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Senate Bill May Ban Streaming MP3s

Silverhammer writes "According to the EFF, a new Senate bill (S. 2644) sponsored by Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Graham (R-SC) would effectively ban streaming MP3 for licensed music by requireing 'casters to use the most restrictive streaming format available (e.g., Windows Media or Real) rather than simply the most restrictive features of a chosen streaming format (e.g., Shoutcast or streaming MP3)." From the article: "The PERFORM Act would ... requir[e] webcasters to use DRM that restricts the recording of webcasts. That means no more MP3 streams if you rely on the statutory license. Under the bill, the statutory license would only be available to a webcaster if: [114(d)(2)(C)(vi)] the transmitting entity takes no affirmative steps to authorize, enable, cause or induce the making of a copy or phonorecord by or for the transmission recipient and uses technology that is reasonably available, technologically feasible, and economically reasonable to prevent the making of copies or phonorecords embodying the transmission in whole or in part, except for reasonable recording as defined in this subsection."

503 comments

  1. Use Ogg by alucinor · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Good, just use Ogg instead.

    --
    random underscore blankspace at ya know hoo dot comedy.
    1. Re:Use Ogg by alucinor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Maybe some pseudo-DRM that ~prevents~ people from ~not~ sharing could be added to Ogg.

      It could be the "copyleft" of DRM. Haha, just kidding.

      --
      random underscore blankspace at ya know hoo dot comedy.
    2. Re:Use Ogg by ichigo+2.0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And how does this solve the problem?

    3. Re:Use Ogg by GweeDo · · Score: 2, Informative

      This bill doesn't prevent just streaming mp3's. It prevents the streaming of any copyrighted material in a non-DRM package. So OGG would be stopped as well.

      Question...would this stop me from streaming music over RDP from my house to work?

    4. Re:Use Ogg by stupidfoo · · Score: 1

      It should be banned, but only because that's an inefficient way to do things. RDP traffic is encrypted. Run shoutcast (or some equivalent) on your home pc and if you need to control it then use remote desktop.

    5. Re:Use Ogg by Alsee · · Score: 1

      Good, just use Ogg instead.

      Brilliant.

      This bill makes casts in Ogg (or any other non-DRM format) into copyright infringment.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    6. Re:Use Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anybody feel like adding encryption key to the server and decryption to the player? Yes, I know its GPL'd. That's the point.

    7. Re:Use Ogg by mad.frog · · Score: 2, Funny

      I have not RTFA, but here's a thought:

      what if you added some "DRM" to Ogg to satisfy this?

      Of course, it might not be very *good* DRM... something on the order of ROT-13?

      Does the bill specify a particular DRM technique, or criteria it must satisfy? If not...

    8. Re:Use Ogg by pthisis · · Score: 1

      It should be banned, but only because that's an inefficient way to do things. RDP traffic is encrypted. Run shoutcast (or some equivalent) on your home pc and if you need to control it then use remote desktop

      But then if I'm streaming over unencrypted wireless (very common) my neighbor can steal my music.

      --
      rage, rage against the dying of the light
    9. Re:Use Ogg by tepples · · Score: 1

      This bill makes casts in Ogg (or any other non-DRM format) into copyright infringment.

      If you don't cast major label music, whose copyright are you infringing?

    10. Re:Use Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      even simpler, use XOR encryption and have a key of all 0s. It would even be bakwards compatible with existing players

    11. Re:Use Ogg by AoT · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Does airtunes have DRM? Cause this would make it illegal if'n it don't.

    12. Re:Use Ogg by AoT · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Non-major label music copyrights. Everything recorded or written is copyrighted, some people just choose to be dicks about enforcement.

    13. Re:Use Ogg by tepples · · Score: 1

      Everything recorded or written is copyrighted, some people just choose to be dicks about enforcement.

      And other people choose to license their works in a manner more fair to webcasters. In the presence of such a licence, whose copyright is being infringed?

    14. Re:Use Ogg by AoT · · Score: 1

      Look, I'm with you; but this law would not have anything to do with copyright, only with requiring DRM on *all* music streams. Yes, it's that bad.

    15. Re:Use Ogg by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2, Funny

      And how does this solve the problem?

      nobody has any ogg players so it's automatically the most restrictive.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    16. Re:Use Ogg by Pofy · · Score: 1

      >Question...would this stop me from streaming music over RDP from my house
      >to work?

      Depends, are you doing so under the statuory license as set out in 114(d) of tghe copyright law? Or are you doing it under some other provision? Considering that it deals with playing music in public, I doubt it covers your case although I have not read the new proposal in depth, only the article linked. The simple answer seems to be that you are not at all affected, nor is your initial statement correct.

    17. Re:Use Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That might be a good idea,legally.;

    18. Re:Use Ogg by somersault · · Score: 1

      Except the original material is copyright, so that's not going to make sharing music legal.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    19. Re:Use Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think that it does, actually.

      If it didn't it would be a lot more useful for Linux users.

    20. Re:Use Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're a fucking moron.

  2. Not like it matters by Thaelon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is nonenforcable.

    I predict it to be about as successful as the war on drugs and the war on terrorism. I'm surprised we haven't yet had a war on piracy.

    --

    Question everything

    1. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think "Selectively Enforcable" would be a more appropriate term.

    2. Re:Not like it matters by bloko · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But the war on drugs and the war on terrorism are just a front and are used for other things like the war on privacy.

      --
      I gave the bat commader a high five.
    3. Re:Not like it matters by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 4, Insightful
      This is nonenforcable.

      Think harder. It'll be another law in the book that can be used to harass people when "deemed necessary." Keep in mind that prosecutors loves to say things like "suspect is believed to be in violation of (insert a number) of federal/state statues."
      --
      ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
    4. Re:Not like it matters by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm surprised we haven't yet had a war on piracy.

      It's not a war, it's a "police action."

      And it's one, two three, what are we fightin' for?
      Don't ask me I don't give damn
      We hate mp3s and spam

      KFG

    5. Re:Not like it matters by rsmith-mac · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's most certainly enforceable against entities operating within the law in the first place. Broadcasters like DI.fm who are licensed would have to drop MP3 and unencrypted WMA streams for DRM/encrypted WMA streams, which would no doubt drive up their operating costs immensely due to the computational power of encrypting streams(encrypting each user's stream with a different key, anyone?). This isn't just an attempt to limit freedoms, but it could very well put legal broadcasters out of business.

    6. Re:Not like it matters by Tweekster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or they will set up streaming servers outside of the US, not buy a license and do whatever the hell they want? The DJ's have their licenses anyways

      --
      The phrase "more better" is acceptable English. suck it grammar Nazis
    7. Re:Not like it matters by LunaticTippy · · Score: 4, Insightful
      It'll make a lot of US-based mp3/shoutcast stations die. There'll still be offshore alternatives.

      I'm willing to record in realtime off the soundcard for something I really want that is only available via secure streaming. Right now there is one thing in that category (joe frank) but I can do it for more.

      Reminds me of the old days, recording dr. demento on my mono tape deck from a nearby transistor am radio.

      Damn congress, stop trying to legislate me back to the 70s!

      --
      Man, you really need that seminar!
    8. Re:Not like it matters by malraid · · Score: 3, Informative

      Piracy has only one reason to exist: to fund terrorism. But it's not like *I* said it. Alberto Gonzales said it: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_displ ay.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001477589.

      So I guess it can be put under the umbrella of war on terror.

      --
      please excuse my apathy
    9. Re:Not like it matters by fade-in · · Score: 1

      So does this mean that my local radio-station is going to be getting shut down unless they stream their music to me WMA? I don't want to have to install a new radio in my car AGAIN!!!

      It seems like the artists already had this debate once... when was that... like, the 30's or something?

      You'd think these dinosaur senators would remember stuff from their childhood. Heck, Alzheimer's patients can do that.

      --
      This sig is inappropriate in a post-9/11 world.
    10. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is nonenforcable.

      Agreed. All one has to do is offer private certs to the subscribe base and pipe the stream over SSL.

      Scott

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    11. Re:Not like it matters by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

      Alberto Gonzales's logic could not be more clear:

      1. Teenager spends no money to acquire song.
      2. ???
      3. Terrorists profit!

      It has been well established through precedent that this counts as a valid argument on Slashdot, so I don't see why people question the statement.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    12. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem isn't the senators. It's the industries that *own* them.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    13. Re:Not like it matters by IAmTheDave · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Broadcasters like DI.fm who are licensed would have to drop MP3 and unencrypted WMA streams for DRM/encrypted WMA streams, which would no doubt drive up their operating costs

      not to mention cut out non-Windows owning audience members. Unless they also legislate that MS has to open up WMA DRM. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

      Own a Mac? No streaming radio for you!!

      --
      Excuse my speling.
      Making The Bar Project
    14. Re:Not like it matters by collectivescott · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Don't you mean the war on drug users and suspicious arabs?

      Because let's face it, when all the money in the world fails to make a difference, you're approaching the problem the wrong way.

      Thought: are Americans more or less likely to die at the hands of terrorists after our invasion of Iraq? With over 2,000 dead, and thousands more left injured, the current situation is basically a complete disaster. And angering millions in the Arab world makes us a bigger target. Face it, you can't scare people who are willing to die, period.

      Thought: should being "high" be illegal if being "drunk" is not? Because certainly a compelling case could be made to prohibit alcohol because of drunken driving, violence, accidents, and abuse potential. More so than marijuana, even. But alcohol prohibition in the 1920s was a failure because it didn't curb demand, yet created crime to fuel an underground market, just like with the war on drugs today. But for prohibition to be repealed, people had to talk openly about the problem. Hard to do that with drugs, because the government misrepresents the facts to demonize drugs.

      Obligatory: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, 15 minute video: http://leap.cc/audiovideo/LEAPpromo.htm

      America needs a change of direction, and honesty in politics.

    15. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The portion of the text printed in the article is meaningless. There are far too many waffles and weasels in the text to make it even remotely enforceable. This suggests that the real meat of the bill has been handed directly to David Dreier to ensure that all of that pesky democracy crap doesn't get in the way.

      Besides, if the article's interpretation is correct, this would end up lkilling WMDRM (I'll tell you how and why after the law is passed ;).

    16. Re:Not like it matters by c_forq · · Score: 2, Interesting

      are Americans more or less likely to die at the hands of terrorists after our invasion of Iraq?
      As far as I know not a single American has died on American soil as a result of a terrorist attack since our invasion. In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan.

      should being "high" be illegal if being "drunk" is not?
      In most contexts being drunk is illegal. It is illegal to be drunk in public, to be drunk in the drivers seat of a car, and even to be too drunk in a bar. Likewise I imagine if you are getting busted for drugs you are being busted in a public location, are cultivating it outside, or selling significant amounts.

      I would like to note for the most part I agree with your sentiment, but I think too many people do exactly what you accuse our government of with the war on drugs, misrepresenting facts to demonize the problems.

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    17. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just use Total Recorder, it "intercepts" the audio sent to your soundcard, and allows you to record it!

      -r

    18. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Yeah, but what it does do is cut out celebrity profits, so the Hollywood crowd have to work again and they can't spend as much time campaigning for terrorist rights.

      Honestly, when has Hollywood taken a stand against terrorism?

    19. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to mention TREMENDOUSLY piss off listeners like myself. In addition to increasing operating costs, it would almost guarentee revenues go down.

      Funny that the captcha is "aggrieve"

    20. Re:Not like it matters by digitalgiblet · · Score: 4, Insightful
      "Just use Total Recorder, it "intercepts" the audio sent to your soundcard, and allows you to record it!"

      And according to the language of the bill would be perfectly legal as long as you record manually for personal, private usage.

      This one isn't really super restrictive on the end user, since as many people have pointed out you can just record what's coming through the soundcard. It is, however, VERY restrictive for satellite and internet based "radio" stations. If you are a physical radio station operator you already pay a license fee to the music industry to broadcast their music, but according to this bill you would also have to pay a fee to broadcast that same music in digital format.

      Like many of the posters here I am opposed to this one in principle, but can think of numerous LEGAL ways I could still make copies for my own personal use.

    21. Re:Not like it matters by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      NO! It's the people that vote for them. Industry ownership means nothing without the votes. And those comes from...who exactly? Get it straight. If nobody votes for an owned candidate, he will not occupy the office. He will not be able to do anything for his owners. It's that simple. At least it should be. And besides, why do we continue to buy the products of a "slave" owner? The power is ours. It only becomes theirs when we give it up. And that we have done most willingly.

      --
      What?
    22. Re:Not like it matters by kalirion · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I predict it to be about as successful as the war on drugs

      The war of drugs may be a failure, but how many thousands of people are being imprisoned every year for nothing more than marijuana possession? Just because the war fails doesn't mean that tons of people who've never hurt anyone won't have their lives destroyed by it.

    23. Re:Not like it matters by Allison+Geode · · Score: 4, Interesting

      and after the gov gets rid of network neutrality, they'll demand their benefactors at the telcos block all foreign content that is deemed to be unsavory.. so that their **AA benefactors will be pleased. and then everyone will give our politicians even more money.

    24. Re:Not like it matters by Random+Destruction · · Score: 5, Insightful
      As far as I know not a single American has died on American soil as a result of a terrorist attack since our invasion. In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan.

      As far as I know global temperature has been climbing since pirate populations have been declining. In fact I know that global temperatures are rising. It must be the pirates.

      --
      :x
    25. Re:Not like it matters by iminplaya · · Score: 2, Funny

      ...Put down your laptops
      and pick up a gun
      we're gonna have a whole lotta fun
      And it's one, two, three, whadda we fightin' for
      don't ask me I don't give a damn
      we're goin' to Disneyland
      and it's five, six, seven, open up the golden gates
      aint no time to wonder why
      we're all gonna buy...

      --
      What?
    26. Re:Not like it matters by niiler · · Score: 2, Funny
      Considering that we know that there are mafia and other shady connections behind much of the spyware that runs on Windows computers, and that such money funds illegal activities, terrorism, and what not, it seems that the real way to stop funding terrorism would be to outlaw Windows.

      That was a joke... Come on... somebody laugh.

    27. Re:Not like it matters by professionalfurryele · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "This is nonenforcable"

      It's not about enforcing it. It's about making everyone a criminal. When everyone is a criminal, it becomes considerably easier to get around pesky issues like getting enough evidence for a search warrent, or arresting and detaining people for something else you don't like using the new 'crime' as an excuse.

    28. Re:Not like it matters by charlievarrick · · Score: 1

      In a Democracy, the people get the government they deserve - Alexis de Tocqueville.

    29. Re:Not like it matters by Original+Replica · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Since we only ever get two candidate choices, most lobbies just buy both. When I can vote for "None of the Above" and get a new election with new candidates, then we might actually get leaders worth following.

      --
      We are all just people.
    30. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Combining this logic behind Gonzales's statement with the rather obvious fact that DRM manufacturers are the ones truly profitting from the development and support of the technology, could we not say that DRM manufacturers are thereby terrorists? If DRM manufactures are terrorists, why are we passing legislation to help terrorists? By President Bush's logic, if we're helping terrorists, we must be terrorists, too! I suppose those Senators better run.

    31. Re:Not like it matters by Urusai · · Score: 4, Funny

      Gonzales is the same clown who thinks torture and wiretaps are all perfectly legal. He must have skipped the class on the Constitution at law school. He probably cheated on his Ethics final, too.

    32. Re:Not like it matters by thuh+Freak · · Score: 1

      The problem isn't the senators. It's the industries that *own* them.

      no. the problem is the senators are owned by someone other than the people of their respective states.

      --
      I wish that I was a catfish.
    33. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Piracy doesn't support terrorism, it supports communism =O

    34. Re:Not like it matters by PastAustin · · Score: 0
      But the war on drugs and the war on terrorism are just a front and are used for other things like the war on privacy.



      Probably one of my favorite comments ever on slashdot. Thank you.
      --
      Firefox 2.0 - Spell Rightly.
    35. Re:Not like it matters by radiogeak · · Score: 1

      Thank you, that was the joke.

    36. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      If an owned politician is no longer in office, the industry will simply by another politician that *is* in office.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    37. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      That's what I said.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    38. Re:Not like it matters by ehrichweiss · · Score: 1

      hey man, thanks for that link to the video. I've been a "supporter" of NORML for a while now but wasn't aware that anyone had organized on the LEO side of things. I'm spreading this like wildfire.

      --
      0x09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
    39. Re:Not like it matters by nuzak · · Score: 1

      > In a Democracy, the people get the government they deserve - Alexis de Tocqueville.

      I'm pretty sure some dead Greek probably said the same thing. Anyway, the problem with that is that I also get the government that they deserve. It ain't what I'd call a nation of my peers.

      --
      Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
    40. Re:Not like it matters by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      Since we only ever get two candidate choices...

      In the lightning round, yes. But other candidates are available during the "pre-season". We had one or two good candidates on both sides. But they didn't win. Why? Simple. They failed to get a majority of votes. It's not because one candidate had more money than the other. If it is, then it is we who are influenced by it, not them. We vote for the guy who flashes the most. We are voting for bling instead of good governance. Why do you blame others for how you vote? If somebody is in office, no matter how corrupt, it's because he was voted in by us. Corrupt politicians are voted in by corrupt voters looking for a fast buck(or other advantage). With this being the case, how can you blame them for going with what works? And furthermore, don't you have a "write in" space on your ballots? I'm not saying that could win, but you do have an alternative. On another note, when the majority abuses the minority like this, then it's time to hit the streets. Recent events show that it can work, and we can get our freedoms back. So sharpen up the pitchforks.

