Are you holding up all right? Did you drive miles away to a video shop or walk into a shopping mall yesterday to buy or rent “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”?
And then did you then have a “V-8 Moment” and slap your forehead when you remembered what day it was, quickly putting that membership or customer appreciation card back into your pocket, and slip quietly out the door hoping that no-one noticed your faux pas?
I imagine you then sped home and drew your loved ones to you in an emotional embrace, and engaged in some other meaningful form of physical or mental activity together. Or perhaps you finally picked up and cracked the spine of that 1000-page novel you’d been wanting to read?
That’s right. Yesterday began the week-long boycott of all MPAA/RIAA products, organized by P2Punite.
Ok, so it’s just a week, you say? You can surely wait a week until you can buy or rent “The Incredibles” without a guilty conscience? Can’t you?
Stop right there. Don’t get too excited yet about all those DVD’s and CD’s you can buy starting next week
There’s a new boycott in town, and it ain’t going away until at least next year!
That’s right – next year!
It’s the Say No Campaign, continuously running from the May 1, 2005 to the December 31, 2005.
I spoke to its organiser, Swedish citizen Patrick Arkley, about what “Say No” hopes to achieve in the long run regarding online services, as well as P2P technology and the legalities of filesharing.
What's Say No all about?
Price and services, Arkley. Not file sharing and net piracy.
"I let those who are involved in those matters and issues deal with that," he said. "We want lower prices, and better, faster and easy-to-use online services. I think a low, acceptable price and quality online services would make people purchase the music and movies instead [of using peer-to-peer programs]. Some people will always download for free, but they are driven by other factors than high prices.”
Read on >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Catflap: Where does P2P fit in? Are filesharers “pirates” or criminals, even if there is no money being exchanged?
Arkley: The campaign itself is neutral when it comes to net piracy and does not consider file sharing a crime. The website states, "The Say No Campaign is not passing judgement on net piracy nor does it encourage it. This campaign is all about lower prices on music and movies and better, faster and easy-to-use online services. Furthermore we think file sharing itself never should be regarded as a crime.”
In Sweden, the media thinks file sharing in synonymous with net piracy for some reason. You can also get that impression when reading the news that they want to criminalise file sharing, but they probably mean net piracy.
It’s actually possible to share legal files. It has been a crime here to share copyright protected material, but not to download it. From the 1st of June that too will be illegal. Still, we’re talking about copyright protected material and not file sharing itself. Copyright laws are complex stuff and that is why I don't really focus on it. There are better groups/organisations that look after the needs of the consumer.
Personally I would never consider file sharing a crime, but I do believe that people creating music, movies or whatever it may be, should get paid for it. I also think that the Music and Movie Industry - in a way - can claim that people sharing music and movies would have bought it legally if the file sharing option didn't exist.
The question is, just how many would do it? The Industry claims a 1 to 1 ratio, which is totally wrong of course. Maybe it’s 1 to 50, or 1 to 200. Who knows? By saying this I think sharing copyright protected material for free is in the grey zone.
Catflap: Filesharers believe that the "pirates" are the ones who copy DVD’s, CD’s, etc., and sell them on eBay, in newspapers, and local markets (legal and black market) for a profit, and who are in it only for the money.
Arkley: Real pirates as you describe them are criminals in my opinion. I think that if you by a CD or DVD you should be able to copy it for private use. But sharing it among millions of "friends" on P2P networks is not really for private use. Defining private use is the tricky part.
Catflap: I've read that the Director's Guild of America agrees that whenever a person purchases a DVD, it becomes their property and they can do with it what they please. Do you have their support, or the support of anyone or any groups within the entertainment industry?
Arkley: This is a private initiative with no support from groups in the entertainment business or any other arena. I'm seeking support [from the entertainment industry], but I don't feel it’s necessary for the campaign at this stage.
Catflap: Because this boycott is the first phase of your campaign, how many other phases are there, and what are they to be?
Arkley: It depends on the outcome of phase 1. The next phase is probably yet another boycott, maybe together with other groups. But we’ll have to see after this year.
Catflap: What do you hope to achieve with this 8-month long boycott? Are you trying to get the attention of the cartel members, or governments, or artists...or all of them?
IArkley: hope to get attention from the cartel, as you put it, and artists as well. I don't think government needs to be involved in setting price levels.
Catflap: What sort of impact do you think this campaign will make in the next eight months?
Arkley: Hopefully the price and level of service will be addressed. To have an impact on sales numbers requires a huge amount of supporters. Maybe we can get there in time for Christmas shopping.
Catflap: So how successful do you think you’ll be if the mainstream media doesn't cover this story?
Arkley: Very unsuccessful, unfortunately. Unless I get organisations backing me up. I’d like to reach beyond p2p and file sharing communities, and so I must rely on the media for that.
Catflap: Besides not buying or renting, what else can someone do to participate? Is it ok for a person to borrow DVD’s and CD's from their local library?
Arkley: Well, they can do what they think is ok, just as long as they don't buy or rent CD's or DVD’s.
Catflap: Well, thank you very much, Patrick, for making us aware of your campaign. I know that p2pnet and its readers are very interested in this action, and will continue to support and promote it as much as we can.
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So, everyone out there in P2P-Land, even if you feel that filesharing so-called “copyright-protected materials” is wrong and is a crime that should be punishable of up to three years in prison plus hundreds of thousand of dollars in fines, I know you’re also outraged by the exorbitant prices we must pay for information and entertainment on DVDs and CDs.
Please take part in the Say No Campaign, as well as the current P2PUnite Campaign. You don’t even have to worry about when it begins. Just keep doing as you’re doing (or not doing, as the case may be) for the rest of the year. Don’t buy – or rent – any products from MPAA/RIAA cartel members!
We can do it…together!
Let’s force the cartels to bring the prices down for DVD’s, CD’s and cinema tickets.
As the “Say No Campaign” website exclaims: “It is time for all music and movie lovers to put their foot down and SAY NO to high prices and lack of quality online services”.
Remember, it ain’t over until WE, THE PEOPLE say it’s over!
