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MPAA Requests Immunity to Commit Cyber-Crimes

Posted by michael on from the how-low-can-this-nation-sink dept.

The news has been buzzing around for the last couple of days that Representative Berman, whose palm has been crossed with silver by the entertainment industry, would introduce a bill permitting copyright holders to hack or DoS people allegedly distributing their works without permission. Well, the bill has been introduced - read it and weep. Although the bill wouldn't allow copyright owners to alter or delete files on your machine, they would be allowed to DoS you in essentially any other way. Let me restate that: the MPAA and RIAA are asking that they be allowed to perform what would otherwise be federal and state criminal acts and civil torts, and you will have essentially no remedy against them under any laws of the United States.

6 of 1,049 comments (clear)

  1. Unconstitutional on it's face by sconeu · · Score: 5, Informative

    If it applies only to big business (RIAA, MPAA, BSA), and not to joe sixpack, it's unconstitutional under the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

    Oh, and this post is Copyright (c) 2002, by me, "sconeu". I reserve the right to search any and all computers for unauthorized reproductions of this post.

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    1. Re:Unconstitutional on it's face by Washizu · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is time for everyone to start faxing their Congressmen. E-mail is too easy to ignore, and snailmail takes too long if it even gets there.

      Contact your Congressman, although many don't have fax numbers on their website. You can always call.

      --
      OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
  2. In other news by BagOBones · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Canadian Private Copying Collective wants more of your money.

    On top of raising existing levys, they want to tax any media that can store copyrighted material. This includes Hard drives and Flash media. While the MPAA is crashing your computer in the US the CPCC is robing you blind every time you buy recordable media.. And how much are the artists getting??? According to reports, after 2 years of the levy being collected NOTHING has been paied to ANY artist.. Theroy has it they are spending all the money lobying for higher levys.

    http://www.sycorp.com/levy/index.htm

    --
    EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
  3. Re:It doesn't give blanket protection by bwt · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Notwithstanding" means that the other statutes are preempted and literally will not withstand conflict with the present statute.

  4. Notwithstanding by handorf · · Score: 5, Informative

    Notwithstanding
    notwithstanding Pronunciation Key (ntwth-stndng, -wth-)
    prep.
    In spite of: The teams played on, notwithstanding the rain.

    adv.
    All the same; nevertheless: We proceeded, notwithstanding.

    conj.
    In spite of the fact that; although.

    IN SPITE OF any other federal or state laws, they can do what they like.

    Oh, and they can delete any file they want if it is "necessary" to prevent you from trading their copyrighted files.

    Yes, it REALLY is that bad.

    --
    -- IANAEG - I am not an elder god.
  5. The next phase is already here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    GNUnet - Completely encrypted and completely anonymous file sharing. It's designed to be resistant to attack, let's see them go after that once it's up to a few million nodes. ;)