Sony Reveals an Even Bigger Attack on the Internet – the MPAA Is Behind It
<i>While it’s incredible that a lawyer like Fabrizio would be so bold (and foolish) to use such language in discoverable emails, what he is proposing is even more incredible. A deliberate attempt to circumvent the DMCA. Ironic, right?</i><p>It's not incredible at all. He has an alternative legal theory that he thinks might stand up in court and lead to issuance of a court order. That's exactly the job a lawyer is paid to do - come up with legal strategy that advance the interests of clients, including employers.<p>I don't know whether this legal theory would prevail and I hope it doesn't, but going to court and asking for what they want <i>is</i> the appropriate way to go about things.<p><i>the MPAA should be finding ways to reduce piracy by enabling access to content via methods that reward creators.</i><p>But people torrent things anyway, even when they are instantly available. I mentioned to someone the other day that <i>The Master</i> (a film that did rather poorly at the box office in 2012 but has maintained a good level of audience interest over the longer term, like many art films) has been available on Netflix streaming since July and is also available on other services like Amazon Instant Video, but you can see 25-30k people torrenting it on popular trackers. You can always invent another excuse for why it's more convenient to Torrent something than pay the paltry $8 or $10/month for Netflix, ie the cost of a few cups of coffee or about an hour's wages in a low-paying job. This method rewards creators and is clearly affordable.<p>Without endorsing the MPAA, how much more should they be doing in this case? Imagine that I worked for them and you were about to torrent this film, exactly what is it you would want me to do for you that would change your mind?