      --
      What?
    41. Re:Not like it matters by moro_666 · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's the people that vote for them

        It's so sweet to see that some people still naively believe in the hoax of democracy and think that they elect the leaders and therefor the new good time will start :)

        It doesn't matter what's the name of the player that is sitting on the chair, it matters what is behind him. in united states it's either bad guys who have been paid off by the industry or the other bad guys who have done exactly the same. you can change the name on the chairs every day if you want to, but nothing will change (too little too late).

        You already tried it out, some people voted arnold to become the head of california ... and guess what, nothing changed (except some ashaming pr events). The parties could aswell put rubber puppets onto the chairs, the effect will remain the same.

        And even if through some miracle you could get an independent candidate up there, then most of the time he has to continue or fix up the mess of the previous man at the job. Without the help from a big strong (offpaid) party, he/she doesn't have the time to go to the toilet and therefor the stuff that you elected for, you still won't get :)

        Democracy died a long time ago, at least on that side of the atlantic ocean.

      --

      I'd tell you the chances of this story being a dupe, but you wouldn't like it.
    42. Re:Not like it matters by collectivescott · · Score: 3, Informative

      But I'm not misrepresenting anything. I'm glad you follow the sentiment, but don't be afraid to accept the reality. Some people may not have their facts straight, but what I speak is truth.

      Regarding Iraq: They are Americans dying as a result of our government policy, which was the point. That they were aware of the risk they were taking does not make their deaths any less tragic, or "count less" as you seem to imply.

      You can't honestly compare marijuana prohibition with alcohol regulation With alcohol, you are penalized for how you behave under the influence, not the fact that you have a receipt in your wallet. And you don't get arrested for being drunk in a bar, unless you start a fight or cause a great disturbance. The liquor store can't sell you liquor if you already look trashed, but that's to stop you from hurting yourself, and you don't get in trouble for it. We learned the hard way that people can't drive when drunk, but we didn't turn around and ban alcohol, did we?

      >Likewise I imagine if you are getting busted for drugs you are being busted in a public location, are cultivating it outside, or selling significant amounts.

      Cops go after the most visible targets, sure, and as a result most arrests are for mere posession. (see bottom) Because of the demand, economics dictates that a black market will exist. As the legal deterrants increase (jail time, property seizure, mandatory minimums), dealers will become increasingly dangerous, as their freedom is on the line. Meanwhile, the steady stream of arrests, especially in certain minority communities, erodes public trust in the police, and crime increases. The only reason this hasn't exploded already is because a lot of the people affected are still locked up.

      "There have been more than 3.7 million marijuana arrests this decade [1990-2000]. Eighty-three percent of these arrests were for possession only.
      Marijuana arrests rose every year since 1991, reaching an all time high of 695,200 in 1997. Marijuana arrests increased 59 percent during this period. Conversely, use of marijuana by adults remained unchanged."
      http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4015

      Look at the graphs supplied by the US Department of Justice:
      http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/enforce.htm

      The arrests just go up and up. And yet we underfund drug rehabilitation programs. Good policy. Can't stop now, there's a war going on.

    43. Re:Not like it matters by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      Yes, the politician is scum, but I'm not going to blame him for winning re-election. People that vote for and re-elect scummy politicians are scum themselves. They're only showing their own corruption. The corruption in Washington only reflects the corruption of the voters back home. They're telling him, "Bring home the bacon, we don't care how. We want a piece of the action."

      --
      What?
    44. Re:Not like it matters by JiffyJeff · · Score: 1

      I would imagine that more Slashdotters fear the RIAA and MPAA than they do muslim extremists. So who are the real terrorists?

      And what would funding them entail?

    45. Re:Not like it matters by CMan0 · · Score: 1

      Piracy definitely won't stop, but stations you've learned to love will stop broadcasting in mp3, and I personally prefer using winamp over the other programs available.

    46. Re:Not like it matters by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Ahhhh, Joe Frank.

      I wish he'd get his stuff on iTunes. I've been listening to his stuff since the mid 80s. The Rent-a-Family series was fantastic.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    47. Re:Not like it matters by charlievarrick · · Score: 1

      Implied is the concept that if you're dissatisfied with the nature of your government you have the ability/responsibility to change it for the better.
      If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem, blah, blah, blah.
      There is no I in people, so, "In a Democracy, you get the government you deserve"

    48. Re:Not like it matters by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Not to mention that it makes it considerably easier to get ordinary citizens to testify against one another. We'd be happy to drop the streaming charges, or allow you to plead guilty to a reduced charge (with a lighter sentence) if you'll help us out in the matter of that neighbor/coworker/family member that has been criticizing the government.

      It's not even a full step from that to where we're all spying and informing on one another.

      In Soviet Russia . . .who the fuck are we kidding? We're over halfway there to Soviet America.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    49. Re:Not like it matters by AoT · · Score: 4, Funny

      You know, I'm tired of this old less pirates == more global warming crap. There are not less pirates now. There may be less eye-patches, but South East Asia and Africa have a *huge* pirate population. So if it isn't the pirates, what is it?

      Ninjas.

      Yes, I know, you're a bit sceptical. But really. Do ninjas use cars? Do ninjas use hairspray?

      NO!

      Everyone blames global warming on the US; let's put the blame where it really belongs: JAPAN!

      When was the last time Japan produced a significant number of ninjas? That's right, you can't tell me, because they haven't produced a real ninja in *YEARS*!

      So, Japan, I'm calling you out. Fuck the Kyoto treaty, we need the Ninjyoto treaty.

      Step the fuck up Japan!

    50. Re:Not like it matters by LunaticTippy · · Score: 1
      Yeah, Somewhere Out There was my favorite.

      I don't understand his website very much. You can only stream, and there are these weird subscription plans. Something about listening to 3 different episodes as many times as you wanted for x number of days.

      Apparently he protects his IP very aggressively. I can't find very many episodes around these days.

      --
      Man, you really need that seminar!
    51. Re: Not like it matters by danratherfoe · · Score: 1
      This is nonenforcable.

      I predict it to be about as successful as the war on drugs and the war on terrorism. I'm surprised we haven't yet had a war on piracy.

      That's exactly the point ... the point is to now have a "war on streaming media" so that the media that the government doesn't like (the Alex Jones Show, perhaps) can be prevented from broadcasting over the web.

    52. Re:Not like it matters by poopie · · Score: 1

      It'll be another law in the book that can be used to harass people when "deemed necessary."

      You're so right... just like Police cars stopping drivers of "questionable" cars to measure the amount of tread left on their tires.

      I can see it now... "excuse me, we have a warrant to check your browser logs... a neighbor reported that he heard music playing that you didn't own... and that he saw you sitting at your computer. Please cooperate so we don't need to demand a list of streamed audio links from your ISP. If you cooperate, we may be able to reach an agreement with only a $3000 fine."

    53. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      We're in complete agreement.

      I share your frustration and feelings completely.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    54. Re:Not like it matters by c_forq · · Score: 1

      Interesting. In my area of the country you can't be arrested for possession (unless it is possession with intent to sell), it is just a ticket and confiscating what they find (including paraphernalia such as pipes, bongs, etc.).

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    55. Re:Not like it matters by RareButSeriousSideEf · · Score: 1

      They're preoccupied with the war on *Privacy*, but no worries, they're still plodding their way backwards through the alphabet with all the speed of a... er, bureaucracy. Shiver me timbers if they won't be comin' for us, er... those damn pirates, before long...

    56. Re:Not like it matters by solitas · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Audio Hijack Pro" (http://www.rogueamoeba.com) works great in OSX. There's nothing I haven't been able to record.

      --
      "It's time to take life by the cans." ~ Bender ("Bendin' in the Wind", ep. 3-13)
    57. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. Teenager spends no money to acquire song, but makes it available via P2P network
      2. Al Qaeda downloads song, thereby saving $25 from not buying the CD
      3. Al Qaeda's net gain is $25

      You see, if it wasn't for piracy, Al Qaeda would be spending all their money on CDs and wouldn't have any left to plan and execute terrorism on Americans. DUH!

    58. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't that the point -- to drive out radio stations that the RIAA can't buy?

    59. Re:Not like it matters by Thaelon · · Score: 1

      If the war has failed, why is it still going on?

      --

      Question everything

    60. Re:Not like it matters by WeeBit · · Score: 1
      The problem isn't the senators. It's the industries that *own* them.
      Nope the problem is greed.
    61. Re:Not like it matters by QCompson · · Score: 2, Funny

      I believe number 2 is:

      2. Teenager uses extra money to buy more gas.

    62. Re:Not like it matters by TheSeer2 · · Score: 1

      Why is the parent marked as insightful? Its alluding to the FSM! It should be marked as funny ;)

    63. Re:Not like it matters by suv4x4 · · Score: 1

      I predict it to be about as successful as the war on drugs and the war on terrorism. I'm surprised we haven't yet had a war on piracy.

      Billy, Billy, this is NYPD, stop that streaming mp3 server and come out of your room, or we'll have to nuke you.

    64. Re:Not like it matters by ian+Johnson · · Score: 2, Funny

      This is your cease and desist notification. On numerous occasions I have markedly used the exact terminology "Not like it matters" in various copyrighted postings. Please refrain from using said phrases. Thank You. Also please do not remember what you just read, as this inter-cranial mental duplication is also markedly and legally an infringement upon my intellectual rights.

    65. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, there was an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit that had a Fed saying that Al Queda DID use piracy to make money, i.e. they sell bootleg DVDs. Much higher profit margin and lower risk than drugs.

      So, if true, terrorists DO use piracy to make a profit, strictly speaking. 'Course, they also use fertilizer to make bombs, and fertilizer ain't illegal...

    66. Re:Not like it matters by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      As far as I know not a single American has died on American soil as a result of a terrorist attack since our invasion. In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan.


      Have I ever told you how to keep elephants away?

    67. Re:Not like it matters by greenjello4 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It still doesn't solve the analog loophole. I can still use audacity to record my wave output and have a decent sounding recording when I'm done.

    68. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, and the theory was: "Let's take the fight to them!." And that's why Americans are dying on Iraqi soil.

      "In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan."

      Bali? Egypt? Americans are dying there. London, Madrid? People are dying there. But you're an American, are you? You don't count the dead unless they're "on American soil".

    69. Re:Not like it matters by werewolf1031 · · Score: 1

      Zip code please? I've been thinking of moving...

    70. Re:Not like it matters by davidsyes · · Score: 1

      Sounds to me like someone (paid lobbyists) is trying to kill off Amarok and Rhythm Box and stuff like that....

      But, they'll probably dry up or kill off some lucrative front ends to advertisers who see us Linux users as potential clients they can't afford to capricious cut off just to please some twit lobbyists or others who may be acting for ms and ms-like entities...

      But, hopefully Amarok and Rhythm Box will live if there are enough independent artists producing content across the various genres. So long as THEIR work is not copyrighted, the damned lobbyists/henchmen out there can't and SHOULDN'T be doing a DAMNED THING about it. The can cut of copyrighted stuff that already ought not be shamelessly reproduced (and particularly resold illegally), but the free, independent stuff... they better keep their damned grubby hands off of the free (that is, the stuff free as in beer and freedom) stuff...

      --
      Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
    71. Re:Not like it matters by iainl · · Score: 1

      It's insightful to use the well-known FSM argument as a demonstration of how correlation does not mean causation.

      Further, without wishing to offend any family members of those who lost their lives in the 11/09/01 attacts, or indeed those of the attacks of the Unabomber terrorist, they're pretty isolated incidents. There just isn't enough data to even suggest much of a correlation; the "on American soil" caveat is required because worldwide, terrorist attacks on Western interests are still happening at a greater rate than before.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    72. Re:Not like it matters by iainl · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan."

      Were there no Americans caught in the Turkey, Bali, Madrid or Egypt bombings (and that's just off the top of my head)? Because there were plenty of people from your very few allies caught in them.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    73. Re:Not like it matters by iainl · · Score: 1

      Speaking of Gas and threats to US interests, could you (or someone) explain to me the logic as to the whole UN Iran-threatening thing?

      The White House rumbling noises at Iran currently appear to achieve a grand total of two things:

      1) The Iranian Government is getting rave poll results from the population for standing up for the equal right to Nuclear tech.

      2) The oil price is going through the roof. 4th largest exporter of oil in the world? Iran.

      How is this dissuading them, then? I mean, I can understand the conspiracy theory argument that points out that the 3rd-largest producer of oil is the US, and those production companies are good mates of the Bush family, but there must be more to it than a nice little earner.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    74. Re:Not like it matters by iainl · · Score: 1

      I know I said of the top of my head, but I really have no idea how I missed London off the list, when one of my friends was on one of the trains, and another got off the bus a couple of stops before. That was pretty scary stuff.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    75. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As far as I know not a single American has died on American soil as a result of a terrorist attack since our invasion.

      I have a rock that keeps Tigers away. I know it works, because I do not see any Tigers.

    76. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please...

      Democracy died a long time ago in the US; in Canada it wasn't until Harper was 'elected'.

    77. Re:Not like it matters by Builder · · Score: 1

      American civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks in Madrid, London and I believe Indonesia.

      Experts attribute at least 2 of these attacks to groups enraged by the US and allies actions abroad.

      So do you mean that only American soil matters?

    78. Re:Not like it matters by c_forq · · Score: 1

      Ann Arbor Michigan is even looser then my area. If you don't mind Canada Quebec is the most liberal city I've ever been in (in regards to pot).

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    79. Re:Not like it matters by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 1

      Because it is extremely profitable (and not always in terms of money) to the dealers, the cops, the prisons, the courts, the FBI and DEA, and the politicians.

      --
      Dyolf Knip
    80. Re:Not like it matters by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      You're just as guilty then. Cuz everyone is greedy in their own way.

      Are you just as guilty? Or can you say that you are better at controlling your greed and politicians and the industries that own them are not as good as judging right from wrong, and controlling their greed for the better good?

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    81. Re:Not like it matters by WeeBit · · Score: 1

      Stop making excuses for them.

    82. Re:Not like it matters by bhiestand · · Score: 1
      With over 2,000 dead, and thousands more left injured, the current situation is basically a complete disaster.

      Ahh... so 2,000 is the magic number? That seems like a pretty low number compared to the average war. I mean, sure, we lost more people in the average battle in WWII than we've lost in the entire OIF/OEF campaign, but WWII was successful and we're glad we did it. This one's a mistake because we're angering people. Gotcha.

      Vietnam was a disaster. Laos was a disaster. Cambodia was a disaster. The fact that the world allowed Saddam to stay in power after he invaded Kuwait is a disaster. Hell, the holocaust was a disaster, too. Please don't throw around the term "disaster" so loosely. Your crowd wouldn't be happy with the entire Iraq war and occupation costing one life, and you know it! If it's really the loss of life that bothers you, you might want to try some donations to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives scholarships to the children of operators killed in training accidents or combat. You might also want to take a job to help them, send care packages, donate to any of the other charities that help widows and children, buy an alternative energy vehicle, or invent better body armor. But please, if you're concerned about the politics of the war, don't exploit the fallen.

      Many of them believed in the cause. Some didn't, but everybody was a volunteer. Everybody knew the risks.

      You are, of course, correct about the war on drugs. Unlike the Iraq war, we can already prove that the war on drugs has failed. Just like prohibition and supporting the mujahadeen, we might regret OIF in twenty years. It's really too early to tell, and it's still too [emotionally] real to be objective about it.

      I hope America eventually reverses its course in the war on drugs. I hope America never reverses its course and pulls out of Iraq, leaving hundreds of thousands to die in a civil war, as we did throughout south-east asia. The politics of the invasion are a moot point. President Bush will not be serving another term, nor can we change the past. History books will either remember him as a hero or a traitor. Either way, he'll always be known as a controversial figure in American history.

      We are now obligated to ensure the safety and security of the Iraqi people until they can reconstitute their police and military forces. If we don't, we're going to have to do it a third time. Perhaps tactics in the field should change. Perhaps unconventional warfare should be less restricted. Perhaps we need a soldier on every street corner. Those are questions I won't even try to answer. But, right now, the fix isn't going to be found bitching online and spreading hate. We need to get this shit taken care of. We need to stick together and take care of eachother. And we really, realy need to bring about a positive result in Afghanistan and Iraq to make sure those lives were worth something.
      --
      SWM seeks new sig for a brief fling
    83. Re:Not like it matters by somersault · · Score: 1

      How many americans actually died because of terrorism on American soil at any other time than in 9/11? Saying that because nothing's happened since then that you have solved the problem seems a little strange - you're certainly not going to be soothing any terrorists, just enraging them further. With terrorism here in other places people tend to be a bit more diplomatic, though it's hard to be diplomatic against religious fanaticism as opposed to more standard terrorist units who are mere political fanatics.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    84. Re:Not like it matters by Jo+Owen · · Score: 1

      Thats basicaly the current law in the UK, there are certain exceptions, like having dope on you near children or schools etc, but you have to try hard to get arrested for just having it on you.

    85. Re:Not like it matters by srussell · · Score: 1
      Just because the war fails doesn't mean that tons of people who've never hurt anyone won't have their lives destroyed by it.

