MPAA, RIAA Seek Permanent Antitrust Exemption

Posted by timothy on Wednesday November 26, 2003 @02:01AM from the watch-people-blame-the-free-market dept.

Devistater writes "Webcasters sued RIAA two months ago in an antitrust case for anti-competitive behavior. The response? An exemption from antitrust laws. Today's Register tells about RIAA/MPAA's efforts to get just such an exemption written into law. They could become permanently exempt from such a suit, if the bill passes. They snuck it into a bill sponsored by Orrin Hatch called EnFORCE Act (Enhancing Federal Obscenity Reporting and Copyright Enforcement Act of 2003). Orrin Hatch says this bill contains "First... an antitrust exemption in the Copyright Act [for] record companies and music publishers" Why? Because of 'market realities.' Which ones? The 12-year-old girl? The 15-year-old girl? Or the 66-year-old Grandma with a Mac?"

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Re:Media Companies by AKnightCowboy · 2003-11-26 02:22 · Score: 1, Redundant

Are politicians so dependent on positive media spin that they dare not refuse such laws? So many questions.
Oh absolutely. William Hearst's often quoted telegram still applies: "You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war."
Give a politician a camera to look at and he'll promise you the world whether he can deliver it or not. Politicians are scumbags. The trouble with our system of government is the politicians are the media whores and the true statesmen don't pander to the press and bow to the media so they don't get reported on. Thus, they remain the silent heroes working the back channels to try and keep some semblence of liberty in this country. The rest of the government, run by media-whore politicians, Republican, Democrat, and Independent alike, can all go suck my balls.