[p2p-research] ASCAP Declares War on Free Culture

[Alex Rollin]

Network associations like this make money from issues.  Even if this
isn't a real issue, and if there were no issues, then they might cease
to exist, since administering gigantic legal funds of membership dues,
collected under the auspices of "protection for your IP!" are their
reason for being, or at least in some cases.

Al

On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 4:48 PM, Samuel Rose <samuel.rose at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 4:31 AM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> when the enemy is taking you seriously, you know you're doing something
>> right ...
>>
>> thanks for the update!!
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 3:23 PM, Lazaro Vigoa <q93149 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello P2P!
>>>
>>> The free culture movement is abuzz today over news that ASCAP has
>>> requested their members to fight organizations like Creative Commons, Public
>>> Knowledge
>>>
>>> ASCAP declares war on free culture . So the folk at ASCAP (the US society
>>> of composer, authors and publishers) are currently soliciting funds to
>>> combat those naughty people at Creative Commons, the Electronic Freedom
>>> Foundation and other supporters of the free culture movement. ..
>
>
> Amazing. What is there for ASCAP to "fight" in regards to Creative Commons?
>
>
> Here's a quote from the alleged letter:
>
> “At this moment,” the letter says, “we are facing our biggest
> challenge ever. Many forces including Creative Commons, Public
> Knowledge, Electronic Frontier Foundation and technology companies
> with deep pockets are mobilizing to promote “Copyleft” in order to
> undermine our “Copyright.” They say they are advocates of consumer
> rights, but the truth in these groups simply do not want to pay for
> the use of our music. Their mission is to spread the word that our
> music should be free.”
>
>
> WHAT?!?!?!?!?!
>
>
> Whoever wrote this letter and sent it out to ASCAP members IS
> COMPLETELY CLUELESS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE F*&^%$# TALKING ABOUT.
> Creative Commons, Public Knowledge, and EFF are promoting "copyleft"
> as an alternative for people to voluntarily choose. "Copyleft"
> absolutely *does not undermine copyright*. ASCAP, YOU ARE WASTING
> LIKELY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR NOTHING. There are probably
> some starving children, or dying people somewhere who might benefit
> from this money that you've basically pissed into the wind on
> absolutely nothing.
>
> Let me help you with this, ASCAP:
>
>
> If *I* write some text, create and record music or a movie, etc  IT IS
> MY RIGHT TO RELEASE IT UNDER ****ANY CONDITION I CHOOSE****  Read that
> carefully, ASCAP people. I may *voluntarily* place ANY conditions
> (within the bounds of the law) on my creations. "Copyleft" are
> conditions placed on content by THE CREATOR OF THE CONTENT. The
> creator is the PERSON WITH THE RIGHTS.  The creator CHOOSES, NOT
> ASCAP.
>
> So, let's pretend that every content creator in the whole wide world
> decided to copyleft their work, except one lone guy who still decided
> to copyright his work, all rights reserved, etc. Does this mean that
> the copyrighting guy's work is in danger? Emphatic NO. Under our
> existing laws, the guy who chose copyright is STILL PROTECTED UNDER
> CURRENT LAWS.
>
> So, basically, ASCAP, you want your members to pay to help you take
> away my RIGHT to choose how I release software, content, etc?  ASCAP,
> do you realize this is what you are proposing?
>
> Laughable,
>
>
> --
> --
> Sam Rose
> Future Forward Institute and Forward Foundation
> Tel:+1(517) 639-1552
> Cel: +1-(517)-974-6451
> skype: samuelrose
> email: samuel.rose at gmail.com
> http://forwardfound.org
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>
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> ambition." - Carl Sagan
>
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