Not this.

The truth is, there is a small group (MPAA/RIAA members) that can profit immensely from an act that is detrimental to the rest of society, and they pursue it.

It's about as "evil" as one basketball team can consider their opponent "evil"; the title is useless.

But just like on the basketball court, you have to do your best to defeat the other team, because they are doing their best to defeat you. And unlike the basketball court, they have so far had the upper hand every single time (e.g. DMCA, Mickey Mouse Protection Act a.k.a Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act, government passes NBC commercials as official position, etc).

SOPA/PIPA is probably the first time they have had a real setback. I think they'll still win, unfortunately -- the overton window keeps shifting.

I don't disagree with what you're saying.

I just think that if we techies try to understand some of the concerns of the copyright holders, we are in a position to propose legislation of our own. Until then, we are resigning ourselves to playing defense.

I was disagreeing with

> Coming to authentic, common ground is very hard work.

Or rather, with the implied meaning that coming to a common ground is at all desirable. It is not. They (MPAA/RIAA) out to get us (complement of MPAA/RIAA in the set of people) for monetary and political gain, and we should aspire to make it impossible for them to do that, and take back what they have already won (e.g. reverse the Mickey Mouse Protection Act)

As Louis XIV said, never sign a treaty you don't intend to break and until the technological playground settles into a few large, relatively static players there is always room for a more lucrative treaty.