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[Dougald]

Honest question here. Has the Tory government actually made any positive reforms? Introduced any schemes to encourage productivity rather than penalize the poor?

The personal allowance is pretty good, but that really doesn't count as it was a Lib Dem policy. Ditto for dumping ID cards (also lib dem)

I guess the massive increase in ISA allowance isn't bad, but it's starting to approach tax dodging levels. Average people can't save £15k per year.

That's all I can think of

Gay rights. That's the only one I can think of.

Also this, but again, coalition

 

[Mindwipe]

Well, let's see how it will be used. I'm pessimistic and think that maximum sentence will be the default sentence when it comes to any kind of pirating, but I hope I'm wrong.

I don't pirate, so this doesn't affect me personally, but I don't want teens to go to jail for 10 years for clicking a few buttons with their mouse.

The maximum sentence for shoplifting a CD is seven years, and has been for essentially your entire lifetime.

It's not the default sentence is it?

 

[Royal_Phalanx]

Honest question here. Has the Tory government actually made any positive reforms? Introduced any schemes to encourage productivity rather than penalize the poor?

Gay rights. That's the only one I can think of.

 

[Akuun]

I can go out in a car right now, drive like a complete cock bag and run down a kid and get less than half this sentence.

Hell, if you're rich then you could claim affluenza and just get probation.

 

[Jezbollah]

Honest question here. Has the Tory government actually made any positive reforms? Introduced any schemes to encourage productivity rather than penalize the poor?

No, not really. This piracy punishment is just another attack on the poor. Just like everything else they do.

Dont worry though, Corbyn will be the one to put everything right. Our hero.

 

[Stinkles]

Is there some kind of timer running in the UK where the government has to squeeze in as much V for Vendetta stuff into a single week as possible?

 

[MLH]

Truly dangerous criminals those online pirates, they need to be locked up for even longer!

I do wonder what is going through their mind when the government tries to push for something like this. Online piracy is like theft, fine them, or pay through community service don't put them in our overcrowded prisons at the expense of the tax payers, they're not dangerous so they don't need to be behind bars.

 

[HazySaiyan]

Gay rights. That's the only one I can think of.

And even then less than half of Tory MPs voted in favour of it, including Nicky Morgan, the Minister for Women & Equalities.

 

[Jezbollah]

JUST REMEMBER PEOPLE: THE IT CROWD GOT IT RIGHT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALZZx1xmAzg

 

[Izuna]

But leaching is still technically decriminalised right?

 

[Royal_Phalanx]

The Tories' base are primarily old people who voted for them in droves, so it's not surprising they don't understand or care about the internet.

 

[Obliterator]

I mean the number of people who pirate is massive. We are talking millions of people here.

I'm guessing the only people that will be punished are uploaders? Because how the hell could you punish people that download / stream something. Those numbers are enormous.

All that said fuck this shit and that is insane. It's a non violent crime how is 10 years justifiable?

 

[Toxi]

I mean the number of people who pirate is massive. We are talking millions of people here.

I'm guessing the only people that will be punished are uploaders? Because how the hell could you punish people that download / stream something. Those numbers are enormous.

All that said fuck this shit and that is insane. It's a non violent crime how is 10 years justifiable?

I'm guessing they're gonna try to make an example out of people.

And yes, it's fucking disgusting.

 

[Spoiled Milk]

Steal billions in tax revenue and it's cool, though.

Boom. Thread.

 

[Marauder Shields]

While 10 years may be a little excessive, I do like seeing attempts at cracking down on piracy.

 

[Beefy]

While 10 years may be a little excessive, I do like seeing attempts at cracking down on piracy.

Never going to work.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

Any jail time is dumb. Just fine people when you catch them.

 

[Patapwn]

I can go out in a car right now, drive like a complete cock bag and run down a kid and get less than half this sentence.

Prove it!

 

[Red Liquorice]

Stealing a few pounds is worse than stealing millions of pounds - Nothing ever changes.

