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Stiffer Penalties for Copyright Violations

smallfries writes "US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has proposed much harsher punishments for copyright violations, including jail time. The Intellectual Property Protection Act [PDF Warning] doesn't appear to change the fundamentals of US copyright law but does allow more leeway for the police when investigating suspected crimes, and harsher punishments for those convicted. A response with a link to one site's look at the bill is up on Linux Electrons. Now that attempting the crime has such severe consequences, who will be the first to go to jail for running a p2p client?"

9 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. BitTorrent by RequiemX · · Score: 5, Funny

    I use BitTorrent so I KNOW I'm safe...

    1. Re:BitTorrent by straight_up · · Score: 5, Funny

      $sys$torrent would be 100% safe if the RIAA listens to Sony music (and I bet they do)

      --
      Get your $sys$ camo tees now!
  2. Is it time yet? by suso · · Score: 3, Funny

    To jump ship? Someone tell me when.

  3. Guessing by josephdrivein · · Score: 5, Funny

    who will be the first to go to jail for running a p2p client?

    I hope it will be US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's daughter. THAT would be real fun.

  4. Copyslaughter by truthsolo · · Score: 5, Funny

    You are under arrest for the copyslaughter of [insert artist name/software title here].

    --
    MTSBWY
  5. What now by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Funny

    Embezzlement of countless billions : 5 years
    Stealing a slice of Pizza : life
    Murder : life or death penalty
    Copyright infringement : Life , then the death penalty , then your family are sold into slavery

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  6. soon... by jp_fielding · · Score: 4, Funny

    it will be cheaper to simply murder all the witnesses.

  7. Re:It seems to me ... by TheMeuge · · Score: 5, Funny

    New criminal offenses in the US coming in the next 3 years

    1. Copying CDs
    2. Disabling, deleting or avoiding XXAA spyware/zombification tools
    3. Informing others or the press about the time you were taken to Turkey to be tortured.
    4. Knowing the reason why you were taken to Turkey to be tortured.
    5. Abortion
    6. Masturbation
    7. Using condoms or any other means of birth control
    8. Teaching evolution

  8. Downloading does kill people! by mangu · · Score: 4, Funny
    more people are killed each year by excessive speed than by excessive downloading


    You are wrong. Considering that downloaders are nothing but communists, and communism killed 170 million people, downloading is a far more dangerous crime than speeding.