Technology and Political Economy

1. Peer-to-peer technology can often times lead to violation of copyrighted materials. Although you may not realize that you are violating these laws, the technology of file sharing programs could get you in trouble with the law with out you even being aware of it.

2. Because of the continuous illegal downloading of copyrighted materials the DMCA(Digital Millenium Copyright Act of 1998) enforces punishment to those that download and share copyrighted materials. These are often times found on programs such as Morpheus and Kazaa. There are now internet businesses whose sole objective is to seek out and punish these offenders.

3. With the definitions of substructures and superstructures, we can assume that the DMCA plays the role of a superstructure in which it regulates the production and distribution that the substructure of technology brings about, a.k.a. the internet sites such as Morpheus and Kazaa.

4. Considering these two party's in the three laws of Dialectics we can see their relationship. We can only hope that the quantitive steps being made by the DMCA can eventually be a qualitive change to make copyrighted materials safer. We can also assume that these changes will unite these two opposing partys and create a harmonious relationship. This could be done by first examining the situation of illegal downloading and sharing as a thesis. Then assuming that the process of the DMCA is the antithesis in which we will see quantitive change. Then finally having a synthesis of negation of the negotiation, where we can find a middle ground or agreement.

5. Although TAMU's campus regulations may be trying to help protect student activity, I feel it only points out the offenders to the law. It almost feels as if they are only concerned with protection themselves from getting in trouble and pointing the blame on others. What may need to be done is more education about these copyright violating sites and the effects of file sharing data. Most students may not be aware of these technology's and how to prevent breaking the law in these cases.

6. The goal of the DMCA is to protect the interest of those whose copyrighted materials are being violated and distributed with out their permission. In doing this they are there in protecting their own interests because this is their job. However they do overlook the interest's of the "people" in which most people don't understand this type of technology and may be getting punished for shear ignorance. For example: if someone is not aware that free speech is not allowed in a certain country and they disagree with the president or ruler and are arrested and punished for this crime, this doesn't seem fair.

7. The policy's arranged for this type of illegal demonstrations are on the right tract to promoting a safe environment for copyrighted materials. However I would like to see a policy made to where first offenders are just charged with a small fine and maybe required to take an informational course on their offense. Sort of like defensive driving for speeding offenses and such. This way we are being educated on the technology in order to decrease the amount of repeated offenses.