RIAA Wants Right To Hack

An Anonymous Coward writes: "According to Wired, the recording industry wants the right to hack into your computer and delete your stolen MP3s." From the article: "It's no joke. Lobbyists for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tried to glue this hacking-authorization amendment onto a mammoth anti-terrorism bill that Congress approved last week. A copy of an RIAA-drafted amendment obtained by Wired News would immunize all copyright holders -- including the movie and e-book industry -- for any data losses caused by their hacking efforts or other computer intrusions 'that are reasonably intended to impede or prevent' electronic piracy." Does this give you the right to crack RIAA systems to make sure no one there is selling copies of your term paper?

Comments

evil

[Tom]

taking a global tragedy and abusing it as a means to further unrelated and greedy personal agendas.

and I thought the music mafia had already reached MAXEVIL. today, just thinking of them makes me feel as if someone puked all over me. I don't think I'll buy music from a RIAA member again. ever.

Not Unreasonable

[Bud Dwyer]

Imagine someone broke into your house and stole your stereo. Later, through your neighbor's window, you see your stereo. You try to reason with your neighbor (just as the RIAA has tried reason with music-thieving public), but to no avail. Would you not then be justified to break into your neighbors house and reclaim your property?

I think this "Right to Hack" law is long overdue. In addition to copyright holders, I believe victims of libel and slander should also be able to legally use hacking to remedy their situations. The internet will be a lot more civilized when people realize they can no longer get away with anything.

Re:Are we really surprised?

[dadragon]

If they delete Britney Spears and N'SYNC it will be the teenage girls they piss off. If, on the other hand it's Korn and Limp Bizket that they delete, it'll be the boys.

Re:how do they detemine?

[Theodore Logan]

holy crap! You guys must be really fucking bored!

Re:Farenheit 451 is here early.

[rhadamanthus]

Long ago I gave up trying to be "legal" with reagrds to mp3s and "copyright". Copyright was a good thing, until corporations got greedy and listened way TOO much to there lawyer-types. Now it is a joke. If a company wants to control all access to a service (music in this case) and them overcharge for it, disable it unless you use their system (hello copy-protected CDs) etc. I see no reason to not rip them off in return. Add in to this now that they want to help me be "legal" by deleting and editing my personal computer for me and i say to them:

a) go ahead and try (laff)

b) oh jeez, now my mp3 box is off the network...

c) ever heard of backups

d) go jump off a cliff

well anyhow, it is like Scott Adams said in regards to sales in the dlibert principle. "The optimal group to market to is the stupid rich. They will buy anything no matter what the price. Overcharge the smart rich and they will buy your company and fire your ass, overcharge the stupid poor and they cannot buy your product, overcharge the smart poor and they will find a way to steal it."

----------rhad the college student

oh yeah--RIAA, you can BLOW ME