Patriot Act Used to Enforce Copyright Law?

iter8 writes " The Stargate SG-1 Information Archive is reporting that the Feds filed charges against Adam McGaughey, creator of SG1Archive.com. The website is a fan site for the television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that Adam used the website to engage in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. Two interesting things about the charges are that they were apparently set in motion by a complaint by our friends at the MPAA and the FBI invoked a provision of the USA Patriot Act to obtain financial records from his ISP. Is copyright infringment now a terrorist act?"

Comments

oh dear

[pbjones]

would the last free minded person leaving the USA please turn the lights on...

Homer

[bool morpheus()]

In the words of Homer Simpson, this is bull plop! But seriously, it's a fan site. If someone made me a fansite, I wouldn't sue them. Hell, I'd be grateful! Anyone want to make me one?

Is copyright infringment now a terrorist act?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is copyright infringment now a terrorist act?

It would appear so.

EULA:

By reading my IP you hereby take the legal status of enemy combatant and give up all your rights under the Geneva convention.

You will move to a special facility in Cuba (Rura Penthe;) prehaps ) where you will stay for the rest of your natural life.

Re:One-Sided Press Release; FUD-ridden writeup

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude. It wasn't a one-side press release.
It was just his symbiot speaking for him.
Sheeeze.

Re:It's still illegal?

[Oddly_Drac]

"Just because you don't agree with the law doesn't mean you should break it. CHANGE it."

Hi America, this is England. We just noticed that your war of independance was illegal and we'd like our colony back.

Hugs'n'Kisses,
England.

PS. You can keep Utah and Oregan

Re:One-Sided Press Release; FUD-ridden writeup

[Fred_A]

Garden slugs do fill a useful ecological niche. Stop being nasty to them.

Re:Article Text

[SilkBD]

Adam was first tipped off about the investigation when the FBI raided his and his fiancee's apartment

Jesus, that's some tip off!

FBI defense: Stargate program is real

[FerretFrottage]

Maybe the FBI thought the SG program was for real and that the gate posed a serious risk to national security. If so, the problem should have been turned over to the TSA.

Re:Um, wow

[Lord_Dweomer]

"leaves out is that he was hosting full length versions of every SG-1 episode for download "

Yeah, so lots of people have pointed this out and um....I hope its not to tasteless to ask.......but um....could someone link to the files already?

Re:FUD ALERT

[Audacious]

Slashdotters constantly whine about how out of touch with technology gov't is. That is until it comes to law enforcement. Then they want the cops to be restricted to using laws designed for 1960 on criminals using technology from 2004.

I do not think this is quite true. The Patriot Act does not say to throw out all of your 1960's equipment and to buy new equipment created in the 21st century. Nor does it say to stop using the laws which were written in the 1960s. It simply broadens those laws as well as loosens the restrictions on when and how the laws can be applied.

Such as wire taps. It used to be that all wire taps (because of Watergate) had to be requested - now they do not. The reason being that in Watergate (1970s if I remember correctly) wiretaps were used by the republicans against the democrats illegally and I believe it was the FBI who did it under direction of the White House staff and/or president.

Now, not thirty years later, wiretaps can again be done without restraint so long as it can be construed to be in defense of the nation. (Which is strange because the republicans are again in office and it means we can have another Watergate and say it is justified because of a terrorist threat.) Also, suspected terrorists can be taken in and held without recourse for an indeterminate amount of time. (As has already happened.)

So basically, we want the cops to be restricted so that they play by the same rules we would have to play by if we were playing at being cops. That being - that there should be equitable checks and balances between the need to investigate possible problems as well as to retain our liberties. "And how," you ask, "do we do that?" Simple - we need a check and balance system which allows someone (say a judge) to decide if a certain action should or should not be taken. Which is (more or less) what we had before the Patriot Act came along.

To be fair though, we could use some changes. The FBI, CIA, NSI, CG, DPS, PDs, FDs, armed forces, and all other emergency agencies should all operate under one system. The reason they didn't was to make it harder to create a Police State. The reason they should is so known offenders can not disappear as easily as they can. So some changes - yes. Police State - no. Yanking people into who-knows-where who say things outside of what someone else considers to be the norm - no. Arresting people who steal - yes. Not using standard practices to do so - no. (ie: Sending Certified, Return Receipt letters to people when dealing with cease and desist matters [instead of E-MAIL!] or a courier if the person refuses to sign for the letter.) And the most controversial part - involving the FBI - yes - IF, as in this case, the person or persons were trafficing across state boundaries. When that happens - it becomes a federal offense and a matter for the FBI. With or without the Patriot Act.