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Software Firms Lobby for Stronger Copyright Laws
Spy Handler writes "According to an article on CNN, the Business Software Alliance went before the Congress yesterday and lobbied for stronger copyright protection. Their key point: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be required to reveal the names of customers who may be distributing illegal wares on peer-to-peer networks. I guess they feel that the DMCA is too lax for them to be allowed to carry out RIAA-style raids on college students."
The US needs a Canadian style privacy commissioner who acts on the behalf of the people rather than a government that acts on behalf of big business.
The stance of ISPs is that they need the extra step (suing for the logs, etc) in order to protect the privacy of customers. They contend that if the RIAA, MPAA, or whoever can just call up and get records, that it'll become frivilous. Obviously, that's going to incrue cost for the ISPs as well as make basically everyone's net habits available on a whim.
I'm glad at least some companies still have some sense.
You seem to forget that we each need to have a $50000 cheque included with our protests; clearly we don't each have that, but the BSA/**AA do. That's also how things work.
AC comments get piped to
So. I guess the subversion of the Original Copyright Intentions, by biased legislators and coporate America, are fair as well? Or how about having a digital flag attached to your hardware, and then to your legally recorded media content is flagged because a corporate entity wants it that way. These things brought about by corporate lobbyist. Rights are for Sale, whether you like it or not, or admit it.
Benjamin Franklin "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety...
Also "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
"Sell not...liberty to purchase power.
Here is one of his key qoutes.
"History affords us many instances of the ruin of states...the ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy...An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy...
My cat's picked up a Hammer. HEY! Put down that Hammer. Put Down that Hamm...THUNK!
I disagree. I don't think it's reasonable for the BSA to lobby for certain laws. In fact, I don't think that groups like the BSA and the RIAA shoud ever exist.
They are monopolistic by nature. Capitalism is predicated on competition. If every major company in a given industry gets together and forms an organization like the BSA and then the that organization lobbies for all those companies it effectively creates a trade cartel.
This is another example of how we no longer have anything resembling an open capitalist economy. It's decayed into an oligarchic form of crony capatalism. All the chummy companies get together and form the chummy trade group which then lobbies the appropriately chummy committee of congress where someday the chummy congress scumbags hope to get rich in the chummy industry that they supposedly regulate.
Under this system if you aren't one of the chummy in-crowd (meaning all of us) you are screwed.