Biden is Pro-Hollywood / Anti-Technology

[MicaelS]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10024163-38.html

What is said about Biden is pretty damning if you care about the 'Net and technological freedom. I sure are hell hope Obama listens to Biden only on foreign policy and does NOT listen to him on these issues. The Democratic Party cannot afford to alienate the type of educated intelligent people for whom these issues are important.

And I'm sick and tired of Hollywood crying about lost revenue and lost American jobs in the film industry, and then turning around and making so many productions outside the US, especially in Canada. You sure as hell don't hear Congress saying anything about THOSE American jobs.

By choosing Joe Biden as their vice presidential candidate, the Democrats have selected a politician with a mixed record on technology who has spent most of his Senate career allied with the FBI and copyright holders, who ranks toward the bottom of CNET's Technology Voters' Guide, and whose anti-privacy legislation was actually responsible for the creation of PGP.

But back to the Delaware senator's tech record. After taking over the Foreign Relations committee, Biden became a staunch ally of Hollywood and the recording industry in their efforts to expand copyright law. He sponsored a bill in 2002 that would have make it a federal felony to trick certain types of devices into playing unauthorized music or executing unapproved computer programs. Biden's bill was backed by content companies including News Corp. but eventually died after Verizon, Microsoft, Apple, eBay, and Yahoo lobbied against it.

Unfortunately, Biden has steadfastly refused to answer questions on the topic. We asked him 10 tech-related questions, including whether he'd support rewriting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as part of our 2008 Technology Voters' guide. Biden would not answer (we did hear back from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Ron Paul).

Now, it's true that few Americans will cast their votes in November based on what the vice presidential candidate thinks of copyright law. But these pro-copyright views don't exactly jibe with what Obama has promised; he's pledged to "update and reform our copyright and patent systems to promote civic discourse, innovation and investment while ensuring that intellectual property owners are fairly treated." These are code words for taking a more pro-EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) than pro-MPAA approach.

[leftofcool]

1. This is about the only thing I have against Biden

[rfranklin]

2. ARe you for theft of intellectual property?

Because that's what seems to be the alternative to copyright protection. As a professional photographer I don't care to give away my work for nothing. Unfortunately, the digital era has fostered an attitude among consumers of "if I can copy it, it's free!"

[MicaelS]

4. Simplistic question

I don't believe in perpetual copyright or patents, period. You should get one shot at Copyright or Patent, 25 years at that is it. If you can't make it back in that time, tough luck. And Biden's poor record on Privacy is one hell of lot more important than his catering to Hollywood Copywrongs. You want simplistic questions, how about this one?

"You ok with losing your privacy and your freedoms as long as you make money?" Because your answer appears to be yes.

[emulatorloo]

3. I'm with rfranklin on this, I've had my work stolen. And besides

where does McCain fit on the Technology side?

Sorry, this is not the time to be a single issue voter.