How to get around copyright laws?

[mairving]

Buy your own country.

The Pirate Bay hopes to buy its own country: Sealand

The group has launched a donation drive to purchase the man-made isle of Sealand, a World War II-era British naval platform sitting in the sea off the coast of Harwich in southern England. For the last few decades, the rusting structure has been run as a "principality" by Paddy Roy Bates, perhaps better known by his princely title, Roy of Sealand. Roy and his family value their independence and want nothing to do with England (except to live there and maintain their English passports), and they've been involved in a series of bizarre confrontations over the platform that they first occupied in 1967.

[mbossman2]

the show "Secret Agentman" had an episode take place out there, amazingly, for a pirate radio station.

[rspassey]

Why buy it? They could just conquer it. Worked various times in the last century. It's not like King Roy is going to put up a fight; just peacefully conquer the island.

[David M]

China claims Nepal and Singapore as their own. France claims Tahiti. The US claims Diego Garcia. I think ownership comes not down to who has the most money but who has the largest military. Besides, Ireland has been saying, for how long now?, that they want nothing to do with Great Britain....just as these people are saying the same thing. Besides, Just because you have a sovereign nation does not mean that someone is not going to start shooting missiles you're way if you make them mad enough.

Let them try to take over. I bet their ferro cement hippie boat from the 60"s is no match against the British Navy.

If these people were really creative, they would move to the North polar ice cap where there is no land to have to fight over. They could make a nice frozen floating home and nobody anywhere near to bother them. Put up some windmills for power and there ya go....

So as they say, "anyone who donates money will be granted citizenship". So if I gave them a buck, would I also have to relinquish my US citizenship? Hmmm...I will have to think about that one.

[hitchface]

Occupied...I wonder what that consisted of.

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other fronts you will bring about the destruction of the Sealand war machine, the elimination of Sealandish tyranny over oppressed peoples of England, and security for ourselves in a free world."

Great times looking for Eisenhower speeches...

Goodnight.

[glc]

No, the US does not claim Diego Garcia. It's owned by the UK and we are tenants under a 60 year agreement.

[mbossman2]

one minor thing that these folks are overlooking:

how are they going to get:
power?
water?
food?
people?
equipment?
to and from the site? not everyone is as forgiving of blatant scofflaws as others.

[mairving]

Originally Posted by mbossman2 one minor thing that these folks are overlooking: how are they going to get: power? water? food? people? equipment? to and from the site? not everyone is as forgiving of blatant scofflaws as others.

Actually HavenCo already has a presence in the great country of Sealand. HavenCo promises a secure colocation center that is free from any government tampering.

[Floppyman]

Originally Posted by mbossman2 one minor thing that these folks are overlooking: how are they going to get: power? water? food? people? equipment? to and from the site? not everyone is as forgiving of blatant scofflaws as others.

I was thinking the same thing -- then realized in this world money talks and knows no language.

[fleeingpepper]

1800 a month for a 1mbps connection. Welp, I'm not living there.

[David M]

Originally Posted by glc No, the US does not claim Diego Garcia. It's owned by the UK and we are tenants under a 60 year agreement.

Ahh...thats it. Interesting.

Originally Posted by hitchface "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other fronts you will bring about the destruction of the Sealand war machine, the elimination of Sealandish tyranny over oppressed peoples of England, and security for ourselves in a free world."

What ever happened to great inspirational speeches? All we ever hear now is mush and divisiveness.

[GandalftheGrey]

can someone please explain what buying your own country has to do with cirumventing copyright law? or am i reading too much into this topic?

[glc]

Not all countries have copyright laws.

[hitchface]

So what, these guys wanna sell books that they claim they wrote from their own country? Well, they have to occupy it first...

[mairving]

Originally Posted by hitchface So what, these guys wanna sell books that they claim they wrote from their own country? Well, they have to occupy it first...

It is about file sharing, programs, video and audio files not books. The kind of things that are protected by international laws.

[hitchface]

Yeah, I was making one of those really un-funny jokes.

[David M]

I still say make your country a huge patch of ice. No land...no wars.

[hitchface]

Yeah, but there is a reason that nobody will fight over a piece of ice.

[rspassey]

I'd live on ice. But, getting back to the issue. Copyright laws are great, they really are - all artists should get credit for what they do. It's all about how the laws are enforced. Suing people wont get the point across because that is too tedious. They have to make it Un-Cool to pirate and steal copyright material; publishing that some guys want to start their own country to be digital pirates, does, in a way, sound cool.

[GandalftheGrey]

so lemme get this straight, if canada has no copyright laws, canadian citizens can steal bruce springsteen recordings, duplicate them and sell them wholesale with no repercussions other than america angrily waving its arms and shaking its finger at them??? that doesn't sound right. mairving mentioned international laws... what about them? would this new ice country be exempt from such laws?

[Alaron]

Some folks might find these interesting reads:

Copyright: A Guide for the Perplexed Part 1: http://www.pcmech.com/show/internal/987/
Copyright: A Guide for the Perplexed Part 2: http://www.pcmech.com/show//991/
Copyright: A Guide for the Perplexed Part 3: http://www.pcmech.com/show//1000/

[Paintbait]

Novel. Funny. Impractical and would not serve the supposed purpose --beyond the clear symbolism represented of course.

[GandalftheGrey]

Originally Posted by Paintbait Novel. Funny. Impractical and would not serve the supposed purpose --beyond the clear symbolism represented of course.

in other words, making your own country doesn't actually circumvent copyright laws, right?

[hitchface]

Yeah, but for the most part there is no method of policing. If they'd stop being so high profile about circumventing copyright laws, they might get away with it. Heck I was in Guatemala, and there isn't a single legal movie there. Every DVD you get is burned.

[David M]

Originally Posted by GandalftheGrey in other words, making your own country doesn't actually circumvent copyright laws, right?

There are pleanty of penalties for being a rogue nation. Nobody wants to trade with you, you're currency is worthless elsewhere, no UN recognition and sanctions against you, you will not get visas to travel.....basically, the rest of the world hates you which is never a good situation if you want to trade with them or need their help. No nation is an island (metaphorically speaking) and to blow off the rest of the world, especially as the world shrinks will get you nowhere.

Creating a rogue nation is a bad idea from the very beginning. What legitimate nation is going to buy their products? Are they going to sell their illegal products to other counties who can also manufacture the same illegal products?..and probably for cheaper since they are not so isolated.

Creating a rogue nation is a bad idea from the very beginning. It seems the idea has not been well thought through....or it is just a joke to try to get some publicity for something else.

[tomster2300]

Not sure how this is a rogue nation. It's a boat. You can't do much trading with a boat full of hippies unless you want drugs.