      I believe that the these wars are accomplishing exactly what the people who've instigated them wanted them to. As has been pointed out elswhere in responses to this story, these "wars" exist so that the powerful can prosecute and imprison people they don't like.

      If you're a liberal pot smoker, you go to jail.

      If you're a right-wing political pundit popping OxyContin, then boo-hoo, you have a drug addiction, and, well, you keep doing whatever you were doing before.

      If you're a coke-snorting son of a family of senators, you do some community service, go AWOL, get arrested for drunk driving, and eventually get your governor-brother to rig election results so that you can become president, and stab your own CIA operatives in the back.

      No, these wars and laws are a complete success.

      --- SER

    86. Re:Not like it matters by collectivescott · · Score: 1

      >Your crowd wouldn't be happy with the entire Iraq war and occupation costing one life, and you know it!

      You're right, I wouldn't be happy with the Iraq war no matter how many Americans die. It was an illegal war, and the public was duped into supporting it. Saddam was a son of a bitch, but that isn't reasonable justification to go to war, under international law. The fact that many Americans have died just makes it worse.

      You can't compare the invasion of Iraq with World War II, it just isn't at all similar. As far as the word disaster is concerned, was Katrina a disaster? Chernobyl? What's the magic number for disaster? Damn, its not like I called Iraq a Holocaust.

      I don't think that I'm exploiting dead people my mentioning their deaths. Do you think they would want to be forgotten? To have people afraid to suggest the administration should be ashamed of itself for causing them?

      >But, right now, the fix isn't going to be found bitching online and spreading hate.

      Dude, if I had the power to change the situation, it would be done yesterday. If you're telling me I shouldn't speak my mind, you can STFU. Thanks.

    87. Re:Not like it matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is actually in process. Called the IP Protection Act of 2006 (latest incarnation), there's verbage that would make the importation of MP3s illegal.

      Currently, importing MP3s for your own private use is not considered a crime. If IPPA passes, AllofMP3 goes from shades-of-grey to flat-out illegal.

  3. Finally! by halivar · · Score: 5, Funny

    A spirit of bipartisanship bridges the right and left in harmonious accord!

    *puke*

    1. Re:Finally! by pkcs11 · · Score: 0, Funny

      Bi-partisan bills are usually funded by a lobbiest. The word Lobby is really funny if you say it enough.

      --
      "I have an odd craving to whisper about those few frightful hours in that ill-rumored and evilly shadowed seaport of dea
    2. Re:Finally! by corbettw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A spirit of bipartisanship bridges the right and left in harmonious accord!

      I always get a kick when people complain about gridlock in Congress. Things like this remind me why gridlock is a good thing. The more they argue with each other, the fewer of our freedoms they can trample.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    3. Re:Finally! by SatanicPuppy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm sure glad they solved all the fricking important problems before they decided on going after streaming mp3s, because, really, when I think of all the things going wrong in the world today, streaming fricking mp3s are the absolute bottom of the list.

      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people, instead of just screwing us constantly. I'm waiting for them to just ban listening to music altogether.

      --
      ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
    4. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So true. They only agree when they're screwing us.

    5. Re:Finally! by timon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I'm reminded of Frank Herbert's stories about the Department of Sabotage - created to thwart the rest of the government so that rights and just plain common sense isn't trampled by the process.

      --
      Zero tolerance equals zero intelligence
    6. Re:Finally! by IAmTheDave · · Score: 1
      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people

      Damn right! Why don't I ever read Slashdot posting about Congress and go "now that's a good idea"??

      Where did this come from? What ever happened to being able to tape off of the radio? Will a bill disallowing CDR components from recording radio be coming around any time soon? Because with HD Radio and a CDR, I can do the same thing. Also illegal??

      This is absurdity to a new low. Somebody vote these pricks Feinstein and Graham out of office.

      --
      Excuse my speling.
      Making The Bar Project
    7. Re:Finally! by dsgitl · · Score: 1

      They're the lobbiest bunch of lobbyists that ever lobbied.

    8. Re:Finally! by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      This is why I argue for a strong House of Lords in the UK. If the Commons do something stupid, then the Lords can overrule it. If the Lords do something stupid then the population can just say 'well, you're not representative' and ignore them.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    9. Re:Finally! by miskatonic+alumnus · · Score: 1

      It will be worse than that. Just like the common organic solvent acetone was put on the DEA's watched list, we should soon be hearing tales of Radio Shack reporting suspicious activity to the Feds.

      "Hello, FBI. We just sold a couple of 2.7 microfarad capacitors to Joe Bloe. I think he might be a pirate!!!"

      "Yes sir, we've been watching him for some time. Thanks for being a good citizen. Your Wal-Mart coupon for the newest Britney Spears song will be arriving shortly."

    10. Re:Finally! by ChristTrekker · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's also an example of why the US needs more than just a Left and a Right. There is room for more than two parties - politics is not one-dimensional! But as long as the voting system inherently (through Duverger's Law) narrows the perception to "two major parties" we'll never have a truly healthy system that requires dialog, debate, and concensus-building.

    11. Re:Finally! by fm6 · · Score: 1
      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people, instead of just screwing us constantly.
      They do represent the people — the people who pay the campaign contributions!
    12. Re:Finally! by aplusjimages · · Score: 1

      When you become a big corporation, then you will get proper representation. Haven't you read the constitution or the Bill of Rights? ;)

      --
      Can I bum a sig?
    13. Re:Finally! by tycage · · Score: 1

      I'm waiting for them to just ban listening to music altogether.

      I suspect they would require us to listen to music instead and would require it be officially RIAA licenced music, which we could rent for a reasonable fee.

    14. Re:Finally! by chivo243 · · Score: 1

      A job for Jorg X. Mckie and co.? Count me in!

      --
      Sig Hansen?
    15. Re:Finally! by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people...

      They are representing the people that vote for and re-elect them. If they didn't, they wouldn't be in office. I do have a problem with a senator of California having so much power over the people of, say, New Hampshire. But that's the nature of the beast. It's what majority rule is all about. To them, the other 49% can die and rot.

      --
      What?
    16. Re:Finally! by Seby123456 · · Score: 1

      Unless of course the stupidity was in the election manifesto, when the Lords wont overrule it, or if the House of Commons decide they don't want the Lords to overrule it, when they will go and use the Parlament Act.

    17. Re:Finally! by Aidski · · Score: 1
      The word Lobby is really funny if you say it enough.

      Well, now I know the War on Drugs has failed.

    18. Re:Finally! by fossa · · Score: 1

      Being young and idealistic I completely agree with you. However, I know that our founders were intelligent and must have been aware of this problem. I've also heard hints at defenses of the two-party system, claiming it leads to consensus before the election implicitly assuming that is a good thing, but I've never seen or read an in-depth defense, and have certainly never heard it mentioned in mainstream news... So, what are the advantages of a two-party system enforced by our lame voting system? I'd like to suspect that, at the very least, a different voting system would encourage a larger voter turnout.

    19. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people, instead of just screwing us constantly. I'm waiting for them to just ban listening to music altogether.

      Damn! If only we had some way of picking the people we want to represent us... I should patent that idea!

    20. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gridlock is only good in the situation where the government is hostile and malicious towards the people they have sworn to serve. Which makes you question why these people are tolerated to govern at all, rather than say, grace the end of a swinging noose or have an appointment scheduled with madame guillotine.

    21. Re:Finally! by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

      On the contrary, Geo. Washington warned against partisan politics. (However, given that everyone is going to realize the economies of scale that go with joining other like-minded people, it was pretty naive to think they wouldn't form.) Also, the mathematical study of voting systems was just starting to be explored during their time. (Condorcet was a contemporary of the Founders.) I don't think the Founders realized that the voting system itself was inherently problematic.

    22. Re:Finally! by deathy_epl+ccs · · Score: 1

      I suspect they would require us to listen to music instead and would require it be officially RIAA licenced music, which we could rent for a reasonable fee.

      The media's dream of charging everybody every time they listen to a song really does feel like a growing potentiality...

    23. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Australia, where voting is compulsory, I always vote for one party in the lower house and the main opposition party in the upper house of parliament. If I can tie the bastards in knots so they can't achieve anything, then at least they can't achieve anything BAD!

    24. Re:Finally! by Genom · · Score: 1

      What I wouldn't give for someone in Congress to represent the people

      Agree 100%, but the current system works to distance those who "represent" from those they supposedly serve. A couple of radical changes that might help:

      1) Outlaw "campaign contributions" altogether, as this is pretty much legalized bribery. Companies or the rich should not have more power over the government than the average citizen. Removing the ability to leverage money as a means to influence is intended to balance the scales a bit. This would probably require some fairly intrusive monitoring of the finances of government officials, but since they're supposed to be representing *us*, I think it's fair to argue that their finances should be transparent.

      2) Determine a congressperson's salary as the average salary of the state/district they represent. If they want a raise, they need to raise that average. Making life better for their constituants makes their life better. This is intended to encourage them to think about what's best for their constituants, not just what's best for themselves, by making the two one and the same.

      Of course, we all know that'll never happen, but it would be a step closer to true representation of the *people*, rather than of the wealthy.

    25. Re:Finally! by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 1

      Determine a congressperson's salary as the average salary of the state/district they represent

      That is a really cool idea. And the best part is, that 'average income' would have to be calculated from the individual incomes the IRS can track, right? So increasing the income of corporations and the uber-rich, with untaxed and untaxable income, wouldn't apply towards that amount.

      --
      Dyolf Knip
    26. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gridlock is only good in the situation where the government is hostile and malicious towards the people they have sworn to serve

      Yes. But the thing is, that describes every government that has ever existed.

      Heh. My captcha word was "centrist."

  4. Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The fact is that people who scream about "special interests" seem not to consider that in a representative democracy like ours, EVERYONE is a "special interest."

    I am sure that this bill originated among the "special interests" that make proprietary streaming music formats. It will take the "special interests" of those who want to hold onto the freedom to stream media in whatever format is best, to convince them otherwise.

    --
    Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    1. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      representative democracy like ours

      I find it much easier to call us a Republic :D

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    2. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1

      FWIW, I do understand that we are "a republic, not a democracy." However, the term "democracy" and "democratic" are appropriate with reference to the "majority rules" feature of so much of how we are governed.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    3. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by IgLou · · Score: 1

      But this kind of thing can be shot down if enough people send the message to their politicians. If I was American I would use every avenue available to me to communicate how distasteful this act is.

      In fact I might be sending some stuff anyways to them to show that I want no such legislation like this to affect any Canadian net-caster and to ensure they are protected.

      I must say this is the most moronic thing I've heard in a long time. "We will protect artists by adding a middle man!" Look what that did to radio.

      --

      Oops, how did this get here?
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    4. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by adam.dorsey · · Score: 1

      I was under the impression that the interest of "the people" was the special interest that was most important.

      This seems to cater to the special interest of "the corporation".

      --
      You are still innocent until proven guilty. What's changed is what they do to innocent people. - notnAP, #26891325
    5. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      A true democracy is one where the people vote for the laws...We do not vote for the laws, we vote for people who vote for the laws. That is a republic.

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    6. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 2, Informative
      This seems to cater to the special interest of "the corporation"....

      Who is "the corporation?" I like Ben Stein's answer: "The widows and orphans."

      In their urge to oversimplify everything, people like to use the term "corporations" or "corporate interests" to signify some tiny but extremely powerful cabal who exercise inordinate influence, effectively enslaving "the little people."

      Now, there was a time when "big business" really was in the hands of a relative few: the Rockefellers, the Gettys, the Carnegies, etc. But that was more than a century ago.

      The fact is that "corporations" are made up of shareholders, including (in a great many instances) the people who work there. By a HUGE margin, the majority category of shareholder is the typical pension fund the beneficiaries of which are retirees or their surviving dependents.

      That's who primarily benefits from the success of corporate business. And yes, that even includes the petroleum business--who happen to be benefitting currently from the bidding-up of the price of their product by commodities traders in every country who are reacting (rightly or wrongly) to what they perceive to be the state of the world's affairs.

      In the end, there's no conspiracy to take all your stuff so that some CEO somewhere can have another yacht.

      Sorry.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    7. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Mindwarp · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The fact is that people who scream about "special interests" seem not to consider that in a representative democracy like ours, EVERYONE is a "special interest."

      Paraphrasing Orwell, "Everyone is a special interest. It's just that some are more special than others." Unfortunately for the man on the street, how special you are seems to equate directly with how much cash you have to throw at lobbyists.

      --
      The gift of death metal does not smile on the good looking.
    8. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 1

      No it isn't, and the people who parrot the "we're a republic, not a democracy" cliche are elitist authoritarians who understand little about history or government. The reality is that they are both rather broad terms and trying to claim that the United States is one or the other is like claiming that an apple is either red or round but not both.

    9. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by collectivescott · · Score: 4, Informative

      Are you serious? Stock dividends are pitiful compared to what they once were. The real money is in prediction of hype. The market sustains itself by drawing more money in, not returning it. The money isn't going to your grandma unless she picks the next microsoft or dell. Instead, the money is going into the hands of a relatively small group. The group is just a little larger now.

      http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/P110762.asp

      Guarenteed that all top oil execs are making tens of millions of dollars right now, once you throw in stock options, benefits, bonuses, and pensions. Meanwhile, it costs over 40 dollars to fill up your gas tank. Not that oil is unique, its just a good example. Which leads us to:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_stratificati on

    10. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by CreatureComfort · · Score: 4, Informative


      I understand your point. I can even logically follow along and agree with your arguement.

      But somehow, the CEO still ends up with the new yacht, and the pensions go unfunded...

      --
      "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
      Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
    11. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by larkost · · Score: 1

      You are forgetting one intermediate: Representative Democracy. And We are closest to a Representative Democracy, with the small exception that we do not directly elect a President... there is the whole electoral college mess (so it depends on you state). But in regards to House and Senate we are a Representative Democracy.

      The closest government to a true Democracy that I am aware of is Switzerland, who has enormous ballots every voting season, and even there they elect representatives for many functions.

      Once could also argue that we are much to inclusive about who we let vote to be a true Republic (with typical high barriers to citizenship such as in Rome).

    12. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Original+Replica · · Score: 1

      Actually we are a oligarchy. Only those that belong to one of two elite clubs can ever attain political power beyond the local level.

      --
      We are all just people.
    13. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by larkost · · Score: 2, Informative

      I don't think you are correct in the idea that wealth disparity has gone down in the US. I did a few minutes research and stumbled on the fact that in the 90's Bill Gates alone had more wealth than the bottom 40% of all Americans combined, and the #2, Warren Buffet, was right up there with him. The richest 1% have more than the bottom 90% combined.

      And I know that in the last decade these number have gotten more skued, not less. Even if you argue that there are not Carnage's or Rockafellers operating right now, the group effects are still the same.

    14. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 2, Funny

      No it isn't, and the people who parrot the "we're a republic, not a democracy" cliche are elitist authoritarians who understand little about history or government.

      Either that, or they're your typical slashdot idiot who learned all of life's important lessons from Civ 2.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    15. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Namronorman · · Score: 1

      I'd like to give living in Switzerland a try.

      --
      $fortune
      Tomorrow has been canceled due to lack of interest.
    16. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only 'special interests' are the liberals and their friends in the elitist media. Anyone not in those groups is, by definition, not a 'special interest'. God Bless George Bush and the Republican Party. They're the only ones left who represent the interests of the true, hard-working American.

    17. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by killjoe · · Score: 1

      "The richest 1% have more than the bottom 90% combined."

      Oddly enough they don't pay more then 90% of the taxes and still cry like babies that they are paying too much taxes.

      --
      evil is as evil does
    18. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1
      Are you serious? Stock dividends are pitiful compared to what they once were.

      Yeah, I guess that's why everyone's dumped all their stock from their 401k's.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    19. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1
      But somehow, the CEO still ends up with the new yacht...

      Whose business is that? The stockholders and their proxies, the directors. Who the h*ll cares? It's not my business, for example.

      Paraphrasing Ben Stein again, the typical Hollywood "star" or NFL player makes more per day than the typical CEO.

      What is the worth of an "entertainer," compared to someone responsible for the day-to-day running of a large business?

      Who contributes more, do you think?

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    20. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      The fact is that people who scream about "special interests" seem not to consider that in a representative democracy like ours, EVERYONE is a "special interest."

      Oh, well argued! You were listening in Social Studies, weren't you?

      Sadly for your little theory, not all special interests are created equal. If you examine the size and type of contributions given to our glorious "representatives," you, too, may discover that some interests are more special than others.

    21. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1
      Are you taking into account the fact that the pie is getting exponentially bigger?

      In my opinion, this "zero-sum game" model of economics is fallacious. But it's the one that the nay-sayers have to keep going back to, to make us think we're all getting poorer.

      Why do I care how many billions Gates has, as long as I'm free to pursue happiness in my way?

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    22. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      Well please enlighten us. I am far from an elitist authoritarian. On occasion called arrogant son-of-a-bitch, but definitly not elitist or authoritarian. From Dictionary.com

      republic

      A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president.
      A nation that has such a political order.
      A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.
      A nation that has such a political order. often Republic A specific republican government of a nation: the Fourth Republic of France. An autonomous or partially autonomous political and territorial unit belonging to a sovereign federation. A group of people working as equals in the same sphere or field: the republic of letters.

