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[Starver]

Starver: I guess public-funded research would work best. Especially in countries with state-funded healthcare it makes sense to me that have state-funded companies. And they can still charge for drugs abroad.

This is verging on another argument, but here in the UK we happen to have a government at the moment that's cutting down on all spending (even the "spend money to make money[1]" things), and (depending who you ask) the public spending on healthcare is at least frozen, and some people claim it is doomed and the oft-derided but definitely-better-than-nothing[2] NHS is going to crash and burn.

And we're apparently less anti-public-funding than the US, and I can't think of many countries that would easily step up to the mark.  Apart, IIRC, that Cuba actually does something like this (perhaps by ignoring international IP, though).  And, hey!  There's always China.  They can (if they're not already) do something for their own people and sell it all to the rest of the world.  Nope, can't see any problems with any part of that scenario in that capitilo-communistic hybrid country that's already the manufacturer of choice for so many other countries' consumer products...


Anyway, way off the subject mark, now.


[1] Esp. by making/keeping jobs that the people in would pay income tax for instead of pestering the benefits system.  But economics was never something I studied, so I've probably gotten something wrong, there...

[2] I still don't know whether the guy who was complaining on an online chat of his not-stopping nosebleed ever got himself to hospital.  He talked about the expense of doing so, there in the US, whereas the rest of us were talking of the need to not risk bleeding to death.  I actually rarely go to hospitals or doctors (last major time was for appendicitis, a once-in-a-lifetime ailment at most, usually), but I'm glad that I can just turn up (or be taken there, if worst comes to the worst) and get treated if I really needed.  But this is definitely off-topic.

[Leafsnail]

Seriously, why can't someone upload something and then give the name and PW for their account in a forum thread?

You could have problems with people trying to change the password, although that's potentially a pretty good idea.

[ChairmanPoo]

This is verging on another argument, but here in the UK we happen to have a government at the moment that's cutting down on all spending (

This is the problem that I see with making all research public. Goverments are very quick to slash research and development programs.

For all it's flaws, the pharma industry model manages to gather the resources necessarily to develop and market new products, and, indeed, it's the sector that reinvests the most in further research. So I'd hesitate in changing it unless I was very sure I had a better alternative (if it aint broken, dont fix it)

[PTTG??]

We AREN'T making all research public. We're just making publicly-funded research public. Currently it's like paying someone to design a website for you, then telling them to keep the website.

[Vector]

You could have problems with people trying to change the password, although that's potentially a pretty good idea.

Yes, which is why someone finds an upload site which, for "extra security," makes you answer a security question to change your password, and of course you input not the answer to the question, but the real password you want to have to your account. 

Or hell, worst gets to worst, you write a kiddie script and automatically send out the pieces of x file via gmail to everyone who posts their email in a forum thread.  Use multiple accounts, blah blah blah.

The only way they're going to fully shut down piracy is by making everyone attach their real name and social security number to everything they do online, or completely shut down communication altogether (i.e. no more email at all that can send large files as attachments, because ~it could be abused~).  Besides that, there's also grassroots piracy, the way there used to be... someone buys a DVD, rips it out to all their friends, they rip it out to all their friends, blah blah blah.  Don't even have to know each other online, RL is enough for serious, heavy-duty proliferation if people feel like it.

This is a cultural problem, not a technological or enforcement one.

[Starver]

(i.e. no more email at all that can send large files as attachments, because ~it could be abused~).

I once saw a UUEncoding2Sonnet steganographic script (and its inverse, of course).  Obviously, that's a lot of mails with love sonnets[1] flying from person to person to convey a 700-odd Mb avi....  But maybe they're really, madly, passionately in love...




[1] IIRC, ABABCDCDEFEFGG, iambic pentameter...  Can't remember how many bits of entropy they could get each stanza to convey, in 14 lines of ten syllables[2]  each but with a passing nod to English and constrained by rhymes.  It was a long time ago, and all I remember is that it demonstrably worked for the very small file I gave them to try it out with...

[2] Or being maybe 4 to 8 words if it relied on initial letters to encode.  Which is what I might do if I were to (re-)invent it myself.  In fact, I'm tempted...  If I get any time to do so before the next kookie idea arises...  I think the UUencoding could be interchangeable with MIME, these days, or even skip straight from binary source bits to text output without confuzzling the matter.

[SalmonGod]

There's also IRC, which does file transfers via direct connection between two users.  That's how most mp3 trading was done before Napster.  They really will have to shut down the internet if they intend to stop people from pirating stuff. 

At this point, I'm almost completely convinced that this isn't really about piracy, anyway.  It's about the determination of the powers that be to control all channels of mass distribution of information.  For businesses, it's about preserving their monopoly and business models.  For the state, it's about avoiding accountability and halting a rise in informed dissent among the populace.

[Bohandas]

Here's something to sign if you want the white house to have to say something about MPAA threatening politicians they'll stop bribing them if they don't support SOPA.

Here's another Petition protesting ACTA

[Jerick]

I have my own petition I'd like you to sign
I only heard about this today and I live in Ireland and it's due to pass in the next few days.
Best part since it's a ministerial order there will be no vote in the Oireachtas, no debate by our elected representatives.
The legislation hasn't even been released to the public so I have no idea what it actualy does beyond the stated goal of allowing copyright holders sopa like rights against Irish ISPs.
Now what makes this truely insane is the Irish economy is built of mainly two things cows and tech companies.
The banking crisis was a major kick to the balls to our economy but if they do anything that stifles innovation or drive away the big computer companies we're screwed.

[Bohandas]

I have my own petition I'd like you to sign
I only heard about this today and I live in Ireland and it's due to pass in the next few days.
Best part since it's a ministerial order there will be no vote in the Oireachtas, no debate by our elected representatives.
The legislation hasn't even been released to the public so I have no idea what it actualy does beyond the stated goal of allowing copyright holders sopa like rights against Irish ISPs.
Now what makes this truely insane is the Irish economy is built of mainly two things cows and tech companies.
The banking crisis was a major kick to the balls to our economy but if they do anything that stifles innovation or drive away the big computer companies we're screwed.

Can I sign if I'm not Irish?

[Bohandas]

Also, everyone please sign this petition against ACTA:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?fp

[Lysabild]

Did hours ago, I have signed stuff from Avaaz rather often.

[eerr]

The founders of megaupload encourage people to upload copyrighted stuff.


some time ago when a high-ranking employee? was recently hired, but hanging out in Umass Dartmouth computer lab.
He told me to upload stuff, with specially encouragement to upload copyrighted stuff.

Downloads are organized and have the best file used for all, regardless of copyright status which would be obvious with those guys personally checking the file.


He guarenteed me copyrighted uploads wouldn't appear in the top 100s list

[Aklyon]

The founders of megaupload encourage people to upload copyrighted stuff.

This is not helping their case.

[sneakey pete]

The founders of megaupload encourage people to upload copyrighted stuff.

This is not helping their case.

So? why must try to sweet straight up law breaking under the carpet?