File-Sharing Case Unites Unlikely Allies

[True_Blue]

Religious and other conservative groups have shown little love for Hollywood or the recording industry over the years, decrying everything from explicit rap lyrics to Janet Jackson's bared breast at the 2004 Super Bowl.

But a cadre of those groups are stepping up to back the entertainment industry in its moment of need: a high-stakes battle against online file-sharing services that has reached the nation's highest court.

File-swapping services make pornography easily accessible to minors, the social conservatives submit. The entertainment companies, meanwhile, blame sharing for declining sales and lost revenue.

An unlikely alliance thus formed.

"Hollywood is definitely a strange bedfellow to most of us," said Jim Backlin, vice president of legislative affairs for the Christian Coalition of America. "Our goal was to cut down child pornography and other kinds of pornography, and if for some reason we were allied with the Hollywood types this time, so be it."
more....
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2005/02/27/ap1850970.html

[lostnfound]

1. Strategically this alliance is a disaster for anti-media consolidation

While we are on opposite sides 99% of the time, some of these anti-porn people were allies in the fight against media consolidation.

Commercialism drives the porn industry, as it also drives the over-sexed, over-violent nature of the crap on TV.

Hollywood's corporate side has found a way to co-opt these people to help them fight file-sharing, but the alliance is also likely to soften the focus that the anti-porn people would have on attacking Hollywood's sleeze.. Hollywood's corporate side is ingratiating themselves with leadership of the Christian Coalition. This is not a good sign.

We should be framing issues of TV quality as "Commercialism / corporatism is filling our kids with garbage for the mind"

Instead, it will be framed as 'Hollywood corporations partner with Christians to restrain entertainment liberals' or something similar. And more than framing, they will set a framework for future collaboration (think McCarthy).

[sjgman9]

2. The Democratic party needs to stiff-arm hollywood

I dont like how the content cartel could possibly ruin computer programming. Is Microsoft responsible if a kid uses Internet Explorer to view porn? Is Washington University(Saint Louis), author of the WUFTPD FTP server, responsible if a kid downloads porn from an FTP server?

As a computer programmer, blaming me for what people do with a program I create is a chilling effect on my free speech!

Fuck the RIAA and the MPAA

[lostnfound]

3. Agreed, but the RW has spun the energy of grassroots

where their corporate masters need it. Once again, they've diverted the energy of (many well-meaning but naiive) 'concerned parents' into something that is useful to The Owners.

It's masterful, really.