 

[thehypocrite]

I've never understood the point of jail sentences for pirating. Who exactly is being helped with that? Are they hoping to rehabilitate people? Are online pirates a menace to society? Other than being punitive and them hoping for it to be a deterrent, why not just fine people or give them community service, so they can help repair the damage they've caused?

You make too much sense.

 

[SillyJoe]

aka being jailed for trying to have some fun when you don't have a good enough job to afford things

 

[Abstrusity]

Piracy is a moral act. It is everyone's responsibility to combat the oppressive and broken media conglomerates by paying only as much as you want to pay. Welcome to the free market, companies who charge 30 dollars for a blu-ray, stores who keep it at 30 dollars years after the fact, game companies who deign to give us 5 hours worth of entertainment for 60 bucks, with most of it broken and jilted and imbalanced!

Prison for piracy of an object with next to no scarcity. Riiiight.

 

[Randomizer123454444]

The maximum sentence for shoplifting a CD is seven years, and has been for essentially your entire lifetime.

It's not the default sentence is it?

I don't know what the default sentence is for shoplifting. I guess we have to have faith in the system that the maximum won't be used against small time offenders. I just thought that the justice system wasn't supposed to be faith-based.

 

[Diabelli]

Ow the edge

I'm hoping that was DedValve's way of saying how ludicrous the sentence is, but y'know, Poe's law.

 

[Doc_Drop]

While 10 years may be a little excessive, I do like seeing attempts at cracking down on piracy.

It's as pointless as war on drugs/terror. It'll cost time/money to police and will result in a net gain of nothing. Every company that produces creative media/software/etc need to ask why their stuff is being pirated not by whom. If you can offer something of value for a price that the consumer feels fair then you will get less pirating. That or do as some software companies (music software mostly to my knowledge) have done and tie software to hardware. It's not going to stop everyone, but making something illegal doesn't stop everyone from doing it does it?

 

[Paz]

While 10 years may be a little excessive, I do like seeing attempts at cracking down on piracy.

Yah me too, I for one am glad we're gonna waste time hunting down folks who want to watch Game of Thrones and throw them in jail.

Of course if you're a banker who laundered money for terrorists and drug cartels, or manipulated the global currency, a small fine that amounts to less than the profit you made doing your illegal actions seems very appropriate.

 

[Stereogatari]

They should only be going after those who profit from piracy. Not those who are involved for free, for the fun.

 

[Messofanego]

Honest question here. Has the Tory government actually made any positive reforms? Introduced any schemes to encourage productivity rather than penalize the poor?

£1 billion for mental health is the only one I've heard of.

 

[Hasney]

Is there some kind of timer running in the UK where the government has to squeeze in as much V for Vendetta stuff into a single week as possible?

It's a cunning plan by Cameron on behalf of the remain campaign. "Think all this is bad? Think how big of a bunch of cunts we would be without things like the pesky EU human rights act.

£1 billion for mental health is the only one I've heard of.

After living with a mental health nurse and knowing a few through her, things continued getting worse for them with more patients per nurse and not enough capacity, so having to put people on speciality wards for things they're not suffering from. It seemed like a great announcement at the time, but I want to see where the money has gone or hopefully hear about some improvement in the wards.

 

[Doc_Drop]

£1 billion for mental health is the only one I've heard of.

This sounds good until framed by the fact that the NHS budget has been cut by about £50 billion (maybe more) in real terms and they keep awarding contracts to their mates who run private health service companies

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

Gambling with money of millions of other people: Don't do that again oke? And turn in your bonus for one year please?
Downloading a few movies: 10 years in jail.

 

[Messofanego]

Doesn't this fit with Conservatives war on the poor that they've been waging?

Rich people can afford all the movies they can.

Imagine what your movie knowledge would be if you never downloaded. Probably would be only 100 while most film buffs have seen thousands.

