7 ms·

Year of the storm

266 points by nreece 15y ago

iwwr 15y ago
TPB have made themselves a kind of bastion against the copyright rentseekers by being a visible and hard to quash target. The kind of money and effort wasted against them is impressive. Of course, what this verdict establishes is a precedent for hashes having the same status as the original copyrighted content.
- mahrain 15y ago
  Similarly, the issue has shifted from being about copyrights to being a threat to civil liberties.
- somestuff 15y ago
  To burnt timber with the corporations and their enablers who press so hard to suck each of us all of our life's potential while wielding the profits as a weapon against those they dislike. This includes the justice system and their precedents.
- toyg 15y ago
  in Sweden. AFAIK, the EU court still hasn't spoken on this. They'll have to get similar verdicts in all member states, which they may or may not get, and then from the EU, before it's actually effective. As it is, for example, I could see a challenge brought to the EU court on the basis of restriction of trade between Sweden and other member states, as soon as one server is based in, say, Germany or any other member state. It's a long, log way to Tipperary, and this battle is far from over. "Normal" people are getting more and more pissed off; it will take a generation to undo the disasters the Boomers are doing to our world, but it will happen.
icebraining 15y ago
We have, ourselves, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our Internets, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. Even though large parts of Internets and many old and famous trackers have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Ifpi and all the odious apparatus of MPAA rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the ef-nets and darknets, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Internets, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the baywords.org, we shall fight on the /. and on the digg, we shall fight in the courts; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, the Internets or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the Anon Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in Cerf's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. Signed; The Pirate Bay Crew - Always when needed. http://thepiratebay.se/blog/172 http://thepiratebay.se/blog/172 EDIT: This is an _old_ post, not current.
- rickmb 15y ago
  Thank you for the copy-paste. The fact that I now have to rely on others to republish this information because as of today it is being censored for me makes me very, very sad. I'm 45 years old, I was born and raised in the "free world", and this is the first time in my life I am confronted with the painful reality of censorship. Regardless of what one might think of the Pirate Bay, this feels so very, very wrong.
  - icebraining 15y ago
    Sorry, but that was an old post, it just felt appropriate :|
    - rickmb 15y ago
      Yeah, figured that out by now... Still, it just reinforces the insanity of the whole experience: I now have to rely on others for this information. My ability to evaluate that information has been compromised.
asm89 15y ago
Screenshot for the dutch people that can't visit TPB anymore..: http://i.imgur.com/VVBiJ.png http://i.imgur.com/VVBiJ.png
- somestuff 15y ago
  Paste of it for the dutch visually impaired that can't visit TPB anymore..: http://pastebin.com/WeKPQUK6 http://pastebin.com/WeKPQUK6 edit: dem words aint right. :)
- Ives 15y ago
  For Belgian people too...
danieldk 15y ago
It is sad, but I cannot read this blog post. The Dutch equivalent of the RIAA/MPAA, named Brein, sued two of the major Dutch ISPs for not blocking access to The Pirate Bay. Brein won the court case, and the judge required these ISPs to block The Pirate Bay starting yesterday. Now I am met with this when visiting thepiratebay.se: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/blokkade.png/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/blokkade.png/ Internet censorship is now real in The Netherlands
- bad_user 15y ago
  The Pirate Bay will reach an age of 9 years. Experiencing raids, espionage and death threats, we're still here. We've been through hell and back and it has made us tougher than ever. The people running the site has changed during the years. No sane human being would put up with this kind of pressure for 8 years in a row. An insane hobby that takes time from our families, our work (sorry boss) and our studies. What binds us all together is a strong belief that what we do is good. That it is something we one day can tell our grandchildren about with pride. People from all over the world confirm this. We read testimonials from people in Syria longing for freedom, thanking us for what we provide. We receive more than 100 visits daily from North Korea and we sure know that they need it. If there's something that will bring peace to this world it is the understanding and appreciation of your fellow man. What better way to do that