      So let's see, we got a president, we have a group of citizens who vote for representatives who are responsible to us (though they abuse this power). So yea i call that a republic.

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    23. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem, to put it in general terms, is that some little group goes to the government and lobbies hard to get a law passed that's worth, say, $10 million to them. That's $10 million out of the pockets of the rest of us, but with 100 million voters, it's only ten cents apiece. Who's going to bother lobbying congress for ten cents? So there's no opposition, and the group gets their ten million.

      Then another group comes along and does the same thing.

      And that, in a nutshell, is why democracies fail.

    24. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by CreatureComfort · · Score: 1


      As a stock holder in a dozen or so corporations, I can definitively say that all of the CEO's of said companies have been paid ludicrous amounts that are in no way based on the actual performance of my stock and investment in said companies. I also know that my 0.00000003% share of the company makes my voice non-exitent in the debate. The fact that 90+% of most companies shares are purchased by 1) Board of Director members, or 2) Invesment Fund Managers (who may also be members of BoD, or related to members or CEOs) means that many, many, many of the upper management compensation decisions are entirely based on elements that have no correlation to the quality of the job the people have done, but much more on the amount of corruption, inside information, and payola being passed around. I actually attended a couple annual shareholders meetings, thinking that I would then get some of the information that I heard financial analysts talking about, or that obviously some of the big investors had access to. Also thinking that I might have some influence on what I thought my company should be doing. HA!

      Sports, Hollywood, or other stars are selling their popularity, and presumably the advertisers and producers are getting a good return for their investment. I personnally do not think that my shares in Coca Cola are that enhanced by massive spending on sports endorsements. But at least the company appears to be trying to show some sort of fiscal responsibility towards the average shareholder.

      And you are right, if you own no stock, have no investment protfolio, no retirement fund, don't work for a public company, and have no pension to worry about, it is none of your business. First, I would weep for your future, except that my taxes will pay for your welfare. Second, as someone who participates in all of the above I have a great interest in how my assests are being used, as well as interest in what other companies are presenting as "standard" business practices.

      As far as relative value, when the CEO salary vs average worker ratio was 85 to 1 in 1990, I thought that was excessive. Now with the average at 431 to 1, it is so far beyond relative worth that the corruption is glaring.

      --
      "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
      Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
    25. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1
      If the stocks you own aren't performing, then ditch them and go elsewhere.

      You don't shoot all the cows in the field because some of them aren't producing milk.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    26. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by CreatureComfort · · Score: 1


      OK. Are you just a troll, or do you actually read the posts you reply to. Nothing in my post indicates that the stocks I own are performing poorly. I do quite well thank you. Just because the only game is town is corrupt, doesn't mean I'm not going to play, or profit from it.

      My entire point is that corruption and inequality (that's not equal pay, it is comparable pay for comparable effort) is endemic in our system and getting worse. I try to do a fair job in keeping my money in corporations that both perform well and that seem to follow my own ethics. This is getting more and more difficult, not because ethical companies perform poorly, it is just so hard to find them any more. Our system does not reward an ethical company over an unethical one in any meaningful way. It is easy to say, "If investors would use thier conscience they could make a difference," but in point of fact, the individual investors in the system have so little influence compared to the large investment houses, pension funds, and incestuous Boards of Directors and corporate management teams that there is almost no impact that can be made by an individual.

      --
      "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
      Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
    27. Re:Well, that's democracy for ya by Illbay · · Score: 1
      Okay, then I don't get your point. If the stocks are doing well, then that indicates that the folks hired to run the company are doing their jobs. If they're doing their jobs, then they're being paid the going rate accordingly, so it's a good deal.

      This notion of some "absolute" standard of how much is "too much" to be paid for something is ludicrous and, dare I say it, childish.

      Today, Mario Williams signed a contract to play football for the NFL Houston Texans. The contract is worth $54 million over six years, with about half of that "guaranteed" over the first three years.

      To me, that's "too much" to pay someone to run around on a football field chasing a similarly highly-paid quarterback, attempting to knock him to the ground.

      But who gives a ****? That's the way of the world; that's the free-enterprise system in all its glory and with all its warts. It would no more cross my mind to "demand" that "something be done" to make sure that CEOs and other corporate types be paid according to some arbitrary standard that I think is fair, than it would to protest Mario Williams' contract.

      So I just don't get this argument at all. Who the **** cares?

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
  5. This is a GOOD thing. by gasmonso · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is yet another reason for artists not to sign with the RIAA and its cronies. This will drive a more consumer oriented driven alternative to this crap. It's just a matter of time... som long as they keep doing stuff like this.

    http://religiousfreaks.com/
    1. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by FleshMuppet · · Score: 1
      This is yet another reason for artists not to sign with the RIAA and its cronies. This will drive a more consumer oriented driven alternative to this crap. It's just a matter of time... som long as they keep doing stuff like this.

      What? This has nothing to do with the RIAA, and it eliminates consumer choice rather than driving it. If you had read the article (or even the summary), you would have learned that the bill seemingly limits how webcasters can distribute their media, locking them into DRM-enabled formats. I don't see what it has to do with who artists sign with- if anything, it adversely effects the independant distribution channels more than the ones advocated by the major labels.

    2. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      Yea, because when some record label says "we are giving you $1 million dollars, but we will then own you" the poor starving artist is going to say "uhm no, my music is free"...right.

      This law sucks - it will just make it more easy for the RIAA/MPAA to say "look those evil pirates broke ANOTHER one of your laws, now you should ban all streaming media including buying music online...dammit they have to buy our price fixed cds...err i mean our reasonably priced cds"

      What we need is for our gov't to start working for us, not the person who can give them 10,20,50,100 thousand dollars.

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    3. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by Alsee · · Score: 1

      Wong. This is a BAD thing.

      This bill means that non-RIAA music will be forced into stupid DRM scheme formats.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    4. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by joshsisk · · Score: 1

      "This will drive a more consumer oriented driven alternative to this crap."

      Actually, this will make those alternatives illegal.

    5. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by soupdevil · · Score: 1

      The number of artists who get a seven figure advance is very, very tiny. Most artists sign everything away based on a promise of promotion for one album and one tour.

    6. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you realize that you completely and utterly missed the point?

      The reason "this is yet another reason not to sign with the RIAA is that artists don't want to be associated with this crap. All it does it pisses off consumers. That is ALL it accomplishes. The pirates will get their stuff some other way. This has nothing to do with the RIAA? Who do you think funded this bill...

    7. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      This has nothing to do with the RIAA...

      FTA: "Today, webcasters that want to transmit major label music are entitled to do so under a statutory license..." emphasis mine

      Sounds like RIAA to me...

      --
      What?
    8. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by LesPaul75 · · Score: 1

      There may be a hundred reasons not to sign with an RIAA label, but it doesn't matter. There is one and only one reason to sign with them: they control all of mass media. That prety much trumps everything else, including whatever high moral standards an artist may have.

      The RIAA and their record labels control what is played on the radio and what is played on MTV and everything else. The reason every 14-year-old bought Britney Spear's last album is because they had it drilled into their head 24 hours a day, seven days a week through every form of media available.

      And that's why you see ridiculous legislation like this, and the broadcast flag, and the "INDUCE" act. The RIAA controls the media, and they have an infinite supply of money to buy legislation to make sure that they stay in control of the media.

      It's all pretty impressive, really. Record execs don't buy big houses, they buy big islands, literally. Think about it... So 50-Cent just bought a new solid gold Bentley with 57" wheels. Then think about the fact that he gets less than a dollar out of every one of his CDs that sells. So what does that tell you about the guy who signs his checks? And then think about the fact that every major artist you see on MTV or hear on the radio is donating 95% of their revenue to the record companies and the RIAA. Got an idea of what you're up against now?

      So do whatever you want -- vote for or against some puppet congressman, but just KNOW that the RIAA owns everything, including the congressman that comes in to replace the guy who you voted out of office. Don't like it? Tough titties. If you want to fight them, find a way to amass hundreds of billion dollars and start competing with them for airtime on MTV, radio, and satellite radio. Or, just stop paying for their shitty music and let them rot.

    9. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by statusbar · · Score: 1

      Okay, so if I write my own music and stream it from my own web server, would this law affect me?

      --jeffk++

      --
      ipv6 is my vpn
    10. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      And if they do well, they get another album and another tour. An album/tour contract is an artists dream. The music labels need to put a LOT of upfront money. In every business model, if a VC puts all the upfront money they have the most amount of control (unless they dont want it). It is fair, if the artist doesn't like the deal, he can sponser the first tour/album with his own money.

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    11. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by Alsee · · Score: 1

      if I write my own music and stream it from my own web server, would this law affect me?

      No, it's not so broad as that (thank god LOL). However I seriously doubt you can individually create a large enough library of songs to run anything resembing radio. You'd be playing the same handfull of songs twelve times a day, over and over.

      This bill would modify the section of law addressing the general internet radio provisions. In the general "radio" model it is not practical to engage in individual legal negotiations with thousands of artists over thousands of individual songs. Radio operates on a blanket stautory license establishing a single legal basis and authorisation for all of the copyright issues at once.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    12. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by statusbar · · Score: 1

      Well, yes, I wouldn't be able to write that much. But Nettwerk has an internet radio station and broadcasts their own talent...
      --jeffk++

      --
      ipv6 is my vpn
    13. Re:This is a GOOD thing. by Alsee · · Score: 1

      I count 92 artists, which is borderline for running a single highly consrained station. That's pretty bad for running even just a single radio station, and it certainly is not a model that supports a large rich healthy ecosystem of thousands of net radios. It would exterminate college radio and virtually 100% of any other stations.

      The new law makes it all but impossible for general net radio to operate without imposing mandatory DRM formats.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  6. Bah! by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    e.g., Windows Media or Real

    This won't happen - the Mac community will never allow it... iPods 95% of the market, etc etc... ;-)

    --
    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
    1. Re:Bah! by dcowart · · Score: 2, Informative

      You are forgetting that while iPod/iTunes can play MP3's, AAC, and it's associated DRM, will be required and MP3's will be phased out. Then it will be a fight between your favorite DRM'ed format.

      --
      www.rdex.net
    2. Re:Bah! by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      RIAA CEO "We must make it harder for these people to get streaming music, as opposed to CD's."

      Senator "But 95% of MP3 holders use iPods and they demand streaming music"

      RIAA CEO "Mr Senator, please accept $10,000 as a donation to your next election".

      Senator "Oh, but the people really don't know what's best. We need to stop the evil pirates. That is why they voted me into office"

      RIAA CEO "Oh and speaking of, maybe we can help the process by banning all streaming media"

      Senator "but why?"

      RIAA CEO "Oh look another check for your campaign finance. Is $20,000 good?"


      Queue Mac community

      "Hmm guys, everyone should donate $1 to help bribe our Senators to vote our way"....

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
    3. Re:Bah! by qbwiz · · Score: 1

      I doubt that limiting streaming internet music to WMA or Real will significantly limit the ability of the iPod to stream music off of the internet.

      --
      Ewige Blumenkraft.
    4. Re:Bah! by deathcode · · Score: 1

      You're totally out of topic!!! the article is about streaming MP3!!! not about Ipods...!!! and Ipod has nothing to do with streaming... podcast is not streaming audio... the law will affect online radios that broadcast music online. READ!!!!!!!!!!!!

    5. Re:Bah! by nugneant · · Score: 2, Insightful

      While I agree with where you're coming from, I must unfortunately call "bullshit" on this +1 Insightful character of the senator. I believe the situation would more likely go:

      RIAA CEO "We must make it harder for these people to get streaming music, as opposed to CD's."

      Senator "...Streaming...?"

      RIAA CEO "Mr Senator, please accept $10,000 as a donation to your next election".

      Senator "Oooh, greenie shiny..."

      RIAA CEO "Oh and speaking of, maybe we can help the process by banning all streaming media"

      Senator "...streaming...?"

      RIAA CEO "Oh look another check for your campaign finance. Is $20,000 good?"

      Remember, with very few exceptions, the majority of senators (and, for the most part, U.S. politicians in general) are, basically, old droolbags who "look" and "sound" the part. Image is everything, philosophy is just a stream of buzzwords and party ties. I'd be very surprised if more than five of them knew what CBR and VBR stood for, or what the general process of each is (and this is hardly rocket science).

      Heck, I'd be surprised if a single politician even knew what ROT-13 was, much less how to decode it ("wait... you mean I click the... wait wait... file... edit? no no, wait... okay... so I go to 'decode, RTF, I mean, 'ROT-13''... wait, but how do I know when the file is 'ROT-13'?").

      Anyway, with the above corrections, I'd say the scenario is more than likely. The Californian Feingold has always struck me as a particularly nasty old witch, but I can't exactly recall why at the moment. Probably some dumbshit Tipper Gore "save the children" routine -- oh, maybe she was the one who started the "NO BAD VIDEOGAMES TO MINORS MUST 'PROTECT' ALL CHILDREN!!!1!" bill in California? Eh, whatever. Fucking cunt. I'd throw her to the lions if this was a truly Roman Democracy-No-Wait-Republic-I-Mean-Democracy-I-Mean -Fuck-It-Where's-That-Julius-Guy-Let-Him-Run-The-D amn-Show. : D



      yes, called a Democrat a "fucking cunt"... probably get -1 flamebait from the do-meaning well-gooders in a heartbeat... so much for an "alternative" party - demoncrats can be just as bugfuck robotic as repubicans

    6. Re:Bah! by AviLazar · · Score: 1

      You have a point, most of those senators have no clue. But hopefully, they have a staff that has someone who does have a clue (odds are they do considering the amount of staff members).....hmm what is CBR/VBR? I am pretty good with computers, electronics, etc but I don't know this. Now my personality drives me to look it up.

      Now ROT-13 - i know what that is representative of, though not it's exact definition.

      The lions sound good about now! Long live the Republic! Hail Ceasar!

      --

      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
  7. like foie gras by MoFoQ · · Score: 2, Interesting

    again...this is like the ban on foie gras (fatty goose liver) in Chicago.

    don't they have better and more important issues to work out instead of "PERFORM"-ing for their lobbying bedroom buddies?

    heck...Canadian Artists are against DRM. link: http://www.musiccreators.ca/

    in fact, govt should stay out of it....and it should be between the webcasters and the artists to hammer out a deal.

    1. Re:like foie gras by Homestar+Breadmaker · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How is it like that at all? There isn't even a vague passing resemblence.

    2. Re:like foie gras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry. I forgot to bribe, er Pay my congress critter today. Guess he'll suckle on the RIAA's teat for now.

    3. Re:like foie gras by MoFoQ · · Score: 1

      it's similar in that the Mayor of Chicago commented that there are better things that the City Council can and should be doing than banning foie gras.

    4. Re:like foie gras by TallMatt · · Score: 1

      Agreed. You would think that other problems (immigration, energy prices, ect.) would be more important than this crap. Ohhh wait, these are politicians so nothing really makes sense...

    5. Re:like foie gras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or the oil companies'

    6. Re:like foie gras by resonantblue · · Score: 2, Insightful

      foie gras was not about banning food, it was about banning animal cruelty. foie gras is producted by force feeding birds by holding their mouth open. their livers get to something like 10x their normal size. pretty disgusting stuff. maybe you think it's not important, but i'm all for banning cruelty of such proportions. ... but i digress.

    7. Re:like foie gras by MoFoQ · · Score: 1
      but i digress.


      err...that was the Mayor's point and my point as well.

      but then again...what about the non-free range chickens?
    8. Re:like foie gras by resonantblue · · Score: 1

      the point is foie gras is not a totally trival issue. or at the very least, i wanted to express my personal sentiments about how i don't believe that particular legislation was a waste of time as you folks were insinuating.

      the free range chickens (or lack there of) is probably another valid issue too , but i suppose progress comes one step at a time.

    9. Re:like foie gras by MoFoQ · · Score: 1

      I didn't (nor did the Mayor of Chicago) say that it was trivial...just that there are other things that take priority over it.

      It's like a fire-fighter asking what you want for lunch tomorrow when your house is on fire.

      Energy crisis, war in Iraq, wiretaps, crime, etc. should take priority over banning of cruel foreign delicacies or renaming fries to "freedom fries" as a manner of law.

      has no one told you not to eat your dessert before you finish your dinner?

      once you get the big issues resolved, then you can work on others including symbolic ones.

    10. Re:like foie gras by resonantblue · · Score: 1

      foie gras is not difficult legislation. it doesn't seem like it's particularly difficult to ban.

      at least it's not nearly as complex as issues like the war in iraq, wiretaps, and energy action.

      there's no reason why we have to solve every single major problem in the world like poverty and world hunger before we can handle an issue as easy to legislate as this one.

      my point is that you should prioritize important issues, but not completely ignore smaller issues either. being on slashdot, i can make the analogy of the linux kernel's scheduler -- round robin through different priorties, giving high priorities more time meanwhile never completely ignoring smaller priortity queues ;-)

    11. Re:like foie gras by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      once you get the big issues resolved, then you can work on others including symbolic ones.

      Unfortunately, while that sounds good in theory, in practice it means that you get as far as banning murder, rape, robbery, etc and then spend the rest of time trying to stamp them out before moving on to the lesser issues.

      As another poster points out, banning foie gras doesn't take a lot of effort. Sure, it doesn't make a huge difference to the world either, but it's worth doing the little things as well as the big things, imho.

