what does JMS think of Torrent networks?

[Dustin_S]

The B5 movies are all packaged together on a torrent network. While I could care less about most "artists" opinions on filesharing- (I would download metallica songs just to spite them- and I -hate- metallica) when it comes to artists I like, I refrain from downloading unless the artist has publicly stated that they don't mind.

What is JMS's opinion of his works appearing on torrent networks?

[Joseph DeMartino]

The B5 movies are all packaged together on a torrent network. While I could care less about most "artists" opinions on filesharing- (I would download metallica songs just to spite them- and I -hate- metallica) when it comes to artists I like, I refrain from downloading unless the artist has publicly stated that they don't mind.

What is JMS's opinion of his works appearing on torrent networks?

JMS, like most people, is generally opposed to being robbed. Why, did you think he was going to take some other stance? I don't care how anybody rationalizes it, distributing copyrighted material without permission is stealing, just like exceeding the speed limit on the road is speeding. This ain't rocket science, people.

Regards,

Joe

[Jan]

B5 is available legally from AOL and BitTorrent. While the link posted here a while back no longer worked, here's a portion of an announcement from May:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group today announced a groundbreaking agreement with BitTorrent Inc. to leverage the company's peer-assisted delivery system for the electronic sell through of motion picture and television content in the United States. With this announcement, Warner Bros. becomes the first major studio to provide legal video content via the BitTorrent publishing platform.

Now if you want to know what JMS thinks of illegal file sharing? You can check out this post. Don't expect it to be complimentary.

Jan

[Ranger1]

Pffff B5 episodes were available on newsgroups back in the day where they still aired, so thats nothing new.

[Jan]

What do you mean on newsgroups? I don't think filesharing was big in '94 was it?

Regardless of availability, it was and is theft.

Jan

[AmyG]

Pffff -- and it was stealing then, and it's stealing now.

I'm always surprised to see this come up on something like a regular rotation. What's so hard to understand? How come there aren't any threads on the positive aspects of lurking in an alley, waiting for someone to walk by, hitting them over the head with a truncheon, and divesting them of their wallet and valuables?

[Dr Maturin]

Yeah, copyright infringement is wrong, but all law enforcement agencies at every government level should defund investigations into it.

[Jan]

I'm always surprised to see this come up on something like a regular rotation. What's so hard to understand? How come there aren't any threads on the positive aspects of lurking in an alley, waiting for someone to walk by, hitting them over the head with a truncheon, and divesting them of their wallet and valuables?

I think we've got a good example of why it keeps coming up in Dustin_S's original post:

While I could care less about most "artists" opinions on filesharing- (I would download metallica songs just to spite them- and I -hate- metallica) when it comes to artists I like, I refrain from downloading unless the artist has publicly stated that they don't mind.

It's obvious that there's a contempt for artists and the creators of intellectual propety there. Unless, of course he *likes* the work. Then it's bestowed with a magical right to respect for some reason.

Jan

[Ranger1]

What do you mean on newsgroups? I don't think filesharing was big in '94 was it?
Jan

Not sure about 94 but i sure saw them in 95.

Pffff -- and it was stealing then, and it's stealing now.

Yup.

[AmyG]

Jan, Ranger1 is talking about the binaries newsgroups, which are a world of difference from the text newsgroups like r.a.s.t.b5.mod. You can still get just about anything there, including brand new movies, episodes of tv shows that aired last night, etc. etc. Pretty much the same as BitTorrent, but clunkier! :-D

[Phil Harmonic]

I've watched my seasons of B5 so much they are all torn up. My season one, disc 1 is in danger of being unplayable. I've thought of getting them all via Bittorrent so I can keep watching if the DVD's fail. I mean I already bought them right. But then I thought I'd rather my money go to JMS for bringing me this universe and characters. I'm waiting for a High Def re-release to buy them all over again.

