US Gov't Crackdown on Torrent Sites

[bigzepfan]

Interesting.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105661-Homeland-Security-Seizes-Dozens-of-Piracy-Websites

[SuperDave]

Interesting.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105661-Homeland-Security-Seizes-Dozens-of-Piracy-Websites

Judging by what's in the article it seems the U.S. Government is going after those sites that contain torrents of official releases and not the unofficial ones that we search out and download. But who knows?

Anyone have more info on this crackdown?

[ThelegendaryZepp]

Yeah this could be troublesome if you live in the US lol. Gladly i live in Canada and i can download and upload all the illegal stuff i want because here it isn't illegal.

[Aquamarine]

Are you saying that pirating official recordings and films is legal in Canada?

Judging by what's in the article it seems the U.S. Government is going after those sites that contain torrents of official releases and not the unofficial ones that we search out and download.

Yes, I think "piracy" is the key word. Sites which offer audience recordings of shows, for example, aren't pirating official releases. (Though often the artists object, of course. But there's still a significant difference.)

[chef free]

Not worried, I don't even want any official releases (got em all!) I NEED MORE SHOWS!!!!

[ThelegendaryZepp]

Yes same My credit card is maxed out!...what? I NEED MORE SHOWS!

[Electrophile]

Yes same My credit card is maxed out!...what? I NEED MORE SHOWS!

You buy bootlegs?

[SickTangerine]

Yeah this could be troublesome if you live in the US lol. Gladly i live in Canada and i can download and upload all the illegal stuff i want because here it isn't illegal.

Yeah it's nice up here

From wikipedia (which was taken from an article that was in french)

“Downloading music for personal use, or non-profit use is no longer targeted, and is legal.” Noël St-Hilaire, head of copyright theft investigations of the RCMP, said in an interview with Le Devoir.

So, yay..

[ThelegendaryZepp]

Yeah i read that too. It seems they have more important matters to worry about than to assign a division of policeman and investigators to internet piracy lol

[greenman]

Yes, I think "piracy" is the key word. Sites which offer audience recordings of shows, for example, aren't pirating official releases. (Though often the artists object, of course. But there's still a significant difference.)

The problem imay I'd guess be that like CD releases boots make a tempting target to help the PR.

What we've often seen happen in the past is boots deliberately confused with pirates by those looking to crack down. You'll hear all about the pirated stuff's links to organised crime and then they'll pick out the worst sounding boot they can fnd and hype it is comsumers being "ripped off".

[Aquamarine]

Yeah it's nice up here

From wikipedia (which was taken from an article that was in french)

“Downloading music for personal use, or non-profit use is no longer targeted, and is legal.” Noël St-Hilaire, head of copyright theft investigations of the RCMP, said in an interview with Le Devoir.

So, yay..

Yay until bands start bailing out of Canada because they're not getting paid for their work.

[ally]

Yay until bands start bailing out of Canada because they're not getting paid for their work.

This just in from Allyleaks...Music industry mogels contemplate boycotting Canada. As one insider put it...those fucking Canucks and their commie way of thinking are going to be the death of us. Let's talk to Barrack and see if we can't nuke the bastards and be done with them. On another note, Slimfatmofa was arrested in Los Angeles today attempting to steal a car . When asked ..why ..his response was... the car had Canadian plates on it and I just wanted to express my dismay to those fuckers for stealing my ......... musak ! Sentencing will be at the Orange County courthouse . Canadians in the area are more than welcome to attend. However, we ask that you leave your Ipods at home !

Just having some fun Aqua

[Nutrocker]

^^^

Heh heh...well, you know, lotta really BIG bands come from Canada ...joking, us Canuckleheads have a huge fuckin' music scene. Hell, say what you will, Beiber is one of the biggest names on the planet right now (can't say I've heard him, actually). As far as dollars made and or lost, I'm sure for example Nickelback (yuck) has done all right. The implosion of the record industry over the last few years has as much to do with executive greed getting the better of them as much as it has to with illegal downloading. Once downloading caught on, it was inevitable people would take advantage of it.

My own take on this issue hasn't really changed over the years. Personally, as far as most of the music I'm in to, I don't reckon I owe the bands a goddamn thing...Zeppelin, for example- I've purchased the canon (excepting BBC and HTWWW- only have those on CD) on vinyl, cassette and compact disc. Or the Stones...or Dylan, or a lot of other bands. I mean, we do fine, thanks, but when I think of the money I've spent over the years on 'non essentials' such as music ...so, no, I don't feel a bit guilty downloading, and really I don't download a lot of 'official' type stuff anyway. Mostly non official material, and I also buy the odd bootleg or LP that catches my fancy, so there you go (not to mention most new releases by my favourite artists, etc). I don't really begrudge the MP3/ipod generation. Music is where you find it; if it's on your computer, via 'digital store' or 'bittorrent site', so be it. See, how can the record companies compete with that?

That said, what I find I really miss about the modern day acquisition of music is the going into the fucking store, buying the album (and for old geezers like me I mean album, preferably with a gatefold cover and lots of notes and lyrics on the inner sleeve...picture labels... ) or whatever and taking the thing home and actually owning it. That's becoming increasingly hard to do these days, and unfortunately the big Box Stores aren't really cutting it, Jack.

My fellow Canadians might find this interesting:

"Rumour Mill: HMV Canada in a spot of financial trouble":

http://66.39.28.179/forums/showthread.php?t=235234

[SickTangerine]

"Rumour Mill: HMV Canada in a spot of financial trouble":

http://66.39.28.179/forums/showthread.php?t=235234

Aw, HMW is the only place I really go for CD's, and even so their selection isn't the ebst so I end up just ordering them online if I want a physical CD. There is a certain charm in having a physical thing with all the liner notes and pictures and what not, have to admit!

