Piracy and Copyright Challenges in 1841 Mirror Those of Today
Technology has come a long way since 1841, but the copyright debate at the time was strikingly similar to what we’re witnessing today. 170 years ago a new copyright bill was being discussed in the United Kingdom, one that would extend the rights of book authors to sixty years after their death. While some favored the plan, some feared that this lengthy “copyright monopoly” would only succeed in increasing piracy,
During the first half of the 1800′s a new technology was threatening the livelihoods of book authors.
The printing press.
» via TorrentFreak
The Veiled Tyranny of Italy's Silvio Berlusconi | Foreign Affairs
Berlusconi’s regime exemplifies, instead, a degeneration of democracy into the power of a demagogue who controls a corrupt electorate. Like classic demagogues, Berlusconi has displayed, since the beginning of his political career, a remarkable ability to fascinate the masses with political theater that exalts his image. At the same time, he has an impressive ability to win over the Italian public by telling them exactly what they want to hear. His speeches are skillfully crafted to exploit the electorate’s beliefs and offer a comforting and simplified vision of reality.
Constellation: The Internet ≅ Islam « Snarkmarket
If that’s the case — if we can use the history of Islam to think about the internet, and vice versa, then what are the lessons? What are the porential consequences? What interventions, if necessary, are possible? (We have to confront the possibility in both cases that any intervention might be ruinous.)
(Source: Guardian)
British Documentary Presents Game Footage as "IRA Film"
Rock, Paper, Shotgun writes:
Hey, everyone, please join in with the rest of the internet and laugh at ITV. They’ve only gone and made a documentary about Gadaffi’s links with the IRA, and then used footage from Arma II to illustrate it. “IRA Film 1988″ it says over a dodgy Frapsing of Arma II. No, they actually did that.
