Comment No Fair Use == No Legitimate Criticism Allowed (Score 2, Interesting) 298
Most of you seem confused about why the content industries are so desperate to get rid of fair use. Let me explain. First of all, it is /not/ about backup copies. Right now, you are legally able to distribute clips -- on the net and anywhere else -- of "The Fellowship of the Ring", "Star Wars", "Minority Report" and every other pompous piece of Hollywood flotsam _provided you do so to aid in your critical discussion of the work_. Notice how scary this is for Hollywood.
1) You can put pristine segments their precious garbage on the net legally.
2) You can make fun of it and point out how stupid and crappy it is.
Once your ability to actually capture clips legally (hello DMCA, DVD and Macrovision) has been destroyed what are you going to do? Draw stick figures? Go ahead! All of the fawning coverage people will see on Entertainment Tonight will have glorious, full motion, full color clips of the film and you, the guy shouting that the Emperor has no clothes, will have no way to illustrate your point.
That is what is really at stake with this threat to fair use.
- Night
1) You can put pristine segments their precious garbage on the net legally.
2) You can make fun of it and point out how stupid and crappy it is.
Once your ability to actually capture clips legally (hello DMCA, DVD and Macrovision) has been destroyed what are you going to do? Draw stick figures? Go ahead! All of the fawning coverage people will see on Entertainment Tonight will have glorious, full motion, full color clips of the film and you, the guy shouting that the Emperor has no clothes, will have no way to illustrate your point.
That is what is really at stake with this threat to fair use.
- Night
