Arrrrrr. Pirates !!

[Wise One]

In case you hadn't noticed, I've been known to bash Bush Republicans from time to time, I might add with exceptionally good cause.

Therefore, it is a pleasure to note one of the few times this crowd has actually done something right.

Bush has announced opposition to a bill that would make copying a DVD a crime against the State, rather than merely a violation of the private property rights of the copyright owner.

He's right.

I can hardly believe that I agree on with George W. Bush.

[Uji]

Hey, WiseOne. I hadn't seen that about the piracy legislation. Thanks for pointing it out.

I'd disagree with you on that one; I don't think there should be any but the simplest protection on "intellectual property" rights. Getting the Fed involved is just more corporate welfare -- aside from stifling actual "intellectual" creativity.

That might be an interesting thread -- well, if there's any further interest in the issue.

[Wise One]

I'd disagree with you on that one; I don't think there should be any but the simplest protection on "intellectual property" rights. Getting the Fed involved is just more corporate welfare -- aside from stifling actual "intellectual" creativity.That might be an interesting thread -- well, if there's any further interest in the issue.

Scratchin' my head on this, Uji, because I can't find where we disagree.

Putting aside, for the moment, whether current anti-piracy laws make any sense, it seems to me that offenders should be pursued by the infringed parties. The State should not, itself, initiate actions using its full powers, as if these infractions were in a par with interstate bank robbery and kidnapping. That would be a misapplication of federal power, better reserved for truly serious crimes. This measure, promoted by the RIAA through Democrats, seems designed only to pass its private legal costs on to the taxpayer. Bush opposes, and I think he's right.

Confession. Under current law I am a lawbreaker. I admit that I rent a DVD for one night, copy it, and then take the copy sailing with me, watching it a week later when we are at anchor. In other words, I pay for a DVD and watch it on MY schedule rather than surrender a full week's rental fees. Should this be illegal? I don't think so.

And, yes, if there's further interest I hope Stonewall might be persuaded to slip this over to a new piracy thread!

[Juggler]

Calling all scumbag pirates. Your hineys are safe, or at least safer, for awhile.

The judge declared a mistrial in one of RIAA's most famous attacks on a hapless file sharer.

Score one for the little guy.

[coondog]

Rest Easy Wise One.

Probably the only reason Bush vetoed it was because of the pending suit against McCain for use of Jackson Browne's music without permission. It's unlikely he suddenly has any regard for normal human beings.

Coondog

And remember....not all violations of the law are crimes.

[Wise One]

[Sweetness 'n Light]

I think this is just dumb because I think maybe your not talking about pirates at all, its just maybe videos, huh? When I could drive I liked to rent videos even though they maybe caused me lots of troubles sometimes when they said I was late and I really wasn't to return them back. But they won't let me drive now and the only videos I get to watch now are on the TV with all those commercials that maybe make me scream sometimes.

I tried to copy one of those dvds once but it didn't work at all so there must be some kind of secret maybe or maybe my computer is bad. It does lots of stupid stuff and like thousands of spams and gets slower and slower all the time so I just gave up. And I don't know which side youre supposed to copy, the side with the pictures and adds on it or the shiny side but maybe some computer geekes can tell me sometime, huh?

[Juggler]

Sweetness, I think this thread is labelled "Pirates" because participation here is restricted to amputees, with the missing appendage replaced by either a steel hook or by a peg leg.

While I fit that description, I strongly suspect that you do not. You are free to do what you wish, but some might advise you not to post any further messages here until you meet this basic qualification. Several of us might enjoy helping you to become qualified.

PS The best way to copy a DVD is to take a picture of it with a good digital camera, and then print it out on one of those round DVD labels. Just glue the label onto any DVD, and that will then be a perfect copy of the original. Film cameras won't work ... DVDs are digital so you need a digital camera.

[Sweetness 'n Light]

I have a DVD of Reverend Falwell that I want to copy and give to the people I know around here cause some of them are for sure godless and stuff and maybe even get them to pay me too since I had to pay a lot of money for the one we got. They really need to watch this cause you won't believe how mean they are sometimes I think to me.

I did just what you said and got a real good photo of the DVD with my sons digital camera that is really new and very good and then printed it out all neat and clean and then glued it onto some old DVDs that we never watch anymore.

But it plays the same old stuff that we don't want to watch, not the DVD I copied so could there be something wrong, huh? I know it doesn't work for film camera but the digital should be perfect but it doesnt work at all for me even though I did everything you said just perfect.

And I don't understand what you say on qualify to do the pirate posting here on this forum but if you can help me in the qualify stuff that would be nice of you, huh? What do I have to do and will it take very long? I have lots of time as long as that socialized worker is not bothering me mostly but I don't have transportation since they took my license and cars away so I would have to beg a ride from you ha ha.

[Uji]

Sure, Sweetness. All you gotta do to qualify is come guard my McCain sign a minimum of four nights aweek till the election. I'll provide a lawn chair and a shot gun.

(I use the old, gaelic spelling of McCain on my sign -- O'bama-Biden -- but don't let that worry you.)

[Anonymoose]

What a great ending to a seemingly hopeless situation with the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from the hands of desperate Somali pirates. We should be imminently proud of our highly trained Navy SEALS, previously unsung and underutilized. They may play an increasingly important role in the war on terror. Hats off to them.

[Wise One]

A fine job they did indeed. It's wonderful to have gotten the crew, the captain and all out alive and safe. And it does my heart good, he admits guiltily, to know the criminals got their just deserts.

My view of pirates is as negative as negative can be, and so I favor truly effective new programs to quash this problem. This is a problem that is fairly easy to solve, just requiring a little will and management. And cooperation of all countries with a stake in this, in unity against not only criminals but also any country that should harbor them.

As for your remark about "the war on terror," I can only recoil. The "war on terror" is an abominable phrase, coined by abominable people, used cynically to pursue abominable purposes.

I support no "war on terror." I support effective attacks on, and defenses against, criminals who ought never to be dignified by phrases that suggest they possess any importance akin to that of national military forces.

Such criminals include pirates, airplane stealers, bombers, etc. They should be fought, arrested, prosecuted and put away so they will cause no further harm. And if they are so unwise as to threaten force of arms, they deserve instant death by the same means, in our defense.

But I will never again enable phony "wars" by Bushes, Cheneys and their ilk.

PS. Does anybody share my suspicion that what really happened to result in the death of 3 pirates on board the lifeboat, is not what was reported, so far, in the press?

[nudgewink]

Who knew that the politics of piracy would play out this way?

Finally, an alternative to Democrats and Republicans!