Don’t Follow my Lead October 30, 2009

In response to my last post regarding piracy, I would like to address to dangers present in illegally downloading music that do not include getting sued for everything you are worth by music companies.

Florida State University, along with any randomly selected university nationally and internationally, have done as much as they can to protect themselves (and you) against pirating maniacs such as myself.  FSU has released their Computer Fair Use Policy in order to prevent any legal repercussions music companies may try and impose on them for a student using a computer on campus to do anything illegal or unsavory. FSU has clarified, however, that “this and all policies and procedures associated with FSU IT resources are not intended to abridge academic freedom, constitutional guarantees of free speech, or freedom of expression”. Just in case you were wondering.

To break it down for you, essentially you cannot use a computer on campus property or use campus internet connections to:
-watch porn or obscene material unless deemed necessary by academic research (What in the world kind of class deems porn viewing necessary?)
-harass others with images, sounds, or messages
-beat the hell out of the physical computer
-”undermine the security or the integrity of computing systems or networks or to attempt to gain unauthorized access”

Consequences are as follows (if in fact you get caught pirating/illegally manhandling university property):
-denial to use of University IT resources
-penalties and disciplinary action both within and outside of the University (i.e. the po-po is coming after you)
-suspension, blocking or restriction to your FSU account (which includes no longer being able to access your Blackboard account, and that’s bad)

Here is a BIG stipulation they put out there not to be ignored:
The University cannot guarantee absolute privacy of electronic communication.

All in all, it’s serious business to pirate music illegally and it is especially dangerous to do it on university property with university resources.

So if you’re going to do it, do it at your own discretion on your own internet on your own computer.

A How To Guide: Let’s Make Illegal (Music) Babies October 29, 2009

There have been enough reports stating that illegal downloads are in fact helping the music industry.  Sean Silverthorne’s interview with Felix Oberholzer-Gee (awesome last name) in 2004 stated that “researchers believe that most downloading is done over peer-to-peer networks by teens and college kids, groups that are “money-poor but time-rich,” meaning they wouldn’t have bought the songs they downloaded. In that sense, the music industry can’t claim those downloads as lost record sales.”  So please, allow me to help boost music sales.  Afterall, I’m only doing my part.

Step One Get yourself a free download of µTorrent. From all the downloaders I’ve used, this one is far and above my fave.

Step Two Run a search in µTorrent for whatever artist/movie/software/etc. you would like to download.

Step Three Rifle through the results and figure out which link houses your download of choice. Generally, ThePirateBay is going to have what you are looking for. Be forewarned that they have been sued recently and their site has been plagued with cookies and trojans. TorrentReactor is pretty great too.

Step Four When this screen pops up (ex: ThePirateBay), click the download link.

Step Five When you are prompted to open the new file, confirm that you want it to open with µTorrent.

Step Six When you see this screen and these words, you’ve reached optimum illegal downloading.

Step Seven OMG You’re almost there!

Step Eight This is the money shot right here kids!

Step Nine It is important to not seed your downloads online again, back where they came from.  This is where people get in trouble.  So click the little red X.  Confirm that you want to remove it from your queue.

Step Ten Locate where your downloaded files have ended up on your computer.  After doing that, you can upload them into whatever mp3 player you have.

CONGRATS! Or should I say ARRRGH!  You are officially a pirate!

The number of illegal music downloads continued to increase—but so did music sales. -Sean Silverthorne

Oh, cry me a river. October 27, 2009

With the pending release of the new Michael Jackson film This is It, the industry is a buzz with how much money this porker is going to rake in.  By my very scientific estimations, I’m thinking it’s going to make more than Heath Ledger’s posthumous appearance in The Dark Knight.  But where there is a hotly anticipated film, there are pirates chomping at the bit to get their hands on Preview tickets.  One of the most lucrative file sharing practices is entering the first night of a film, videotape it, upload it and distribute a terrible, terrible version of a normally already bad film.

Here in lies the problem:  it’s illegal.  Movie execs have tried to circumnavigate this issue by doing simultaneous global film releases.  The only this this prevents is people from seeing it the night the movie opens.  Normally, within six hours of a film opening, I can go to any number of bittorrent or file sharing sites, download it and watch it for free.  And I love free.  And so do the millions of other people worldwide that do the same thing.

Here in lies the next problem: sucking profit from the industry.  Personally, this bothers me as much as the toothpaste splatter on my sink.  It doesn’t.  The movie industry already makes BILLLLLLLIONS of dollars a year regardless of how many films I don’t pay for.  However, considering the crap state of our economy, I suppose I should feel bad for not contributing to the solution.  But, if someone wasn’t charging me $8 to step into a theater, then pay about $14 for popcorn and pop, I’d be less inclined to leech off the internet.  Ya heard?

In a recent article by Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, he states that “Online theft siphons billions of dollars out of the marketplace. That means less money to make movies. Projects get scaled back and others dropped. Some potential blockbusters won’t get made. Some new writers, actors and film-makers won’t get discovered. Last year the leading Hollywood studios made 162 films — more than 40 fewer than in 2006, and the lowest number in a decade.”

My response: cry me a river.  Because that’s what I’m doing over here in my impoverished state. Welcome to it, movie industry.  The water is fine.

Break it down now. October 22, 2009

Sometimes there is confusion on what exactly is illegal about file sharing and how it affects users.  This video gives an example as to what can happen when someone gets busted for file-sharing through the internet.

The questions that arise from the video (that now I am no longer sure if I illegally embedded into my blog) start as soon as Jessie Hirsh opens his mouth.  Why is file-sharing illegal?  How is it different from any other form of file-sharing?  It it illegal only because it infringes on profits not being made in the music industry?

In an article by District Attorney Frtiz Dolak, he breaks down what it is about file sharing that makes it so naughty.  “P2P (Peer2Peer) audio file sharing is illegal because of the U.S. Copyright Law. Owners of a copyright are guaranteed six exclusive rights under the Copyright Law and two of those exclusive rights are the right to control copies and distribution of those copies.”  That makes sense, right?  Here’s my question though: what if I purchase my music online and then make mix ‘ for friends?  Where is the illegality in that?  If I paid for it, aren’t the rights of the distributor null and void?  The issue present now is the loss of revenue for the music industry when I simply give away music.  The potential gains lost by my friend not purchasing the music themselves is a threat.  When you think that buying one song on iTunes costs $.99 and a portion of that goes to the record label, artist, etc., multiply that by the MILLIONS of songs not being purchased and that is a significant loss for those who would otherwise be making money.

So how do companies pick and choose particular file sharers to go after?  If someone showed up on my doorstep with court orders saying I was being sued by Epic Records for illegally downloading the entire Fiona Apple discography, I’d be a little miffed.

Look at all the people… October 14, 2009

The internet is a life-sucking, life-altering, mind-blowing, hyphenated life-force. It giveth and it taketh.

The are so many beautiful elements to life online, both for the user and the viewer.

But big brother is always watching.

The ease of adding content to the internet has opened it up to millions of people who’d otherwise just be watching politics on the television and discuss it at the dinner table. Due to mass accessibility, there are those kinds of people who will leach off the ignorance of others. Privacy online is essentially null and void these days. Facebook searches show up on Google searches; potential bosses can look you up online and hire/not hire you based off their findings; steal your original content posted on YouTube or in your personal blog.

So what is the line between using the internet and the profitable adulteration of abusing privacy online?