Comments on: The sheer, craven stupidity of government regulation of online music http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/ Tracking European web and mobile start-ups Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:05:00 +0100 hourly 1 By: Darren Stuart http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-111199 Darren Stuart Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:34:27 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-111199 also what about online backup? also what about online backup?

]]> By: Dan Field http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-111032 Dan Field Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:57:25 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-111032 Its just not possible is it... how can every ISP fully inspect every packet of data transferred, decode it into its native format and then check if the destination actually owns the content? Even before they start checking files, do they then have to look up the person connecting to the net against a national database of people barred from using the net? This database would have to be made available to all ISP's, wi-fi providers, Internet cafes, mobile operators, schools, work-places, etc etc.... Its laughable when you actually start to think of the implications and costs involved in providing such a system! They can't even keep the existing data they have on us safe, never mind adding to the mess! Some fool has not thought this one through. ;) Its just not possible is it… how can every ISP fully inspect every packet of data transferred, decode it into its native format and then check if the destination actually owns the content?

Even before they start checking files, do they then have to look up the person connecting to the net against a national database of people barred from using the net?

This database would have to be made available to all ISP’s, wi-fi providers, Internet cafes, mobile operators, schools, work-places, etc etc…. Its laughable when you actually start to think of the implications and costs involved in providing such a system!

They can’t even keep the existing data they have on us safe, never mind adding to the mess!

Some fool has not thought this one through. ;)

]]> By: Sean Glass http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-110986 Sean Glass Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:50:29 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-110986 I'm always surprised that governement regulation aims to target the distribution networks, rather than the actors (those who either put up the materials or download them). By aiming to regulate the distribution platform, they're essentially levying a tax on the distribution company as it adds cost to all data distributed (be it ISP, p2p network, etc). How is this possibly fair? It's like saying that a gun manufacturer is responsible for determining before each use if the gun is being used to shoot at someone or something appropriately (ok - extreme example, but you get my point). Isn't it better if laws govern actions directly - targeting the people taking the action - posting or downloading, not by trying to regulate through a 3rd party by taxing the mechanism that connects actors for both legal and illegal actions. 3rd party regulation hurts the public good because of the increased cost on the large amount of legal activity through the distribution networks. I’m always surprised that governement regulation aims to target the distribution networks, rather than the actors (those who either put up the materials or download them). By aiming to regulate the distribution platform, they’re essentially levying a tax on the distribution company as it adds cost to all data distributed (be it ISP, p2p network, etc). How is this possibly fair? It’s like saying that a gun manufacturer is responsible for determining before each use if the gun is being used to shoot at someone or something appropriately (ok – extreme example, but you get my point). Isn’t it better if laws govern actions directly – targeting the people taking the action – posting or downloading, not by trying to regulate through a 3rd party by taxing the mechanism that connects actors for both legal and illegal actions. 3rd party regulation hurts the public good because of the increased cost on the large amount of legal activity through the distribution networks.

]]> By: Darren Stuart http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-110969 Darren Stuart Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:28:33 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-110969 Right so just from surfing the next on an average day I most likely download 2-5k plus files now the isp would have to check all of these to see if they contain any data that I am not allowed to view. Its not just torrents, lets face it most files can contain unlicenced material, HTML can contain text from a publication, a Image can be an unlicenced image or a scan from a magazine page, a mp3 could be a ripped tune or just a podcast. my question to the government is what sort of super computer cluster are you going to use to manage this. Right so just from surfing the next on an average day I most likely download 2-5k plus files now the isp would have to check all of these to see if they contain any data that I am not allowed to view.

Its not just torrents, lets face it most files can contain unlicenced material, HTML can contain text from a publication, a Image can be an unlicenced image or a scan from a magazine page, a mp3 could be a ripped tune or just a podcast.

my question to the government is what sort of super computer cluster are you going to use to manage this.

]]> By: Ollie http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-110896 Ollie Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:54:58 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-110896 Mike, I totally agree. It makes me angry that the government cannot keep up with such widely used technologies like torrents and DRM etc. I mean all the Amazon DRM-free music is coming to the UK and has been in the press for a while now. Are the government actually oblivious to all this?? Are they just going to monitor torrents? At my office when you download a file it gets downloaded to a separate server for scanning etc. Then if its ok it gets copied to you. Would every ISP do that for every single torrent on the web? The web would slow down our already "behind the times" snail paced internet speeds. They need to get with the times. Ollie Mike,

I totally agree. It makes me angry that the government cannot keep up with such widely used technologies like torrents and DRM etc. I mean all the Amazon DRM-free music is coming to the UK and has been in the press for a while now. Are the government actually oblivious to all this??

Are they just going to monitor torrents? At my office when you download a file it gets downloaded to a separate server for scanning etc. Then if its ok it gets copied to you. Would every ISP do that for every single torrent on the web? The web would slow down our already “behind the times” snail paced internet speeds.

They need to get with the times.

Ollie

]]> By: Congrats on 5k http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/comment-page-1/#comment-110895 Congrats on 5k Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:54:36 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/the-sheer-craven-stupidity-of-government-regulation-of-online-music/#comment-110895 Well done TCUK for passing the 5k subscriber mark Well done TCUK for passing the 5k subscriber mark

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