than with this vast library of culture? With this said, we hear news from our old admins that they have received a verdict in Sweden. Our 3 friends and blood brothers have been sentenced to prison. This might sound worse than it is. Since no one of them no longer lives in Sweden, they won't go to jail. They are as free today as they were yesterday. But what enrages us to our inner core is that the system, the empire, the governments, are still allowed to try to boss you and us around with one law crazier than the other. Do you think they will stop with SOPA/ACTA/PIPA? They will not. Because you won't stop sharing those files. Because we will not stay down. Because no one can turn back time. Together, we are the iron that hardens with each strike. In this year of the storm, the winners will build windmills and the losers will raise shelters. So flex your muscles, fellow pirates, and give power to us all! Build more sites! More nets! More protocols! Scream louder than ever and take it to the next level!
- marasal 15y ago
losethos 15y ago
In other news, unemployed black teenage moms support more welfare. God says... 2:18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 2:19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 2:20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 2:21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.
Erwin 15y ago
So the Pirate Bay is now a bastion of freedom that lets users in Syria and North Korea download the latest episode of Glee? (The current most popular torrent there). I'm a little confused about what their greater noble political purpose is. To me it sounds like a place where you can get your TV shows in a more convenient way than waiting until they appear on channels you have, or download that movie you can't be bothered to pay $10-$20 to see. How about real civil disobedience? Have TBP require to put in your full name and picture and the reason why are you downloading the full Microsoft Office package. Put that full list on the front page on TBP, let the government see the tens thousands of people who refuse to follow the unjust copyright laws and are ready to go to prison for breaking them. Now you're making a statement. Or alternatively, produce your own independent content. Supposedly with today's technology it's easy and cheap. Wouldn't it be an amazing blow against this evil "MAFIAA" to one year from now go to TBP home page and see how the most downloaded file is not the latest Hollywood $250 million movie, but an independently produced short? If every user who tweeted against SOPA/ACTA would now tweet about that cool CC-licensed book/game/movie they just saw?
- bad_user 15y ago
  I don't get what your point is - do they need a greater and nobler political purpose other than giving access to whatever people want? Also, Microsoft Office is extremely expensive for people in third-world countries. Pointing people to free alternatives that aren't fully compatible and that have a different interface is not the answer. Microsoft's Office is required for most corporate documents and it is assumed when working computer knowledge is requested from employees. You're also suggesting that TBP should violate the privacy of its users. What do you think this would accomplish? And I'm sure the government would love having that list straight from the horse's mouth.
  - DanBC 15y ago
    NO. If a product supplier prices themselves out of the market that's exactly the time when people should be pointing to Libre Office.
    - 15y ago
lordlarm 15y ago
For those not able to access the site due to ISP-blocking try setting your DNS to 8.8.8.8 and/or 4.4.4.4 (which is Google's DNS server) as they often just block the site in the DNS.
- sp332 15y ago
  I think that's 8.8.4.4, not 4.4.4.4?
  - lordlarm 15y ago
    You are right sir!
- tar 15y ago
  It is 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
sudonim 15y ago
Freedom is a threat to government. The promise of freedom gets governments elected. Exercising freedom makes governments resort to violence. Censorship has always been around. How many of the books once banned by the US have you read?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments#United_States_of_America http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governm... How many of the wikileaks cables have you read? 99% of The Pirate Bay is people downloading entertainment. Sometimes it's entertainment not available yet in their region. Sometimes it's a show on cable that aired last night. Reducing the friction for consumers to get content is a business problem. The Pirate Bay thrives because big media fails to solve that problem. But 1% of the time - maybe less, The Pirate Bay links to content that will have no other home. Where powerful people can't squash it. If we have no place outside the reach of national governments where things that make them uncomfortable have a chance to spread, then we have no freedom. So, while The Pirate Bay is the seedy underbelly of copyright infringement on the internet, it also gives you freedom. We need to protect that.