[rallytbk]

After reading JMSÆs response, I respect and understand his position on illegal downloads...and I do care about the opinions of artistsà and I do buy multiple copies of the same productà

But as a consumer (not to be taken lightly also) I feel the mega corporations are screwing us, over the repackaging of the same finished product over and over again. With new file formats, new devices and re-mastering of the originals. It drives a person crazy when they find out that their time was wasted on building a collection or a device they already paid for, is designed to brake or become obsolete with in a few years. While I have never downloaded a bootleg movie from one of the download services such as Bit Torrent, I would like to have the option to backup or convert what I have, and use it as I often as I want. I shouldnÆt be forced to buy the new ( ) of the same thing.

What people donÆt know about is that things are designed to breakà Not merely normal wear and tearà but designed to break after a certain period of time. As an example: I have a problem with my home movies. As anybody else I purchased a video camcorder to film my familyà I have devoted years in getting the footage and years preserving the footage, and you know what? A lot of footage was lost, because of magnetic loss and broken devices. Not to mention the degrading of Biodegradable plastics even if a person keeps their collection in mint condition.

Now add that pro and consumer equipment adds Macrovision protection to backup personal media; and when the time comes to back up the back up before it degrades to nothing-ness. It becomes a problem in itÆs self. Oh, and DVDÆs suffer the same fateà ever heard of DVD ROT?

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/31/1043804519345.html

These are the reasons why people interested in reverse engineering and converting media to new formats are both hated and loved by the mega corporations, because it provides another method to repackage the same originals and if they donÆt make money off it want to sue to keep that media under control.

Note: MP3 player such as IPods repackage the same purchased content, only thing is that for the IPod to be fully supported by the industry the content must have DRM. Windows media player now uses DRM and Vista will take full advantage of High def DRM media...

Where do consumers stand?

[SmileOfTheShadow]

After reading JMSÆs response, I respect and understand his position on illegal downloads...and I do care about the opinions of artistsà and I do buy multiple copies of the same productà

But as a consumer (not to be taken lightly also) I feel the mega corporations are screwing us, over the repackaging of the same finished product over and over again. With new file formats, new devices and re-mastering of the originals. It drives a person crazy when they find out that their time was wasted on building a collection or a device they already paid for, is designed to brake or become obsolete with in a few years. While I have never downloaded a bootleg movie from one of the download services such as Bit Torrent, I would like to have the option to backup or convert what I have, and use it as I often as I want. I shouldnÆt be forced to buy the new ( ) of the same thing.

What people donÆt know about is that things are designed to breakà Not merely normal wear and tearà but designed to break after a certain period of time. As an example: I have a problem with my home movies. As anybody else I purchased a video camcorder to film my familyà I have devoted years in getting the footage and years preserving the footage, and you know what? A lot of footage was lost, because of magnetic loss and broken devices. Not to mention the degrading of Biodegradable plastics even if a person keeps their collection in mint condition.

Now add that pro and consumer equipment adds Macrovision protection to backup personal media; and when the time comes to back up the back up before it degrades to nothing-ness. It becomes a problem in itÆs self. Oh, and DVDÆs suffer the same fateà ever heard of DVD ROT?

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/31/1043804519345.html

These are the reasons why people interested in reverse engineering and converting media to new formats are both hated and loved by the mega corporations, because it provides another method to repackage the same originals and if they donÆt make money off it want to sue to keep that media under control.

Note: MP3 player such as IPods repackage the same purchased content, only thing is that for the IPod to be fully supported by the industry the content must have DRM. Windows media player now uses DRM and Vista will take full advantage of High def DRM media...

Where do consumers stand?

The free market will solve all!

[Dustin_S]

Just for the record, I don't download metallica songs just to spite them. 'twould be fun is all.

I have the same conundrum as posted earlier- My legally bought B5 DVD's are becoming nigh unwatchable (disc two of season three is already out of commission) and though I wouldn't mind just throwing money at JMS (especially if it gets TLT done any sooner!) i do have a limited supply of it. College ain't cheap!

[Radhil]

You could always rip the DVDs to hard drive. There's a number of free programs to do it, also of questionable legality but that has more to do with publishing company's restrictive technologies than stealing from the creators. That'll get you your sane backup, you can even burn right back to DVDs from there I believe, and you don't have to encourage the torrent networks (or get sued in the process of downloading something you already own).

Not that the torrent buffet doesn't have it's uses but this shouldn't be one of them.