Slashdot Mirror
House Bill to Make File-Sharing an Automatic Felony
JAgostoni writes "Wired news has an article about a new bill that would make it a felony to upload a file to a P2P network." EFF has a copy of the bill online. Conyers and Berman both get over a quarter of their campaign funding from Hollywood, according to opensecrets.org. You may remember Berman from this bill and this one.
This bill imposes penalties for unploading files containing copyrighted content where the uploader does not have the permission of the copyright holder. It's perfectly reasonable. The Slashdot article, on the other hand, is sensationalist nonsense.
What's this got to do with freedom and liberty? They're talking about theft of copyrighted material.
As for needing another law on the books, I agree with you. Why add another law to the books to further define who owns what they've created? The existing copyright laws already cover this kind of theft.
If you have a music (or other copyrighted work) file, and you didn't buy it, technically you stole it. If you've only done this a couple times, why should they bother? I'm normally a more "law and order" type person, but there comes a time when the RIAA et al have to cut their losses and HOPE that by being intelligent (read: lenient), they'll actually INCREASE sales because more of their music is being played! The more of their music that's played, the more likely people will actually want to go out and BUY it.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a point that the RIAA just can't get through its collective thick skull.
I think the RIAA should ask the artists how they individually want their music to be treated, and then ask for law enforcement help.
"Sometimes the truth is stupid." - Lawrence, creator of Prime Intellect
You're a retard.
Yes, I'm close (less than 2 years) to finishing my Ph.D., but I...HAVE...HAD IT!! If this bill passes, I promise that I'm quitting university and fleeing to Canada, New Zealand, or some other hospitable nation and never setting foot in the U.S. ever again! I'll finish my degree elsewhere, even if it means starting from scratch.
This is absolute loonacy. I know 1933 Germany when I see it, Godwin's Law be damned!
"Anonymous Coward" is for whistleblowers, not unpopular opinions.
You could start paying for music.
There are plenty of legal resources for sampling the latest music. Including many of the stores who sell it.
File sharing has become socially acceptible piracy and it's not surprising companies are attempting to curb it with drastic measures.
Drastic measures are obviously necessary. People aren't taking the hint. Software companies were the first to have to deal with this and now the music and movie industry.
Whinning that the punishment for the crime is too harsh and then threatening to commit a crime with a lesser punishment is just a sample of the stupidity prevelant in society these days.
Here's a crazy idea: don't break the law. If you don't like the fact it's against the law to pirate/steal things you don't own, move to the moon.
Ben
Work Safe Porn
I hate to break it to you, but the whole concept of property -- whether physical or intellectual -- is artificial, a binding agreement codified in law between the individuals of the world so as to allow us to get on with our lives.
Without such agreements, we revert to the state where possession is 9/10 of the law, and the other 1/10 is who can physically compel another to give up their possession most effectively.
Gee, you'd almost think that all these dumb ideas in law were put there for a reason, wouldn't ya?
God damn, these "it's an artificial government monopoly" threads are tedious.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.