  8. In other news by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Congress is examining a new law aimed at prohibiting the pillow to the cool side, citing concerns from air-conditionner makers for reduced sales.

    1. Re:In other news by digitalunity · · Score: 4, Insightful

      How is this off-topic?

      I'm sick to f'ing death of an *extremely* miniscule population(the content-owners) twisting our politicians into knots like voodoo dolls. I'm not sure who to blame more, the politicians or the media companies... They should be sent to Gitmo(I'm completely not even joking, either).

      This protectionism is harmful to the citizens of our country. It will provide marginal reductions in piracy, but will completely obliterate the distribution channel for music where the artists want their music to be free. Is it truly necessary to destroy the freedom of 99% of the people so that a few already-rich people can attempt to squeeze that last penny from people?

      --
      You can't legislate goodness. Let each to his own destiny, by will of his freely made choices.
    2. Re:In other news by ghostfacehallik · · Score: 1

      This is why we still have the right to bear arms. When the government fails to protect its citizens they are obligated to revolt. Anyone ready for that? Most people b*#ch moan and complain but at the end of the day they go right on doing what they always do, go to work and make that money. Life is too good for most people, they are not willing to give up what they already have. When people get fed up enough to do something insted of talking/complaining about the situation I will be ready will you? The middle class is shrinking folks.

  9. the last part.. by zyte · · Score: 0

    uhhh, could I get that last part in binary?

  10. vote out the incombents! by Hes+Nikke · · Score: 1

    i probably wouldn't be voting for her anyway bacuse she's the incombent, but feinstein just forfitted any posibility of earning my vote.

    DOWN WITH CARRIER POLITICIANS!

    --
    Don't call me back. Give me a call back. Bye. So yeah. But bye our, well, but alright we are on a shirt this chill.
    1. Re:vote out the incombents! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given Feinstein's track record, about the only thing she has earned is the possibility of being sniped from 200 yards. She's one of the biggest enemies of liberty in the Senate.

    2. Re:vote out the incombents! by TheAngryMob · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's right! DO NOT re-elect Senator USS Nimitz!

      --

      Don't just game, Dungeoneer
    3. Re:vote out the incombents! by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      I think you're kicking a dead horse.

      Carrier pigeons have been extinct for some time.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    4. Re:vote out the incombents! by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Senator USS Nimitz is an incombent? That is astounding news! I had heard that he was merely in the hounds of the cooperatives.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  11. WTF! They spend fucking tax dollars on this shit?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why are they spending tax dollars on this kind of crap legislation! Two ASS sentors who haven't a clue. If someone is playing something it can be recorded even with the most secure format ever invented! How? Easy, i can record what I fucking hear you twits.

    jesus i fucking hate california and the dumbasses who are in it, i need to move outa here back to the east coast, oh wait more dumbasses there too, midwest, fuck more dumbasses there too. Canada?! double dumbasses there! eh ;)

  12. Good news! by Lord_Slepnir · · Score: 5, Funny
    This is actually good news. Now I only have to worry about cracking one or two formats, instead of a whole bunch of them!

    In the words of Louis Black: "This is Congress doing the people's work. The people's stupid, stupid work.

    1. Re:Good news! by fm6 · · Score: 1
      Why do you need to crack any formats?

      Seriously though, once they force everybody to use DRM, you're not going to find streams that easy to crack. DVDs would still be unrippable if the design of CSS hadn't been botched. That's not a mistake the industry is likely to repeat.

    2. Re:Good news! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Not so, the music and/or video needs to be decrytped at some point. It is almost impossible to keep it from being explotied under such a situation. Its only a matter of time (and a few clever people), mark my words ;)

    3. Re:Good news! by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

      sort of like how HDCP won't be broken?

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
  13. The only thing worse than a rabid political divide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...is bipartisanship.

    When democrats and republicans get together on anything, its time to get worried.

  14. www.lp.org by Kylere · · Score: 1

    Glad to see that when practicing ignorance our government can be nonpartisan

    A republican and a democrat together for the greater good of the RIAA and their parent organization the Mafia. Vote Libertarian!

    1. Re:www.lp.org by goldspider · · Score: 1

      Blah blah blah greedy blah blah blah Republican blah blah blah marijuana blah blah blah unrealistic blah blah blah vasted vote.

      Now that that's out of the way, let's have some honest discussion about the merits of th ird parties, OK?

      --
      "Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
    2. Re:www.lp.org by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I whole heartedly agree.

      I've been voting Libertarian for years, because unlike the Republicans or Democrats, the Libertarians value rights. I'm just waiting for the day when others will wake up to the idea that we can't get what we want with the current two parties. They're all bought and paid for politicians.

    3. Re:www.lp.org by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, it's a shame I've been wasting my votes for so long - I voted LP for the first time in the last election...

    4. Re:www.lp.org by eexlebots · · Score: 1

      hey leave the Mafia out of this!

      --
      ***
  15. mplayer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Mplayer can dump Windows Media streams (and others!) just fine.

    1. Re:mplayer by spacefight · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not the one with DRM on it.

    2. Re:mplayer by vTalon · · Score: 1

      Mplayer can dump Windows Media streams (and others!) just fine.

      Mplayer won't necessarily be able to play an encrypted stream. And DRMed files are encrypted -- the DRM wouldn't work if they weren't.

      Somebody will either have to write a hack, or you'd have to run proprietary windows software on WINE to get a DRM-ed stream to work in Linux (and you might not even be able to get the proprietary software to work on WINE).

      This bill really sucks.

  16. Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by dasunst3r · · Score: 2

    I think we need some sort of blacklist where we keep track of these politicians, and come election time, vote these n00bs out of office. What do you think?

    1. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by RexRhino · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, because if you are Democrat, you aren't going to vote for a Republican in order to vote against the blacklisted politician. And if you are a Republican, you are not going to vote for a Democrat. Either way you will make some excuse why it is OK to vote for the pro-DRM candidate ("Well, I gotta vote for Fienstien or otherwise the Republicans will win, and we can't let that!").

    2. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Aqua_boy17 · · Score: 1

      Trouble is, by an large they are not n00bs. They're the entrenched establishment. Anyone who is naive enough to think that we in the US have a representative form of government anymore is delusional.

      --
      What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
    3. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh come on. Every couple years we are told to "vote the bums out." So we do. And who replaces them? More politicians from the same pool.

      Who should we be voting in?

    4. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by rob1980 · · Score: 1

      The "anybody but this guy" mentality doesn't work, otherwise Bush wouldn't be president now.

    5. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by flooey · · Score: 1

      I think we need some sort of blacklist where we keep track of these politicians, and come election time, vote these n00bs out of office. What do you think?

      You might want to look at ipaction.org.

    6. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by robogymnast · · Score: 1

      I think we need some sort of blacklist where we keep track of these politicians, and come election time, vote these n00bs out of office. What do you think?

      I think it might be easier to just keep track of the few who aren't puppets of some lobbyist :(

      --
      unzip ; strip ; touch ; grep ; find ; finger ; mount ; fsck ; more ; yes ; fsck ; umount ; sleep
    7. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by SScorpio · · Score: 1
      The new IPac interest group is doing just that. It's run from someone in the EFF and they are trying to promote and lobby sane tech bills. They will also list representative who are proposing bad tech laws that take your rights, and promote representatives who are upholding them. They recently sent out 12 iPods to Senators who are in influental positions for copywrite laws to show them what some of the bills the RIAA is promoting will prohibit.

      Please help support them. And I'm surprised we haven't really heard much about them on Slashdot. http://www.ipaction.org.

    8. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Khammurabi · · Score: 1
      I think we need some sort of blacklist where we keep track of these politicians, and come election time, vote these n00bs out of office.
      They already do:

      http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/ senators_cfm.cfm http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
    9. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by CoderDog · · Score: 1

      I think that after more than 200 years of trying to legistlate morality, they'd finally see it doesn't work. Then maybe they'd think, "Gee legistlating technoloy won't either and sets up a preferred vendor class where there's no good reason to do so."

      I also think all prospective candidates for office should be required to take an IQ test before their name goes on the ballot. If their IQ score isn't higher than the fahrenheit temperature of my icebox, they don't get to run. Period. I call this the "Smart People on Ice" test.

      This testing should also be extended to appointees. If things were currently run this way, the entire Bushit crowd and 3/4 of the rest of the house and senate would be back on the sidewalk selling pencils. Of course, if the test were extended to voters, there'd be a very small pool of qualified voters (As evidenced by the listener rankings frequently posted on the Drudge Report page.) But there's good news to that, too: the remaining voters wouldn't be complete and total neocon tools.

    10. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by nugneant · · Score: 1

      Green.

    11. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by (H)elix1 · · Score: 1

      No, because if you are Democrat, you aren't going to vote for a Republican in order to vote against the blacklisted politician. And if you are a Republican, you are not going to vote for a Democrat. Either way you will make some excuse why it is OK to vote for the pro-DRM candidate ("Well, I gotta vote for Fienstien or otherwise the Republicans will win, and we can't let that!").

      Or, just not vote. It is not like it matters anymore unless you have lobby money. (my take at this point)

      Hell, I'm a republican - just wish Bush and many others were as well. Judging most of the actions of most of the republican incumbents in office, all branches (as well as State) seem to forget what "small government" is all about.... Why would the other side be any different?

    12. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Hell, I'm a republican - just wish Bush and many others were as well. Judging most of the actions of most of the republican incumbents in office, all branches (as well as State) seem to forget what "small government" is all about.... Why would the other side be any different?

      As a Republican, I actually think we were better off under Clinton than we are under Bush*. Obviously, Bush is one of the worst presidents we've ever had, but the Republican controlled congress only exacerbates the problem, instead of acting as a check on the Bush administration. I'm definitely going to vote democrat in the upcoming Congressional Election.

      *What we really need is another Reagan.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    13. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Actually, legislating morality does work . . . . if what you're trying to do is get votes from the Religious Right.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    14. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by shmlco · · Score: 1

      I'm a registered Republican and I voted for Kerry not because I knew I wanted Kerry, but because I knew I absolutely, positively, DID NOT WANT BUSH.

      Some people will vote party lines no matter what. It's the swing votes in the middle that count.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    15. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Join with me christen white supremists and recite our holy chant!

      White Trash!

      White Trash!

      White Trash!

      Thanks! A $30 donation for the Bud tallnecks is requested at the exit.

    16. Re:Vote these n00bs out, plzthx. by Dark_Gravity · · Score: 1

      No, because if you are Democrat, you aren't going to vote for a Republican in order to vote against the blacklisted politician. And if you are a Republican, you are not going to vote for a Democrat. Either way you will make some excuse why it is OK to vote for the pro-DRM candidate ("Well, I gotta vote for Fienstien or otherwise the Republicans will win, and we can't let that!").

      Could we just stop being pussies and vote Libertarian so we can end this subjugation and subterfuge once and for all?

  17. No competition by ericlondaits · · Score: 1

    I don't think this bill will go very far, as it'd actually create a monopoly of the standard with the highest level of restrictions and virtually eliminate competition.

    And even though there'd be great economic interest in creating a standard with a higher level of restriction than the one in use, it'd be a difficult market since you risk loosing all potential customers when a better competing standard is actually introduced.

    --
    As a Slashdot discussion grows longer, the probability of an analogy involving cars approaches one.
    1. Re:No competition by mooingyak · · Score: 1

      Actually, you could just make the law effectively shut down all streaming music by simply creating a format that is so restrictive you can't actually listen to it (because you might record the audio then).

      --
      William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
  18. Darn by hurfy · · Score: 1

    So that means my business model of making vinyl albums recorded off webcasts isn't gonna fly?

    This is to keep people from using a stream to supply mp3 for download? We need a whole new law to protect the 2 albums that aren't available on BT somewhere?

    If someone is receiving this stream legitimately and they change to another format, they can't sanitize it and share it anyway if thats what they were gonna do? Those other formats aren't that secure are they?

  19. *ahem* *cough* .... by bizitch · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... analog hole *ahem* ...

    --
    ---- "Logoff! That cookie shit makes me nervous!" - A. Soprano
    1. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Personally I'd enjoy plugging another hole in some politicians...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by Threni · · Score: 1

      *cough*..host in a free country. Well, any country apart from the US, it would appear. But I repeat myself.

    3. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by jskline · · Score: 1

      The only problem with that is once you plug the other hole up, it will begin to expand and eventually burst. Spewing forth a lot more mess all over the place. Then multiply this by the sheer number of them needing this treatment...

      I can't stand to think about it... Wouldn't be able to visit DC for many years and your local state offices would reek of it too...

      I'd hate to think of the prospect of something like "The Thing" coming forth then from all that mess... and creating hundreds of thousands more "creatures" that would just come back to do this all over again.

      lol

      --
      All content in this message is copyright (c) 2008. All rights reserved. RIAA is prohibited here.
    4. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At this point in time I would get more satisfaction by putting holes IN a few politicians :)

    5. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Now, THAT would be some collateral damage I could accept...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:*ahem* *cough* .... by JollyFinn · · Score: 1
      Personally I'd enjoy plugging another hole in some politicians...

      I wouldn't consider plugging any of the politicians enjoyable.

      --
      Emacs is good operating system, but it has one flaw: Its text editor could be better.
  20. Feinstein: supports H1-Bs, hates mp3s .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    She's got her priorities wrong but so do most of the Democrats.
    The Republicans are pretty much out to lunch, too.

    Why can't these guys listen to their constituents instead of their campaign contributers.

    They keep doing the "fuck the average joe" kind of crap and then piously campaign on "being the friend of the working man".

    Maybe we can dump some of these clowns in November.

    1. Re:Feinstein: supports H1-Bs, hates mp3s .... by nugneant · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but these days questioning a Democrat is obviously a troll because Bush blah blah oil blah blah conservative evil blah blah blah religious right blah blah war Carter (D) started the draft up again oops I mean blah blah PATRIOT act (all Bush's fault of course, totally not the House or the Senate) blah blah Iraq blah blah Clinton (D) made it legal to send people to Syria for torture oops I mean uhhhh REPUBLICAN BAD ANYTHING BUT THIS GUY A VOTE FOR GREEN IS A VOTE FOR RED HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.



      ...sorry. I just need to hear someone say that every now and again... or as most say, "get that off my chest". Sigh... and my Karma was Good, too...

    2. Re:Feinstein: supports H1-Bs, hates mp3s .... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      "Carter (D) started the draft up again"

      we have a draft?

      Clinton made it legal for people from the middle east to be rendered. To satisfy the egyptians and avoid international law.

      I don't agree with it, but that is a lot different then rendering your own people.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Feinstein: supports H1-Bs, hates mp3s .... by nugneant · · Score: 1

      we have a draft?

      Yes.. To be technical, what we now have is mandatory registration for a board that may or may not later on decide to make use of all this data. You see a fuss and a holler every time omg evil M$ collects user information, but I find this far more disturbing.

      The brief, summarized draft history, for those unable/unwilling to click the hyperlink:

      1) Draft for WWI
      2) Peacetime draft pre-WWII when it was pretty obvious America would be fighting at some point. Interesting note: "12 months" quickly became "18 months" in 1941, and "six months post-war" once the US got involved. For those of you posting about the Government going down the toilet - sorry, but it's pretty much always been this way.
      3) Peacetime draft on until the 60s (see also: Elvis)
      4) Barry Goldwater (R) proposes ending the draft in 1964. See also "Hey, Hey, LBJ, How Many Kids Did You Kill Today".
      5) Draft ends in 1973 - oddly enough, under the term of "evil" "Republican" Richard M. Nixon.
      6) In 1980, acting as the lame duck President, Jimmy Carter (D) signs the people's rights away by starting the Selective Service System.
      7) In 1986, under the Presidency of Ronald Reagan (R), the last prosecution for failure to register for the draft was made.

      Clinton made it legal for people from the middle east to be rendered. To satisfy the egyptians and avoid international law.

      I don't agree with it, but that is a lot different then rendering your own people.


      Khaled Masri. German Citizen. Eskimo Spy. (or whatever the actual case may be) I assume you're not going to deny the ongoing process of globalization - being that you sound (no offense currently intended) party-line "liberal" and all, and this is one of those things that everybody from the "left" goes on about (yes, in case my quotes don't make it obvious, I find the entire duality perspective incredibly distasteful - but if the words have meaning for some, then why not use them?) - however, a side effect of this globalization is that the lines between "German citizen" and, uh, the American Government's "own people" (which is, frankly, an offensive term to be using - I am not property of the Government, nor do I consider it my own - until the time comes when it acts on my personal, actual interest) are blurred. It's a small step from giving some German guy an enema and a trip to the Punishment Facility to kidnapping an American Muslim, and another small step from kidnapping him to kidnapping a political activist, whistleblower, or member of Fugazi - and a small step from that to grabbing that annoying Michael Moore guy and treating him to a special, private screening of Farenhate 9/11.

      And who do we have to thank for these human rights abuses? Oh, yes, the hero of Student Idiots^H^H^H^H^H^HDemocrats from coast to coast. And, gee, let me see... before the government started torturing people, how many attacks were made on American soil? Like, none? Maybe one if you count Pearl Harbor as soil. Maybe two if the first WTC bombing came before this bill - which would not surprise me, since Clinton's middle name (and, as far as I'm concerned, and with the usual Russ "Gold, not Stein" Feingold exception, the entire Democratic Party's) is "wet 'em". And let's see, afterwards, there was a huge terrorist attack, a bunch of poorly educated Midwesterners and naive Republocrats living in fear, and a growing, relentless push towards anal retentivity in all facets of life - from the obvious plane flights to the less obvious - bringing bottled "water" to a sports game, or sneaking in covert recording equipment to a concert.

