US official backs his fight against piracy

US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich (digitally altered image). Source: news.com.au

• US ambassador to Aussies: Stop pirating series
• Fires back at fierce online criticism of his plea
• Australians among the worst pirates of series

THE US ambassador to Australia, who lambasted Australians for pirating popular fantasy TV series Game of Thrones, has explained why he does not have "anything better to do" than to fight this issue.

Last week ambassador Jeffrey Bleich – a fan of the show – was the target of a fierce online backlash after he pleaded with Australians to stop illegally downloading the show. 

"Unfortunately, nearly as epic and devious as the drama, is its unprecedented theft by online viewers around the world," Mr Bleich wrote in a Facebook post.

"As the ambassador here in Australia, it was especially troubling to find out that Australian fans were some of the worst offenders with among the highest piracy rates in the developed world."

Now the diplomat, President Barack Obama's top official in Australia, has taken to social media to address criticism of his plea head on after he was asked on Facebook "Don't ambassadors have anything better to do?".

"Several people wondered why a US ambassador would bother to complain about the pirating of Game of Thrones when there are so many bigger issues," he said.

"Actually, given the overwhelming response to the topic, maybe I haven't talked about internet piracy enough."

Mr Bleich reiterated that the cost of the series ($33.99 for a Season 3 pass on iTunes), and the wait time for Australian fans to download the show, are not excuses for theft.

"As I said in my original post, that isn't an excuse, any more than saying ‘I'd have bought the book if it weren't quicker and cheaper to steal it from the person next door'.

The highly anticipated third season of Game Of Thrones is coming. The new season returns on March 31st. Watch the extended trailer.

"But I do agree that the model clearly isn't working because many decent people, who otherwise would never consider taking property without paying for it, feel entitled to take digital entertainment."

Mr Bleich argued that the issue isn't just about Game of Thrones, but piracy, pointing to figures supplied by The Washington Post that said piracy causes the pay TV industry estimated losses of $1 billion in Asia alone.

Australian and US content producers depend upon being paid for their work, he said, and just because Game of Thrones has made so much money doesn't mean you don't have to pay for it.

The ambassador was scathing of criticism of his remarks quoting an HBO executive who said the widespread theft of the popular fantasy series was a kind of compliment. 

"Seriously. Illegal immigration is sort of a compliment too (it means people would rather live in your country than theirs) and so is having someone hit on your partner (because it means they find him/her attractive.

"The fact that something is a perverse form of compliment doesn't mean that it is acceptable or desirable."

Mr Bleich's original plea provoked a feisty backlash, with the ambassador's Facebook page flooded with defiant, and sometimes abusive, criticism.

"Shouldn't you be, oh, I don't know, doing your job liasing with governments on international trade and immigration policies rather than lecturing the Australian public about television ethics?" asked Facebook commenter Mark Calderwood.

The US ambassador delivered his plea on Facebook (rather than raven). Picture: Game of Thrones

Several commenters argued that Australians were just getting their own back after being continuously ripped off by American technology companies like Apple, Microsoft and Adobe, who often charge Australians higher prices than Americans.

Pointing to the cost of Windows products as an example, Bricknell said: "I find the best deterrent to piracy is to offer the product at a reasonable price, not be ripped off like we are here in Australia."

"Should companies offer a product at a reasonable price, then people will buy the product and not pirate it."

Punter William Merrin added: "Maybe if HBO didn't make people wait a year before they could buy the DVD boxset… some of that piracy wouldn't happen."

Gareth Parker said Mr Bleich was wrong in blaming the download wait time for Australia's rampant Game of Thrones piracy.

"It's no longer about the wait. It's about a multitude of things. Did you know there's no decent antenna in my new apartment? Just a plug for cable.

"And what do I get if I subscribe to cable for some stupid amount? A huge amount of crap I don't care about, and a limited amount of stuff I do.

"I would happily pay a decent sum, to the best of my financial ability, for good content at my convenience," Mr Parker said. "But not for the crap I have to put up with as it is."

The latest season of 'Game of Thrones' is available on iTunes for $33.99.

Continue the conversation on Twitter: @drpiotrowski@newscomauHQ

US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich. Picture: Ray Strange

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Crean will fight any tax on super

Simon Crean has reportedly vowed to oppose any move by the govt to tax earnings on superannuation accounts.

Simon Crean is against changes to superannuation. File  picture: John Feder Source: News Limited

DUMPED cabinet minister Simon Crean says there is widespread discontent in the Labor caucus over a potential plan to raid superannuation contributions and earnings in the May budget.

Mr Crean, who was integral in bringing on last month’s leadership showdown between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, said this morning he would oppose any moves by his own party to tax superannuation retrospectively.

“I don’t have a problem if we are going to improve adequacy going forward,” Mr Crean told ABC News 24.

“But we have got to draw the line if there is any attempt to tax retrospectively what people have accumulated because that is tantamount to taxing people surpluses – your surpluses – to fund our surplus.

"That’s not on.”

