Before there was VHS, Betamax was the first format for making home-recordings of television and movies. The film industry was very displeased with the format and fought to outlaw it. They lost in the Supreme Court and to this day the ruling protects all forms of "copying", such as Tivo, DVD and CD burners.

The film and music industries are trying to pull a fast by pushing new legislation that will undermine this decision. If they succeed, it could be a huge headache for new technologies, which will be tied up by injunctions, depositions, and discovery motions.

Please visit this website and sign up to receive phone numbers for members of congress to call. Today is the national call-in day, so it's your chance to help influence politics!

I will check it out.

I dont remember much about that beta though.

If im not able to tape simpsons episodes anymore.. well, then .. then.. my ... life... would.. just be over ::cries::

At 9/14/04 09:40 AM, deck_head_tottie wrote:

At 9/14/04 09:39 AM, Toocool100 wrote: If im not able to tape simpsons episodes anymore.. well, then .. then.. my ... life... would.. just be over ::cries::

So, this is just the USA, right?

Yup, unless there is a supreme court of the world, haha.

only the US, where bribary still runs rampant

I signed up.

Sadly, I can't do this kind of calls from my house...But, hey! Sounds like a good idea after all...

I'm gonna send this to my friends from the US...

Tackling issues huh?

Good idea, the prposal is shit, but as I am not american, I can't do shit.

If i understand correctly, they are trying to ban VCRs and every form of home recording?

RH told me about the whole "Betamax" ruling. It is quite usual that he said it was humans that has an constant ability to create and destroy, mostly destroy. He keeps mumbling about America not being the "land of freedom" and politics becoming corrupted and so on. I just hope he does know what he is facing. Politics can be unpredictable, because we do not have every knowledge on our government. So, I was worry if they are going to do something to him for being too offensive. I am actually afraid of the government, because they have complete power over the nation's way of life. Plus, it is full of experts of this field. Have you ever been afraid of being a small fry in comparison to the others? What kind of power or knowledge do I have?

At 9/14/04 10:12 AM, JohnnyWang wrote: I am not american, I can't do shit.

Same.
Meh.

the film and music board should go screw them selfs save betamax I remeber beta was cool back in the old days

I will sign when I get home Tom

Done

What's this, 'eh? Tom, the political activist?

Who are you voting for this year?

I hope that people who are calling have something intelligent to say, other than just "this website told me to.........."

It really is important to preserve our right to use media like DVDs, VCRs, etc. After all, the availability of such affordable media is what has helped many people to get started with their careers. Cannes film festival is proof of that. Having media recording equipment taken away, for those interested in film for example, would be like telling many of us that we can't use Flash anymore. I know that I've been hired into my last few jobs as a direct result of having a copy of Flash at my fingertips (and having made good use of it).

And if that's not enough to inspire you.........what are you going to tape Friends on if they take away our VCRs? :)

Anyway, if you're going to help out, please take a minute and prepare a legitimate statement, otherwise you could do more harm than good by making the cause look childish. Thanks to Tom for bringing this to our attention and I hope that people step up and help out.

Regards,

Sean

At 9/14/04 10:36 AM, TheShrike wrote: Done

What's this, 'eh? Tom, the political activist?

Who are you voting for this year?

That's not a very nice question to ask.......but I would say it's obviously not Bush.

At 9/14/04 10:44 AM, dzy2566 wrote: That's not a very nice question to ask

I don't see how it's rude. If he doesn't want to answer, he won't.

At 9/14/04 09:40 AM, deck_head_tottie wrote:

At 9/14/04 09:39 AM, Toocool100 wrote: If im not able to tape simpsons episodes anymore.. well, then .. then.. my ... life... would.. just be over ::cries::

So, this is just the USA, right?

I hope, then I don't have to do anything

That is actually very scary.

At 9/14/04 09:34 AM, TomFulp wrote: The film and music industries are trying to pull a fast by pushing new legislation that will undermine this decision. If they succeed, it could be a huge headache for new technologies, which will be tied up by injunctions, depositions, and discovery motions.

