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Berman Bill Dead in the Water?

Posted by timothy on from the hope-it's-deep-water dept.

Masem writes "Last summer, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced a bill that would legitimize computer attacks by copyright owners on those users that they believed were illegally trading copyright material; the bill recieved a fair amount of criticism for the potental viligante tactics it suggested. That session of Congress ended without resolution of the bill, though Rep. Berman promised to reintroduce it this session. However, the LA Times reports that support for the bill is nowhere as strong as before, and many believe that laws already exist that allow copyright owners to punish illegal traders; as a result, Berman appears to be unwilling to support the bill further. For example, while the MPAA supported the bill, some of the liabilities introduced into it to punish those copyright holders that went too far in their attacks were too much for the Hollywood group." Unfortunately, the LA Times site requires registration.

9 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Good by LordYUK · · Score: -1, Troll

    Good Riddance to Bad Legislation... I think any, I didnt read the post! =)

    btw, frost pist?

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  2. first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    f|r57 p057

  3. Police? by creative_name · · Score: -1, Troll

    At the risk of getting flamed, isn't this similar to what goes on in non-IP related cases similar to thins one.

    I mean, don't the police, in theory, launch attacks on those who are breaking laws? Could this be considered akin to a drug raid etc?

    Just a thought.

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  4. Hey Berman by zcat_NZ · · Score: -1, Troll

    Check out my Analog Hole

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    455fe10422ca29c4933f95052b792ab2
  5. copyright enforcement is important by Jeff+Probst · · Score: 0, Troll

    to anyone who has ever written a piece of code that is not trivial. There is no way that the courts system could cope with the millions of theives who use P2P daily. While two wrongs do not make a right, perhaps corporations that have millions of offences committed against them daily should be able to take revenge.

  6. Reg. required by Muttonhead · · Score: 1, Troll
    Hey Slashdot,

    If it requires registration, why post the url? Choose another one.

  7. !w00t by SHEENmaster · · Score: 0, Troll

    In other news, crackers join such people as Eminem and Bittany Spears living in the streets because of record company losses.

    Did they really believe that this bill would prevent piracy or did the BOFH think this idea up? Remember the plan to take over microsoft.com and sex.com?

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  8. NYT conspiracy. by SHEENmaster · · Score: 0, Troll

    They are paying CowboyNeal off. I'd post the whole article, but I don't want to register.

    Someone else can RTFM.

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    You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
  9. Perhaps now, by Limburgher · · Score: 1, Troll

    fewr of Our Base will Belong To THEM!! :)

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    You are not the customer.