U.S. House Downloading Torrents While Pushing SOPA
U.S. House Downloading Torrents While Pushing SOPA
Posted 12/27/2011 at 4:11pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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The torrent watching website YouHaveDownloaded.com is still astounding us with its hypocrisy-revealing powers. A new search of the site, which tracks IP addresses pulling copyrighted material from a few public BitTorrent trackers, confirms that the U.S. House of Representatives is quite the hotbed of piracy at the same time it’s working to pass the much-maligned Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
According to TorrentFreak, it’s not just a file here and there, but over 800 copyrighted works being downloaded on U.S House IP addresses. YouHaveDownloaded.com doesn’t even track the vast majority of downloads online, so the actual number could be much higher. The pirated content runs the gamut from self-help books, to TV shows, to porn. Yes, some congressional aids have been busy indeed.
Experts on the Internet and its architecture have decried SOPA’s DNS-poisoning provisions that could damage the fabric of the Internet while seeking to block supposedly infringing sites. The entertainment lobby asserts that it loses billions to piracy every year, and the the industry needs more powerful tools to stop online copyright infringement. It’s unclear if they will also be seeking to shut off Congress’ net access.
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Bad Kharma
December 28, 2011 at 7:02pm
Typical North American society. one set of laws and rules for the rich and the famous and another set for the rest of us. I despise all the crooked, corrupt politicians and all politicians are corrupt and crooked.
whathuhitwasntme
December 28, 2011 at 3:41pm
<url>http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yHL912jlyE0#!</url>
I dont know if this will show my url, firefox is being stupid and IE simply dumps this video on youtube from the comment section.
I hope you can see it, it is a video that shows complicity in the SOPA supporters and piracy ala bittorrents kazza etc with cnet cbs time warner aol and msnbc websites and how they made billions in ad driven revenue while hosting the very piracy programs this bill aims to kill off.
triclops41
December 28, 2011 at 3:00pm
when it comes to politicians, you can be sure that they and their staffs are doing exactly what they think should be illegal for others to do.
they just feel they are better than we are, and its okay when they do it.
this is why i cannot fathom why some people think one party is better than the other.
warptek2010
December 28, 2011 at 12:12pm
Don't Americans lose billions a year to the entertainment industry? Last time I checked going to see a movie: movie ticket = $9.50, popcorn = $6.50, a candy snack of your choice = $4.50-$6.50. DVD of said movie = $19.99-29.99, blu-ray = $24.99-36.99. Pay per view = $5 and up to $49 for certain events, streaming service = $9.99 and up per month. Dish. cable, Fios service... you see where I am going with this???
godsdog
February 03, 2012 at 6:43pm
Many years ago i bought the movie Alien in vhs, then it came out on dvd and i bought it and now it's out in blu-ray and i have it. The price of the same movie keeps going up... who gets all the money from the dvd's and blu-rays. The movies was paid when the dvd came out the only investment was to burn and ship the dvd's and blu-ray discs. Why is it illegal to download a movie that i've paid for 3 times. I will not buy another movie in my life...
Carlidan
December 28, 2011 at 3:46pm
Pretty close estimates. Sad part if they acutally lower the price, more people will go. It just doesn't make sense, how would increasing the price will generate more people to going to the movies?
warptek2010
December 29, 2011 at 12:39am
The current price of a movie is calculated by a very complex system using data on what the market will bear and the highest price people are willing to actually pay while at the same time insuring the theater itslef will still make enough to pay its employees and various bills. Last time I went to a movie the theater had about 5 people in it. Granted, it was considered a matinee at 4pm but still... 5 people?!? Shouldn't a matinee attract the most movie goers?
Carlidan
December 29, 2011 at 4:03am
Underatand they need to pay bills etc....,. But pricing it too high leaves less movie goers, therefor less income coming in. They should price movies higher on weekends since more people go. But on the weekdays, why are the prices the same? There is lesser demand. Therefor mark it less and maybe you will attract more customers on weekdays to supplant more income. Just a thought though. I would think matinee would attract more, but sometimes the price diffrence isn't that much. Depends which theater you go.
Mad Mort
December 28, 2011 at 10:27am
The company i work for used to support SOPA, but then it took an arrow to the knee...
:P
Kinetic
December 28, 2011 at 9:28am
Who does this surprise? Now you'd think they'd all get jail time for violating copyright laws, this bill would go down and flames, and none of these tools would get reelected. Only that won't happen, because they're all untouchable. This makes me sick.
compro01
December 28, 2011 at 9:35am
Who does this surprise?
