With the possibility of comprehensive copyright reform in the US in the air, we warned that lobbyists from all sides were about to be very, very busy on Capitol Hill, and it has already begun. We’ve heard from very reliable sources that the MPAA has basically been blanketing Congress with the attached document, visiting as many offices as possible and leaving it behind as their talking points on why copyright is just freaking awesome. […]
The internet is, at its core, a tool for expression. That is undeniable. And, if we’re going to talk about « property rights » and « protection of the rights of individuals » it needs to start with our rights to express ourselves, along with our rights to own what we legally posses. Copyright has gone against those rights in so many ways. It stops us from actually owning the music we thought we’d « purchased. » It stops us from modifying our phones or video game consoles. It stops us from shifting a movie we purchased on DVD to our computer. So, sure, if we’re going to protect « property rights » and the « rights of individuals » let’s actually do that.
The reality, of course, is that’s not what the MPAA is asking for at all. They want to to protect copyrights, not actual property rights. And they want to protect the exclusionary privileges of the large copyright holders, not the rights of individuals. However, if they’re going to claim that they want to support free expression, property rights and protection of the rights of individuals, then I agree. I just doubt they’ll agree with what that really means. […]
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130321/18271522414/leaked-mpaa-talking-points-copyright-reform-copyright-is-awesome-everyone.shtml