Asked if a lot of people within the Labor caucus shared his concern over potential changes to superannuation by Wayne Swan in the May 14 budget, Mr Crean responded: “They do”.

“I am not too sure at this stage what it is that is being proposed by those in the cabinet that are speaking about this, what I urge them to do is frame this debate sensibly,” he said.

Speculation has mounted that Labor plans to raid the superannuation contributions and earnings of wealthy Australians in order to help pay for some of its key policies like the Gonski education reforms and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Two weeks ago Mr Crean sat in cabinet as Regional Australia minister. He was sacked by Ms Gillard after publicly calling for a leadership spill between her and Mr Rudd.

Last night Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he couldn’t guarantee an incoming Coalition government would repeal any changes to superannuation.

He said his party would oppose such changes but if passed they may not be able to be repealed immediately.

“What we can’t do is solve all the problems that this bad government has created overnight,” Mr Abbott told Sky News.

“There are many things that this government has done that we don’t like but it will take time to repair the damage that this government has done.”

Asked by News Limited this morning if he would consider crossing the floor if the superannuation changes came to a vote in parliament, Mr Crean said he was not getting ahead of himself.

“I have never threatened to cross the floor on any issue and I am not going to start now,” he said.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s frame the argument on the debate.”

Mr Crean wouldn’t say if he had received any feedback from Julia Gillard or Wayne Swan over his comments on superannuation.

“I’ve said what I have so say, so let’s just leave it at that,” he said.

The government has been accused of engaging in class warfare over retirement savings, with the opposition warning Labor is planning a "sneak attack" on super funds in the May budget, The Australian reports.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson on Sunday said his party had no plans to lift taxes on the superannuation of ordinary Australians but that super savings of the "fabulously wealthy" should be debated.

"People who are fabulously wealthy gaining effectively an advantage by putting their money into superannuation and being taxed at 15 per cent, where the everyday Australian may be facing a tax of 30 per cent, I think does enliven a debate," he told Sky News on Sunday.

"We are not seeking to impose new taxes on the superannuation accounts of ordinary Australians.

"But there is a legitimate debate about the very top end."

View the original article here

Crean will fight any tax on super

Simon Crean has reportedly vowed to oppose any move by the govt to tax earnings on superannuation accounts.

Simon Crean is against changes to superannuation. File  picture: John Feder Source: News Limited

DUMPED cabinet minister Simon Crean says there is widespread discontent in the Labor caucus over a potential plan to raid superannuation contributions and earnings in the May budget.

Mr Crean, who was integral in bringing on last month’s leadership showdown between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, said this morning he would oppose any moves by his own party to tax superannuation retrospectively.

“I don’t have a problem if we are going to improve adequacy going forward,” Mr Crean told ABC News 24.

“But we have got to draw the line if there is any attempt to tax retrospectively what people have accumulated because that is tantamount to taxing people surpluses – your surpluses – to fund our surplus.

"That’s not on.”

Asked if a lot of people within the Labor caucus shared his concern over potential changes to superannuation by Wayne Swan in the May 14 budget, Mr Crean responded: “They do”.

“I am not too sure at this stage what it is that is being proposed by those in the cabinet that are speaking about this, what I urge them to do is frame this debate sensibly,” he said.

Speculation has mounted that Labor plans to raid the superannuation contributions and earnings of wealthy Australians in order to help pay for some of its key policies like the Gonski education reforms and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Two weeks ago Mr Crean sat in cabinet as Regional Australia minister. He was sacked by Ms Gillard after publicly calling for a leadership spill between her and Mr Rudd.

Last night Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he couldn’t guarantee an incoming Coalition government would repeal any changes to superannuation.

He said his party would oppose such changes but if passed they may not be able to be repealed immediately.

“What we can’t do is solve all the problems that this bad government has created overnight,” Mr Abbott told Sky News.

“There are many things that this government has done that we don’t like but it will take time to repair the damage that this government has done.”

Asked by News Limited this morning if he would consider crossing the floor if the superannuation changes came to a vote in parliament, Mr Crean said he was not getting ahead of himself.

“I have never threatened to cross the floor on any issue and I am not going to start now,” he said.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s frame the argument on the debate.”

Mr Crean wouldn’t say if he had received any feedback from Julia Gillard or Wayne Swan over his comments on superannuation.

“I’ve said what I have so say, so let’s just leave it at that,” he said.

The government has been accused of engaging in class warfare over retirement savings, with the opposition warning Labor is planning a "sneak attack" on super funds in the May budget, The Australian reports.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson on Sunday said his party had no plans to lift taxes on the superannuation of ordinary Australians but that super savings of the "fabulously wealthy" should be debated.

"People who are fabulously wealthy gaining effectively an advantage by putting their money into superannuation and being taxed at 15 per cent, where the everyday Australian may be facing a tax of 30 per cent, I think does enliven a debate," he told Sky News on Sunday.

"We are not seeking to impose new taxes on the superannuation accounts of ordinary Australians.

"But there is a legitimate debate about the very top end."

View the original article here