Me. I'm stunned they know how to use torrents.
kris79
December 28, 2011 at 8:36am
This bears repeating in case there are some who would do more.
If you want a list of the SOPA supporters with email go here: http://gizmodo.com/5870241/presented-without-comment-every-single-company-supporting-sopa-the-awful-internet-censorship-law
Here's my format for just one of the emails that I've sent in opposition to it:
Concerning your support for SOPA, as reflected on H.R. 3261,
I will look for your company name and refuse to watch, buy, participate, or in any way, use any products from (insert company name) in the future. (Insert company name), in its support for SOPA, has shown that they have caved in to special interest groups with intent to both intimidate and demean the overwhelming majority of Americans who have no intention of doing anything wrong. If you continue your support of SOPA, people like me will actively work to ensure that your company has no further impact on us. Thank you.
ocnier
December 28, 2011 at 12:39pm
I understand the law firms (bloodsuckers/trial lawyer scum) and the media conglomerates. The one I found odd on that list was REVLON. Why would a cosmetic company care about SOPA? Weird......
Slugbait
December 28, 2011 at 6:17pm
REVLON misread it as SOAP. It can be used to remove make-up, so they probably thought they'd look dumb if they didn't support it....
Keith E. Whisman
December 28, 2011 at 7:16am
All they have to do is put pork in the SOPA bill, like adding a condom excise tax and gun ban into the bill to get gun hating feminists to vote for their bill. Bills rarely contain nothing but its intentions. This is why I freaking hate all politicians. Freaking libs and conservatives all suck. The Reps and Dems have destroyed this country, perhaps not as bad as Turkey but a close second place.
firefox91
December 28, 2011 at 7:35am
Exactly. It kills me to read posts from extreme right wingers that really think having their party in control will really make a difference. Sure, different bills are likely to be passed but in the end they will screw it up just as much as the Democrats have. History has clearly show this. Anyone that believes otherwise is completely blinded by their party-colored glasses. Party politics are what is bringing down this country. Politicians are elected to represent their people, not their party. Unfortunately it isn't working that way.
warptek2010
December 28, 2011 at 12:18pm
I actually agree with you on this but here is where we diverge, and this may sound like a right wing idea...
This is why Conservatives (notice I didn't say Republicans) want government accounting and spending cuts.
Defunding the government is the ONLY answer to this problem. Give them less of our money and they will divide less of us. Less money means less FEDERALISM. Look up Federalism and you will notice right away that's what's we're moving more and more towards... an unUnited Federation instead of a United States.
triclops41
December 28, 2011 at 3:02pm
there are conservatives in the republican party, but not really any conservative politicians, save ron paul
warptek2010
December 29, 2011 at 12:44am
I am glad you mentioned Paul. I like many of his domestic ideas but the fact is that Ron Paul scares conservatives on the foreign policy front. His policy on Iran for instance is basically just stick our heads in the sand. A lot of people find that scary. What I am even more afraid of is that this guy will steal votes away from someone who is more electable and in essence hands B.O a second term. Now THAT is scarier!
Ghost XFX
December 27, 2011 at 10:03pm
Thing is, anytime they create a bill, they'll eventually abuse it's original intent (Social Security, anyone?). Turning a blind eye and saying, "it's for a good cause" is foolish. We have more than plenty of examples of U.S. government doing the exact opposite of what they said they were going to do. Nope, boycott them all if they pass it. That's all there is to it.
Carlidan
December 28, 2011 at 4:35am
What exactly are you trying to say about Social Security? Are you saying people abusing it or governemnt abusing it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_(United_States)
There are definetly pro and cons of Social Security. But I think the pro's definetly outweigh the cons.
Ghost XFX
December 28, 2011 at 9:01am
Both. Pretty soon, there won't even be a Social Security since people are so convinced reforming it would toss granny over a cliff. And Government's abuse of it is very prominent. Bottomline is, the Government is only good at doing one thing that's restricting freedom.
Carlidan
December 28, 2011 at 3:41pm
Most polictians agree with reforming it. The problem is how they want to reform it. One party wants to tweak it with little changes. Like instead of 65, let it be 68 or later. The other wants to dismantle completely and privatize it.
Agree goverment abused Social Secruity by using the money as a general fund to budget the books. They never paid the money back to the system which in turn in over 15 years will be unstatainble. If they stop taking money out of it, to fund other projects, it is a self substaining.
