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1953 gave cartoonists rich material to compare McCarthy-inspired censorship with the bonfires of 1933, now as we reach the end of the first decade of the new millennium, we are about to witness it all over again!

This copyright fueled intolerance targeted at ISP’s, Internet Cafe’s and the computer owner reaches into the bowels of entertainment history, back to the days when writers, actors, directors and many others were dragged from their homes and had their careers destroyed, because they were perceived as being associated with being Communist sympathizers. It surprises me that the same industry is condoning such practices now, when little over a decade ago they were still video taping movies & sharing them with friends, and taping music off the radio.

How soon we forget our industries history.

Or… is it the entertainer/actor? Or … is it their representatives, lawyers and unions? Who stands to make the most out all these pathetic lawsuits. Close down an Internet cafe because they have downloaded copyright material on their computers, but what has it achieved? One more added to the workforce, more families to suffer economic hardship. Sue an ISP, make a few million bucks, put up ISP rates so that lower income families battle to keep up with technology. Is it really the entertainment industry doing this? Or is it those that have more to gain by it.

Go fight that battles that do take those precious few bucks out of your pocket. Piracy is alive & blossoming in many countries who are making a huge profit out of it. Millions of dollars are lost to retailers, the entertainment industry, and many other professions. These are the ones that should have the time & money spent on them, not those that download what is most times poor quality recordings to watch on their computers or mobile devices. If we like your movie or music, we are still spending money on the quality item, just like you have in the past.

Senator Joseph McCarthy was the leading figure behind the “red scare” of the 1950s. I studied the McCarthy era & was ashamed at the behaviours. I honestly thought we had progressed past that. Maybe they should think about this when they next wear a ribbon of some colour. What colour ribbon should we use to signify the death of sharing?