Jail Time for Movie Swappers

ArmenTanzarian writes "The MPAA is at it again, reports CNET in a story from yesterday. Apparently, suing the pants off of teenagers RIAA-style isn't good enough, they want to go ahead and throw you in jail. To that end, their senators will introduce the Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention Act today; which carries with it a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Here's the best part: you don't have to infringe on copyright to be found guilty!"

Comments

at least

[xbrownx]

It's nice to see Democrats and Republicans working together

Re:at least

[ToddWDraper]

"The GOP is the evil party, the Democrats are the stupid party, and bipartisanship is when they join forces to do something both evil and stupid."

- Stephen Johnson

Re:at least

[bugsmalli]

I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected. -anon

Never Fear

[platipusrc]

Looking at the acronym for the bill, it's the ART Prevention Act. If it passes, we won't have to worry about having any quality movies to share!

Re:Never Fear

[cK-Gunslinger]

I don't get this part:

"Piracy for too long has been high-reward and low-risk," Taylor said. "Legislation such as that being introduced tomorrow will go a long way toward changing that equation."

What exactly is this "high-reward" we get for sharing movies? Am I missing out on all the fame and fortune by not having broadband and sharing screeners? Or do they actually believe that being able to watch a screener 1 week before the movie is in theaters counts as some sort of "reward?" Are they that arrogant to think that there is such great value is being able to watch their latest multi-million dollar dreg on a 17" monitor a few days early?

Such is the glamourous life these pirates live! I bet they cruise the strip in their caddies, picking up babes left and right by waving their Matrix Revolutions screener out the window and flashing their platinum teeth. Bling, bling!

Re:ha ha!

[Anonymous Coward]

Out of 100,000 sperm you were the fastest?

Re:They won't throw most teenagers in jail

[jabber01]

Guantanamo-Disney?

Political Action!

[Accord MT]

So what are we going to do about this? Now is the time to contact your representative, NOT the day before the bill is passed! Send a typed SNAIL MAIL letter to your representative's office calmly detailing your take on the issue, making a clear and concise argument, avoiding unnecessary detail and personal attacks.

Here is a sample letter which I base my other letters on, for reference:

Dear Senator Xxxxx:

I am writing to you regarding senate bill [XXX] currently under consideration. This bill is not in the best interests of your constituents for the reasons I am about to point out. I ask that you vote NO on this bill.

There are many reasons senate bill [XXX] should not be passed, but here is just one: You are an ugly, fat jackass. The smelly, balding, pale carcass you haul around under your neck makes people cringe in disgust every time you walk near them. The vomitous body odor blasting from your underarms is matched in wretchedness only by your sewer-like breath. One can only imagine the amount of sweat, food crumbs and small animals you have hidden in the rolls of fat you attempt, with little success, to cram into your shirt and pants every morning. You are the sap of your family tree. Your mother's green, crooked teeth make your father's genital warts look pleasant. If I ever meet you I will kick your ass. I feel that by simply writing this letter to you I have irreversibly corrupted my precious bodily fluids. The world can only hope you one day mistake a shotgun for your boyfriend's penis and the trigger for his balls. I believe that this is the biggest problem that makes senate bill [XXX] bad for the citizens of this good state.

I know you are a busy man, with many pressing issues that require your attention, but I hope you take the time to consider the points I have outlined above.

Thank you.

Hmm

[Space cowboy]

Given how poor the **AA have been at identifying files, yet now they want to make it a jailable offence for simply having the files in a public FTP site (what if it's password-protected, so only you can get it ?) I wonder if we should start doing

dd if = /dev/random of=/path/to/ftp/TrueLies.mpg bs=4500M

At least their bandwidth costs will go up :-)

No, I don't condone theft, but I think the draconian laws are worse than the offence they try to prevent....

Simon

Re:Hmm

[Boing]

dd if = /dev/random of=/path/to/ftp/TrueLies.mpg bs=4500M

You'd better make sure you don't output /dev/random to BeingJohnMalkovich.mpg... you're pretty likely to come up with the actual movie.

Re:Hmm

[Dr. Photo]

Careful, there is a small but finite chance that you'll generate the actual movie!

Of course you're guilty!

[GodHead]

Obviously the only reason you have a TV and a DVD player is to watch pirated DVDs. The only reason you have a computer is to download pirated music and movies. The internet is only for porn and bomb making instructions you damn dirty pirates.

Be glad that it's not "supporting terrorism" to have a downloaded movie.

Aww come on!

[Ianoo]

This is a step in the right direction for sure! Hopefully in 5 years they'll be handing down the death penalty for premedidated file sharing and file sharing with children, far far worse crimes than file sharing with consentual adults!

Looks like Kazaa is still ok then...

[3Suns]

...it does not say any actual copyright infringement must take place--only that the file be available in a shared folder, Web site or FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site.

Only shared folders (SMB?), Websites (HTTP), and FTP are covered? Looks like Kazaa is out of this bills reach. They can't even draft stupid laws correctly.

Re:Check this out MPAA

[antibryce]

His DivX collection is slashdotted...Anyone have a mirror?

:)

Punishments that fit the crimes

[Dirtside]

It's good to know that I'd spend more time in jail for pirating a movie than I would for beating Jack Valenti with a lead pipe. I think I'll head over to the MPAA's offices right now!

Re:Spin

[Wesley Everest]

It's perfectly appropriate. It is an "Act" aimed at "Preventing" things. What are the things that it is trying to prevent? Two things -- "Artist's Rights" and "Theft".

Re:Feinstein was paid off...they always are...

[Thuktun]

Feinstein has taken payoffs to the tune of $264,566 from the Tv/Movies/Music lobby.

Clearly I'm in the wrong line of work.