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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?"

5 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. Does this include Sony? by canuck57 · · Score: 1, Troll

    ... law but does allow more leeway for the police when investigating suspected crimes...

    So does this include going into Sony/BMG offices and confiscate their mail servers and backup tapes to find out who authorized the alteration of the Windows operating system in obvious violation of the copyright that does not give anyone but Microsoft the authority to do so? Or perhaps to enforce the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act section 1030?

    Or is just to extend the "To Serve and Collect" mentality?

  2. In other news by alexwcovington · · Score: 0, Troll

    The government has announced stiff penalties for adultery, not coming to complete stops at county road intersections, and underage drinking.

    --
    (It's never too late to join the Renaissance)
  3. Re:It seems to me ... by Scarletdown · · Score: 0, Troll

    Where the hell does this end?

    About the same point the "donations" do.


    It ends at around the time the citizens are forced to finally tap that fourth and final box essential to upholding liberty... The ammo box.
    --
    This space unintentionally left blank.
  4. Re:A dual edged sword by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 0, Troll

    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.

    No matter what you call it, the GPL imposes certain restrictions on the user (and as such is the same as an EULA) - it's just that none o those are of any conswquencew unless you redistribute it.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  5. Re:BitTorrent by shanen · · Score: 0, Troll
    Look, I have complete and total contempt for you. I think you're a total waste of a human life, assuming you aren't some sort of robotic idiot. Simple ignorance is nothing to be ashamed of. It can be cured with a bit of sincere effort. You, on the other hand, are a proudly ignorant jackass. You are a shameful excuse for a human being.

    Perhaps that is a false impression created by another one of your typical fuckups. Too bad. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and you blew it out your ass.

    What more do you want from a foe? Now where's the red dot?

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.