Reeling MPAA declares DNS filtering "off the table"

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/reeling-mpaa-declares-dns-filtering-off-the-table.ars

by evo_9 • 15 years ago

52 27 15 years ago

mlapida• 15 years ago

Yesterday SOPA was "shelved", today DNS filtering is "off the table". I'm not sure I follow.

calloc• 15 years ago

All of it is double speak. The bill can be revived at a moments notice, when we finally let up and go back to being complacent it will be pulled from the shelve and passed as quickly as possible.

InclinedPlane• 15 years ago

SOPA was shelved in its current form. And DNS filtering was one mechanism to enforce the provisions of SOPA. That doesn't mean that the industry and congress have given up the basic premise of SOPA: the idea that all content on the internet should be pre-screened thoroughly for any hint of IP infringement, that standards of evidence and due process should be thrown out the window and the mere act of accusation should be sufficient to warrant adjudication of a punishment on the site owners.

TDL2• 15 years ago

It sounded to me as though DNS filtering was off the table until the controversy dies down. I don't think the MPAA/RIAA is going anywhere. They want to control the technology & destroy it if necessary. This is a strategic retreat on their part.

sehugg• 15 years ago

Yes, my take as well. DNS filtering is the easiest thing to retreat on (it was the only thing specifically called out in the White House's response) and the NFL et al. can continue to work with ICE to seize domains the old-fashioned way.

gigawatt• 15 years ago

I'm having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that the MPAA gets to decide what's "off the table" in legislation. Is there no longer even a pretense of separation of corporations and the government?

TDL2• 15 years ago

The old content producers are very much in bed with the government. Radley Balko wrote about instances where RIAA (or MPAA, can't remember) representatives were with federal agents during raids.

anamax• 15 years ago

> Radley Balko wrote about instances where RIAA (or MPAA, can't remember) representatives were with federal agents during raids.

That's fairly common wrt trademarked goods (such as high-end purses). I assume that the reason is something along the lines of "federal agents can't recognize counterfeit goods".

If the trademark owner is liable for claiming that something is counterfeit when it isn't, that doesn't seem like a horrible idea.

How do you think that federal agents should recognize counterfeit goods?

corin_• 15 years ago

While their influence is obviously a big problem, keep in mind that you've picked one of two ways to read that line, that they are declaring their decision. The other way to read it is that they are stating a fact, which could come from discussions with politicians, even if in those discussions the MPAA was screaming for it to stay in the bill.

ypcx• 15 years ago

You are basically asking "Why aren't they trying to fool us anymore?". Just look at opensecrets.org - it's all there, at least the visible part - donations and revolving doors (no blackmail, threats, assassinations etc.). People still discussing any other problem than money in politics are under a strong, remotely-induced hypnosis. You know, the hypnotists that can make people not see other people, seeing right through them. That explanation is the only thing keeping me sane these days.

spinchange• 15 years ago

It's a face saving gesture and after the fact, but they're basically acknowledging that they can't ask their lawmaker friends for DNS blocking on anything.

*edit: Should also point out that the MPAA is purely a lobbyist organization. Influencing legislation on behalf of the interests of their members is their raison d'etre. Chris Dodd, former Senator from Connecticut who's name is on a lot of laws is the current chairman and CEO.

jasonlotito4• 15 years ago

Not that I support the MPAA, but it isn't some faceless entity. It's made up of people. And the people that make up the MPAA have given the MPAA the power to speak on their behalf. So, when a representative speaks with a member of the government, he's doing it on behalf of people. Most likely, people that are his constituents.

The people opposing SOPA did the same thing. We organized via various organizations (such as Reddit, for example), and called or wrote to our law maker. In some capacity, we had Google representing us.

MPAA isn't taking things off the table. Rather, they are working to propose something that doesn't include some feature that was hotly contested.

So, what is inherently wrong with people approaching their congressmen with proposals?

un1xl0ser3• 15 years ago

>So, what is inherently wrong with people approaching their congressmen with proposals?

On it's face, nothing. Deeper however, too many laws are passed because lobbyists are paid to ensure that corporate interests are taken care of. I don't have a lot of time to push my agenda, but corporations convert money into people's time.

Lots of us aren't even convinced that there is an issue. If there is, lets see the numbers and talk about them, and if we see something that needs a solution, we can come up with one.

This is a jobs saving law, they should be focused on jobs creation. They can save jobs by outlawing outsourcing, but nobody things that is a good idea.

tomkarlo2• 15 years ago

The MPAA is made up of companies / corporate interests more than it's "made up of people". They're not SAG or AFTRA, as much as they like to pretend they speak for the "little guy" in Hollywood.

From their web site:

MPAA’s members are the six major U.S. motion picture studios

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Universal City Studios LLC

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

hughw• 15 years ago

The MPAA/RIAA argument amounts to: We would like to do business on the Internet but existing Internet architecture isn't satisfactory for our business model. Let's make a law to change the architecture.

maeon3• 15 years ago

Notice the stealth loaded question: censoring the internet is cool, just all this backlash is because dns blocking. They are thinking hmm, how can we get dns blocking without all this backlash?

Canada• 15 years ago

Dear MPAA: You can take the whole table and shove it up your ass.

drivingmenuts• 15 years ago

How about a movement to destroy the MPAA?

Or at least a movement to hit them where it hurts until the MPAA starts coming up with some different ideas that don't suck?

Start striking at the MPAA directly.

mattmiller• 15 years ago

I think that is a good idea. We should have a movement to destroy destructive entities like the MPAA, RIAA, NAR, and other groups that inhibit innovation with lobbying and lawsuits.

How do we do that?

Reeling MPAA declares DNS filtering "off the table"

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