 

[Messofanego]

After living with a mental health nurse and knowing a few through her, things continued getting worse for them with more patients per nurse and not enough capacity, so having to put people on speciality wards for things they're not suffering from. It seemed like a great announcement at the time, but I want to see where the money has gone or hopefully hear about some improvement in the wards.

This sounds good until framed by the fact that the NHS budget has been cut by about £50 billion (maybe more) in real terms and they keep awarding contracts to their mates who run private health service companies

Yeah I haven't seen the benefit of it yet, as someone who works in mental health. Didn't know the budget was cut by that much, nullifies this news a bit. Screw these people pushing for more privatisation.

 

[23qwerty]

Ow the edge

joke
you

 

[Doc_Drop]

Yeah I haven't seen the benefit of it yet, as someone who works in mental health. Didn't know the budget was cut by that much, nullifies this news a bit. Screw these people pushing for more privatisation.

Didn't realise you worked within mental health, thank you for your efforts as it really seems to be the growing issue of the times at least in my area in Nottingham.

 

[Moosichu]

Gay rights. That's the only one I can think of.

Most Tories voted against that. It was Lib Dems and Labour that got that through.

 

[John Caboose]

If people could stop being massive dipshits that would be great. Damn my outlook on the state of everything is just lowering day by day.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Gambling with money of millions of other people: Don't do that again oke? And turn in your bonus for one year please?
Downloading a few movies: 10 years in jail.

Steal billions in tax revenue and it's cool, though.

This, basically. I want to say it's depressing, but I guess it has always been like this. May their fucking yachts spring a bunch of leaks on the high seas.

 

[TheBlackMarvel]

Honest question here. Has the Tory government actually made any positive reforms? Introduced any schemes to encourage productivity rather than penalize the poor?

You can't make positive reform and be conservative at the same time.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

I'm conflicted.

I'm all for jail time for large scale piracy operations that sell dodgy copies of films that are usually linked to organised crime.

On the other hand they are going to use this as a catch-all for everyone who pirates, even those who download files.

I hate to be all holier than thou but copyright infringement is a massive problem, EVERYONE does it and thinks nothing of downloading the latest episode of Game of Thrones from some torrent site. How else are they meant to combat it other than handing out harsh sentences?

 

[rjc571]

UK economy collapses as entire population is imprisoned for petty crime

 

[TheChaos0]

What a joke. How about you pass some laws that actually benefit the people and not the big corporations? Ahh, yes, Tories... who am I kidding.

 

[Doc_Drop]

I hate to be all holier than thou but copyright infringement is a massive problem, EVERYONE does it and thinks nothing of downloading the latest episode of Game of Thrones from some torrent site. How else are they meant to combat it other than handing out harsh sentences?

Ask yourself where this has worked before? in terms of harshly punishing crimes that the police/government has no real control over and are generally ill-equipped to deal with.

I'm not against going after the sites/hosts - but they should not concern themselves with the seeders/leechers as it does no-one any good.

It's on the companies and governments to address the issue in a more supportive way, similar to how they should address drug misuse and terrorism - by addressing the reason it is happening and not inherently the act itself. Not that I'm saying I would know the first thing about addressing that

 

[Jezbollah]

I really don't think the Government will waste time pressing charges against everyone who downloads files. I think it'll be focused on the small groups that are the source of most rips that get spread around. Even then, for every single group they target, another will take it's place.

The 10 year thing is just a scary deterrent to stop people thinking about doing it in the first place. Most likely it'll just be a few months and a large fine.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

I really don't think the Government will waste time pressing charges against everyone who downloads files. I think it'll be focused on the small groups that are the source of most rips that get spread around. Even then, for every single group they target, another will take it's place.

The 10 year thing is just a scary deterrent to stop people thinking about doing it in the first place. Most likely it'll just be a few months and a large fine.

I doubt it, i reckon the media companies have lobbied long and hard to make sure the sentences are harsh. I'd like to be surprised though.

 

[YN12]

A few years ago I attended a lecture by this guy: http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/may/18/hargreaves-report-recommends-overhaul-of-copyright-laws

Essentially, he was asked by the UK goverment to write a report on media piracy, so that the goverment could make up its mind about what the best course of action is about media piracy.

