My personal blog as a 'grown-up' Goth and Romantic living in the Highlands of Scotland. I write about the places I go, the things I see and my thoughts on life as a Goth and the subculture, and things in the broader realm of the Gothic and darkly Romantic. Sometimes I write about music I like and sometimes I review things. This blog often includes architectural photography, graveyards and other images from the darker side of life.

Goth is not just about imitating each other, it is a creative movement and subculture that grew out of post-punk and is based on seeing beauty in the dark places of the world, the expression of that in Goth rock. It looks back to the various ways throughout history in which people have confronted and explored the macabre, the dark and the taboo, and as such I'm going to post about more than the just the standards of the subculture (Siouxsie, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, et al) and look at things by people who might not consider themselves anything to do with the subculture, but have eyes for the dark places. The Gothic should not be limited by what is already within it; inspiration comes from all places, the key is to look with open eyes, listen carefully and think with an open mind..

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Piracy, Internet Security and Censorship

I am against internet piracy - I do not illegally download music, I do not share or download shows or movies, and I get very upset when people steal art and images on the internet and post them around as if those pictures are their own work or try and make a profit. I am not against legislation that effectively deals with these forms of piracy. If you like a band enough to want to download their music, pay for it so money goes back to the band. Yes, a lot of money goes to middle-men such as retailers and record companies, but fight for a fairer record industry where artists get their due instead of steal. As an artist and musician, I'd rather like a world where the majority of profit on record and MP3 sales went straight to the musician, after all it is they who created it!

That said, I oppose internet censorship brought in on the grounds of being tougher on internet piracy. The internet should not be in the control of governments or corporations - the internet belongs to its users. As such I oppose the poorly-drafted SOPA and PIPA, as they do not effectively target pirates, and leave the internet open to censorship. I am not in America, and not under American legislation, but am concerned for the international repercussions of such legislation coming to pass. Yes, I've written in black, on dark grey.

This IS an internet blackout, after all!

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for your support. Viva La Revolucion! Viva La Internet!

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  2. I agree. Destroying the internet and the free flow of information in the name of stopping online piracy is ludicrous; that is, unless the powers that be have ulterior motives.

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    1. I'm not sure if it's ulterior motives or simply being in the pockets of media moguls who see the internet as a threat to their profit margins.

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  3. i do have to admitt i don't know what pipa and sopa is even though nearly all blogs post about it atm. but i do spend a fortune on my music because i want to support the people that create things i like instead of stealing from them!

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    1. It's something worth looking up. PIPA and SOPA are two pieces of USA legislation theoretically tackling internet piracy that are in a decision process at the moment as to whether or not they will be made law. It's good that you're not stealing music but paying for them, I think you're right to support the people who create the stuff you like.

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