chunky1994 15y ago
http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-prevent-domain-seizure-120201/ http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-pr... Torrentfreak's artcile citing the above article and explaining why there's a .se in the link!
VonLipwig 15y ago
Hmm. """What binds us all together is a strong belief that what we do is good.""" What is 'good' about the pirate bay? A site which is 95% dedicated to sharing copyrighted content? The Pirate Bay exists to make money for its founders. This is why it has so many intrusive ad's constantly popping up. They aren't on any mission. They are just raking in money at other people's expense. """Our 3 friends and blood brothers have been sentenced to prison. This might sound worse than it is. Since no one of them no longer lives in Sweden, they won't go to jail. They are as free today as they were yesterday.""" Does this mean they are on the run? As they have been sentenced to 4-10 month's I would just serve the time and be done with it. Surely this is better than constantly watching your back and avoiding being extradited back to Sweden. """But what enrages us to our inner core is that the system, the empire, the governments, are still allowed to try to boss you and us around with one law crazier than the other""" Yes.. the system.. the empire.. surprised they didn't mention the people in black suits? The pirate bay is such a target because the people who run it humiliate and insult people with very deep pockets. They aren't victims, they enjoy the attention.
- toyg 15y ago
  A site which is 95% dedicated to sharing copyrighted content [citation needed] The Pirate Bay exists to make money for its founders. This is why it has so many intrusive ad's constantly popping up. The Pirate Bay exists to make it possible for people to share content, but bandwidth and infrastructure is not free. The pirate bay is such a target because the people who run it humiliate and insult people with very deep pockets. And? Is it written anywhere that people with deep pockets should not be insulted? If anything, their position of privilege should make them less prone to knee-jerk reactions. They aren't victims, they enjoy the attention. I think you should talk to your analyst about that complex, hating extrovert people is quite the negative attitude.
  - the-cakeboss 15y ago
    Can you honestly say that the pirate bay isn't dedicated, and almost exclusively used for the distribution of material protected by copyright? Drawing attention to the fact that he hasn't cited any specific research on what is plainly evident for everyone does nothing to promote an adult discussion about the topic. Furthermore, claiming that the author hates extroverts due to some underlaying psychological issues is really unnecessary. Why is it so hard to have an open, honest, mature discussion about piracy and the pirate bay? All the attempts to make P2P out to be some political statement, is highly disingenuous in my opinion. I pirate quite regularly. But it is never about some lofty ideals regarding personal freedoms, or commentary on corporate influence, in truth, I just want something, which happens to be easily and readily accessed, free of charge. Is this stealing? I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to think its a close cousin. Is it a plus for society, and something that ought to be fostered? Quite possibly. Why not talk about this stuff and stop acting like piracy is some noble pursuit? I find it hard to believe that anyone seriously believes that the pirate bay is an agent promoting peace within the world, and liberating oppressed peoples. Why do we kid ourselves?
JonnieCache 15y ago
In this year of the storm, the winners will build windmills and the losers will raise shelters. I like this a lot. Is it a paraphrase or a quotation of something? EDIT: apparently its a "chinese proverb."
- absentbird 15y ago
  Does that make the copyright lobbyists Don Quixote?
  - redthrowaway 15y ago
    As apt an analogy as ever I've seen.
funkah 15y ago
Forgive me if I am a bit put off by the spectacle of a bunch of people calling themselves heroes for downloading the latest episode of "Glee". By the way, those hits from North Korea? Those aren't exactly coming from the average man on the street.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  The free exchange of information is about the big picture. Who cares if individuals use it to download Glee or call the king a pig? And as far as I am concerned, any flow of information into North Korea is a good thing. Beggers can't be choosy.
  - funkah 15y ago
    It's largely a service to help people get content they could already get, but at a lower price. "Free exchange of information". As Frank Zappa would say, pheeeeeuuuuuw.
    - burgerbrain 15y ago
      If you don't care about the free exchange of information, then so be it. In the mean time, I'll be glad that your opinion on the matter ultimately doesn't make a difference. You cannot stop sharing.