That's the future of technology for ya. The corporations will hold all the rights to our future, eventually. Star Trek is a joke. You see them using things like the "replicator", yet in real life they'd be getting sued for replicating copyrighted products, which of course would be called "stealing intellectual property".

You want to see a future of free and abundant energy? Chances are that won't happen since, well the oil and gas companies buy up all the patents, then suppress the technology from ever going to market. Ever notice how you'll hear on the Discovery channel about some new fuel source, yet weeks later you never hear about it again? After 50 years of using outdated technology, the best we've come up with is the hybrid vehicles? Oh of course, you can't stop using gas because that would put the precious oil and gas companies out of business, people would lose jobs.

Sorry to get away from the subject of copyright theft, but I think it's relevant in that corporations are buying our futures. The RIAA and MPAA pulling a fast one, is just the tip of the iceberg. It's hard to believe we've come to a time that we can have free flowing music, yet the music companies are spending billions on technology to supress this. Kind of like selling water in a desert, then people discover free flowing water. To keep yourself in business you build a dam and claim all property rights to the water, therefore forcing people to still buy your water regardless of the fact they've found a way to get it for free.

They argue that music isn't free to make or produce. Well, if that's true then why do people play music for free? Maybe because they simply enjoy playing music? Instead, use that exposure from your music, to make money in other ways. Just as flash artists from this site have found other ways to make money, rather than force people to buy their flash. They found other ways to make money and if you ask me, they spend a lot more time and effort on their flash movies, than P. Diddy or Britney Spears does on a whole album.

The only problem, are they denying us the right to backup what is legally ours or put material that we created ourselves onto a CD to show others?

At 9/14/04 10:36 AM, TheShrike wrote: Who are you voting for this year?

I'm voting Quimby.

Seriously, though. I haven't even seen a beta in about 15 or more years.

Certainly brings back memories.

-Janus

wish i lived in the US so i could participate in this. just another example of the fucking dinosaur old-boy's network trying to tighten their iron grip around all of us. it will be a bright day for the human race when the dinosaurs finally DIE.

I'm so gonna Crank Yank those fat members of congress >:)

At 9/14/04 09:39 AM, Toocool100 wrote: If im not able to tape simpsons episodes anymore.. well, then .. then.. my ... life... would.. just be over ::cries::

Yeah, I do that too. That'll be a bitch!

At 9/14/04 11:09 AM, DiIbert wrote:

At 9/14/04 09:40 AM, deck_head_tottie wrote:

At 9/14/04 09:39 AM, Toocool100 wrote: If im not able to tape simpsons episodes anymore.. well, then .. then.. my ... life... would.. just be over ::cries::

So, this is just the USA, right?

I hope, then I don't have to do anything

Actually.. if the industries in America will win theircase, the rest of the world will follow, It'll have an effect on all of us. So we better figure out something.. or get used to the consequenses.

Betamax is awesome. We still have a working machine, and a dozen movies.. I hook it up and watch them occasionally.

And I always look for betamax movies at garage sales ^_^

Those commie bastards...

KILL ALL SPAMMERS! --Kerrik AKA Swiss Rebel

I'd probably not call up, but this is a interesting subject: showing recording industries are greedy fuckers.

I'd call, if I were in the States.

The sad part is, that here in Canada, our Government is so afraid of the US, that it will follow their every move. If they ban the VCR, iPod, etc... It's likely to be banned in Canada a month later.

At 9/14/04 02:42 PM, Bertuzzi44 wrote: I'd call, if I were in the States.

The sad part is, that here in Canada, our Government is so afraid of the US, that it will follow their every move. If they ban the VCR, iPod, etc... It's likely to be banned in Canada a month later.

No no Canada won't ban it, see whats gona happen is that the US is gona be all corupted with laws and shit that piss people off so then everyone is gona come to Canada. See betamax is just the beginning...