      Your vote. Your choice. Is "not the other guy" really enough?

  21. America Government by and for the Corporations... by haplo21112 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...as an individual you have no rights what so ever. Our government has been taken over by the Corporate Lobby. He who has the deepest pockets gets the laws passed that they want passed. The average individual gets screwed, because he has no voice, and no way to influence ($$$$$$$) his elected officals. We the people get to vote to put him there, but after that the Corporations get to decide what that elected person actually decides on our behalf.

    The dishonorable Sentator John "I am a Jackass" Kerry proved all this to me once. Thank God that Son of Satan didn't become President.
    I wrote him a carefully worded letter expressing my opinions as someone whom he represents (BULLSHIT, he represents Disney, et al). I got a very nicely worded form letter in return which basically told me I could go to hell, and that the rights of the Corporations were far more important than mine to free speech and fair use.

    --
    Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
  22. Where do I fit into all this? by t0qer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm an AOL sponsored NSV (nullsoft streaming video) station. The reason I ask "Where do I fit into this" is my station rides the grey line of copyright and licensed music... I broadcast people singing from a karaoke bar.

    Our audio is broadcasted using ACCP, because the sound quality is fantastic. Let's say for a minute though, we decided to broadcast back into vp3 video and mp3 audio (so linux/macs could watch)

    Is this really copyright infringement? Or are we semi protected by parody exemptions? Nearly %100 of karaoke music is reproduced backing tracks, made by the karaoke companies in their studios. Add in that 1/2 these folks couldn't carry a tune to save their lives, it's actually pretty funny and amusing to watch.

    I'm only slightly worried, Feinstien sounds like she doesn't know WTF she's talking about. Add to that i've got AOL behind me, and she can kiss my ass. Seriously though, i'm riding a grey line of copyright here, anyone have any insights or thoughts?

    --toq

    1. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by ikekrull · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Assuming the ASCAP fees have been paid for the rights to the music in question have been paid, its your karaoke singers you need to be mindful of here.

      If you are broadcasting these people's performances without getting them to sign a release you can probably be sued by any/all of them for violating their performers rights.

      You aren't legally allowed to do what youre doing without the explicit permission of the performers.

      Basically, it sounds to me like you, and AOL are committing criminal acts under the letter of US law.

      --
      I gots ta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long
    2. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by t0qer · · Score: 2, Informative

      The law says if you plan on taping/broadcasting people you need to hang a sign in a conspicous place. We have a nice big 6' x 1' vinyl banner (printed at kinkos) to the right of the stage, as well as signs placed at the entrance that says folks are being broadcasted.

      In addition, we don't force anyone wanting to sing to be on camera. We encourage it, but don't force it. We use wireless mics, so if folks don't feel like being on cam, they can simply sing from their seats (we only have 1 person that does that because she's self concious about her weight)

      The bar pays about $1500 a year in ASCAP/BMI/SESAC fee's for public performance, and AOL has their own deals with these agencies in addition to soundexchange.

      So basically, we're covered. Going back to my original question though, since we are on the grey line, if this law passes, are we going to be *required* by law to start using a DRM format?

      This would be very detrimental to my broadcasts since in order to record the broadcasts (for later playback when the bar closes) we use streamripper32. If I could not use streamripper to record the live events (which I guess puts this into a whole new realm) we'd be fucked. What about other live broadcasters using the shoutcast system? Would they be shit out of luck too?

    3. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by Qzukk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Thats the point of this law. You've covered all your bases, but you haven't covered the bases of everyone who's listening/watching. If they record your stream and show it to their friends, then they're in need of the same licenses as you.

      The PERFORM act makes this your fault, and your problem to fix (by using DRM).

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    4. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by AcidTag · · Score: 0

      What happens when the DRM solution is broken, like hymn and itunes... Does this mean that if the DRM solution we pick gets broken, we're breaking the law?

    5. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by LunaticTippy · · Score: 1
      Interesting. What do you think about security cameras? If they are web-enabled?

      How about audience members taking pictures? taking video? putting such on the web?

      Things may have to change as our society drifts closer to everything being recorded and public all the time.

      --
      Man, you really need that seminar!
    6. Re:Where do I fit into all this? by Software · · Score: 1
      >Is this really copyright infringement? Or are we semi protected by parody exemptions?

      IANAL, but I think you're infringing the copyright of the (ahem) performers. The parody exemption does not apply, because a) they're not singing parodies, they're singing the actual songs (though they suck, that's not parody) and more importantly b) you're not making a parody, you're streaming their work. In other words, the parody exemption applies to the "performers", not to you.

  23. Contact your Senator, by Blinocac200sx · · Score: 0

    and your Represenative. Let them know what you think.

  24. DMCA Part 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Closing the analog hole. The PROTECT act will Protect Recording Organisations against Terrorism and Every Computer Technology! Using the Analog Hole - 20 years inside. Using the unwilling hole (rape) - 8 years.

    Broken society.

    1. Re:DMCA Part 2 by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      The theory is that the easier it is to get away with a crime and the less it feels like a crime to the general public, the harsher the sentence needs to be to add in the otherwise missing deterrant.

      Taking your example, rape is clearly harmful to the person involved. You have to be pretty seriously twisted to believe that your victim is actually enjoying it, even if you believe that there's no long-term damage done. It's also relatively less likely that you'll get away with it (extremely low conviciton rates notwithstanding) - there's a much higher chance of being caught in the act, the victim can id you, you're extremely likely to leave forensic evidence at the scene (and in/on the victim), etc.

      Copyright infringement is a different story. There's no-one right there in front of you suffering because of your actions, so it's very easy to rationalise it away (indeed, it's not entirely clear-cut that low- to moderate levels of copyright infringement *are* harmful, but that's beside the point). It's very unlikely that you'll get caught, unless you start bragging about it, or distributing stuff widely. Finally, a high percentage of the population simply don't see it as being particularly wrong.

      As I said, the disparity in sentencing is to try to redress this imbalance, and make an otherwise potentially attractive act much less attractive. Yes, the punishment is out of all proportion to the crime, but that's rather the point.

      Note that I'm not saying that this is a good thing, or even that it necessarily works, just that that's the theory behind it, as I understand it.

    2. Re:DMCA Part 2 by collectivescott · · Score: 1

      Well, the disclaimer you added at the end is necessary because deterrance doesn't really stop crime.

      But the real questions is, if the majority don't think that it is a crime, why is it? Is this not a democracy?

    3. Re:DMCA Part 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Is this not a democracy?"

      It is not and never has been; it's a constitutional republic.

      American democracy is an urban legend.

    4. Re:DMCA Part 2 by collectivescott · · Score: 1

      Don't be an ass, you know what I mean. We have the power to change this.

    5. Re:DMCA Part 2 by msaulters · · Score: 1

      This theory that the punishment should be harsher to make up for how difficult it is to catch and convict people just doesn't make sense.

      When you say that punishment should be harsher for copyright infringement as a deterrent, because more people do it and fewer get caught, it comes across as saying that the people who DO get caught have to suffer a harsher punishment to make up for the many who do NOT get caught.

      That's a dangerous slope, because the same logic might lead you to say, for instance, in the case of rape, that as our techniques get better and more people are caught, that we should lower the severity of punishment. It just doesn't make sense.

      The punishment should fit the crime and the circumstances of the individual case, PERIOD. It is just wrong to punish one person or group of people for the crimes of others. THAT should be written into the constitution.

      --
      These people looked deep into my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined.
    6. Re:DMCA Part 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Don't be an ass, you know what I mean. We have the power to change this."

      Ah, those pesky, inconvenient facts. Damn them anyway!

      You've been told you live in a democracy to content you whilst you serve as a cog in the capitalist slave machine. A slave that does not know he is a slave is less likely to revolt. Of late, power has become so consolidated that the fig-leaf of democracy is no longer worth maintaining: wars fought without declarations by the People's elected representatives; legalized searches, arrests and indefinite detentions of American citizens without a warrants or access to legal counsel or even being charged; simple majority of votes in national elections failing to dictate outcomes, and on and on and on.

      When was the last time a congressional seat was won without spending at least a million dollars campaigning? I think you'll be SHOCKED if you look up that tidbit. How do you think you get that kind of money? Of the people, indeed.... When a government is run by and for the benefit of corporations, call it what it is: fascism. I know, it's so large and horrible that it just CAN"T be true, but look at the signs all around you.

      Or look to history: what were common themes preceding the fall of great civilization? Corruption, precipitous decline in education and educational resources, historically unjustified wars to increase government wealth/distract from internal troubles, public fascination with entertainment bordering on obsession,...sound familiar?

      You really think you can make a difference within the system? By all means, prove me wrong. I very sincerely wish you good health and good luck.

    7. Re:DMCA Part 2 by collectivescott · · Score: 1

      No, I wouldn't be shocked. But the question is, are you calling for a rebellion? Because I don't think that's a practical solution. Maybe campaign finance reform, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Our living standards are currently pretty high, wars take that away. I imagine you'll get plenty of recruits when things really go to shit for the average person, but hopefully we can fix things before we get to that point.

  25. Re:WTF! They spend fucking tax dollars on this shi by kfg · · Score: 0, Redundant

    In democratic Russia the dumbass is you!

    KFG

  26. So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by ikekrull · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wonder if theyre going to throw the TV station and MTV executives in jail, and the people who record the digitally streamed videos on their TiVos for violating this law because they include major label music without DRM?

    --
    I gots ta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long
    1. Re:So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by zeroduck · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not a problem. MTV doesn't play music anymore.

    2. Re:So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by ral8158 · · Score: 0

      Wait... MTV plays music? Since when?

    3. Re:So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by bk4u · · Score: 1
      Not a problem. MTV doesn't play music anymore.

      So they will start streaming reality show MP3's now?

      --
      Remember kids, with great power comes great opportunity to abuse that power
    4. Re:So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by zeroduck · · Score: 1

      Not a problem either. There is no reality on MTV, either.

      (Ever see a recent Real World or Super Sweet 16?)

    5. Re:So no music videos on non-DRM Cable TV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To True!!!!!!

      Last time they played music on MTV was mid 90's.

      Been downhill ever since. (MTV ............. and most of all music)

      Better to create your own music these days. Of course, it looks like they don't want you to do that either. Or if you do, you have to put it on the net with their supposed "guidelines"......

      FUCK POLITICIANS!!!!

  27. ummm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It's Lewis, jackass!

    1. Re:ummm... by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 1

      Make up your mind! It's slashdot, I gotta read!

    2. Re:ummm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the hostility, jackass? Off your meds today?

  28. Myspace by aitikin · · Score: 1

    So how does this effect Myspace and Xanga? They're always streaming media, I don't know what format off hand, but still.

    --
    "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
    1. Re:Myspace by Zorque · · Score: 0

      I hope to God there's SOME sort of crackdown on those.

  29. Not going to work... by turtleAJ · · Score: 0

    Soooo...???

    I can still connect the speakers' output to the line IN, and record a nifty mp3. ;)

  30. fuckers by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

    While we all hate DRM, that shouldn't even be the issue. The issue: does the federal government even have the authority to regulate streaming mp3s? The answer should be pretty clear: No. The fact that it's not even questioned shows how fucked we are.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    1. Re:fuckers by supe · · Score: 1

      ditto!

  31. And... by AriaStar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...our politicians really have nothing better to do than to waste time on a bill that can't be enforced? There is no president to keep in line, no repeat-child-molester free due to a technicality loophole in the law? They couldn't stop piracy, and they're not going to stop this. So they may as well quit wasting tax dollars via their salaries, and instead do something worthwhile.

  32. Re:WTF! They spend fucking tax dollars on this shi by Pieroxy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Two ASS sentors who haven't a clue

    They have a perfect clue of how much money they did pocket from the RIAA just before trying to get that stupid stuff in.

  33. WTS: 1x[US Congressman] by Guysmiley777 · · Score: 3, Funny

    50g per vote PST

    --
    Coding with assembly is like playing with Legos. Coding an application in assembly is like building a car with Legos.
  34. Re:good i dont live in USA (United Slaves Admins) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    fUUK u

    FreedoM is Gay

    i liek china communism

  35. This is not necessarily a bad thing by Infernal+Device · · Score: 1

    If podcasters can no longer comment on music published by major labels, they'll move to commentary on indie musicians who release their rights for commentary purposes. RIAA members lose, indie musicians win, the public wins, some podcasters win, some lose. The key thing is that the major record companies lose a free publicity channel and we don't have to hear about their pablumized song releases.

    --
    "My God...it's full of trolls!"
  36. death toll for podcasting? by arclyte · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So if this passed, you're saying all of my podcasts go bye bye? Well, at least the ones playing copyrighted music... And how does a podcast differ from a radio broadcast, exactly? I can record a radio show with no problems, but if it comes in via a podcast it's a big bad no no. I mean, obviously, people recording music off the radio has just KILLED the music industry...

  37. Would they really be able to get this through? by DarthChris · · Score: 1

    I'm not American, but surely this law is in someway illegal? Like maybe freedom of speech, and competition [of formats, hence companies]?

    --
    Don't you just hate it when people reply to your signature?
    1. Re:Would they really be able to get this through? by plasmacutter · · Score: 1

      no.. if this were true the DMCA would have been struck down on many different amendments present in the bill of rights..

      the us constitution is nothing but a urine rag for the current generation of pro-corporate sellouts, as demonstrated by the recent ruling by supreme court justice Souter, saying it was pefectly ok for the US government to steal your home/land and give it to a greedy corporation if it would lead to "economic enhancement" of the greater community.

      --
      VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
  38. Re:America Government by and for the Corporations. by Dance_Dance_Karnov · · Score: 1

    I'd like to see that letter, you should scan and post it.

  39. 'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by robyannetta · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This is yet another example of our freely elected Congressional system being circumvented only by the most powerful (fat pocketed) lobbyist (bribery agent) of the **AA.

    I'm not going to spout "Call your Congressional representative" because that dosen't any good. The solution is to register to vote and vote OUT anyone in D.C. that' over 40 years old (or don't own an iPod).

    Any Slashdot readers willing to run for public office on the newly made-up 'Open Source Party' ticket? You know the one: Demands the return of personal freedoms, supports the repeal of the DMCA and requires public office to use open standards for public documents?

    Oh, sorry. I was in Fantasyland for a second there. I live in the U.S.A.

    --
    - Just my $0.02, take with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.
    1. Re:'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by panda · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You make the very common mistake of assuming that they are "freely elected" in the first place.

      --
      Just be sure to wear the gold uniform when you beam down -- you know what happens when you wear the red one.
    2. Re:'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      The solution is to register to vote and vote OUT anyone in D.C. that' over 40 years old

      Except Rick Boucher (D-Virginia). Remember - he's one of the few who actually "gets it," but I know he's over 40.

      (or don't own an iPod).
      Okay, now that's no system of electing a government. You may as well have watery tarts lobbing scimitars at that point. (apologies in advance for butchering the ref)

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    3. Re:'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

      I've seriously considered running. You can bet I'd be seeking endorsement from the EFF, too. Too many pols have forgotten that government is supposed to be people-serving, not self-serving!

    4. Re:'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by Reverend528 · · Score: 1
      vote OUT anyone in D.C. that' over 40 years old (or don't own an iPod).

      People under 40 are just as corruptable as those over 40. The real solution is to elect someone who hasn't already been bought by the *AA. If you are going to vote, you should really become informed about the candidates and then vote for the person on the ballot that you've never heard of. The people who can afford to campaign do not represent the public interest.

    5. Re:'Your Rights Online"? What rights anymore? by I+am+Jack's+username · · Score: 2, Informative
      Any Slashdot readers willing to run for public office on the newly made-up 'Open Source Party' ticket?

      "The Green Party in the European Parliament has invited Hartmut Pilch, head of the Foundation for Free Information Infrastructure, and Richard Stallman from the Free Software Foundation to speak at a hearing at the European Parliament entitled: "Is software patentability necessary?" The Greens hold only around 10 percent of the seats in the Parliament, but they can still influence the debate and propose amendments to the draft law." - Green Party to hear open source line on patents

      "The Green Party [of the USA] opposes patenting or copyrighting lifeforms, algorithms, DNA, colors or commonly-used words and phrases. We support broad interpretation and ultimate expansion of the Fair Use of copyrighted works. We support open source and copyleft models in order to promote the public interest and the spirit of copyright." - http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/economics.html

      The Greens' core principles may be incompatible with most voting slashdotters tho.

  40. How did this happen? by Merenth · · Score: 1

    Senators Feinstein and Graham agreeing on anything is hard to even believe. They are two polar opposites in every aspect of politics, and this is what they agree on? The fact that both of them support this is a sign of how little technology is understood by Congress in general.

  41. Re:WTF! They spend fucking tax dollars on this shi by Frag-A-Muffin · · Score: 1

    ...Canada?! double dumbasses there! eh ;)...


