Wow… I sure as heck didn’t see this coming! Attorney General Eric Holder gave a speech yesterday announcing a full-blown government campaign against intellectual property theft. After 300+ years, the content industry has finally received it’s ultimate Xmas present – OUR government acting as THEIR copyright cops! Add to this the fact that both the Congress & Senate are very likely going to pass their respective ‘internet-killing’ copyright bills (SOPA & Protect IP) within the next few weeks, and I imagine the content industry is in sheer ecstasy! (I know I certainly would be!)
Wired has an even more depressing article discussing Mr. Holder’s speech titled “Holder Asks America to Remain Vigilant, Report Intellectual-Property Crime.” Yup… Yup… sounds like we have a new war now… the “War on IP Terror.”
Geez… and I was just in the middle of reading William F. Patry’s new book “How to Fix Copyright“. This book is even better than his previous one published in 2009 titled “Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars.” I’m wondering if even he saw this coming???
These two books are #1 & #2 in my list of must read copyright books. If you want to get “smart” on copyright really quick, then you’ve got to read these books. They are both “eye-openers!” I think I can guarantee that once you have read either one of them, you will “see the light” concerning just how truly ridiculous our copyright laws really are and why we are in the situation we find ourselves currently in. You’ll also discover the terrible truth concerning the content industry, and how they – with our Administration’s help over the many years – have been instrumental in putting us right smack dab into this nasty position. (Of course, we – the people – have to share in the blame for letting this happen.)
If you’re interested in trying to stop passage of SOPA and PROTECT-IP, visit either or both of the sites listed below:
or