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Stiffer Penalties for Copyright Violations

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the duck-and-cover dept.

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?"

11 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. A dual edged sword by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Remember - the law is a neutral weapon - much like a landmind. It can be used against friend and foe alike. The key is to see how a law can help your cause - even if taht was not the original intent.

    The proposed law adds a new weapon against someone who violate Linux' EULA - and now makes it a criminal action to even try to violate it.

    Think of the law a giant real world RPG - you need to understand teh rules and bend them to your ends.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    1. Re:A dual edged sword by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The proposed law adds a new weapon against someone who violate Linux' EULA - and now makes it a criminal action to even try to violate it.

      Linux's what? Linux doesn't have an EULA. Linux has an optional license, the GPL, that you may use if you want to copy it for others, but it doesn't require a license to use it.

  2. Re:It seems to me ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    They're erasing the line between civil and criminal law. Where the hell does this end?

    With the world's highest incarceration rate?

    Oh wait, we're already there.

  3. Hate to burst your bubble by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Informative

    But unfortunately copyright is already criminal law. This doesn't call for such a fundamental change; it just calls for harsher penalties.

  4. Corrupt System by max+born · · Score: 4, Informative

    I could almost support this bill if it wan't that the entertainment industry openly bribes the senators who'll vote on this legislation, example, Orin Hatch, entertainment contributions for the 2004 cycle were $180,000+.

    If you follow the trail it looks like most of this kind of legislation is bought and paid for by the very people it benefits.

  5. Re:It seems to me ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    This may, or may not, be accurate but according to http://www.prisonsucks.com/:
    "On December 31, 2004, there were 2,135,901 people in U.S. prisons and jails. The United States incarcerates a greater share of its population, 724 per 100,000 residents, more than any other country on the planet."
  6. Alberto Gonzales vs. Porn by werewolf1031 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Let's not also forget Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' hardline stance against porn depicting consenting adults as well. This is someone who is clearly the most dangerous man for the job.

    And I'm speaking as a moderate conservative. This guy scares the shit outa me.

  7. Re:This only shows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    Indeed. This is explored in-depth in Lessig's excellent Free Culture, available as a free download from:

    http://www.free-culture.cc/

    If it were up to me, this would be required reading for anyone who wishes to participate in a debate about copyright. Seriously, everyone - download (or better yet, buy!) a copy and read it cover to cover.

  8. Crime by Mark_MF-WN · · Score: 2, Informative

    You can't settle a criminal suit out of court.

  9. Re:BitTorrent by shanen · · Score: 2, Informative
    That is an example of the abuse of copyright. That has come about because the publishing industry has been lobbying for decades to twist the laws that implement the originally good idea. Their motivation is not the public's interests, but merely to maximize their own profits. They have been sadly effective.

    Amazingly enough, they can now sue you for derivative works--and even though Mickey Mouse was a derivative work in the first place.

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  10. Re:BitTorrent by grmoc · · Score: 2, Informative

    Copyright was created to foster the creation of works, so as to create a larger body of works available to the commons..

    Currently, 70 years plus life of author is effectively forever as most people would be dead before the copyright expires on anything created today. This is contrary to the original intent. I believe the original intent is laudable, and the current regime of copyright control is draconian, and actually prevents the creation of new and interesting works in many cases-- Remix works, where people look to other works as the instruments on which they play, are something that are a major part of todays creative culture, and yet, these are difficult to create legally.