266 points by nreece 15y ago

iwwr 15y ago

TPB have made themselves a kind of bastion against the copyright rentseekers by being a visible and hard to quash target. The kind of money and effort wasted against them is impressive. Of course, what this verdict establishes is a precedent for hashes having the same status as the original copyrighted content.

mahrain 15y ago
Similarly, the issue has shifted from being about copyrights to being a threat to civil liberties.
somestuff 15y ago
To burnt timber with the corporations and their enablers who press so hard to suck each of us all of our life's potential while wielding the profits as a weapon against those they dislike. This includes the justice system and their precedents.
toyg 15y ago
in Sweden. AFAIK, the EU court still hasn't spoken on this. They'll have to get similar verdicts in all member states, which they may or may not get, and then from the EU, before it's actually effective. As it is, for example, I could see a challenge brought to the EU court on the basis of restriction of trade between Sweden and other member states, as soon as one server is based in, say, Germany or any other member state. It's a long, log way to Tipperary, and this battle is far from over. "Normal" people are getting more and more pissed off; it will take a generation to undo the disasters the Boomers are doing to our world, but it will happen.

icebraining 15y ago

We have, ourselves, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our Internets, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. Even though large parts of Internets and many old and famous trackers have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Ifpi and all the odious apparatus of MPAA rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the ef-nets and darknets, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Internets, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the baywords.org, we shall fight on the /. and on the digg, we shall fight in the courts; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, the Internets or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the Anon Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in Cerf's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. Signed; The Pirate Bay Crew - Always when needed. http://thepiratebay.se/blog/172 http://thepiratebay.se/blog/172 EDIT: This is an _old_ post, not current.

rickmb 15y ago
Thank you for the copy-paste. The fact that I now have to rely on others to republish this information because as of today it is being censored for me makes me very, very sad. I'm 45 years old, I was born and raised in the "free world", and this is the first time in my life I am confronted with the painful reality of censorship. Regardless of what one might think of the Pirate Bay, this feels so very, very wrong.
- icebraining 15y ago
  Sorry, but that was an old post, it just felt appropriate :|
  - rickmb 15y ago
    Yeah, figured that out by now... Still, it just reinforces the insanity of the whole experience: I now have to rely on others for this information. My ability to evaluate that information has been compromised.

asm89 15y ago

Screenshot for the dutch people that can't visit TPB anymore..: http://i.imgur.com/VVBiJ.png http://i.imgur.com/VVBiJ.png

somestuff 15y ago
Paste of it for the dutch visually impaired that can't visit TPB anymore..: http://pastebin.com/WeKPQUK6 http://pastebin.com/WeKPQUK6 edit: dem words aint right. :)
Ives 15y ago
For Belgian people too...

danieldk 15y ago

It is sad, but I cannot read this blog post. The Dutch equivalent of the RIAA/MPAA, named Brein, sued two of the major Dutch ISPs for not blocking access to The Pirate Bay. Brein won the court case, and the judge required these ISPs to block The Pirate Bay starting yesterday. Now I am met with this when visiting thepiratebay.se: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/blokkade.png/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/blokkade.png/ Internet censorship is now real in The Netherlands