Government can do good things. It's that people don't get involve in polictics as much nor do they pay attention to it. And then they are suprised of the outcome. If you fucking want change, fucking get involve. Vote! File petetions, give hell to your representitives.
warptek2010
December 29, 2011 at 12:47am
Dismantle completely and privatize is bull... they want to offer people a CHOICE. That simple. Choices in life are good. Forced compliance in anything is serfdom and that's what Americans are turning into... serfs.
Carlidan
December 29, 2011 at 4:14am
You already have a choice. Social Secruity is just a safety net which you paid into. No one says you can't invest money you save into other retirement options. Like 401K, stocks etc... And yes one party DOES want to dismantle it and they are not afraid to say it. Hell they outright call social secrutiy a ponzi scam. You are forced to comply to many things in life. But I don't know how that equates to being a serf. That's streching it little too far. But then again what do I really know. :)
Scatter
December 27, 2011 at 8:41pm
hypocrisy doesn't mean that a law ins't still just.
If a lawmaker who was drafting a law about murder or rape was convicted of murder or rape would it invalidate the law? Of course not. I completely believe that patent and rights holders should have a means to protect their properties from being pirated left and right over the Internet. The latest SOPA act may not be the right way but I can understand why content holders are amxious to push it through as they pretty much have no protection as it is now.
tekknyne
December 28, 2011 at 11:29am
While I'm all for the entertainment industry, they really need to re-elvaluate the material worth of their products and create a new model that's relevant to 2011. $15 dollars for a movie- are you kidding me?
For me personally- I'm a network specialist for a local casino. Probably any 16-year old with half a brain and some computer savvy can do my job. But I sleep well at night knowing that my job is secure because I'm competant, I work hard, and my work is not easily duplicated. When it takes people 5 minutes with a CD-burner to duplicate these works, you really have to wonder what its worth. I'm not trying to discount the creativity and time put into movies- I get that- but youtube is making it painfully obvious that a few talented individuals can make good movies with very few resources. And should they be entitled to millions in profits? NO.
Considering the buying power that 99% of Americans have, albums and movies are insanely overpriced. And just wait a few years when your dollars disappear even quicker. Expect commodity goods to skyrocket in a few years as the worth of the dollar plummets.
win7fanboi
December 28, 2011 at 7:28am
...pretty much have no protection as it is now. Did you just crawl out from under a rock?
http://blogs.computerworld.com/17575/ice_domain_seizures_relied_on_twisted_evidence_and_mpaa_say_so
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/130_domains_seized_us_authorities
Scatter
December 31, 2011 at 12:45am
Oh come on. Like it's really making a dent in online piracy.
So ok then. What would you suggest as a better way for IP holders to protec their properties. How would you suggest that they remove access to all (or even a significant portion) of their products from sites like Pirate Bay. And don't give me some bullshit line about how they should lower the price of their product to what YOU feel is reasonable. When the cridics around here own their own IP they can then charge whatever you want for it. Sony, Nintendo, Viacom, Disney, etc.. can charge whatever they want for their products but high prices isn't a valid excuse for piracy.
Svetty Parabols
December 27, 2011 at 9:05pm
If a law is not good enough for the law makers to obey it, then why should the people that elected them have to obey it? This isnt a "do as I say, not as I do" society as much as people try to think so. If you cannot lead by example, then you are no leader at all.
Scatter
December 31, 2011 at 12:50am
Um, because then you'd have total anarchy.
I think that it's rediculous that you'd even suggest that if a politician breaks a law it some how invalidates the law.
If a congressman murdered his wife are you suggesting that it should be ok for everyone to murder their wives? Laws are laws regardless whether some crooked politicians break them or not.
Geez, this is stuff that they teach kids in kindergarden.
I Jedi
December 27, 2011 at 7:20pm
Remember, under SOPA, any website that has illegal links or software is officially allowed to be taken offline. Whoops, there goes House of Reps. website!
dethdeks
December 27, 2011 at 5:13pm
The pirated content runs the gamut from self-help books, to TV shows, to porn. < well they are f-ing the country and its people over so why not f*ck them selves as well at the same time
Keith E. Whisman
December 28, 2011 at 7:11am
You Spelled Fucking with too few dashes. It should be f---ing and not f-ing the way you have it. :)
dethdeks
December 27, 2011 at 5:18pm
p.s anyone else think they will use the excuse "it wasn't us it was a third party that controls our ip's.. oh who it is? oh we can't tell you that thats top secret!" to push it under the rug
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