An ad from the right-wing American Conservative Union
See the full page graphic at this link:


Text from the ad:

"The scary part is, it co-stars Republicans.

Hollywood is trying to crush innovation to maintain its monopoly. And this time they've enlisted Republican lawmakers to help them do it. Their latest production, the "Induce Act," (S. 2560) could outlaw a wide range of technology, including peer-to-peer.

S. 2560 threatens the personal property rights of Americans because Hollywood fat cats think that their intellectual property rights are more important.

S. 2560 will be a boon for Hollywood's trial lawyer friends. It creates a new category of lawsuits designed to harass companies developing technologies deem unsuitable. technologies that keep America competitive and deliver more diversity, efficiency and choice in a way unequaled by Hollywood's entertainment distribution monopoly.

Compromising property rights and encouraging predatory, costly litigation is not a conservative position.

This is one bill that shouldn't play anywhere.

Vote "NO" on S. 2560"

American Conservative Union

It's things like this that put things in the proper perspective. Moreover, this underscores what I've been pointing out all along, that there ARE conservatives (besides the likes of Phyllis Schlafly) who are as alarmed by this and other manifestations of anti-technology bigotry as people in this community are, and I have to tip my hat to the A.C.U. on this; and that these so-called "conservative" Republicans who support this "final solution" aren't conservative at all, rather are radical ideologues who seek to bend the realities of the world to their rigid, totalitarian dictates. (Or, as Paul Craig Roberts would call people of such ideological ilk, "Jacobins.")

Wow, I am surprised, yet happy to see this. At least there are people on all sides that see this bill as bad. Except of course the RIAA and MPAA, and their paid off senators such as Orrin Hatch..

Republicans have not been conservative for a very long time. Bush is not a conservative by any strecth of the imagination. He is no more conservative than Clinton was liberal. Both of them are proudly New World Order guys.

It doesn't matter what label you stick on them--what matters is this a bad BAD bill, which would benefit a few (such as the lawyers mentioned), but do a lot of harm to the vast majority of people AND businesses. I just can't believe it took so long for them to see the writing on the wall.

That is not a conservative statement. A conservative (neo-conservative, actually) is similar to a liberal but instead of benefits and programs for the people such as welfare, all the government benefits, programs, and regulations are for the benefit of corporations. That is why it is refered to as corporate welfare, it is just like the welfare programms (food stamps and such), but for corporations. What many people think of as a classical conservative (small government, less government regulation, etc) is actually much closer to libertarianism. After all, it is hard to maintain a monopoly without government support (copyrights, patents, and laws like the DMCA/SSSCA). After all, in countries without the DMCA or parallel import laws, the DVD region restrictions are meaningless as region-free players and region 1 discs are sold all over the place. There is no DRM that can survive without government involvement.

An excellent article as usual Tom. I continue to be amazed at how much work you get accomplished for this site. No comment on the artice except to say a bit "atta boy"!
~Code

This is truly a bipartisan war. This is the people against the corporations. This is not the Democrats Vs the
Republicans. You the Republicans and you the Democrats please forget about bush Clayton or Kerry for now.
They all have been corrupted by the entertainment industry to some extend. Let's come together and crunch
these foreign parasites threatening our institutions our economy our constitution and our freedom. Prepare to
hit this enemy very hard, together! Don't let any one violate our constitution. The DMCA as well as the gun
laws are unconstitutional and therefore are not to be obey. If they pass the induce or the pirate act we have to
disobey them. It is illegal to try to enforce unconstitutional laws. Let make this very clear to our governments.
If they want us to obey these laws they have to amend the constitution.

I am absolutely but pleasently dumbfound to see that ad.

I am amazed.. some people still CARE about society and the evolution of our species?

"...some people still CARE about society . . ."

. . . and what's fair and sensible (and what's not).

I'm impressed.

Rarely do I applaud the ACU. (Thanks for the great news Tom!)

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

So I guess Russia and China will someday surpass the U.S. in consumer technology. I think China will be the first. Japan already surpasses the U.S. In consumer electronics.