bad_user 15y ago
The Pirate Bay will reach an age of 9 years. Experiencing raids, espionage and death threats, we're still here. We've been through hell and back and it has made us tougher than ever. The people running the site has changed during the years. No sane human being would put up with this kind of pressure for 8 years in a row. An insane hobby that takes time from our families, our work (sorry boss) and our studies. What binds us all together is a strong belief that what we do is good. That it is something we one day can tell our grandchildren about with pride. People from all over the world confirm this. We read testimonials from people in Syria longing for freedom, thanking us for what we provide. We receive more than 100 visits daily from North Korea and we sure know that they need it. If there's something that will bring peace to this world it is the understanding and appreciation of your fellow man. What better way to do that than with this vast library of culture? With this said, we hear news from our old admins that they have received a verdict in Sweden. Our 3 friends and blood brothers have been sentenced to prison. This might sound worse than it is. Since no one of them no longer lives in Sweden, they won't go to jail. They are as free today as they were yesterday. But what enrages us to our inner core is that the system, the empire, the governments, are still allowed to try to boss you and us around with one law crazier than the other. Do you think they will stop with SOPA/ACTA/PIPA? They will not. Because you won't stop sharing those files. Because we will not stay down. Because no one can turn back time. Together, we are the iron that hardens with each strike. In this year of the storm, the winners will build windmills and the losers will raise shelters. So flex your muscles, fellow pirates, and give power to us all! Build more sites! More nets! More protocols! Scream louder than ever and take it to the next level!
marasal 15y ago

losethos 15y ago

In other news, unemployed black teenage moms support more welfare. God says... 2:18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 2:19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 2:20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 2:21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

Erwin 15y ago

So the Pirate Bay is now a bastion of freedom that lets users in Syria and North Korea download the latest episode of Glee? (The current most popular torrent there). I'm a little confused about what their greater noble political purpose is. To me it sounds like a place where you can get your TV shows in a more convenient way than waiting until they appear on channels you have, or download that movie you can't be bothered to pay $10-$20 to see. How about real civil disobedience? Have TBP require to put in your full name and picture and the reason why are you downloading the full Microsoft Office package. Put that full list on the front page on TBP, let the government see the tens thousands of people who refuse to follow the unjust copyright laws and are ready to go to prison for breaking them. Now you're making a statement. Or alternatively, produce your own independent content. Supposedly with today's technology it's easy and cheap. Wouldn't it be an amazing blow against this evil "MAFIAA" to one year from now go to TBP home page and see how the most downloaded file is not the latest Hollywood $250 million movie, but an independently produced short? If every user who tweeted against SOPA/ACTA would now tweet about that cool CC-licensed book/game/movie they just saw?

bad_user 15y ago
I don't get what your point is - do they need a greater and nobler political purpose other than giving access to whatever people want? Also, Microsoft Office is extremely expensive for people in third-world countries. Pointing people to free alternatives that aren't fully compatible and that have a different interface is not the answer. Microsoft's Office is required for most corporate documents and it is assumed when working computer knowledge is requested from employees. You're also suggesting that TBP should violate the privacy of its users. What do you think this would accomplish? And I'm sure the government would love having that list straight from the horse's mouth.
- DanBC 15y ago
  NO. If a product supplier prices themselves out of the market that's exactly the time when people should be pointing to Libre Office.
  - 15y ago

lordlarm 15y ago

For those not able to access the site due to ISP-blocking try setting your DNS to 8.8.8.8 and/or 4.4.4.4 (which is Google's DNS server) as they often just block the site in the DNS.

sp332 15y ago
I think that's 8.8.4.4, not 4.4.4.4?
- lordlarm 15y ago
  You are right sir!
tar 15y ago
It is 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

sudonim 15y ago

Freedom is a threat to government. The promise of freedom gets governments elected. Exercising freedom makes governments resort to violence. Censorship has always been around. How many of the books once banned by the US have you read?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments#United_States_of_America http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governm... How many of the wikileaks cables have you read? 99% of The Pirate Bay is people downloading entertainment. Sometimes it's entertainment not available yet in their region. Sometimes it's a show on cable that aired last night. Reducing the friction for consumers to get content is a business problem. The Pirate Bay thrives because big media fails to solve that problem. But 1% of the time - maybe less, The Pirate Bay links to content that will have no other home. Where powerful people can't squash it. If we have no place outside the reach of national governments where things that make them uncomfortable have a chance to spread, then we have no freedom. So, while The Pirate Bay is the seedy underbelly of copyright infringement on the internet, it also gives you freedom. We need to protect that.

chunky1994 15y ago

http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-prevent-domain-seizure-120201/ http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-pr... Torrentfreak's artcile citing the above article and explaining why there's a .se in the link!

