Your Senator Needs an iPod
And we're going to helpLast week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on the "Broadcast Flag" and "Audio Flag," a set of proposals by the MPAA and RIAA that would stifle innovation by giving content holders a virtual veto over new technologies and existing user rights.
But Senator Stevens, the 82-year old committee chairman from Alaska, surprised the audience by announcing that his daughter had bought him an iPod, and suddenly Stevens had a much greater understanding of the many ways innovative technology can create choice for consumers. Content industry representatives at the hearing found themselves answering much tougher questions than they typically receive.
That's why we think all Senators ought to join Stevens' esteemed company as iPod owners. Rather than wait for every Senator's daughter, we're taking matters into our own hands and buying a video iPod for the campaigns of Senators who work on legislation affecting technology. Plus, we're going to pre-load each one with examples of the cultural richness made possible by sharing and collaboration - public domain content, Creative Commons content, and audio messages about the importance of balanced copyright policy. It will be engraved with the words "listen to the people." And it will arrive at each Senator's campaign office with a letter of explanation and a list of all the people who helped pay for it.
Help us supply more Senators with their own iPods for their campaigns. Each Video iPod costs $324.42, and you can buy a whole iPod or chip in a portion of the cost. We'll take care of the rest!
14 Comments:
What is the significance of $324.42?
Are they allowed to even accept such a gift?
Hi!
Ben: 324.42 is the cost of the iPod with tax. It will actually be a little more than that with credit card processing fees, but we'll handle it.
Anonymous: Their campaigns are allowed to receive in-kind gifts, but not their actual Congressional offices. We'll be sending the iPods to their campaigns.
Thanks for your interest!
-Ren
If you're giving the iPods to the senators' campaigns, how can ensure that the gizmos will find their ways in to the hands of the senators?
This seems like a really good idea -- I actually had a similar thought when I heard about senator Stevens and his iPod.
Holy crap, this is a terrible idea. Giving iPods to millionare capitalist shits, and asking people to help you pay for it? Three hundred fucking dollars! What a goddam waste of money. There are thousands of better things to do with that much money. How about generating 300 dollars worth of copyright free textbooks and distributing them to schools that need them? 300 bucks will buy you a fuckload of photocopies. Get the press on it, etc. etc.
Good luck with your intent, though.
I saw this on Fark.com and I was shocked! I think Senators can afford their own damn iPods with the taxes THEY DON'T PAY!
I'm truly offended that you would ask people to send any sort of money to this frivolous cause.
I would think there would be better ways to inform Senators about the RIAA and MPAA proposals without your organization pandering to buy toys for them from a society high in debt and low on savings.
I have several problems with this:
1. I'm concerned about restrictions on sports cars also. Should I send my senators a Viper? I'm sure they'd like it!
2. Isn't it the senator's job to work out what's going on in his or her constituency? What other issues do I need to spoon feed my senator on?
3. Anything I can do, as an individual, large companies can do even better.
Biggest Problem as i have is that this whole project is a load of manure. I am wondering why the thought of using each $324.42 for something useful e.g. buying the homeless new blankets, feeding the poor, hell even be greedy and buy yourself a viper. But i dont really see the point of trying to give senators Ipods.
You do realize these senators aren't very hip or (modern) culturally literate, don't you?
Including CC content is a total waste of effort. Sure, you can feel good about "spreading the love", but it isn't gonna do a damn thing to convince them of the problem with DRM. They simply aren't going to care if if threatens the crap their kids (or grandkids) listen to (CC content)).
But wait -- I didn't think CC content was threatened by DRM, is it? Why not put some content on the iPods that actually would be threatened -- content that the average senior-citizen (senator) might actually enjoy? They need to experience the freedom they have now that would be lost with further pro-DRM legislation.
Tack on another $15 to the price of each gift and include a (VERY) popular store-bough, mainstream, CD with each iPod (preferably from an artist that is popular with the senior set). Rip the tracks off the CD and place them on the iPod. Include a note encouraging them to do the same with their own CD collection.
The DRM threat is serious enough to warrant significant action. You are to be commended on a great idea (sending them an iPod), but include the content that reflects the seriousness of the threat -- not the content that will do more to make you feel all inclusive, warm, and fuzzy than to convince a senator of the evils of DRM. Please reconsider -- don't you think it's worth a more intentional and heavy-handed approach?
Finally, "Listen to the People" is a clever touch, and while certainly an appropriate sentiment, isn't the goal is to encourage the senators to EMBRACE the power embodied within the iPod experience, not to feel like it is YELLING COMMANDS at them every time they see the engraving. Which would you prefer?
Senator Stevens objected to the broadcast flag because he wouldn't be able to "record from the radio and put the shows on his iPod" -- the content HE wanted. These people are not "enlightened progressives" -- they live outside the coffeehouse and blog -- if they have never heard it on the radio, they aren't likely to give two shits about it whether it's on their iPod gift or not.
According to the Senate Ethics Manual, Senators and members of their staffs are not allowed to accept gifts valuing more than $49.99. An iPod is just a little bit more than that. Maybe if you wait a few years the Shuffles will go down enough to get them one of those.
Senate Ethics Manual (see chapter 2)
http://ethics.senate.gov/downloads/pdffiles/manual.pdf
You do realize that EVERY staffer for these Senators already have iPods, and who writes the position papers for the Senators?!? Surely, this will generate alot of publicity, but its effect will be rather pointless.
While we are at it let's buy bill gates a new PC with all the media players, browser/email clients and messaging software pre-installed so he has a better understanding of anti-trust laws. Free iPods for millionaires ..... only in america!!!!
Just to add to that, buying gifts for elected politicians so they will back your issue is wrong no matter what side of the isle you are on. Is this our future? Buying gifts for leaders just to get them to address our concerns, .... democracy? Not even trying to cut the cost to a $200 nano that does the same thing, eh? Is this headed buy Mr. Abramoff or Mr. Jobbs ... can't tell
So since the industry can't get the flags passed through the normal way they're trying to bribe the officials with gifts?
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