Bono hopes content tracking will help media moguls

[Keyper7]

I'll give Bono the benefit of the doubt and believe he's not being motivated by greed, but by an actual belief that file-sharing is a real threat.

That said, the subject of content tracking is a major can of worms, comparable to the discussion about where cameras can be installed and where they can not. Suggesting it as a solution is a little bit naitve, and borderline irresponsible.

[SuperSonic4]

EDIT: According to this France are to implement the elusive "3 Strikes" regime.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8436745.stm
This is what you get when you've politicians in bed with the entertainment industry. It's absolutely despicable that you have companies hellbent on screwing anyone for profit dictating the use of what is becoming an essential service in today's world.
Here's a nice article exploring ways to get around it.
http://torrentfreak.com/six-ways-fil...trikes-100102/

Didn't that come into force on January 1st?

I've never liked Bono - his arrogance is only surpassed by Alex Ferguson and Christiano Ronaldo *washes mouth out with soap*. It's as the old joke goes

Q: What is the difference between God and Bono?
A: God doesn't stroll around Dublin thinking he's Bono

As South Park pointed out - Bono is the biggest turd in the world XD

[cascade9]

Same Bono of U2 that talks a lot about "Make Poverty History" moved his music publishing company to the Netherlands after Ireland dropped a tax exemption on music publishing?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...DgM&refer=home

Of coruse, its possible that he believes the whole 'if I make lots of money then I am in a position to help people' idea, but previous statements make him look like a hypocritical twerp.

If he keeps going like this, he'll get a noble peace prize.

[

The Great Firewall of China is not working, if any government thinks they can do better...
I am not a "praying" or "faithful" person, but, if I were, I'd be praying for Net Neutrality, and if the anti free speech people take it from us, I have no doubt, I'll be doing the same thing as millions of Chinese do in order to get out and see whats REALLY happening out there.

"They" can try to blindfold us, but most of us will continue to peek out from under the mask.

/rant mode on

They are trying to go to a similar place here ('mandatory internet filtering') and sorry to say, the campaign to get it in is working (even if the 'solution' is a joke).

I think the logic is two-fold.
1- 'somebody needs to do something about this mess, and if nobody else will then its down to us'
2- 'if _everybody_ filters the internet, then nothing bad can happen, right?'
Which is stupid, but its pretty much a non-issue in the opinion of the vast majority of people. Non-issue, and no-body wants to appear 'soft on peadophilia'. Anytime that there is any reasonable dissent to the internet filter here, the government starts with 'will somebody please think of the children? if you are against us, then you must be a kiddy-fiddler'

Its not about peadophilia, but thats the governments spin (its more about making the 'internet a place of business, not this anarchy that no-body makes money off'). When it passes here, it will be the spin that every other government will use as well.

/rant mode off

[Zoot7]

I agree.. His loss of record sales isnt due to music pirating. Its due to his attitude and ******* off of people that used to listen to him. Another band suffering from foot-in-mouth issues is Metallica. People coppied cassette tapes for years and that never hurt their records sales..

Yes exactly, any artist that goes on that way deserves no respect or support IMO.

Didn't that come into force on January 1st?

Yes I think so.

As South Park pointed out - Bono is the biggest turd in the world XD

Every time I see Bono I think of that South Park episode.

[Gizenshya]

Phase 1) Shut down copyright infringement "inducement" sources. Sources outsource.

Phase 2) Use lawyers to strong-arm innocent people out of (what the media companies consider) pocket change. Lawyers run out of people to sue, starting to see countersuits that are looking awfully expensive.

Phase 3) Lobby governments to "track" file transfers. Everyone + their dog uses encryption.

Phase 4) Collect underpants

Phase 5) ???

Phase 6) Profit

Fixed.

(reference)

[Groucho Marxist]

And one of those comments I found particularly interesting mentioned this link.
United States Bureau of Economic Analysis


Look at line 47,
47 Motion picture and sound recording industries 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

0.3 = 0.003 % of the total GDP in the United States. Not only did Bono overstate the portion of GDP from these "media moguls", but he also failed to note they retained the same piece of the pie for the last 5 years.

