Steven Fry - Common Sense

skylock

skylock

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I know not totally TG related, but something we can relate to.

Stephen Fry, the popular actor, author and current gadget blogger has spoken out about piracy this week, defending non-commercial piracy and berating the media watchdog groups, who he claims are going about it all wrong.

The lashing, made at the iTunes festival, started with Fry giving a history of music copyright.

Fry started by saying, according to the BBC, "that my business - the film business, the television business, the music business - is doing the wrong thing," in regards to arresting and criminalizing file sharers.

He then mocked the "preposterous" MPAA ads that claim "You wouldn't steal a car" by saying he can't believe the industry would be "so blind... as to think that someone who bit-torrents an episode of 24 is the same as someone who steals somebody's handbag (or car)".

Fry himself admitted to downloading an episode of the popular series House, which stars his old friend Hugh Laurie and admitted as well to downloading a few episodes of 24.

The actor also acknowledged that commercial use of pirated material should lead to prosecution, as profiting off the thievery of others work is unjustifiable.

Finally, he added that he truly believed that if prices of digital downloads fell to "fair levels," most people would pay for their music, and piracy would no longer be the "problem" it currently is.
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Sounds like common sense to me.
 
Mr. Fry: :thumbup:
 
I've been saying the same thing for years and it is good to see someone with a public profile in the industry say the same thing. The industry however will not look kindly on his comments and I expect a backlash soon.
 
I have to agree with him.
If I can record a program off tv with a vhs or dvd recorder, how is downloading it any different?:nod:
 
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^ that's how bullshitty copyright law is mate. Down here in NZ If I listen to the radio for instance, and a song plays, I'm, by law, only allowed to hear that song on the radio..... once..... That's it..... If want to hear it again, I gotta go buy it.


It's just dumb
 
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Did anyone hear about the woman in America who downloaded about 24 songs, and got sued for ?2.4 million??!!!

Fucking hell, if I got caught I would be charged at least double that, and probably get fly tackled by James Hetfield...:?
 
It's not as if we TG fanatics have a choice, as there is no DVD boxset for us to buy, even if we wanted to be lawabiding. I understand this is due to music copyright issues due to the way the Beeb buys their music, so yet again copyright is bending us over & shagging us - and they don't even buy us dinner...;)
The guys who (thank God) do the FTP's for us don't make money so hopefully the copyright lawyers fuck off & leave them alone.
Stephen proves yet again why we worship at his altar. :bow:
 
ozgirl said:
It's not as if we TG fanatics have a choice, as there is no DVD boxset for us to buy
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soon there will be one.

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/806880

ye there was a best of series 1 and 2 aswell but that wasnt that great because it wasnt the whole series.

i do however own every one of the specials and challenges dvds and will buy the series linked when its released.
hopefully its a huge seller and they do more. :)
 
Buffy_09 said:
Did anyone hear about the woman in America who downloaded about 24 songs, and got sued for ?2.4 million??!!!

Fucking hell, if I got caught I would be charged at least double that, and probably get fly tackled by James Hetfield...:?
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24 songs = 2.4 million now... :blink:

If I downloaded music illegaly (which obvoiusly I don't) the large ammount of tracks I have (theoreticaly of course) would probably bring down a fine of well over 100 Million if they were found, (although obviously they don't exist...)

Hooray for Stephen Fry and common sense for all!
 
I know on another board i go on we are talking about a women who been took to court and sony wants $150k for each song they claimed she stole but her hard drive failed a few day's before they went in and took her pc so there nothing on it.
Also i think her computer was not the only one running on the IP address.
And another topic we got on to was ring tones even though they get money when you buy a ring tone they want to make you pay for the ring tone ringing in public.:rolleyes:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070202871.html
 
How can the record companies be so completely out of touch with anything? They're a bunch of lunatics.

I do pay for a lot of music via iTunes. I have no problem supporting the artists I like, and now they've removed DRM it's not a problem for me.

But the way these lawyers and executives respond to these stupidly insignificant crimes.. They're bonkers.
 
It's just like taping off the radio. It's nothing new.

Don't copy that floppy.
 
It's good when public figures voice this opinion. Sophisticated people like Fry? Even better.
 
I agree with most of what he says. Those piracy ads on DVDs are fucking annoying, especially because you can't skip them. You're the one who's paid for the DVD and you have to endure a lecture about piracy. The bloke who downloaded this program for free on Torrents didn't, so why should i!?

I don't really agree with this though:

Finally, he added that he truly believed that if prices of digital downloads fell to "fair levels," most people would pay for their music, and piracy would no longer be the "problem" it currently is.
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I can't speak for video downloads, but I buy a lot of DRM-Free downloads from Amazon.co.uk, and they are ridiculously cheap compared to physical CD albums. I downloaded the best of Frank Sinatra the other day, which was 3 CDs, for ?3. You can't say that's not cheap?!
 
Mr-Stabby said:
I agree with most of what he says. Those piracy ads on DVDs are fucking annoying, especially because you can't skip them. You're the one who's paid for the DVD and you have to endure a lecture about piracy. The bloke who downloaded this program for free on Torrents didn't, so why should i!?

I don't really agree with this though:



I can't speak for video downloads, but I buy a lot of DRM-Free downloads from Amazon.co.uk, and they are ridiculously cheap compared to physical CD albums. I downloaded the best of Frank Sinatra the other day, which was 3 CDs, for ?3. You can't say that's not cheap?!
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How can you say you don't agree with that statement. You paid 3 pounds for 3 cds. I call that fair level of pricing. Would you have paid for it if it was 15+ pounds?
 
Reckoning said:
He could then be charged for battery.


Yeah, I know *grabs coat and hat* I'm on my way.
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He'll leave me broken, beat and scarred, coming after me like some kind of monster, it's sad but true, but when it comes down to downloading, nothing else matters to Hetfield.

OK, I'll stop.

*Follows Reckoning out*
 
LMFAO, +1 to you!

Only flaw is it'd be more appropriate to be Lars, but still, lmfao.
 
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