VonLipwig 15y ago

Hmm. """What binds us all together is a strong belief that what we do is good.""" What is 'good' about the pirate bay? A site which is 95% dedicated to sharing copyrighted content? The Pirate Bay exists to make money for its founders. This is why it has so many intrusive ad's constantly popping up. They aren't on any mission. They are just raking in money at other people's expense. """Our 3 friends and blood brothers have been sentenced to prison. This might sound worse than it is. Since no one of them no longer lives in Sweden, they won't go to jail. They are as free today as they were yesterday.""" Does this mean they are on the run? As they have been sentenced to 4-10 month's I would just serve the time and be done with it. Surely this is better than constantly watching your back and avoiding being extradited back to Sweden. """But what enrages us to our inner core is that the system, the empire, the governments, are still allowed to try to boss you and us around with one law crazier than the other""" Yes.. the system.. the empire.. surprised they didn't mention the people in black suits? The pirate bay is such a target because the people who run it humiliate and insult people with very deep pockets. They aren't victims, they enjoy the attention.

toyg 15y ago
A site which is 95% dedicated to sharing copyrighted content [citation needed] The Pirate Bay exists to make money for its founders. This is why it has so many intrusive ad's constantly popping up. The Pirate Bay exists to make it possible for people to share content, but bandwidth and infrastructure is not free. The pirate bay is such a target because the people who run it humiliate and insult people with very deep pockets. And? Is it written anywhere that people with deep pockets should not be insulted? If anything, their position of privilege should make them less prone to knee-jerk reactions. They aren't victims, they enjoy the attention. I think you should talk to your analyst about that complex, hating extrovert people is quite the negative attitude.
- the-cakeboss 15y ago
  Can you honestly say that the pirate bay isn't dedicated, and almost exclusively used for the distribution of material protected by copyright? Drawing attention to the fact that he hasn't cited any specific research on what is plainly evident for everyone does nothing to promote an adult discussion about the topic. Furthermore, claiming that the author hates extroverts due to some underlaying psychological issues is really unnecessary. Why is it so hard to have an open, honest, mature discussion about piracy and the pirate bay? All the attempts to make P2P out to be some political statement, is highly disingenuous in my opinion. I pirate quite regularly. But it is never about some lofty ideals regarding personal freedoms, or commentary on corporate influence, in truth, I just want something, which happens to be easily and readily accessed, free of charge. Is this stealing? I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to think its a close cousin. Is it a plus for society, and something that ought to be fostered? Quite possibly. Why not talk about this stuff and stop acting like piracy is some noble pursuit? I find it hard to believe that anyone seriously believes that the pirate bay is an agent promoting peace within the world, and liberating oppressed peoples. Why do we kid ourselves?

JonnieCache 15y ago

In this year of the storm, the winners will build windmills and the losers will raise shelters. I like this a lot. Is it a paraphrase or a quotation of something? EDIT: apparently its a "chinese proverb."

absentbird 15y ago
Does that make the copyright lobbyists Don Quixote?
- redthrowaway 15y ago
  As apt an analogy as ever I've seen.

funkah 15y ago

Forgive me if I am a bit put off by the spectacle of a bunch of people calling themselves heroes for downloading the latest episode of "Glee". By the way, those hits from North Korea? Those aren't exactly coming from the average man on the street.

burgerbrain 15y ago
The free exchange of information is about the big picture. Who cares if individuals use it to download Glee or call the king a pig? And as far as I am concerned, any flow of information into North Korea is a good thing. Beggers can't be choosy.
- funkah 15y ago
  It's largely a service to help people get content they could already get, but at a lower price. "Free exchange of information". As Frank Zappa would say, pheeeeeuuuuuw.
  - burgerbrain 15y ago
    If you don't care about the free exchange of information, then so be it. In the mean time, I'll be glad that your opinion on the matter ultimately doesn't make a difference. You cannot stop sharing.