Mastodawn

RE: https://mastodon.social/@AlSweigart/116602626276300598

I really want to stress that copyright infringement is a civil infraction unless you pass the specific tests set out in US law that make it a criminal infraction (>$1000 retail value worth of infringement). I am not a lawyer but it seems clear to me that every frontier model provider should have its models seized (as they are derivative works) and all their executives should spend a year in jail https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/506

This is a bad law and I oppose its presence on our books. I do not think that copyright infringement should be a criminal offense. But the only thing that I dislike about copyright law more than its bad design is its selective enforcement. We cannot have "heads I win, tails you lose" enforcement of the law for oligarchs.

If Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and his business partner Dario Amodei want to change this law, they are in a significantly more efficacious social position to do so than I am. I hope they will devote their considerable personal resources to its fair reform. They should go do that. Until then, though, regrettably, they must all go to federal prison.

Neo Ehproque 3d ago

@glyph but why bother? They prefer selective enforcement, in case someone makes a "universal pirated library" people likes more than their slop, they can still bribe someone to have them thrown in jail

JWcph, Radicalized By Decency 2d ago

@ehproque @glyph This is correct. They don't want to make crime legal for everyone - just for themselves, with the option to still have anyone else punished.

@jwcph @ehproque as the saying goes, "that's the joke"

𝓙. 𝓜.2d ago

@glyph this is interesting to read in the context of https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-hit-with-19-5m-default-judgment-and-global-domain-takedown-order/ . I'd think to ask about what the difference(s) might be, but I'm trying to cut back on asking rhetorical questions. :)

Anna's Archive Hit With $19.5m Default Judgment and Global Domain Takedown Order * TorrentFreak

A coalition of thirteen major publishers has won a massive $19.5 million default judgment against shadow library Anna's Archive.

Michael Critz 2d ago

@glyph If they believe in open access to data then we should have their source code, model weights, training data, financials, account numbers, social security numbers, dna sequences, and so on…

Dave Rahardja 2d ago

@glyph I’m quite wary of using copyright law to fight #AI overreach, because whatever happens in the lawsuits that ensue, the winners will invariably be the incumbents that own a ton of copyrightable IP.

Suing AI companies isn’t going to dismantle copyright law. But it might turn IP ownership into another rent-seeking opportunity.

https://humancode.us/2024/05/15/copyright-ai

Copyright will not save us from AI

humancode.us

@drahardja I don’t want to fight overreach generally I just want sam altman specifically to be in a federal prison. no bad ideas in a brainstorm

Al Sweigart 11h ago

@glyph Your view that they should all go to prison is the moderate position but I commend you for it.

@AlSweigart I am nothing if not always willing to work towards a reasonable compromise

datarama 2d ago

@glyph Judicially, that is what oligarchy *is*.

Robin Cafolla 2d ago

@glyph the laws only apply to people who can't afford to ignore them.

It has always been thus.

No system which gives power and wealth to some few; whether those are nobles, oligarchs, elected representatives or priests; can escape that truth. Power is always the problem.

Brad Macpherson 11h ago

@glyph I'd settle for summary execution of the executives (unrelated to the copyright stuff), UBI, and repeal of all patent and copyright laws - but only if we get all 3

Or the last two, I'm surprisingly flexible on murdering scumbags if we all benefit despite their staying alive.

@brad let’s not confess to felonies on main here. parody parody parody, reasonable person standard, hello future jurors

Brad Macpherson 3h ago

@glyph Absolutely - now where *did* I put that winking-lady GIF? 😂