Google Seizes on Sony Hacked Docs to Attack MPAA Conspiracy

[proverbialwisdom]

Source: by Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter

2:54 PM PST 12/18/2014

Google's general counsel says the MPAA's Project Goliath is "deeply concerning"

Google says it is "deeply concerned" about reports that the Motion Picture Association of America and six studios led a secret campaign to attack the search giant in its fight against online piracy.

In an open letter posted to Google's public policy blog, general counsel Kent Walker wrote that he has "serious legal" concerns about the campaign, code-named "Project Goliath," in which he says the MPAA "conspired to achieve SOPA's goals through non-legislative means."

The movie studios have long considered Google the antagonist in their fight to remove pirated content from the Internet. They attempted to combat copyright infringement with SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, but the legislation was ultimately postponed in 2012 after protests from companies like Google.

Even so, emails revealed through the Sony hack, reported on by The Verge and The New York Times, have shown that lawyers from MPAA and the studios — Sony, Universal, Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Disney — were looking for nonlegislative ways to revive the site-blocking measures that SOPA would have put into place. Their main target in the campaign was Google, which was referred to the the emails by the name "Goliath."

"One disappointing part of this story is what this all means for the MPAA itself, an organization founded in part 'to promote and defend the First Amendment and artists' right to free expression,' " wrote Walker. "Why, then, is it trying to secretly censor the Internet?"



Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/google-seizes-sony-hacked-docs-759356

[DonCoquixote]

1. bottomline is

Sony needs no tears shed for them, especially as they are to a very large extent, part of the problem.

Yes, we all hate King Kim of korea, but frankly, if we did not hand so much of out economy to the Chinese, he would not be able to hide his fat little arse behind the dragon, meanwhile, Sony has tried to ruibn our internet.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Interesting, they frame it as a First Amendment issue. It is not.

Intellectual property isn't a part of the first amendment or any part of the constitution.

Artists are free to express themselves in any way they wish, until they enter into contracts.

If anything, the MPAA inhibits expression.

[on point]

3. Actually copyrights are in the constitution - initially for 20 years; not forever as the corps want.

From Wiki:

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, empowers the United States Congress:

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.

[PoliticAverse]

4. They should have specified a maximum on the 'limited time'. n/t

[davidpdx]

5. The MPAA seems to be making a mudpie accusation toward Google

throwing every piece of shit and hoping it sticks.

[PatrynXX]

6. Ironically Sony

is now massively encouraging people to get their hands on The Interview if it's out there. It's not a movie I'd watch but now I might be forced to

albeit must remember DVD is dead Vudu is the only one I use because of their HDX . hard to tolerate most of AIV's SD's because their HD is Vudu's SD at least for me. Then Blu rays. Personally if one orders a full blown Vudu movie full price they should be allow a one time burn with copy protection blu ray copy