A Manifesto for Digital Freedom

Note: even though I use the word manifesto, I'm not going to kill anyone in the name of it. I'm an activist, not an extremist.

Every person that has even a moderate understanding of the modern world of technology and entertainment, knows that the media business is going through a transformation. Or at least should be.

Remind yourself of the idea of evolution. I don't care if you believe in evolution or not, just shut up and think about evolution as an theory. Whoever adapts best to its surroundings survives. This basic principle hasn't gone anywhere and is strongly present in the business world today.

In the middle age, the catholic church got owned, because they didn't adapt. They haven't done it to this day even after 500 years (the "un-damning", of Galileo Galilei doesn't help much after 500 years, it's just pathetic).

Every day the church gets owned and loses followers (at least in Finland). Why? Because they don't adapt. But now this has descended into a religion flame-fest, and I was supposed to write about the entertainment industry.

Sony Pictures Entertainment US senior VP Steve Heckler said this before the rootkit fiasco.

"The industry will take whatever steps it needs to protect itself and protect its revenue streams...It will not lose that revenue stream, no matter what...Sony is going to take aggressive steps to stop this. We will develop technology that transcends the individual user. We will firewall Napster at source - we will block it at your cable company. We will block it at your phone company. We will block it at your ISP. We will firewall it at your PC...These strategies are being aggressively pursued because there is simply too much at stake."

Wow Steve, now I'm scared.


NOT


Here's my imaginary response:

The Users will take whatever steps it needs to protect our rights, and unhindered enjoyment of entertainment. We will NEVER give up our rights, and will fight to the end. We are going to take aggressive measures against all those, who try to block our RIGHTS. We will crack ALL your copyprotections, and anything that you throw in our path to freedom. We will NOT buy your products until you stop abusing our rights. We will deliver your content UNHINDERED for people, as long as you abuse our rights. We will DoS your servers. We will boycott you. We will protect our rights in court and on the Internet. We will make sure that any company abusing us will be forced out of business, since the users have the power. These strategies will be aggressively pursued, until the end of humankind. Because there is simply too much at stake.

Our rights.