ESA Drops SOPA Support; Gamers, Developers Rejoice

[keczapifrytki]

http/thebestpageintheuniverse.com
Good article by maddox

 

[WyomingKnott]

[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Unfortunately, it's starting to look more and more like a revolution will become a necessary action to stop the downward spiral.[/citation]
Lovely thing about this country. Convince 51% of the people that you are right and - you get to dictate policy.

 

[jalek]

No mention of the hundreds of thousands they spent to keep PIPA moving before this new public stand against it? Balance was never a thought before the public outcry.

 

[killerb255]

Piracy is like probate law to credit card companies: it's the cost of doing business.

If a person dies and owes a ton of credit card debt, the credit card company tries to go after the person's estate. However, probate law states that SECURED creditors have first crack at the estate followed by non-secured creditors by order of priority with credit card creditors being low on that list. If there's not enough estate to pay for the debt, the estate is considered "insolvent" and it's "too bad so sad" for the creditors. They just have to write off the debt as "bad debt" and they CANNOT go after anyone else for the debt (unless it was a joint or cosigned debt).

So what does this have to do with piracy? Not much, other than the fact that creditors accept death and probate law as the cost of doing business (as well as bankruptcy and charge-offs creating bad debt). Like bankruptcy and probate, piracy is going to happen. It's been happening even before the "don't copy that floppy" days. Sell a good product with a satisfactory distribution method (i.e.: iTunes over illegal music downloads; Steam over BitTorrent/direct download services) and a reasonable price and the "casual" pirates will likely find this easier than pirating. The people that pirate all the time and find cracking DRM a challenge will do it no matter what. Would they have bought your product if it were (theoretically) impossible to pirate? Depends on your product and the cost. If it's a AAA title and within the person's price range, then likely yes. Otherwise it's less likely.

 

[shat]

[citation][nom]livebriand[/nom]Wasn't this government founded because we didn't like another oppressing power (England)? And now, the corporations ARE the oppressing power? wtf? I wouldn't be at all surprised if the corporations try to sneak this in when no one's looking, perhaps as a part of another bill. The internet is fine as it is. Piracy is just a cost of business, and they need to learn to live with it. The world doesn't revolve around big corporations' interests.[/citation] Actually the world does revolve around big corporations, big government, big banks. sadly.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]WyomingKnott[/nom]Lovely thing about this country. Convince 51% of the people that you are right and - you get to dictate policy.[/citation]

sadly no... its 51% of the senate, or the house, to pass something (i think one of those is 2/3 necessary, i forget where that plays a role) if we the people where 51% want something changed, than 51% of the elected officials need to approve or disprove. thing is though, they don't have to. if its not even close to election time, they can do whatever they want because its what, a 14 week attention span they say we have for the issues...

 

[nottheking]

I know that for the ESA, which is mostly in favor of the publishers anyway, this is just a face-saving measure. However, like all the other said measures, let's hope that it makes it too embarrassing for them to flip-flop BACK to in support of SOPA/PIPA when they invariably try to get resurrected in some shape or form.
[citation][nom]alidan[/nom]sadly no... its 51% of the senate, or the house, to pass something (i think one of those is 2/3 necessary, i forget where that plays a role)[/citation]
It takes a simple majority (50% + 1) to pass a bill in either the House or Senate.

If someone in the Senate feels strongly against a bill, (read: any partisan issue) they will Filibuster it, requiring a cloture vote to pass before the bill itself can be brought to a final vote. THIS requires a 60% vote.

The 2/3 majority is merely the required vote to over-ride a Presidential Veto. The majority must be achieved in BOTH the House and Senate; 75% in one and 65% in the other would not be sufficient.

 

[eiskrystal]

concerns have been expressed about unintended consequences stemming from the current legislative proposals.

Yeah, the sheep started bleating too loudly.