Needless to say, his report, and many others before, were all ignored. Because regardless of the factual evidence, there is much lobbying by media corporations that influences decisions.

 

[dh4niel]

So if I download a couple of films I should murder a guy so the 10 years seems worth it? Good to know.

 

[Doc_Drop]

A few years ago I attended a lecture by this guy: http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/may/18/hargreaves-report-recommends-overhaul-of-copyright-laws

Essentially, he was asked by the UK goverment to write a report on media piracy, so that the goverment could make up its mind about what the best course of action is about media piracy.

Needless to say, his report, and many others before, were all ignored. Because regardless of the factual evidence, there is much lobbying by media corporations that influences decisions.

Hmm, wonder where I've heard that before....cough drug classification laws cough..

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

Ask yourself where this has worked before? in terms of harshly punishing crimes that the police/government has no real control over and are generally ill-equipped to deal with.

I'm not against going after the sites/hosts - but they should not concern themselves with the seeders/leechers as it does no-one any good.

It's on the companies and governments to address the issue in a more supportive way, similar to how they should address drug misuse and terrorism - by addressing the reason it is happening and not inherently the act itself. Not that I'm saying I would know the first thing about addressing that

They have already addressed it. You can watch TV shows for nothing on Free to Air, or for a small fee in regards to subscription TV like Sky and Virgin Media in the UK. You can stream it on services like Netflix or Amazon Instant video or you can buy series on iTunes for a few quid an episode.

The problem is torrents are free and easy. Why pay £10 a month for Netflix when you can just grab the torrent?

I'm not saying 10 year jail sentences is the right thing but what are they supposed to do, let people get away with something that is clearly illegal just because 'everyone does it'?

 

[Doc_Drop]

They have already addressed it. You can watch TV shows for nothing on Free to Air, or for a small fee in regards to subscription TV like Sky and Virgin Media in the UK. You can stream it on services like Netflix or Amazon Instant video or you can buy series on iTunes for a few quid an episode.

The problem is torrents are free and easy. Why pay £10 a month for Netflix when you can just grab the torrent?

I'm not saying 10 year jail sentences is the right thing but what are they supposed to do, let people get away with something that is clearly illegal just because 'everyone does it'?

That's not what I'm saying at all and I understand that a lot of people do it because it's free and easy. It has been ingrained into people since the days of Napster that music, television, and film has essentially been reduced in value - in terms of ownership - for a lot of people. The problem with Netflix and Amazon is that their selection is terrible bar a handful of films and TV.

In the UK currently Netflix is dogshite. However, if you want to get a torrent going you need to go via VPNs etc or stream in low quality. If Netflix had a great selection of films I would feel the need to circumvent the system less.

When I was able to use VPNs to watch stuff that wasn't available in UK (loads of anime and documentaries and films are available via Canadian/US/German Netflix) and it was easy for me to get to that content I didn't pirate nearly as much.

I think the cycle of TV/theatrical release to DVD/streaming service needs to be much quicker also. Prices need to come down to watch films in theatres is also a part of this.

The people who consume the most media generally have the least money as there are less entertainment (outside of media) options available. I'd love to go out to shows, bars, gigs, holidays/trips, etc a lot more but unfortunately I have to limit my spending.

This is all subjective obviously

Edit - Also Sky TV is silly expensive to get, as is Virgin Media. For Sky I'd need a dish or via the online service pay 3-4 separate fees to get TV, Film, and Sports. Virgin dices up the channels so you have to combine your packages to up to like £100 or something per month.

End of the day, pirating isn't inherently hurting the Indy, the small time producers of content as they need other ways to engage their customers anyway. It's hurting the large companies who distribute globally. I'm not pirating electronic musicians or punk bands, but something from the powerhouses like Disney and Warner Brothers. And I will always be of the opinion that if I truly like something I will buy it, why wouldn't I?