Copyright coalition: Piracy more serious than burglary, fraud, bank robbery — Also listen to Tech5 Report below. This story will grow into something huge over the next few days.
NBC/Universal general counsel Rick Cotton suggests that society wastes entirely too much money policing crimes like burglary, fraud, and bank-robbing when it should be doing something about piracy instead.
“Our law enforcement resources are seriously misaligned,” Cotton said. “If you add up all the various kinds of property crimes in this country, everything from theft, to fraud, to burglary, bank-robbing, all of it, it costs the country $16 billion a year. But intellectual property crime runs to hundreds of billions [of dollars] a year.”
Rick Cotton
This is the same guy who, last April, wanted the White House to install a cabinet level position for anti-piracy. Cripes.
Found by Bubba Martin at the Cage Match Forums
More on it on the Tech5 Report below.
And what did you expect from the network brought to you by David Sarnoff, known to have said, “I don’t get ulcers, I give them.”
Two words: Ass Hat.
“As long as they’re not burglerizing my house.” said Ricky.
What a dick.
I think we need to name a “Piracy Czar” to bring an immediate halt to intellectual property crimes.
Where’s Barney Fife when we really need him? 😉
David Sarnoff is often quoted as saying “What have they done with my child?” referencing TV. My mother would say “Rick Cotton talks like a man with a paper asshole.” Typical empty suit.
I got my opinion of politicians back when I worked for the government. Elected officials suck up to twits like this so the twit will not bad mouth the politician.
The politician introduces a bill supporting the twit and everyone says nice things about it (they have their own twits to placate), and it is usually tabled and ignored.
Sometimes the idea gets attached to a bill, and it passes. Nobody intended for the idea to become law, but there it is. The cops catch someone breaking the idiotic law, and say “How stupid, but it’s the law. The DA can deal with it.” The DA makes a similar comment, and decides to let the judge deal with it. The judge mumbles some curses and says “No matter how stupid, it’s the law. Guilty. Next case.”
The only way to dump the law when it gets to that point is through continued jury nullification. Unfortunately, the Judge is one of three people who can lie in court, and he tells the jury that they cannot nullify.
Copyright laws are interesting..
You can build ANYTHING for your OWN use.
To violate the law you must SHOW that the person Made it for SALE and PROFIT.
trying to prove that is NOT the cops job. they can only do what has been done. Its easier to show a dead body, or a speeder, then it is to SHOW infringement.
ECA…whose copyright laws are you referring to? Certainly those here in the USA.
What about the WAR ON PIRACY? Screw terror!! this is WAY MORE IMPORTANT!!!!!
“If you add up all the various kinds of property crimes in this country, everything from theft, to fraud, to burglary, bank-robbing, all of it, it costs the country $16 billion a year. But intellectual property crime runs to hundreds of billions [of dollars] a year.”
Said poor Rick Cotton, standing at the podium wearing nothing but a rain barrel and burlap shoes. After the press conference, he got into his 1985 Honda Civic Hatchback and drove home, to the boarding house in Compton where he shares a room with Jose Mendes, an immigrant farmworker who is rumored to be negotiating a three picture deal.
Nice dentures asshole.
Well, he’s just doing his job. That’s what they pay him for.
I mean, come on – have a heart. It’s sort of like the Nazis. They worked for this guy, who killed everybody that didn’t follow his beliefs. If we would just stop thinking for ourselves, and believe everything we’re told, there wouldn’t be a problem.
Now, go consume. It would be better if you buy some stuff packaged in plastic…
Hundreds of Billions??? Where did he get his numbers? Could a kid who pirates 20 CD’s can actually afford to buy any of them? The real value of the crime needs to be those who would have bought the software or music, if they hadn’t stolen it.
The guy must have no sense whatsoever. There is a huge difference between armed robbery where people can actually get hurt and pirating software.
The personal loss from a home burglary is on a completely different level than the opportunity cost of lost revenue. Just ask the guy’s wife after someone robs his house, where the police should spend their time.
Well, the numbers for those other crimes are lower because police spend time attacking those criminals. I’d expect less piracy if they focused on locking up pirates.
I think he just wants the cops NOT to notice his Cocaine habit
Okay, lets see here Piracy how many people get hurt in the cross fires of bit torrents and blank cd’s. Now look at everything from theft, to fraud, to burglary, and bank-robbing. How many people get killed, hurt, and finaculay ruined from these crimes. What am I talking about, of course we should go after Piracy I mean wont anyone think off the Share Holders! Their portfolios might go down half a point.
Well, the US does go after real pirates, like those off the coast of Somalia (current incident, a tanker full of benzene). I don’t think Mr. Cotton had that in mind though, because he resembles the Somali pirates more than the sailors on that tanker.
I think masturbation is a much bigger problem than either piracy or violent crime/robbery.
We should have a cabinet position addressing anti-masturbation issues and a public awareness campaign against masturbation.
If we elect Romney, we will get one.
Romney 08!
Brought to you by the network who lured men into believing there was a lolita interested in them and the Show called “Brothers and sisters” which in the tradition of the “All white” network there were no Brothers and no Sisters in it.
This guy gets the Hunter S. Thompson demonstration of real criminal activity. He gets taken to a public square at high noon and throughly buggered by two very large male perverts. This may possibly cure his delusions about what constitutes “crime”. Repeat as necessary. Unless he likes it, of course.
Rick Cotton sounds like another Harvard grad, who doesn’t live in the real world. Forget all them other costly crime investigations. Who cares if serial killers, or child molsters, or bank robbers, are loose to do as they please. Valuable punk rock and rap tunes are being pirated. Why should the recording industry have to pay lawyers and private eyes to police their wages. When these media industries have perfectly good congressmen and senators on their lobbying payroles, to look out for their interests. So naturally, they expect nothing less than a branch government devoted to stopping the imagined and projected loss of commerical revenues. The ultimate in corporate welfare and/or tax subsides. Entertainment Police. Isn’t this a lot like how the Spanish Inquisition got started?
So…anyone want to volunteer for the buggery/burglary at Ricks’ place?!?
IP “Crime” is presented as a big problem because the IP Holders believe everybody wants to buy their “Property”. That is not the case, as every “illegal” copy is a copy that would not exist if it had to be paid for.
Just saw this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071107/ennew_afp/chinausmoviecopyrightretail_071107154934;_ylt=AtfWyFmB5vm5G3ouxCxVNUKs0NUE
So Hollywood is begining to realize the actual “value” of their “Property” …