    Are you sure? :)

    --

    AirSpeak - http://itunes.com/apps/AirSpeak
  42. Democracy isn't always very democratic by jfengel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When people say "special interests", they usually mean a relatively small set of people with a disproportionate amount of power for one reason or another. Sometimes it's because they have a whole lot of money to be used in campaign donations. Sometimes it's a group that one party or another feels beholden to (the religious right, Latinos, nationalists, labor) for ideological reasons, even where that group isn't necessarily a majority (or even the majority of the majority), where solidarity outweighs the group's overall interest.

    Geographically, power in the US Congress is not evenly divided. Bills begin in committees; committee members (and especially chairs) have considerable ability to quash or modify bills. Amendments to bills are difficult to remove. Especially in some committees, a single Congressman can effectively hold an entire house of Congress to the special interests of his or her constituents.

    A substantial rewrite of the rules of Congress might help, but they're not happening any time soon (because the present rules always benefit the party in power). So some "special interests" will continue to have more power than their voting numbers suggest, and so the term "special interest" will continue to have a pejorative connotation.

    1. Re:Democracy isn't always very democratic by Illbay · · Score: 2, Interesting
      A substantial rewrite of the rules of Congress might help,...

      Starting, IMO, with "normalizing" congressional numbers back to the representative level they were in the Nineteenth Century--that is, there ought to be about 1,200 Representatives by now.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    2. Re:Democracy isn't always very democratic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Let's face it, the political system of the United States is broken. It's time for a wii! err, revolution.

    3. Re:Democracy isn't always very democratic by rsborg · · Score: 1
      Let's face it, the political system of the United States is broken. It's time for a wii! err, revolution.

      All I can say is:

      s/revolution/wii/g
      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
  43. Everyone repeat the /. credo by heinousjay · · Score: 1

    Entertainment wants to be free (of cost)

    --
    Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  44. Profit! by ichigo+2.0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Develop a format even more restrictive than Realmedia and Windows Media, e.g. somekind of hardware-DRM scheme which forces people to hold their breath while listening to said format.
    2. Thanks to this law everyone has to use your format! Charge obscene amounts of money in royalties.
    3. Profit!

    Oops, forgot to ??? the second step, don't you dare steal my idea! And no, didn't RTFA. :)

  45. Start Em Out Young by gurutc · · Score: 1

    Be sure to teach the little ones in kindergarten that it's wrong to share!

    --
    Moderation in All Things... Especially Moderation - gurutc
  46. The honorable senator can kiss my white ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    i'LL MOVE MY SERVER TO MEXICO or Candida or even maybe Alabama!

  47. That's what they want you to think. by Valdrax · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is in fact a difference between a "special interest" and the "public interest." A "special interest" works to get what good for their minority slice of society, whereas the "public interest" seeks to benefit the majority's interests.

    This is not inherently a value judgement, though it often is as special interests often work at the expense of the majority's rights. The civil rights movement is a good counter-example of a special interest working for rights that do not negatively impact the majority's rights.

    Consumer rights is not a special interest. It is clearly the public interest since we are all consumers.

    I will say, that I've never been more disgusted with Dianne Feinstein right now. She's clearly putting the interests of her campaign funders above the interest of the public. I think she brings shame to the Democrats in an election year where the theme of the power of lobbying interests is a central strength for the party. Then again, Hollywood and the recording industry have been a big bribers of the Democrats long before they because bipartisan bribers.

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
    1. Re:That's what they want you to think. by tinkerghost · · Score: 1

      The civil rights movement is a good counter-example of a special interest working for rights that do not negatively impact the majority's rights.
      [hyperbole = on]
      BS, they trampled all over my right to lynch people and burn crosses in other peoples yards. Bunch of fringe loonies out to take away my God given right to terrorize people just because they are different.
      [hyperbole = off]
      Sad state of affairs is that no matter what 'Public' or 'Special' interest you are looking at, there is going to be someone opposed to you on the grounds it's going to infringe on them.
      As far as the actual FA goes, if the law says that I have to use the 'most restrictive' form of DRM, do I have to change my broadcast stream every week when competing DRMs quote themselves as being better?
      How do they plan on controling those servers outside the US? Since the law would only apply to copywriten pieces, you can't use packet filtering to just kill MP3 & OV streams, because you would need to know if the individual piece was covered.

    2. Re:That's what they want you to think. by beedle · · Score: 1

      Can someone please tell me when congress started caring about DRMing music?? Like Valdrax said this is CLEARLY an act to please campaign contributors, how can it not be. This has to be the most useless waste of time that could ever occur in any government anywhere in the world. In a country with a medical and education system that is so substandard how can congress have nothing better to do than argue about DRMing MP3 streams?!?!?!

    3. Re:That's what they want you to think. by KenSeymour · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Senator Feinstein is one of my senators. I have sent her an email
      letting her know that I am concerned about the issue. I downloaded
      and printed out the bill and will probably send her another one
      once I figure out what it means.

      One might argue that writing your congress people accomplishes nothing.
      But so does griping about it on /.

      You can let them know how you feel about it.
      You can vote for or against them.
      You can make campaign donations for or against them.

      One person might not make a difference, but more than one person is concerned about this type of law.

      You know the congress hears what the lobbyists clients think.
      Have they heard what you think?

      --
      "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein
    4. Re:That's what they want you to think. by RiffRafff · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I will say, that I've never been more disgusted with Dianne Feinstein right now. She's clearly putting the interests of her campaign funders above the interest of the public.

      Wow, ya think?

      But isn't that what she's always done? Between her and Schumer, it's a wonder that we have any rights left at all.

      --
      "I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." -- Warren Zevon
    5. Re:That's what they want you to think. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That Feinstein would sponsor something like this is not surprising when you remember news from previous years. "Joining Hollings as co-sponsors of the CBDTPA are ... : Ted Stevens, Daniel Inouye, John Breaux, and Dianne Feinstein." (paraphrased from Wired)

      The CBDTPA was a bill that would have mandated DRM in virtually every electronic device capable of carrying free speech. The original draft, the SSSCA, would have made it a felony to connect a non-crippled PC to the Internet.

    6. Re:That's what they want you to think. by humina · · Score: 1
      I've emailed boxer to make sure she won't support this bill. The article forgot to mention that the bill is also cosponsored by Senator Frist:
      Scroll down to bill 2644. Click on that link and then cosponsors. I would provide a permanent link but that website won't let me.

      I am NOT voting for this lady. Everything that she does just makes me angry.

      --
      check out the best blog ever:
      http://oehlberg.com
    7. Re:That's what they want you to think. by Dark_Gravity · · Score: 1

      I will say, that I've never been more disgusted with Dianne Feinstein right now. She's clearly putting the interests of her campaign funders above the interest of the public. I think she brings shame to the Democrats in an election year where the theme of the power of lobbying interests is a central strength for the party.

      Dianne Feinstein has never cared about anyone's interests but her own and that of those that fund her. She has been walking all over the Second Amendment her entire career, why should her trampling of the First Amendment come as a surprise to anyone?

    8. Re:That's what they want you to think. by KenSeymour · · Score: 1

      I didn't think of contacting Senator Boxer. That's a good idea.

      This morning, I wrote a followup email to Senator Feinstein and re-worded it
      to send to Senator Boxer.

      I have voted for Feinstein before. I will have to re-consider it next time.
      She also voted for the USA Patriot act.

      --
      "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein
  48. MOD PARENT UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We need a 35-year-old Presidential candidate who's not a technophobe!

  49. Stupid act names by caluml · · Score: 1

    PERFORM? PATRIOT? I'm sure that people think up the acronyms, and then try to find words that fit. What a bunch of arse.

    1. Re:Stupid act names by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It probably stands for Pathetic Excuse to Restrict Freedom Or Rights.

      I'm not sure what the M stands for. Probably Masturbation or some other terrorist funding activity.

    2. Re:Stupid act names by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      "I'm sure that people think up the acronyms, and then try to find words that fit. What a bunch of arse.

      I'd like my Congressperson to sponsor the BUNCHOFARSE Act: Big UnNecessary CHeeky Acronyms Revised to Sound Elsewise Act. It should be MANDATORY to have such witty acronyms that really[1] reflect the intended purpose and effect of the legislation. How else are we supposed to conveniently have a 'feeling' about a 600-page act that will affect our daily lives, and which not even those voting on it have read?

      [1] No, not truly. That would defeat the obfuscatory purpose of the BUNCHOFARSE Act.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  50. Questions for the Senators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Graham (R-SC), is this really what your constituency sent you to do when representing them in the legislation?

    Can you prove it, please?

    If not - then who's interest are you serving whith your proposed legislation, while you are being paid by your voters?

    Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Graham (R-SC), how would you feel if from now on every single piece of legislation tabled for vote should have a closing statement, a disclosure, which would require to identify that specifically who, which specific groups of society will benefit and who, which specific groups will suffer if the proposed bill would became law?
    And while there, the same disclosure would require the law makers, who table the proposed legislation to to clearly identify any and all ties to those groups, etc. named as beneficiary of the bill. Failing to fully comply would automatically result in immediate fireing and life-time ban as elected political representative of the People of The United States.

    Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Graham (R-SC), do you think these modest changes would help the member of the Congress to better represent their voters?

  51. Just great. by netguardianii · · Score: 0

    Now, what else can I use my "phat pipe" for?

  52. HAHAHAHAHAHAH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good luck enforcing this law, you Big Government shitheads.

  53. what will the law allow us to listen to ??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ha
    so you cannot listen to internet radio because this will stop that
    and the only music you can listen to is what you buy , but you would not buy
    music that you have not heard

    end result is a preformer releaces a new album or single
    sales = 0 because no one heard it in the first place

    if a good artist releases 1 bad track then no one is going to be willing to try a further song from that artist as the last was a waste of money

    users end up paying fortunes to the companies running the drm servers in the form of subscriptions that free there equipment to listen to streams that are pay for anyway

    and if the drm server providers are selling the usage info on your listening / viewing do you have to put up with a barage of telesails trying to sell you related products
    because they know your home, and ready to take calls in there eyes , so you may never be able to enjoy your relaxation time

    the evening in could become ...
    get home turn on radio , spend next 30 mins answering phone ( telesales companies trying to flog you new subscriptions to diferent radio stations )
    turn of radio
    think ok watch a movie
    the lion king as little joe is bored
    spend next hour on phone telesales trying to sell you holidays to africa

    not to mention the forced adverts at the start of the movie

    so you will never have the chance to watch or listen to what your paying for anyway

    so how would you know that the new song by dmc was not just an advert for brand of beer (not free beer eather ) the only way would be to download it and buy it , and if it was then you got screwed paying for an advert
    money back not a chance in hell

    ho we will any way there will still be drm on the forced adverts also

  54. Interesting? Not really... by Svartalf · · Score: 1

    Yeah, Mplayer can dump the media streams, but unfortunately, if it's DRMed (which is WHY they're mandating the damn format in the first place- so it can be locked down...), you get nada.

    Thankfully for me, I've all but given up on the labels shite and the only streams I listen to are things like RenRadio, which don't get impacted by this garbage and won't have to change formats (and I know the broadcaster for RenRadio, we'd find a way to keep from needing to...). I'm sure there's some indie stuff out there as well. As it stands, I've gotten where I like Pop music less and less- and it's all RIAA and their member Lablels' doing. (Why listen to a band when the Label that represents them views me as being worse than a murderer or rapist- never mind that I never did anything to them...)

    As it stands, anyone listening to any of the Labels stuff should probably stop now- they obviously don't really want to have you as a customer (only a consumer, which is a different beast- if you want to be one of those, just open up your wallet, they'll be by shortly to lighten it at every opportunity...) and listening to it or buying it only pays for this garbage. I've quit. So should you all.

    --
    I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
  55. this can backfire by spatenbrau · · Score: 1

    What is to prevent the OSS community from making a more restrictive DRM standard based on ogg vorbis with some DRM-ish layer? Does this mean that the only legal streaming format will then be ogg-DRM-vorbis?

    The RIAA and the other middlemen must really be worried that they are going to be cut out of the equation when the artists realise that they don't need to give up 99% of the revenues and could just as easily hire an online company to distribute their works for them at a much lower cost. Legislating a certain format for the online distribution of music would turn the tables again and force the artists to deal with another middleman, in this case the company that owns the rights to that DRM format. The RIAA could simply buy those rights to that particular DRM and they would be guarenteed a revenue stream for quite a few years into the future.

  56. confused by fish_in_the_c · · Score: 1

    My understanding of current law is that I may copy any boadcast for later replay and that further I may give copies of that broadcast to anyone I please unless I charge for them.

    Why would the congressmen want to make it difficult to record something that I could just as easily record off the radio.

    --
    âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
  57. yay top 2%! by nixkuroi · · Score: 1

    This is just the government protecting the top 2% of the richest people in america again, folks. It's what they do best!

    When you don't see congress taking a piss on the little guy, they're in recess.

    Does anyone believe for a second that most of the political constituency wants tighter control of their music? No. This isn't about what the people want. If it were, there wouldn't BE DRM or copyright extensions. I doubt ANYONE wants to see the windows media popup saying that their content license has to be checked once you move it to a new machine or to have all of their videos removed from their ipod when you move your purchased downloads to a new hard drive because you haven't authorized your computer (no kidding, this happened to me and it took 45 minutes to reload all the video I HAD on my ipod back on).

    All these laws are being put into place to "protect" only people who's most reliably common trait is the word ", millionaire" attached to their name. I just wish the people would step up and SAY SOMETHING before our rights erode to only being able to listen to cd's without fear of imprisonment.

  58. Radio Free America by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    Coming to you, from a country that has better problems than doing the bidding of the music industry.

    Just a hunch: Could it be that a national law ain't worth jack in an international medium? So it's illegal in the US? Move to Mexico. Make it illegal there? Move to the EU. Make it illegal in the EU? Move to Russia. Make it illegal in Russia? Who cares?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  59. Strong Bad Sing-A-Long Time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Somebody told me
    That you were so stupid!
    But I didn't believe them!
    But now-ooh I beleve them!

    Everybody's stupid!
    Everybody's stupid!
    Everybody's stupid,
    but meeeee, oh!

    Somebody told me
    That you were so stupid!
    But I didn't believe them!
    But now-ooh I beleve them!

    You're not cool!

  60. It's not possible. by TheMCP · · Score: 2, Insightful
    and uses technology that is reasonably available, technologically feasible, and economically reasonable to prevent the making of copies or phonorecords embodying the transmission in whole or in part
    There is no such technology. Nothing you can do to the software can prevent me from grabbing the analog audio out of my computer and recording it if I really want to. Even if you build the DRM right into the hardware, ultimately the audio gets decrypted somewhere and goes to a speaker, which has two electrical contacts on it, and I can tap directly onto those contacts and record it. Even if you build the DRM into the speaker, I can take the speaker apart and find those contacts and do it. As long as the physical playback device is in my physical control, nothing anyone can do can forcibly prevent me from recording the output if I wanted to.

    Basically, it says you have to use this fantasy technology if it is "reasonably available, technologically feasible" and I say that any competent technician will tell you it's neither. This is like passing a law requiring that it may not rain on wednesdays: it's meaningless.
    1. Re:It's not possible. by robertjw · · Score: 1

      Even if you build the DRM into the speaker, I can take the speaker apart and find those contacts and do it.

      Or just put a microphone up to the speaker - wouldn't have to take anything apart. If I can hear it I can record it. Quality might be low, but I didn't see any mention of free passes for low quality recording.

      Basically, it says you have to use this fantasy technology if it is "reasonably available, technologically feasible" and I say that any competent technician will tell you it's neither. This is like passing a law requiring that it may not rain on wednesdays: it's meaningless.

      Plus, who determines what's 'reasonable'? The senate? I want to put those clowns in charge of deciding what's 'technologically feasible'.

    2. Re:It's not possible. by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      There is no such technology. Nothing you can do to the software can prevent me from grabbing the analog audio out of my computer and recording it if I really want to.

      It works like this. First, you invent durable digital watermarks. These are little codes embedded in audio that can survive DA/AD conversions. Then, you modify the recording devices so they refuse to record media that has a valid watermark. Sure, it'll take a while for the old recording hardware to disappear from the market, but it'll happen eventually. And you could always modify the playback hardware (which people tend to upgrade frequently) so it refuses to play material from unsigned (ie, with a valid private key) sources which have been watermarked.

      Of course, the hardest part in this scheme is the watermarking. I'm not sure what the state of the art is on this topic, but there's certainly been a lot of active research in the area.

    3. Re:It's not possible. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The "electrical contacts" referred to in your post are a protected part of the copy-protection system. Please do NOT attempt to hack in and infringe.

      Any copper wires you attach to said "electrical contacts" will be considered a copywrite infringement device, and if you are found with said infringement device you will be CHARGED.

      THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING.

    4. Re:It's not possible. by fm6 · · Score: 1
      First, I'm skeptical that you can design watermark technology that will survive the conversion to analog. Though I have to admit that I don't know enough information theory to have an opinion.

      Second, you're talking about banning all DRM-free analog-to-digital hardware. This is extremely cheap and common technology. Maybe you could try banning it, but if it were possible to legislate that kind of thing, the 18th Amendment would never have been repealed!

    5. Re:It's not possible. by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      Second, you're talking about banning all DRM-free analog-to-digital hardware.

      Nope. Just waiting out planned obsolesence. How easy do you think it is to find a working 8-track player? Or, heck, even a turntable? The same thing will happen with non-DRM-enabled hardware.

