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The MPAA's Lobbying-Fu is Stronger Than Yours

Posted by michael on from the but-you-knew-that-already dept.

georgelazenby writes "The Frisco Chronicle reports: While the music industry has been clumsily bullying its way through the federal government, the movie industry has taken a more subtle -- and more effective -- approach. The MPAA has been lobbying individual state legislatures to pass laws reaching far beyond the original DMCA. The proposed laws would permit cable TV companies to 'limit subscribers to using only certain brands of VCRs and could ban TiVo in favor of their own proprietary PVR technologies.' According to one expert, the bills are 'tremendously open-ended and create theoretical and potential criminal liabilities for just about anybody on the planet.'"

10 of 398 comments (clear)

  1. Re:You are missing the point. by youaredan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can you say tyranny? Look mommy! The great country of America allows us to enjoy that flower over there! Can I have $5 to pay the associated tax?

    --
    -Digital Extremist // digitale
  2. I talked about this... by mraymer · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...in my first and only journal entry. I'm sure it pretty much sums up everything most Slashdotters have to say about DMCA, MPAA, RIAA, and any other pretentious acronyms that I've forgotten. ;)

    http://slashdot.org/~mraymer/journal/

    --

    "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

  3. Re:Doesn't sound like an 'expert' to me.. by neurostar · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... or your country gets occupied?

    Ahem... you must have missed the memo...
    Countries are no longer 'occupied'. The correct (newspeak) term is 'liberated'.
    Thank you for your compliance^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hunderstanding
    ;)

    neurostar
  4. In other news.... by zakezuke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great! In other news, RIAA proposes a tax on candles stating that, "wax cylinders are are of the earliest recording technoligies, and we are in danger of loosing valuable dollars with this presently unrestricted technology". Also on record, "Candles can be used to create recordings with very low technology, and we can't allow this." This form of piracy has the record companies scared as they tend to burn well destroying all evidence.

    RIAA also plans to sue a little girl in Beaverton Oregon for recording, "Mary had a Little Lamb".

    --
    There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
  5. Re:You are missing the point. by youaredan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thats remeniscent of classifying a bug as an "undocumented feature"

    --
    -Digital Extremist // digitale
  6. *knock knock* by -Unholy-Infidel- · · Score: 2, Funny

    Next thing you know two people in suits will be knocking at your door demanding to know what you believe. "Hello. Do you use P2P? Here is the latest edition of Rolling Stone with a special article by Madonna on why you shouldn't share *.mp3's" And I thought that Jehovahs Witnesses were bad.

  7. Re:Doesn't sound like an 'expert' to me.. by novakreo · · Score: 3, Funny

    (which, unlike the Bush administration was elected)

    Dubya is currently enjoying his second term as U.S. President, after being re-elected in the 2002 presidential election. While the legality of the 2000 election is dubious, I haven't heard anyone seriously question the 2002 one.

    --
    O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
  8. ebay to replace congress. by glsunder · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why don't we just skip the formalities and put the laws up on ebay. Yay or Nay, highest bid wins.

    1. Re:ebay to replace congress. by user+no.+590291 · · Score: 2, Funny

      That idea has been considered.

  9. Re:Worst-case scenario by jafuser · · Score: 2, Funny

    You forgot to mention the winners: the laywers.

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