
City of London Police Launch Intellectual Property Crime Unit - jjp9999
http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/ECD/PIPCU/PIPCUNews/130913-pipculaunch.htm
======
r0h1n
Wow, that was fast. Just a day ago the UK PM, David Cameron, appointed an ex-
music industry executive as his "IP advisor" \-
[http://www.managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3254862](http://www.managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3254862)

~~~
seiji
The UK (and maybe everywhere else?) corporate music people have a lot of very
old industry insiders who think music can't be produced without studios (they
"provide value," after all), think the internet is a fad, and think all real
music should be sold on physical media.

~~~
001sky
Werent "record" labels were replaced by >Copy >Paste...with the advent of pro-
tools?

~~~
seiji
Exactly. They don't realize that though. I was at a talk with some UK IFPI
execs last year who just didn't understand computers or the internet or online
self-promotional distribution. It was kinda astounding. He kept harping on the
point that "you just can't get quality" unless you're backed by a studio
belonging to his organization.

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DanBC
So, the police should only be getting involved in copyright infringement when
done as trade, right? right? They seem to be keeping that bit quiet.

See section 198 of the relevant law, which is clear about the need for
business to be involved for a criminal offence.
([http://www.ipo.gov.uk/cdpact1988.pdf](http://www.ipo.gov.uk/cdpact1988.pdf))

See section 7
([http://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law](http://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law))
- where they don't mention "trading", which is what tips it into a criminal,
rather than civil, offence.

See also section 8, which doesn't mention "format shifting" \- it's not legal
to rip a CD that you buy to MP3, but this is changing. (Or has changed?)
([http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/20/uk-copyright-
la...](http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/20/uk-copyright-law-parody-
relaxed))

~~~
UVB-76
Based on the initial arrests made by this unit, it would appear the target
remains commercial IP infringement:
[http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/sep/13/police-
intellectu...](http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/sep/13/police-intellectual-
property-crime-unit-first-arrests)

~~~
deletes
There are people still pirating on physical media !?

I think it is ok to go after the sharks but where do you draw the line, 10
copies, a 100?

~~~
UVB-76
Absolutely. It's an enormous market in parts of the world. Worldwide, I
suspect more people are pirating things on physical media than downloading
direct from the Internet.

I think common sense applies in drawing the line. A kid who burns the
occasional DVD and sells it in the school playground to cover his costs,
probably not worth pursuing. An organized group importing counterfeit DVDs by
the container-load and distributing them through an established distribution
network, probably worth pursuing.

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m010001
I don't like the BPI, they investigated me and made me take my website down
(they came to my house, it was a fun day).

However, I must credit them as they warn people before taking them to court.
So, if you're a website owner in the UK. I'm just giving you a heads up to say
that if you're being investigated, they will probably contact you in person.

I do think the BPI have definately gone too far, they currently trying to get
Grooveshark blocked from popular UK ISPs. The BPI only exists to monopolize
the music industry.

~~~
citricsquid
> they currently trying to get Grooveshark blocked from popular UK ISPs. The
> BPI only exists to monopolize the music industry.

Grooveshark is a company that profits off of content that they have no rights
to. They hide behind the DMCA and are complete scumbags who pretend to engage
in fair business practices and then turn around and renege on agreements, all
the while people defend them as if they're making some form of moral stand
against the oppressive music industry, when in reality they're choosing to
make money on the back of the hard work of others.

Spotify is a fantastic alternative to Grooveshark that has a wealth of music
in their library, they're compliant with labels and the law and have millions
of users, I don't see the BPI trying to shut them down. Maybe, _just maybe_ ,
there can be an instance where the "music industry" is in the right.
Grooveshark is a shameful business.

I look forward to the day that Grooveshark shuts down. I'm all for
revolutionising the music industry and changing the world, but there is a
serious line crossed when a company consistently uses others work to profit,
without permission. Spotify is doing it legally.

[http://www.theverge.com/policy/2013/8/6/4592346/grooveshark-...](http://www.theverge.com/policy/2013/8/6/4592346/grooveshark-
settles-emi-publishing-lawsuit-still-faces-uncertain)

~~~
patrickaljord
Spotify is not a fantastic alternative. They keep on losing money in spite of
growing revenues: [http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/31/4575506/spotify-doubled-
re...](http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/31/4575506/spotify-doubled-revenue-
in-2012-but-losses-grow)

The only reason Spotify doesn't have too much competition is because few are
those willing to waste so much money on such a low margin business, not
because they have a ground breaking technology or business model. The fact
that they now have to compete with rdio, pandora, apple and google streaming
will probably deepen their losses.

A fantastic company in this field will be one that will print money like it
streams music.

~~~
citricsquid
The CEO of Spotify has stated that they are choosing to forego profits at
present so that they can invest in the long term success of the service,
however they could be profitable if they needed to be. The comments on that
article you linked to provide a valuable example of the value of what Spotify
are doing: Amazon.

[http://allthingsd.com/20121206/spotifys-daniel-ek-on-
profits...](http://allthingsd.com/20121206/spotifys-daniel-ek-on-profits-
label-deals-and-angry-musicians-were-doing-really-really-well/)

~~~
revelation
Amazon isn't faced with a non-rational business conglomerate with complete
control over every product.

Spotify is simply hoping to grow so big so fast that labels can no longer
afford to bleed them to death. They are not exactly building warehouses.

------
Blahah
I skipped the word 'property' on my first take...

> UK Launches Intellectual Crime Unit

Mistake or premonition?

------
regularfry
> The unit will also be focused on influencing online behaviour by site
> owners, service providers and consumers through education, prevention and
> enforcement activity, and _providing offenders where appropriate with
> opportunities to accept restorative justice._

Er... is that implying that a police unit is being given judicial powers?

~~~
Blahah
They already have them.. with fines and cautions. You can take those
judgements to the judicial branch for appeal, but the initial power lies with
the police.

~~~
regularfry
Yeah, this is true. I can't help but wonder what, exactly, this press release
is referring to.

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w1ntermute
Note that the "City of London"[0] is a city within Greater London.

0:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_london](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_london)

~~~
antimatter
Also explained by a CGPGrey video:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrObZ_HZZUc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrObZ_HZZUc)

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misnome
Pretty hilarious, given that this just came up on the BBC also:
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24094435](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24094435)
\- using fonts without permission ("The Home Office said it was trying to
contact the copyright owner to reach an agreement.").

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eikenberry
Looks like the Brits haven't changed much.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddites)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_Act)

~~~
EllaMentry
I really have no clue what your point is here...

The first link concerns a small group protesting against increased
automation...this has happened in practically every place that has had
manufacturing...

The second concerns road safety acts, although they sound ludicrous by todays
standards, served as an important step in the transition from horses to
automobiles - in a country which had been relying on horses for transport for
atleast 1000 years prior.

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UVB-76
Press Release from the City of London Police with more information:
[http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/ECD...](http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/ECD/PIPCU/PIPCUNews/130913-pipculaunch.htm)

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touristtam
er .. ok, what a waste of public money. really.

~~~
ihsw
Par the course for the UK then.

------
Create
Did You Say “Intellectual Property”? It's a Seductive Mirage

The distorting and confusing term did not become common by accident.

The term “intellectual property” is at best a catch-all to lump together
disparate laws. Nonlawyers who hear one term applied to these various laws
tend to assume they are based on a common principle and function similarly.

Nothing could be further from the case. These laws originated separately,
evolved differently, cover different activities, have different rules, and
raise different public policy issues.

[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-
ipr.html](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html)

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jwatte
Would you like some Pirate Cinema with that?

