Google's Eric Schmidt: Blocking File-Sharing Sites Would Make U.S. Like China

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/google-eric-schmidt-says-blocking-filesharing-sites-would-make-u-s-u-k-ike-china.html

by gatsby • 15 years ago

134 27 15 years ago

latimesblogs.latimes.com

pyre3• 15 years ago

The headline is highly inflammatory, though the content is mostly just the same quotes I saw elsewhere.

The idea that putting a censorship framework in place even if it's "only for IP infringement" is a slippery slope. Once the framework is in place, how long do you think it will be before there are all kinds of 'me too' additions that get attached as riders to other bills floating through Congress? All so that some Congress-critter can get re-elected and/or attempt to impose his (or her) morals on others.

adsr2• 15 years ago

Censorship is even more inflammatory IMO, it's not mentioned but the headline suggests it. It's a pretty cheap rhetoric if this is what he actually said, it's like saying that the U.S is like China in regards to Copyright if it's not blocked.

pyre3• 15 years ago

Huh? He's saying two things:

* The US sets an example for the world. If the US decides that it's a-ok to practice censorship, then we're implicitly giving the rest of the world permission.

* Censorship is a slippery slope, and at the bottom of that slope is China.

e40• 15 years ago

Yep, just like the Patriot Act wasn't to be used for anything but terrorism suspects, but it's being used for everything now. In 2008, 3 of 763 were terrorism related. More:

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/patriot-act-provision-used-fo...

It will be the same with this.

pnathan4• 15 years ago

All laws are an imposition of and a reflection of the morals of the law-givers.

pyre3• 15 years ago

There's a different between "thou shalt not kill" and "I don't think that you should be reading that book there citizen."

chrisjsmith• 15 years ago

That's a great statement simply because it plays on the latent paranoia about communism from the cold war. Well played!

est• 15 years ago

dup

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2562371

hornokplease• 15 years ago

Both the LA Times story here and the Ars Technica story that anchors the conversation you linked to both repeatedly refer to reporting by the Guardian. I wish that their report was the one driving discussions!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/18/google-eric...

galuggus• 15 years ago

File sharing sites, for the most part, aren't blocked in China

Joakal2• 15 years ago

In fact, there's probably far more freedom with IP in China than anywhere else in the world.

hasenj• 15 years ago

This freedom exists in pretty much all 3rd world countries. I mean, you can buy all kinds of movies and software from computer shops. There are even companies (with a public address) that compiles these CDs/DVDs of pirated software.

nextparadigms• 15 years ago

So this would make USA worse than China then?

xiaoma• 15 years ago

Yeah they are. I just checked the Pirate Bay, ISO Hunt and a number of smaller torrent sites. Each of them is blocked when my vpn is off. I'm in Beijing and getting my internet service through one of the major providers.

meow• 15 years ago

Probably worse than China.. add hypocrisy to the list :)

podperson• 15 years ago

... and thus a place where Schmidt would like to do business over the objections of his colleagues?

pnathan4• 15 years ago

It's not whether we're like or unlike a particular country. Although comparing against China's policies as of today is likely instructive.

The question is, is the US Government revoking free speech? Is it becoming a tool of the AA orgs to implement the AA policies?

And, further, will these laws be redirected to purposes more malign then their creators supposed...

AlbertoE• 15 years ago

Does he mean a country with a working economy? Or a country that steals less money in taxes? So hard to tell these days.

jhamburger• 15 years ago

"Allowing file-sharing sites would make the U.S. like Somalia"

keithnoizu2• 15 years ago

Sure. We could also just go with the godwin and say "do you know who else did not pass any laws restricting access to the internet?"

msie• 15 years ago

Hyperbolic claim, but (sadly) necessary in the world of politics.

Google's Eric Schmidt: Blocking File-Sharing Sites Would Make U.S. Like China

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