I read somewhere recently (forget where) that some big name Canadian artists are tryign to get some bill to pass that would give them profits or something from downloaded music. My memory is too vague lol, if anyone else has heard it please fill in the blanks lol

[ally]

^^^

Heh heh...well, you know, lotta really BIG bands come from Canada ...joking, us Canuckleheads have a huge fuckin' music scene. Hell, say what you will, Beiber is one of the biggest names on the planet right now (can't say I've heard him, actually). As far as dollars made and or lost, I'm sure for example Nickelback (yuck) has done all right. The implosion of the record industry over the last few years has as much to do with executive greed getting the better of them as much as it has to with illegal downloading. Once downloading caught on, it was inevitable people would take advantage of it.

My own take on this issue hasn't really changed over the years. Personally, as far as most of the music I'm in to, I don't reckon I owe the bands a goddamn thing...Zeppelin, for example- I've purchased the canon (excepting BBC and HTWWW- only have those on CD) on vinyl, cassette and compact disc. Or the Stones...or Dylan, or a lot of other bands. I mean, we do fine, thanks, but when I think of the money I've spent over the years on 'non essentials' such as music ...so, no, I don't feel a bit guilty downloading, and really I don't download a lot of 'official' type stuff anyway. Mostly non official material, and I also buy the odd bootleg or LP that catches my fancy, so there you go (not to mention most new releases by my favourite artists, etc). I don't really begrudge the MP3/ipod generation. Music is where you find it; if it's on your computer, via 'digital store' or 'bittorrent site', so be it. See, how can the record companies compete with that?

That said, what I find I really miss about the modern day acquisition of music is the going into the fucking store, buying the album (and for old geezers like me I mean album, preferably with a gatefold cover and lots of notes and lyrics on the inner sleeve...picture labels... ) or whatever and taking the thing home and actually owning it. That's becoming increasingly hard to do these days, and unfortunately the big Box Stores aren't really cutting it, Jack.

My fellow Canadians might find this interesting:

"Rumour Mill: HMV Canada in a spot of financial trouble":

http://66.39.28.179/...ad.php?t=235234

Well, I was just poking a little fun at a friend You know...blame Canada and all that stuff . I agree, executive greed has had much to do with the implosion but it also seems to me that the industry itself (like many things) has fallen victim to the quick access that the internet provides. Like you, I miss going to the record store and searching but I must admit, I also like the idea of sampling stuff before I buy and, buy I do. I've never downloaded a pirated official release and don't really like the idea that its even possible to do. Unofficial releases on the other hand I have no problem with as long as they are free and not sold on for profit.

BTW, with A&B Sound going bankrupt a couple of years ago and no sign of Sam's for many years now, if HMV goes under, it will be the end of the major record retail outlets in Vancouver. Interesting when you consider that from the inception of CD's, prices in Vancouver were considered to be the cheapest anywhere in the world. For legal and official releases that is

[Nutrocker]

BTW, with A&B Sound going bankrupt a couple of years ago and no sign of Sam's for many years now, if HMV goes under, it will be the end of the major record retail outlets in Vancouver. Interesting when you consider that from the inception of CD's, prices in Vancouver were considered to be the cheapest anywhere in the world. For legal and official releases that is

Hell, the guys at the Kelowna A&B knew me when I walked in ...Sam The Record Man was like a Canadian institution. I also remember A&A records from years back, as well as Music World...and back in the days when HMV in Canada was still called Mister Sound. I bought the original Beatles CDs in there in 1987 and they were still $20 a piece (somewhere around here I've still got a couple of the longboxes). Not too many of these outlets left these days. And if I want to buy records (or bootlegs for that matter ) I gotta truck on over to your neck of the woods (and indie stores are getting harder to come by too).

[ally]

Hell, the guys at the Kelowna A&B knew me when I walked in ...Sam The Record Man was like a Canadian institution. I also remember A&A records from years back, as well as Music World...and back in the days when HMV in Canada was still called Mister Sound. I bought the original Beatles CDs in there in 1987 and they were still $20 a piece (somewhere around here I've still got a couple of the longboxes). Not too many of these outlets left these days. And if I want to buy records (or bootlegs for that matter ) I gotta truck on over to your neck of the woods (and indie stores are getting harder to come by too).

I hear ya ! Kelly's was another retail outlet that went south back in the day and I remember Stereo Mart being a great source too before their demise..There are still a few indy outlets, Zulu, Neptoon to name a couple but not many. Neptoon runs a record/CD swap twice a year at the Croatian Cultural Centre and the place get's mobbed. Clearly, there is still a lot of interest in browsing through bins of albums.

Kelowna eh Was down there this summer. Just before fire season kicked in

[Aquamarine]

So I'm still not clear--it's OK in Canada to pirate official recordings? Because "downloading music for personal use" doesn't specify what kind of download. I'm fine with unofficial recordings too, but pirating official stuff is a whole other deal.

(I'm still trying to think of something to make fun of Ally about. )

[ally]

So I'm still not clear--it's OK in Canada to pirate official recordings? Because "downloading music for personal use" doesn't specify what kind of download. I'm fine with unofficial recordings too, but pirating official stuff is a whole other deal.

(I'm still trying to think of something to make fun of Ally about. )

TBH, never having actually done it, I'm not really sure either.

Don't think too hard Aqua. No doubt somewhere along the line, I'll serve up a doozy for ya

[dalsh327]

If you're not trying to find copies of Lady Gaga or Kanye West, you should be fine. Just see if the library has it.

The recording industry is trying to recoup losses on an international level, so RIAA can only go after those on American soil, or try to pull Interpol strings.

Artists are divided about bootlegs. Some people would rather see fans circulate the live recordings over a record store selling them, but some control freaks would rather have complete control over their *cough* 'live' versions out.