Compare And Contrast Two Systems To Let People Notify Elected Officials About Their Feelings On PROTECT IP

Compare And Contrast Two Systems To Let People Notify Elected Officials About Their Feelings On PROTECT IP: "A few weeks ago, we pointed out the totally laughable push by Universal Music to get people to alert their elected officials to the reasons why they might support PROTECT IP. What was really ridiculous about it was that the form was completely uneditable. There was no option to change the wording or add anything. Anyone who used the form sent the identical message to their elected officials (pretty much making sure that those letters get ignored). On the flip side, however, we have the EFF's form, which makes it easy for you to tell your elected officials why you disapprove of PROTECT IP and would like them to vote against it. Unlike Universal Music's form, the EFF form appears to be totally and completely editable. There is a short suggested text, but the EFF (again, totally unlike Universal Music) asks you to adjust and personalize your message based on your own thoughts and opinions.



I find this contrast to be quite telling. On the one side, we have an industry that claims to promote creativity and uniqueness -- and which abhors the idea of copying anyone else (at least in its statements). On the flipside, we have the EFF, often derided as a bunch of 'piracy apologists,' who just want to copy everything and have no concern for creativity. Kinda shows how wrong those views are when you look at how they treat this effort at public participation, doesn't it? Of course, the other thing that it shows is that Universal Music doesn't trust people to actually say what it wants. The EFF, however, has plenty of trust that people will use the form intelligently.

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