desdinova
Aug 1, 2002, 11:32 PM
The RIAA has lobbied for two bills that would give them unprecedented power. The first bill would give them unbridled power to infiltrate and disrupt peer to peer networks:
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-945923.html
This bill allows the RIAA to search P2P networks and under their discretion launch electronic warfare against them. All without any oversight by any government authority. No other group public or private, has this type of power. This is the electronic equivalent to entering your home without a warrant in search of a bootleg copy ABBA Live at the Palladium on a hunch that you have it. Oh by the way if they’re wrong, you have no recourse unless they do over $250 damage and even then you would have to get permission from the attorney general to sue them. They don’t have to get permission to search you but you have to get permission to sue them. OUTRAGEOUS!
The second bill:
http://news.com.com/2010-1071-946732.html
Basically makes it a felony to bypass any copyright protection schemes. I guess technically I am now a felon... I design high end audio equipment for a living and I am now in the middle of designing a terabyte server to distribute audio throughout the customers house. This necessitate making exact digital copies of CDs and other media. Under this law that would be illegal.
These laws are dangerous and we as technically savvy users need to spread the word to everyone we know. We also need to let our feelings known to the lawmakers, write Congress. Let me state I am in no way an advocate of piracy but an electronic police state scares me and it should you too. If we do nothing I guarantee things will get worse.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-945923.html
This bill allows the RIAA to search P2P networks and under their discretion launch electronic warfare against them. All without any oversight by any government authority. No other group public or private, has this type of power. This is the electronic equivalent to entering your home without a warrant in search of a bootleg copy ABBA Live at the Palladium on a hunch that you have it. Oh by the way if they’re wrong, you have no recourse unless they do over $250 damage and even then you would have to get permission from the attorney general to sue them. They don’t have to get permission to search you but you have to get permission to sue them. OUTRAGEOUS!
The second bill:
http://news.com.com/2010-1071-946732.html
Basically makes it a felony to bypass any copyright protection schemes. I guess technically I am now a felon... I design high end audio equipment for a living and I am now in the middle of designing a terabyte server to distribute audio throughout the customers house. This necessitate making exact digital copies of CDs and other media. Under this law that would be illegal.
These laws are dangerous and we as technically savvy users need to spread the word to everyone we know. We also need to let our feelings known to the lawmakers, write Congress. Let me state I am in no way an advocate of piracy but an electronic police state scares me and it should you too. If we do nothing I guarantee things will get worse.
