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This is slightly off-topic, but still ... Compare The Pirate Bay to YouTube. An argument can be made that YouTube is the biggest distributor of pirated content

This is slightly off-topic, but still ... Compare The Pirate Bay to YouTube. An argument can be made that YouTube is the biggest distributor of pirated content, though you'd never make YouTube responsible for that. YouTube is a platform and so is TPB. Nobody would ever suggest blocking YouTube as a whole just because people use the platform to share copyrighted material — yet quite a lot of people think doing the very same thing to TPB is completely reasonable. I don't get that.

johnlbevan2 12y ago
Whilst I'd agree that TPB is just a tool, the argument has some validity. It's called the PIRATE bay; they're heavily implying what this tool can be used for, and this matches its main use. YouTube often take action to block IP/Copyright infringement; TPB say they provide the tools and leave users to do with it as they will; i.e. they don't cooperate in preventing illegal usage. I agree that the tool itself shouldn't be banned, but the idea of pushing for compromise (e.g. giving recognised authorities access to view users' details in cases where illegal material's being shared) doesn't seem unfair. This way the authorities have options other than banning the tools, legitimate users don't suffer, and offending users are identified; all's good - unless you're using the tool illegally; which is fine (or at least, a different debate).
- lsaferite 12y ago
  Unfortunately, as is apparent from kerfluffle causing this post, legality is a very provincial thing.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
DanBC 12y ago
> Nobody would ever suggest blocking YouTube as a whole Some studios have suggested that, and were campaigning for restrictions for Youtube. Hence YouTube's content filtering which recognizes and removes certain content automatically.
- drdaeman 12y ago
  And... Guess what? Roskomnadzor had a story with YouTube, had them blocked for several hours (mostly went unnoticed as IIRC they had banned only a single IPv4 address, and most ISPs hadn't even pulled the registry before the block was lifted), and had made them block a copy "Dumb Ways to Die" video in Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die#Censorship_in_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die#Censorship_in... So, the fact is, somebody had not only suggested but actually proceeded with blocking YouTube as a whole.

johnlbevan2 12y ago

Whilst I'd agree that TPB is just a tool, the argument has some validity. It's called the PIRATE bay; they're heavily implying what this tool can be used for, and this matches its main use. YouTube often take action to block IP/Copyright infringement; TPB say they provide the tools and leave users to do with it as they will; i.e. they don't cooperate in preventing illegal usage. I agree that the tool itself shouldn't be banned, but the idea of pushing for compromise (e.g. giving recognised authorities access to view users' details in cases where illegal material's being shared) doesn't seem unfair. This way the authorities have options other than banning the tools, legitimate users don't suffer, and offending users are identified; all's good - unless you're using the tool illegally; which is fine (or at least, a different debate).

lsaferite 12y ago
Unfortunately, as is apparent from kerfluffle causing this post, legality is a very provincial thing.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

DanBC 12y ago

> Nobody would ever suggest blocking YouTube as a whole Some studios have suggested that, and were campaigning for restrictions for Youtube. Hence YouTube's content filtering which recognizes and removes certain content automatically.

drdaeman 12y ago
And... Guess what? Roskomnadzor had a story with YouTube, had them blocked for several hours (mostly went unnoticed as IIRC they had banned only a single IPv4 address, and most ISPs hadn't even pulled the registry before the block was lifted), and had made them block a copy "Dumb Ways to Die" video in Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die#Censorship_in_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die#Censorship_in... So, the fact is, somebody had not only suggested but actually proceeded with blocking YouTube as a whole.