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Copyright Infringement In the News

Posted by michael on from the we-hate-our-customers dept.

Lots of newsbits about copyright infringement today - let's mash them all together with some egg whites and breadcrumbs and see what we get. marklyon writes "The DOJ announced that they are planning to prosecute filesharers under the The No Electronic Theft ("NET") Act. John Malcolm, a deputy assistant attorney general, made the pronouncement at the Progress and Freedom Foundation's annual technology and politics summit Tuesday. Cnet has extended coverage." Reader M_Talon writes "According to this article on ZDNET the RIAA is using one of the DMCA's more nasty clauses...the right to subpoena an ISP for a suspected pirate's personal information. They want to force Verizon to reveal the customer's information, and Verizon is refusing on the grounds that the pirated material isn't on their servers." Reader MattW writes "Apparently some theaters are consenting to run anti-piracy ads before movies. After all, these are not a bunch of fat cats we're talking about -- piracy now threatens the livelihood of the rank and file workers of Hollywood. After all, the movie studios are having a terrible year, right?" Finally, the Washington Post (probably one of the last articles we post from their site, as they go registration-required) discovers spoofed files on Gnutella, and public radio is reporting that the RIAA will drop their suit against listen4ever.com, since it's, uh, gone.

10 of 604 comments (clear)

  1. Under the NET Act... by wo1verin3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...if the value of the work exceeds $1,000. Violations are punishable by one year in prison, or if the value tops $2,500, "not more than five years" in prison.

    I guess this means that we can copy Crossroads (Britney Spears movie).. no way that was worth $1000

    1. Re:Under the NET Act... by KelsoLundeen · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, but the Crossroads with Ralph Macchio (Karate Kid) is pretty cool. It's definitely worth more than the Crossroads with Britney.

      BTW, this is off-topic, but ...

      Today is a sad day. My Oscar Goldman action figure with the exploding briefcase finally tumbled from my computer. Oscar hit his head. The head cracked.

      The briefcase still explodes, though.

      Steve Austin, who for 26 years always rode shotgun with Oscar Goldman, has now moved two inches to the right on my "bionic" shelf in order to fill the space that Oscar left. I've still got the Jamie Sommers action figure, the Bionic Transport and Repair Station, and the Maskatron figure. (Although Maskatron has lost his mask.)

      Anyway, if you don't know Oscar Goldamn and his exploding briefcase, you're too young.

      Now, for something on-topic:

      The obvious question -- if this NET act is the law that puts 14 and 15 year olds in the super-high security, DEFCON 1 lockups in Colorado and Illinois for swapping N'Sync and Britney -- is how, exactly, is the $1000 figure calculated?

      I'm sure a case could made that each song on each CD -- on the millions of CDs -- are actually worth in excess of one thousand dollars -- each! -- due to distribution costs, royalty payments, hotel bills for executives, Hilary Rosen's swank house in the Hamptons (the price for which has surely been amortized over the millions of Britney CDs littering the land), and MPAA Jack "Maddog ... GRrrrrrrr!" Valenti's ivory golf clubs and matching bath towels.

      (And no, I have no idea if Hillary has a house in the Hamptons or Maddog Jack has ivory golf clubs ...)

  2. Wrong Name by BigJimSlade · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The DOJ announced that they are planning to prosecute filesharers under the The No Electronic Theft ("NET") Act."


    This bill is actually entitled Make'em Stop, Period--No Electronic Theft (MS.NET).
  3. Hehe. My Plan by Myuu · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Apparently some theaters are consenting to run anti-piracy ads before movies."

    My city's big theater already has a poster on their ticket booths saying 'Pirates Not Allowed...blah blah blah...MPAA' with a picture of a pirate.

    Our plan is to go into the theater with a video camera and one of us dressed as a pirate and yell out "Arrr...thats discrimation".

    Hehe...just something to do to toy with those coporate bitches.

    --

    forget it.
    1. Re:Hehe. My Plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      This may be the single greatest idea ever in the history of slashdot. you, my friend, are a genius.

      you might also want to add a parrot on your shoulder that says "polly wanna crack CSS"

  4. An anti-piracy ad? by soulsteal · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hmmm, I hope someone puts it up on KaZaa or else I might never see it....

  5. In related news... by Necromancyr · · Score: 3, Funny

    In related news the RIAA has begun a lawsuit against anyone with the sensory organs known as 'ears' and the throat muscles and tissue responsible for sound creation (refered to herein in as the 'voice box').

    This combination allows millions to 'listen' to any music and then replay it back by 'singing' the song. This will allow thousands to hear songs without purchasing them. The ramifications on the CD industry by these criminals is completely real, and must be stopped, according to the RIAA.

    The lawsuit is believed to exclude deaf-mutes, though they are being examined for the ability to feel vibrations and possible replay them by tapping the rythm out on any surface available.

  6. Ten Commandments of the RIAA by AntiNorm · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Ten Commandments of the RIAA:

    1. Thou shalt have no entertainment before me.
    2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any device by which thou mighst render my copyright protection ineffective.
    3. Thou shalt not take the name of Britney Spears in vain, for I will not hold him guiltless who disrespects her.
    4. Honor Hilary Rosen and Jack Valenti, that thy days of entertaining thyself might be long and pleasurable.
    5. Thou shalt not download MP3s.
    6. Thou shalt pay inflated prices for thine CDs.
    7. Thou shalt pay unto me a tax for the blank media which thou acquirest, compensating me for heathen pirates.
    8. Thou shalst allow me to search thine computer at my fancy, to ensure that you are virgin from illicitude.
    9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's MP3 collection, lest ye be tempted to download MP3s from him.
    10. Thou shalt not seek out alternatives to me, for I am the one true RIAA.

    --

    I pledge allegiance to the flag...
    of the Corporate States of America...
  7. Re:The RIAA will never get it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    They are trying to use the approach of using a gun to kill a fly (or maybe a piano?)

    Why would they want to kill a piano?

  8. Two crimes in one by DavesError · · Score: 2, Funny

    From the title of the ZDNet article. "RIAA asks court to expose pirate"

    So what, theft AND indecent exposure?