Week 2 BOC: Intellectual Property

The Internet blackout is interesting in many ways.  I think the real reasons are actually not being talked about.  Many people don’t realize that what congress is trying to do will greatly hurt small business, up and coming artists, and people who make their money basically re-inventing how media is delivered.  The fact the congress is even considering a law that would make it illegal to do anything with content that is directly your own, or advertise content that isn’t directly your own, or basically even have an idea that isn’t directly your own, is pretty scary.  There are many other things going on in this law that could be talked about, as well.  I always kind of felt the laws we have in place today (NDAA especially) are the reason we left Europe in the beginning of “The New World.”  To me, this could greatly hurt my career and make it extremely difficult to achieve my goals, because now I won’t be able to afford making films and it would be very hard to get money from others to support the film, when it isn’t their film to support in the eyes of this law.   

That being said, I think online piracy is only kind of bad.  The actual amount of stolen online content barely affects the overall income of any production.  If it DOES affect it, then the budget was too small to potentially make money to begin with.  And since many films utilize viral networking to get “free” advertising from the audience, this will pretty much make the audience the target of hefty fines.  I think it would suck to have my films stolen, but at the same time I am a realist.  If I am so big the films are getting stolen, I wouldn’t have to worry about money anyway.  I actually always felt the Internet was about freedom of speech.  All speech.  Including the negative stuff you sometimes see.  I may not like it, but people have a right to say it.  And since it is only the Internet, I can do something very simple.  I can close the window if I am not liking what I am seeing.  I can’t help but feel like this is another step forward to make the rich people richer, and the poor up and coming incapable.  Can’t really explain the magnitude of absurdity this law represents in 300 words.  I know the copywriter law is something needing revision, but the way they are revising it is just wrong.

© Robert Haney 2012