The scam works just as well if it does pass, too -- and the monopolistic content industries have deeper pockets than the people paying the opposition lobbyists. RIAA/MPAA with more money than major telecoms? I'm not so sure...

Natsu 15y ago

The idea that they're not seriously pushing for this is flawed. Yes, they've hired expensive lobbyists, but that's not all they're doing. They've put up their own campaigns ("Makers vs. Takers" I believe they called it) and are pushing their own employees into supporting it. Moreover, they have quite a bit of political support in this administration. They've got everyone from the RIAA lawyers now in top Justice Department spots, the new Copyright Czar, the US Trade Representative (who negotiated ACTA), several members of the House Judiciary Committee (who are sponsors of this bill), and Vice President Biden. Don't underestimate their ability or willingness to pass crazy laws.

marquis 15y ago
Here's the Makers vs Takers video. Replete with scary music and "The Daily Show has been watched x million times.. illegally" (because Comedy Central doesn't let the whole world watch it on their website? I watch it there and sit through their ads. What's not working about that? Oh, I know. Sometimes my net connection might suck. If I hypothetically can't watch it streaming in RT I might look for other options.) http://www.viacom.com/news/Pages/anti-piracy.html http://www.viacom.com/news/Pages/anti-piracy.html
- TeMPOraL 15y ago
  It's a well made video, actually. I felt moved by it, at least a little bit. I think hackers in tech industry should start making similar videos for our own, arguing against SOPA. For that thing, we indeed do have the technology, and we have the expertise.
  - marquis 15y ago
    I spent a few minutes this morning looking for hollywood celebrities speaking out against SOPA. I wonder if there is a contractual obligation on them not to bite the hand that feeds them..
  - ericd 15y ago
    I was almost moved, but it's so obviously manipulative in other ways that it's kind of sickening. I'm not sure we have the stomach for competing on that level.