That's not out of line for media industries. What struck me as particularly underhanded was the fact that the MPAA produces its own questionable figures for revenue loss due to piracy.

[Tristam Green]

I agree.. His loss of record sales isnt due to music pirating. Its due to his attitude and ******* off of people that used to listen to him. Another band suffering from foot-in-mouth issues is Metallica. People coppied cassette tapes for years and that never hurt their records sales..

Irony is that Metallica's original way of getting to the masses was BY WAY of copied cassette tapes, that they'd hand out at local shows.

Bono = a Lars for the new decade.

[Cam42]

I love Bono!


In U2

This.

Bono can be quite ridiculous outside of the band.

[starcannon]

Irony is that Metallica's original way of getting to the masses was BY WAY of copied cassette tapes, that they'd hand out at local shows.

Bono = a Lars for the new decade.

I don't have a problem with an artist or some other media creator wishing to control and make money from their hard work; I do have issues with some of the ways they wish to control and make money from their work how ever, and what Bono is suggesting is outrageous.

As far as Metallica and the free tapes that were mentioned goes, the key thing here is they used to hand out tapes at local shows, and now they don't. It is their music, they created it, it is their right to decide what happens with their creation. When they were handing them out at shows "for free", it wasn't because they were being nice guys, it was a calculated promotional move, and it worked. Once they got a large enough fan base, they did what most professional musicians do, they started selling their music, the promo is over. Some musicians or software writers choose to continue giving their creations away free of charge, and just like those that sell their works, it is their right to do so. And ultimately, because there is legally free music, software, books, etc., there is no need to take something that is not freely given. Now, whether a recording company, or software company also makes money from the people who write or record does not matter, that is between the software writers, musicians, or whoever, and the people they signed contracts with, it does not change the fact that the works they produce are not free, not free as in beer, not free as in liberated; no amount of justification will change that.
I would recommend Jamendo and Sourceforge as some great places to go find legally and ethically free music and software, if you prefer commercial music and applications, I would recommend buying them from a reputable vendor.

[phrostbyte]

I don't have a problem with an artist or some other media creator wishing to control and make money from their hard work; I do have issues with some of the ways they wish to control and make money from their work how ever, and what Bono is suggesting is outrageous.

As far as Metallica and the free tapes that were mentioned goes, the key thing here is they used to hand out tapes at local shows, and now they don't. It is their music, they created it, it is their right to decide what happens with their creation. When they were handing them out at shows "for free", it wasn't because they were being nice guys, it was a calculated promotional move, and it worked. Once they got a large enough fan base, they did what most professional musicians do, they started selling their music, the promo is over. Some musicians or software writers choose to continue giving their creations away free of charge, and just like those that sell their works, it is their right to do so. And ultimately, because there is legally free music, software, books, etc., there is no need to take something that is not freely given. Now, whether a recording company, or software company also makes money from the people who write or record does not matter, that is between the software writers, musicians, or whoever, and the people they signed contracts with, it does not change the fact that the works they produce are not free, not free as in beer, not free as in liberated; no amount of justification will change that.
I would recommend Jamendo and Sourceforge as some great places to go find legally and ethically free music and software, if you prefer commercial music and applications, I would recommend buying them from a reputable vendor.

Jamendo++. Other good sites are Magnatune and OC Remix.

I think trading in Creative Commons music is really the best way to give the finger to the recording industry. Because it literally has the same effect on their business as piracy, but there is nothing they can do about it.

Another thing is to encourage mashup/DJ artists who work with unauthorized music. Eg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNzrwh2Z2hQ, or Dangermouse's Gray Album. The way to counter the idea that "piracy hampers creativity" is for the so called pirates to become creative themselves. When they actually take down such music, it starts to look more and more like THEY are the ones hampering creativity. The more average people get affected by copyright, the faster this system will fall.