TMV are utterly disgusted with the antics of the anti SOPA camp. What is so wrong with legislation that’s core aim is to eradicate piracy and in effect protect producers of art and culture? Businesses such as Wikipedia and Google have been acting like a bunch of spoilt children throwing a tantrum and chucking the toys out of the pram when they do not get their own way.
Turning off access to millions of customers, and twisting the truth for your own dubious political ends whilst masquerading it as an attack on free speech is akin to the propaganda machine of Gobbles during the Nazi Germany era.
What is wrong with content creators being able to demand the closing down of sites that steal their IP? I’m sure if individuals or businesses stole Google algorithms, Google would expect the authorities to shut those businesses down?
The reason Google is chucking such a tantrum is because it is crystal clear that they knowingly link to illegal torrent sites little own the money they make from serving advertisements to such sites. Essentially, Google have been playing a double game and it seems pretty damn clear that they have decided to side with the companies that rip off content producers from the music, film, software, games and news businesses.
All this claim of a breach of freedom is total and utter rubbish that has been used as propaganda to build up support for these companies’ campaign to profit from illegal conduct in relation to file sharing. Once you read the research it is clear that search engines such as Google make immense profits from serving advertisements to file sharing sites. Reinforcing this is the fact that ISP’s make squillions by refusing to police customer subscribing to their businesses to access the Internet and conduct illegal activity.
In TMV’s view companies like Google and organizations like Wikipedia are scaremongering making false accusations that SOPA equals an attack on free speech to build support for their own businesses at the expense of businesses in the arts and culture sector.
Both ISPs and search engines are profiting from the raping and pillaging of the content creation businesses. Yes, there is a lot wrong with the music business and how it rips of its own original creators, yet that does not make profiting from enabling and in some cases actively profiting from stealing creative businesses IP right in any way whatsoever.
It is no surprise businesses lobbying against SOPA have leveraged their political donations to discourage dissent from their own interests. Instead of trying to negotiate what are fair and equitable terms regarding the fact their businesses make money from stealing content creators works, they try to prevent any form of legislation being passed.
The whole point of SOPA is to deliver a balance between both ISP’s and search engine rights and those of content creators. For the last decade content creators have borne the brunt of the worse side of illegal file sharing, whilst these gateways providing access to content have made immense profits by enabling and turning a blind eye to the illegal activity their businesses actively profit from.
It is time for some balance to be provided that protects content creators. That is exactly what SOPA is attempting to do. I’m also sure the legislation is not perfect. When is legislation ever perfect? SOPA may require some changes but negotiation is required -not childlike behavior from some of the world’s largest companies.
On a final note, numerous industry sources have continually noted to TMV that Google and ISP’s never ever like to negotiate and prefer to dictate terms. Yes, this does also sound exactly like the music business. However, for the good of each business sector it is critical that negotiation is begun – as without its anarchy, raping and pillaging becomes the norm and hence law. Would we allow that in our physical world? I very much doubt it…
