[nylug-talk] Friday 26 October 2007 Viacom vs Google Federal Copyright Case

[Ruben Safir]

On Fri, Oct 26, 2007 at 02:43:30AM -0400, jays at panix.com wrote:
> I resend a notice from Fred Benenson, head of NYU Free Culture
> Club.  The notice of this important action at law is appended.
> 
> Personal Note:
> 
> Listening to and seeing such a case argued before a judge is
> seldom boring.  If you go you will likely be astonished at more
> than one thing.
> 
> Appearing at court to listen, and to learn, is important.  It is
> also important that we show up so that the other side knows that
> we will not lose this engagement by default.  Speak to reporters.
> Reporters are usually intelligent and usually want to learn, but
> often they are remarkably ignorant.  A careful clarity of
> expression, and a gentle stroking of the flanks, will sometimes
> loosen a bit the grip of The Official Story on the mind of the
> reporter.
> 


Reporters are neither intelligent nor ignorant but primarly self-motivated
and ambitious.  Before they even come to a story they already have an idea
of how they expect that story to fit into their career goals.

Anyway, this angle is but one of many recent legal issues which are bad for
Free Software and a Free Society.  When people wake up and relize that the
courts and lawyers can never solve this problem and that only legistlative
and pubic relations pressure can create needed changes, we continue to
just scrape the ceiling with cultural and intellectual disaster being lead
along on this sleigh ride by the RIAA.

Ruben
> Jay Sulzberger <secretary at lxny.org>
> Corresponding Secretary LXNY
> LXNY is New York's Free Computing Organization.
> http://www.lxny.org
> 
> 
> <blockquote
>   what="notice of time and date of court action">
> 
>  Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:53:59 -0400
>  From: "Fred Benenson" <frederick at nyu.edu>
>  Sender: fred.benenson at gmail.com
>  To: "Free Culture @ NYU's list serv" <free-culture at lists.nyu.edu>
>  Subject: [free-culture] Google v. Viacom Tomorrow
>  Reply-To: "Fred Benenson" <frederick at nyu.edu>
> 
>  Free Culture @ NYU,
> 
>  So one of the benefits of living in a self-proclaimed democracy
>  is that at least some of the court trials are mostly open to the
>  public. That means that when Viacom sues Google for ONE BILLION
>  DOLLARS over YouTube's "infinite amount of infringement" we're
>  allowed to sit in on all the court room antics.
> 
>  I attended the first (and last, as far as I can tell) hearing and
>  it was a scheduling hearing. Despite a stern warning from my
>  lawyer friends that the hearing would be immensely boring, I
>  really enjoyed it. The two sides ended up getting into their
>  arguments in a very inappropriate and entertaining way.
> 
>  Now, I have no idea whether tomorrow will have the same kind of
>  fireworks, but I am certainly intending on being there. There
>  were mostly reporters and lawyers (especially one lawyer who kept
>  on sneering when Google would say stuff like "How are we supposed
>  to take responsibility for an 'infinite amount of
>  infringement?'") last time and I felt a little out of place with
>  a t-shirt, so you might consider wearing something nice if you
>  don't want to feel awkward.
> 
>  Anyway, here's the information:
> 
>  Google v. Viacom <http://news.justia.com/cases/337988/>
>  4pm, Friday October 26th 2007
>  Room 21C
>  Judge Louis L. Stanton
>  United States Courthouse
>  500 Pearl Street<http://www.justia.com/us-states/new-york/courts/southern/district_court/main-office.html>
>  New York, NY 10007-1312*Phone:* 212-805-0136
> 
>  If anyone wants to meet up, I'll be outside (or maybe in the lobby if its
>  really going to rain) around 3:30.
> 
> 
>  Best,
> 
>  Fred Benenson
>  President, Free Culture @ NYU
>   
> </blockquote>
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"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

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"> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.<
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt.  I guess you missed that one."

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