ASCAP Refuses To Debate Lessig

An anonymous reader writes "Back in June ASCAP oddly declared war on free culture, specifically calling out Creative Commons, EFF and Public Knowledge, making a number of false statements about all three. The war of words continued as the three groups responded politely, pointing out the errors in the statement from ASCAP's Paul Williams. Larry Lessig wrote a blog post where he asked Williams to debate these topics, saying that it might help if they could get away from making false statements. Williams has now publicly declined to debate saying that it's not worth his time, and once again attacking these groups for trying to 'silence' him. It's difficult to see how a request for a public discussion and debate is an attempt to silence, but that's ASCAP's position and they're sticking to it."

Silence him?

[_0rm_]

SIILEEENCE!!! I keel you.

He's made up his mind!

[Local ID10T]

Stop trying to confuse him with the facts!

More likely explanation

[bill_mcgonigle]

I suspect Lessig wanted the video of the debate available for all to see for free, and Williams wouldn't participate unless each viewer had to pay 3 cents to see it.

Re:debate = attempt to silence

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought I had that book on my Kindle, but I was told that nobody ever had that book on their Kindle.

For the last 20 years...

[Anonymous Coward]

Every time I see ASCAP I think "Ass cap" and chuckle inside.

They are who they purport to be.

Hee hee. Ass cap.

Re:quote

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

Sir, I'm a lawyer representing the estate of Mohandas Karamchand "Mahatma" Gandhi. You owe us $75,000 for the right to use that quote in public or we will sue.

Re:More likely explanation

[grcumb]

I suspect Lessig wanted the video of the debate available for all to see for free, and Williams wouldn't participate unless each viewer had to pay 3 cents to see it.

Hell, I'd pay good money just to hear Larry say, "Welcome to my worthy opponent from... ASSsss. Cap."

Re:quote

[sconeu]

I assume you mean Gandhi, not Mead.

Or were you talking about mating habits in Samoa?

Re:Debates are almost worthless

[onionman]

What is this ASSCAP organization of which you speak?

Oblig movie quote

[Anonymous Coward]

What's this bullshit? I don't fuckin' care! It don't matter to [Larry]! But you're not foolin' me, man. You might fool the fucks in the league office, but you don't fool the [Larry]. This bush league psyche-out stuff. Laughable, man - ha ha! I would have fucked you in the ass Saturday. I fuck you in the ass next Wednesday instead. Wooo! You got a date Wednesday, baby!

Re:Debates are almost worthless

[TapeCutter]

"They're still asshats"

ASsCAPs /pedant

Re:More likely explanation

[sstamps]

ASCAP.. synonymous with buttplug, and about as nice smelling as a used one.

Re:Debates are almost worthless

[Anonymous Coward]

Just the most obvious: the truth is you can copy and share music and films as much as you want as long as there is no direct positive economical gain, and not, minored expenditures or alleged financial damage doesn't count; it's called the private copy right. That's the truth... in Spain. In USA a piece of legislation has changed that truth (and, of course, the SGAE -Spanish RIAA-like, is trying to change it in Spain too).

Ah, American culture... the one thing we in the USA still export.