RIAA, MPAA recruit MasterCard to help them police the Internet

[SecularMotion]

Source: Myce

Two weeks ago, MasterCard felt the wrath of Anonymous Operation Payback-style DDoS attacks after refusing to process payments that were intended to fund WikiLeaks, the website which began leaking confidential US diplomatic cables last month. Now, the company is preparing to head down another controversial path by pledging to deny transactions which support websites that host pirated movies, music, games, or other copyrighted content.

MasterCard lobbyists have also been in talks with entertainment industry trade groups, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and have made it clear that the company will support the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), sources close to the talks have said.

“MasterCard in particular deserves credit for its proactive approach to addressing rogue Web sites that dupe consumers,” RIAA executive vice president of government and industry relations Mitch Glazer said in a statement to CNET when asked about the alliance. “They have reached out to us and others in the entertainment community to forge what we think will be a productive and effective partnership.”

Read more: http://www.myce.com/news/major-record-labels-recruit-mastercard-to-be-copyright-cops-37982/

[Hawkeye-X]

1. MC can go bite me.

[DCKit]

2. So I'm thinking, how to cost them (both) a lot of money without actually doing anything illegal.. nt

[matt819]

3. As with the Wikileaks issue

This is a slippery slope. What's to stop MC, etc. from refusing to process payments for organizations they don't favor, for example, gay marriage or anti-war or liberal forums. Once MC, Visa, Amex, Discover, and PayPal pile on, there are no options. It's not as if it's a cinch to start up a credit card company.

And as a business I can't really respond by saying I'm not going to accept MC or Visa or Discover or Amex.

And, as with Wikileaks, it's unreal that the credit card companies are doing the dirty work of other institutions. In the case of Wikileaks, they were bowing to pressure from the USG. In this case, RIAA and MPAA. What's to stop the NRA from pressuring MC from refusing to process payments for donations to anti-gun organization.

[EFerrari]

6. Exactly. We need a people's alternative to paypal or Amazon. n/t

[Democrats_win]

4. Who will protect us from the crooks and usurists at MasterCard?

Way to go: get in bed with MasterThieves. Here the RIAA and MPAA want to stop crooks yet they're sleeping with the biggest crooks in the history of the world!

[nudder]

5. Isn't this against the Constitution?

After all, the Supreme Court has ruled that political contributions are protected under our free speech rights; so shouldn't the same apply to any other contributions we want to make?

[MilesColtrane]

7. Related thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x57441

[BadgerKid]

8. MegaUpload Issues Response to RIAA Over Mastercard Cutoff

Bonnie Lam of MegaUpload Headquarters:

“Megaupload is a legitimate business operating within the boundaries of the law. In five years of operation we have not been sued by a single content owner. If the RIAA or MPAA would have legal grounds they would have taken us to court by now. We suggest that they attack us within the legal system and stop labeling us until they have something to show.”

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91680/exclusive-megaupload-issues-response-to-riaa-over-mastercard-cutoff/