Obama violated copyright law by giving an ipod full of Music to the Queen ;)

http://techdirt.com/articles/20090402/1801344362.shtml

Consumer Interest Groups Ask Obama To Stop Appointing RIAA Lawyers

from the good-luck... dept

With the Obama administration appointing a whole bunch of copyright maximalists to various positions (despite an early indication that perhaps he recognized issues with copyright law), a bunch of public interest and consumer interest groups have gotten together to write a letter to Obama, asking him to recognize that he seems to be filling every open slot with a very heavily biased viewpoint which could do significant harm towards innovation. Some of the letter may be inspired by the rumored candidates for the IP Czar position -- all of whom also fall into the copyright maximalist camp. Though, the fact that it's taken Obama so long to appoint this position (upsetting the Senators who wrote the law requiring the position in the first place) suggests (at the very least) he isn't considering this to be a priority.

Still, the EFF also took the opportunity to point out that it seems likely that Obama violated copyright himself, in giving a gift of an iPod filled with music to the Queen of England. It's almost impossible to know whether or not copyright was violated, but that's exactly the problem. Of course, this is likely to be of little concern to the President -- which is itself another problem. Too many people, who have little familiarity with copyright law, simply assume that "copyright is good" and that "more copyright is better," leading to the false belief that those who have a history twisting copyright to their own advantage are the best positioned to speak on copyright policy. That's regulatory capture at its finest -- something the Obama administration had claimed it was trying to avoid. Obviously, there are more important things for Obama to be focused on, but relying so heavily on copyright maximalists who have benefited from distorting the purpose of copyright is quite troubling.

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Comment by Roy Vogt on April 22, 2009 at 1:18pm: I've just gotta add that without Medicare and her VA pension, I have no idea where my mother would be living at 81 instead of at the safe Assisted Living she's in. Not all people on government assistance are freeloaders, some have worked hard all of their lives as teachers and businessmen and women like my Mom. Dad bought and paid for her VA benefits by serving his country during World War II as part of The Greatest Generation. Obviously, I feel differently about that entitlement than some bailout so that some ethically-challenged CEO or CFO can ride his Golden Parachute to Switzerland or the Caymans...

Comment by Roy Vogt on April 22, 2009 at 1:11pm: My point exactly-right now you have a socially liberal party that's intrusive on business (guess who) or a party that's liberal in business but somewhat socially intrusive (guess again). Just depends on whether Corporate on individual entitlements float your boat....
Politics is a heckuva hobby, just glad I don't have to live there...;)

Comment by Bret Teegarden on April 22, 2009 at 12:12pm: I find it hard to disagree with any of the Libertarian platform, for what it's worth. And that doesn't mean I think people should use drugs or get abortions or practice any number of questionable vices, including pirating music, it just means I think government should stay out of private affairs and stop throwing your and my money at social issues which make all the problems worse. Statistics on the ROI of government programs don't lie.

Comment by Roy Vogt on April 22, 2009 at 12:02pm: I know what you mean, I might too.....depends on how truly Conservative they were (the Libertarians are the closest these days). The late Frank Zappa had a brilliant treatise on true Social Conservatism in his biography.

Comment by Joe Pasquale on April 22, 2009 at 11:00am: well i am not a republican- but i might vote for one if they ever ran a guy who was actually a conservative ;)

Comment by Roy Vogt on April 21, 2009 at 11:57pm: Ditto, Joe, we'll definitely have to hang sometime-sounds fun! Some of my best friends are Republicans! :)

Comment by Bret Teegarden on April 20, 2009 at 12:15pm: I agree Roy. I just hope we (as a country) stay that way...

Comment by Joe Pasquale on April 20, 2009 at 11:40am: you sound like your a lotta fun Roy !! ; )

we'll have to grab a beer sometime !

Comment by Roy Vogt on April 19, 2009 at 7:04am: I kind of like Chalie Daniel's views on America, we may bicker among ourselves, but if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us. There shouldn't be as much polarization as there is. The benefit of democracies being a big, clanky ineffiecient engine is that it takes so long to change anything so things can't get too far out of hand one way or another. Dictatorships are efficient, but at a terrible cost that no one wants to pay.

Comment by Joe Pasquale on April 17, 2009 at 1:43pm: "It does sadden me that there is such growing polarization in our society", lest we forget that Jefferson threw people in Jail who opposed him- and this has happened throughout our history- Lincoln- Woodrow Wilson- and lest we forget FDR- when you have movements to fundamentally change the direction of a country- people are going to wake up and make a stink ;)

remember the 18th century Sedition Laws- i think we would all be guilty of one part or another especially the Write or Utter parts- i know they would lock me up for some of my emails or political rants over the years LOL!!!

Sedition Laws- Unlawfully to combine or conspire together to oppose any measure of the government of the United States-To write, print, utter or publish, or cause it to be done, or assist in it, any false, scandalous, and malicious writing against the government of the United States, or either House of Congress, or the President, with intent to defame, or bring either into contempt or disrepute, or to excite against either the hatred of the people of the United States, or to stir up sedition, or to excite unlawful combinations against the government, or to resist it, or to aid or encourage hostile designs of foreign nations.