They put a Pirate Party MEP in charge of EU copyright reform: you won't believe awesomesauce that followed

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Some interesting ideas. Blinking miles and miles from being implemented. At best some bits might make it through the sausage machine - perhaps harmonisation of exceptions (that at least would appeal to federalists)- although the risk there is that harmonising ends up being a downwards, towards the most restrictive, rather than upwards towards the most liberal…

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It’s encouraging that they gave the role to a Pirate, than someone entrenched in the established industry. Like you say though, it’ll be interesting how much of it actually gets implemented.

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It’s big that this is being nominated. It’s a beacon of hope for those who want sensible copyright legislation, because it gives a model that can work. Even if it gets a watered down, half of this would still be awesome to do.

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Ditto. Any harmonization that would get implement by the PTB is likely to be downward.

Was it wrong of me to read every instance of “InfoSoc” as “IngSoc”?

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Actually, I find it discouraging to have a Pirate MP do this. It would be like giving labor reform to an MP from a fringe communist party – the problem is everybody else will assume that anything they suggest is just radical utopianism and not to be taken seriously. Copyright reform needs to happen, but for it to happen, the public and politicians need to know it doesn’t mean that piracy is being endorsed – just not near infinite copyright terms, which seems to be current US model.

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The problem is more about perceptions than content. As shown, the pirate party has a very enlightened and intelligent take on copyright policy.

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Can we retire “awesome-sauce”, please?

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What I wonder is what will happen to the things that are illegal in one EU state before the law. Will they be reconsidered across the EU or will those things be illegal in all the states when this reform manages to get through. Because that could in theory make something that is currently legal in my state suddenly illegal.

Yes - this has happened frequently as a result of changes to EU law. It usually takes ages though, rather than happening suddenly.

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By Crom! What sorcery is this?

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Oof. Buzzfeed ghostwriting the headlines today?

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This is the EU Parliament. The Pirate Party is actually on the sensible wing; the fringe parties in the EU are almost all on the Right, and most of their MEPs wouldn’t be able to put together a coherent argument about anything that didn’t blame Muslims, immigrants or the Germans for everything wrong with the EU.

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I agree that this is all too possible, but then nobody else is going to even think about, maybe, suggest to hardheartedly consider these things as a remote posibility. :smile:

How partisan is the EUP?
Can’t imagine it as bad as the US or UK, how many seats% do pirates and allies have?.

Will be shot down by the US-bootlickers from the UK in 5…4…3…2…1…

…and then they’ll start whining that those bureaucrats in Brussels getting nothing accomplished.

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It’s so hard to tell which headline this is supposed to apply to.

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This is somewhat hopeful that they will go in the wrong way.

However I’m not sure about the reselling rights. Now in some situations like companies bulk buying licences for a software that they don’t need and the company they bought them for won’t buy back (although more sensible would be to only charge when licences are used).
Although I think the owners would then be entirely justified in providing them with no further support, upgrades etc that would be standard with directly sold services.

Yet your Steam games, I don’t think so. I actually think it’s a bad idea.

The second hand market works because production of physical things is limited in a way it isn’t with digital products and even more importantly there is a physical degradation of products. As a consumer you are taking on no risk and getting the same experience as someone buying it new.

As someone who likes buying (or getting/bartering) secondhands, I think it is a good thing.

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