IRFA is a bill seemingly written by Pandora to stick it to copyright holders and pad their bottom line.

Other Internet radio firms are doing fine. Spotify’s growing. Apple is reportedly in negotiations with copyright holders to create their own service. Pandora is probably feeling the competitive pinch since Spotify came over from Europe, and instead of competing and innovating, wants the government to pull a Net Neutrality and shift some rents their way.

Why do we want to impose price controls? Look, if you came to me and said here’s a bill to deregulate the whole thing, I’d be all for that. But IRFA doesn’t deregulate. It tightens regulations. It picks winners and losers.

This is the same old stuff we’ve been seeing from Washington since January 20, 2009. Washington has been tilting the playing field for all those hipster-filled online firms that love Obama, and worked to re-elect Obama, and now they’re trying to wrap a free market flag around it and get us to sign on.

Didn’t we settle the price controls debate decades ago? Reject IRFA, Republicans. Thanks.

As a supporter of the Internet sales tax compact, it pains me when other supporters just can’t get their acts together. But even as PR is being done badly, and Mike Enzi is picking winners and losers, at least Lamar freaking Alexander is making the good point. I remember backing him for President as a teenager in 1996, in hindsight because I had low information about him versus the front runners. But these days, I’m kind of disappointed that it’s taking one of the squishier Senators to make the proper case for MFA.

Ah, so this is why John McCain suddenly wanted to impose new federal laws on local cable lineups. The courts are looking to slap down the Obama FCC again, and McCain wants to rush and give his buddy Barry some cover.

Heh, the feds are stepping up enforcement against ‘virtual currency’ money laundering. Only a matter of time before Silk Road and markets like it are crippled, kiddies.

80% of takedown notices against Megaupload were legitimate, but it’s a vast conspiracy to get him, don’t forget. Kim Dotcom will say anything. That’s what con artists do.

Looks like John Cornyn has some good ideas on reform to stop patent trolls. Transparency and concrete requirements sound good to me.

Next up, Trademark troll reform?

I’m glad somebody in DC noticed that Japanese telecom Softbank is not a pressing cybersecurity issue. Let’s browse over some of the security issues that are going on though, weighty and trivial:

• The Chinese are getting at our weapons systems designs, including apparently the most expensive one ever. Pass CISPA, as we’re not ready to attack openly yet.
• Lulzsec guys continue to get rolled up but the threat of foreign and domestic anarchist gangs like Anonymous continues. Pass CISPA, as they fear it.
• It’s sad that Paypal is reneging on a promise to white hat security researchers. Cheapskates. Paypal clearly does not take security seriously. I’d question doing large amounts of business through them.
• If you’re shocked that photos sent online can be saved and resent to others, stop sending photos online. Seriously.
• It’s utterly absurd that anyone would suggest that copyright holders use criminal tactics. What happens when this software is used to sabotage somebody? What then?