    6. Re:It's not possible. by fm6 · · Score: 1

      Eight track tapes went away because people stopped buying them. People aren't going to stop buying non-DRM hardware without a ban.

    7. Re:It's not possible. by EzInKy · · Score: 1


      Nope. Just waiting out planned obsolesence. How easy do you think it is to find a working 8-track player? Or, heck, even a turntable? The same thing will happen with non-DRM-enabled hardware.


      Well it's been 30 years since high school but I'm pretty sure they still teach kids about the physics of sound today.

      --
      Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    8. Re:It's not possible. by nugneant · · Score: 1

      Well it's been 30 years since high school but I'm pretty sure they still teach kids about the physics of sound today.

      Not anymore. They needed that space for the moment of silence and the Intelligent Design lesson/disclaimer/second lesson.

    9. Re:It's not possible. by toddestan · · Score: 1

      People aren't going to stop buying non-DRM hardware without a ban.

      Just like how people shunned DVD, and instead stuck with their DRM-free VCRs. Oh wait...

    10. Re:It's not possible. by fm6 · · Score: 1

      We're talking about recording. And people do indeed still buy VCRs for that purpose.

  61. Meanwhile, in Canada.... by Jetson · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Many of the major Canadian recording artists and all of the indie labels have pulled out of a music industry organization (similar to the RIAA) and formed a new collective that directly opposes the DMCA and the anti-download and IP-is-protected-forever laws being created in the USA and elsewhere. They issued statements calling on the Canadian government to reject attempts to pass DMCA-style laws in Canada and want to see MP3 downloading made 100% legal for non-commercial users.

    The story is covered HERE

  62. Freedom of Speech by Nosnam · · Score: 1

    I was suprised this wasnt filed under YRO as well.

    I run a 24/7 shoutcast server; It is my belief that this is part of my freedom of speech as an American. I honestly don't care if this bill passes or not, because they are not going to make me stop streaming music.

    Does terrestrial radio have any sort of DRM? Last I checked, I can toss a blank tape in any $20 wal-mart stereo, and record whatever I want.

  63. If you didn't vote Libertarian YOU ASKED FOR THIS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Anyone who voted Republicrat or Democan, shut up and go sit on the sidelines.
    You've already demonstrated that you want an intrusive, activist government, you have no room to complain now. You ASKED FOR THIS!

    ______________________________________
    A vote against a Libertarian candidate is
    a vote to abolish the Constitution itself.

  64. BIG difference by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    There are only so many radio stations. That's something you can easily buy. Ever listened to mainstream radio recently? Wondered why they play the same shitty song every hour or even half hour?

    Take a wild guess why. And no, it's not 'cause they think that song rocks.

    Podcasts are not controllable by the music industry. There are simply too many to buy them all. So, what we can't buy, we destroy.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  65. What about the airwaves? by Crizp · · Score: 1

    This is the silliest attempt at legislation yet. What with stations whose mainstay still is FM, but also do MP3 as a service? Will their streams be DRMed also? The radio waves they send out sure as hell aren't! As a foreign listener without any possibility of snapping up US radio stations via the ether, will I lose my WFMU?

    If this whole RIAA-member circle jerk continues I bet that you can't even get an analog radio reciever soon. It'll all be digital, with 7-layer DRM, so as to disable any pesky copying of anything broadcast anywhere, ever!
  66. Blowing Smoke by mugnyte · · Score: 2, Insightful


      Obviously, anyone who thinks more than 1 minute about this realizes that the government can't dictate which products should be used in a market.

      Legislating which containers for content are lawful and which aren't is a bit silly. Seems akin to "If your DVD box doesn't have a lock on it, the you are in violation. DVD boxes without locks are illegal."

      Perhaps are some point, our corporate society will realize that the digital domain is just too full of holes and backdoors to keep contained. They will keep trying, but technology is now evolving faster than they can keep up.

      Please keep the names of these folks in mind when voting, folks. Money moves bills, but votes move them out (no promises about replacements).

  67. Violating statues by StarKruzr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Christ. You people just CAN'T leave Natalie Portman alone, can you?

    --

    +++ATH0
    1. Re:Violating statues by nuzak · · Score: 1
      --
      Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
    2. Re:Violating statues by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Best laugh so far today!

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  68. Creative commons music? by smartsaga · · Score: 1

    Is it for all, and I mean ALL, copyrighted music? Even music that is released under Creative Commons, on a non restrictive type (public domain kind of thing)??

    So is not enought having to pay licensing fees for freaking MP3s, for the music being distributed, but now this??? WTF???

    No, I did not bother reading TFA, this is slashdot, remember?

    Besides, if moving to WMA with DRM, didn't support of Windows Media Player for the Mac die a while a go?

    Errrrr... shit, have to get to work...

    Have a good one.

    --
    ===== "Every head is a different world so don't invade mine you FREAK!" smartSAGA said
  69. Well, here's one by tacokill · · Score: 1

    Well, here's a thought -- you are number 50 on a list of 50 most important "targets" this law would go after. Yes, I'd say there's a small chance they will harass you but I think there are WAY bigger and WAY more targets of interest out there besides you.

    If you are in a group and being chased by bears, you don't have to be the fastest person in the group. You just don't want to be the slowest. Same thing here.

  70. Like the tape player by SpiralSpirit · · Score: 0

    Perhaps I am wrong (please correct me if I am), but I thought that recording something from the radio to tape was legal. If that's true, why is this any different? Or will they require that radio have DRM now too?

  71. How about taking it a step further? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Developing some OS-DRM standard that's super restrictive and explicitly disallow commercial music to be broadcastet with it?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  72. Sweet by Have+Blue · · Score: 1

    I look forward to all stations switching to my upcoming audio format, which is both the most restrictive and most expensive to license in the world. Contact me for the address to mail the checks.

  73. Yes, do so... by Svartalf · · Score: 1

    ...and make sure it's an actual *LETTER* for more impact. But, expect them to not give a damn what you actually want.

    Probably at this point the ONLY thing to do is to educate as much of the populace at this point and REMOVE people that are currently in office either by referendum or election. Not a single person in Congress really and honestly represents anything other than Corporations.

    --
    I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
  74. Link for CSPAN Hearing on this matter. by jmulinix · · Score: 1

    Here is the link for the video for the senate hearing on this: http://switchboard.real.com/player/email.html?PV=6 .0.12&&title=Sen.%20Judicaiary%20Cmte.%20Hearing%2 0on%20the%20Music%20Industry%20%26%20Digital%20Rad io&link=rtsp%3A%2F%2Fvideo.c-span.org%2F15days%2Fe 042606_music.rm

    They had the following music artists on the panel: Anita Baker; Todd Rundgren, Victoria Shaw.

    The corporates that were there were Warner Music; XM Satellite Radio; Live365, Bonneville International Corporation. Noticely absent was anyone from Nullsoft the makers of WinAmp and Shoutcast.
  75. Bad Laws by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    America already has the highest prison population, lets make more laws!

    When you outlaw everything, only outlaws are left.

  76. Just follow the money.. by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 1

    and you'll see that Feinstein's sixth biggest contributor was the TV/Movies/Music industry and Graham is also sucking on the entertainment tit where he received over $100,000

    The United States: Best Government Money Can Buy (tm)

  77. 'Casters outside of USA all cheer by canadian_right · · Score: 1

    Thank you USA congress for passing yet another law that will help ensure that people outside of the USA will have an easier time making money using new technologies. Thanks for banning most of our streamcasting competition - OH! and thanks for stupid software patents too! Those realy help. Please, keep up the good work. Only the American Congress could work so hard to help the rest of the world make a buck using new technologies like the internet and digital media.

    --
    Anarchists never rule
  78. Using certain languages soon to be a crime? by junkcannibal · · Score: 1

    How is this not a violation of any number of our rights? If I can already legally broadcast it, how can the government tell me what language to use. I know we voted for english way back in the day, but that doesn't make publishing in german a crime. What's next? Are they going to start telling us that we can't broadcast in arabic because it helps the terrorists? or can't broadcast slang because of the war on drugs?

    1. Re:Using certain languages soon to be a crime? by nugneant · · Score: 1

      I know we voted for english way back in the day, but that doesn't make publishing in german a crime.

      No. This is Nazi propaganda (seriously! - how rare is it that such phrases can be literally said? scroll down about two "page downs" worth).

  79. Economically Reasonable? by merlin_jim · · Score: 1

    Have you ever priced out either Real or Windows Media streaming servers?

    The software license starts at $10K

    I used to run an advertising-free internet radio station. Our annual budget was just enough to buy an ounce of weed for our New Years' Eve broadcast lol.

    Ok everyone involved actually chipped in on that one.

    My point being that when I was in that position it most certainly would not have been economically reasonable to purchase either of those products.

    So would I have been exempt? Or is the government going to go around handing out licenses?

    Oh wait I know! They'll federally mandate free streaming servers - to go along with state-provided lawyers, food stamps, and welfare checks!

    lol Real will go bankrupt on the third day.

    Unfortunately, it'll be three days too late for pirate radio networks (my old broadcasting software)

    --
    I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!
    1. Re:Economically Reasonable? by bmetzler · · Score: 1
      My point being that when I was in that position it most certainly would not have been economically reasonable to purchase either of those products.

      If you weren't able to even pay the licenses for the servers, how in heck were you planning on paying the royalties? And if you weren't streaming any copyrighted materials, what makes you think this bill has anything to do with you?

      Brent
  80. How f***ing stupid is that?!!! by Mariner28 · · Score: 1
    Flame me if you will, since I haven't RTFA, but what if I own the copyright to the content I'm streaming, and I want to distribute it under the condition that you can copy it all you want - as long as you keep the attribute pointing to me as the copyright holder?

    I'm sure there's a provision for that, but the leadin to the article causes people like me to begin foaming at the mouth!

    --
    "A little misunderstanding? Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding."
  81. MRO, indeed. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can record FM radio with impunity. I've been legally recording radio since I got my first tape recorder at age 12.

    An FM signal is head and shoulders above any internet stream. In short: They're taking away a right you have always had.

    If you live in these two corrupt (Bought, paid for, and 0wned) and stupid politicians' states, PLEASE vote them out of office at the first opportunity.

    God, we've lost our country to the likes of Sony, Bertlesman, and Dalmer Benz. I guess we lost WWII after all, it just lasted 60 years longer than we thought.

  82. I feel Sorry for the USA by RotateLeftByte · · Score: 1

    This week the Director General of the BBC stated that he was going to put even more of their broadcasted programs available for download and most of it in mp3 format. And here we have the USA(opps sorry the RIAA) government trying to outlaw this perfectly legal practice.
    A generation agom the USA was considered the centre of innovation. Now various vested interests are doing their level best to stop it all.
    This bill (if it becomes law) will force podcasters and other content providers to move offshore and millions of otherwise law abiding US citizens to breal the law on a regular basis.
    Somehow, someone must as the say in the USA, "Kick some Ass" and get that thing which is such an anathema these days, "Common Sense" into the US Leglislators to stop this madness.
    But until it does, get downloading guys and gals!

    --
    I'd rather be riding my '63 Triumph T120.
  83. Ok, I should have read the ENTIRE leadin...eom by Mariner28 · · Score: 1

    eom

    --
    "A little misunderstanding? Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding."
  84. hmm by DaveJay · · Score: 1

    So if this forces webcasters to use the "most" restrictive DRM available, and someone comes out with an incredibly restrictive DRMd platform, will every webcaster need to migrate to it? And if someone else comes out with a more restrictive one a week after that, will they need to migrate again?

  85. Satellite Radio by Dachannien · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Everyone here's going OMG I can't stream mp3s on teh intarweb anymore, but the real reason for this legislation is to stifle satellite radio technology - specifically, the devices they are producing that allow a person to record the songs they hear on XM or Sirius (you know, same as terrestrial radio, where our right to record is actually ensconced in statute). But the RIAA, rather than comparing satellite and terrestrial radio, is comparing satellite radio to Internet streaming (and, by extension, Internet-based piracy).

    Of course, they're making moves against HD radio as well, as Senator Ferguson (R-NJ) has introduced legislation that would revoke the same rights granted to citizens as they apply to HD radio.

    Just click on the link in the /. article to the text of the bill as printed in the Congressional Record, and go to the next page. The RIAA's stance is plainly outlined there.

    1. Re:Satellite Radio by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      You know, we have a bunch of people collectively known as the "Justice Department", who, as I understand it, are supposed to deliver justice to the various malefactors in our society. What I want to know is, why aren't some of the Congresscritters who are blatantly taking bribes in exchange for corrupted law up on charges?

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    2. Re:Satellite Radio by imthesponge · · Score: 1
    3. Re:Satellite Radio by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      It's a start. But I'm thinking more along the lines of an Orrin Hatch, selling out for campaign contributions.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  86. Great for the rest of the world... by LeRandy · · Score: 1

    It means that Non-USA mp3 streaming stations will suddenly see a jump in listeners - which has to bee good for their ratings with their advertisers.
    It's all about USA corp screwing USA mom-n-pop, because they know full well that this law won't affect any non-USA radio station - what you gonna do, packet filter every HTTP packet coming through for shoutcast streams?

    In fact it could be a good thing for some US citizens, too - non US radio stations getting a greater listenership in the US, thereby fuelling international understanding despite el Prezidente's best efforts.

  87. If it can be read it can be hacked. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When will they learn. If you can read media be it a stream or cd or whatever. It can be hacked/cracked given enough time.

  88. Can I at least still get songs stuck in my head? by The_REAL_DZA · · Score: 2, Funny
    I mean, if I can't get the tune out of my head, will I go to jail? (because I don't think 959 choruses of the Scooby Doo theme will make me a lot of friends on the cellblock; my wife's already threatened to shove me out of the car at 75mph...)

    • Me: "...doobie doo, where are you..."
    • Her: "You can stop that now."
    • Me: "...we need some help from you now... Yeah, I WISH "
    --


    This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
  89. Did someone say...? by EvilPickles · · Score: 0

    Did someone say... MONOPOLY? Someone needs to do something, something radical, fast, now, before it starts.

  90. Don't worry about it by nateman1352 · · Score: 1

    Guys you all need to take a chill pill, the general election for the United States is this November, after the general election any bills that did not make it through congress are dropped and must be reproposed during the next cycle. There is a reason why the speaker of the house waits until the last minute to put stuff like this on the agenda, because it will never make it through the process in time, yet on the same token nobody can say that he prevented it from entering debate. I shutter to think how many Americans don't know how our political system works.

    1. Re:Don't worry about it by nugneant · · Score: 1

      I shutter to think how many Americans don't know how our political system works.

      And I shudder to think about how many Americans can't even speak our own fucking language...


      (sorry, mods, but this was BEGGING for it ;) Would have posted this AC, but the "slow down Cowboy" "feature" prevents that - so PLEASE mod me down to 0 - I've been a bad boy.)

  91. Re:America Government by and for the Corporations. by IHC+Navistar · · Score: 1

    Oooooooooooooooooh! Can I get a copy of that letter? I have a Kerry-loving aquiantancewho thinks that Kerry is against the Corporations.

    --
    Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
  92. It's okay by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 1

    So long as they keep "economically reasonable" in there, it is trivial to say that since you're not charging to receive the broadcast, all you can afford to broadcast with is a Linux computer running ShoutCast - which only supports streaming MP3s.

    And if you are charging for it...how do you justify charging for people to receive unrestricted or restricted copies of other people's music without licensing it for redistribution? Especially if you're not encrypting it, this could probably be prosecuted under existing laws as buying music, making copies, and selling them.

  93. What you say!? by macintoshguy · · Score: 0

    Like everyone else, I'd have to call foul play on this one.

    Although the compression may not be as good as ogg/flac/etc, mp3 is probably one of the most universally compatible formats out there--there are players for practically os in existance.

    As for other formats, compatibility may not be as universal, partly due to companies' cold shoulder towards less mainstream OSes, partly due to dropped support for older machines. Though many may use wmp solely because it comes with their computer (talking about less-savy users), they'll have no trouble with these streams (if they're wma, for example). However, Mac support for wmp is shaky at best, Microsoft's official app crashing often, and VLC, although providing a good alternative to the official client, chokes up on wma streams. And I haven't bothered with Linux enough to know what WMA/Real support is like there.

    I'm hoping that this doesn't pass, and it would be nice if the US government focused on something other than DRM and restriction on technology for a change, but sadly cash must be more powerful than words.

    -Alex

  94. +4 Insightful? by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

    Ok, how exactly does an ipod play streaming music?

    1. Re:+4 Insightful? by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 1

      Ok, how exactly does an ipod play streaming music?

      Inevitably, all discussions about digital music must lead to the iPod.

      Its a variation upon godwin's law - call it wmf's law if you like :-)

      --
      There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
  95. because most of the US people are idjits by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The big push in US business is to license the living hell out of anything and charge money for it. That's it. Not really do anything, just think up some weird crap, slap a patent or copyright on it, trademark, then sell "licenses". We are killing off manufacturing and agriculture as fast as possible, which are the ONLY true wealth creating industries, *everything* else is wealth re-arranging. . That only leaves "IP" bullshit "business" and "service" (servant) business, along with government drone and soldier/cop, which all fall under wealth rearranging, not crerating.. There isn't much left.

        You check what we push at the WTO. We want the rest of the planet to "license" everything they do from us, for them to do all the real work, pay us some weird fee for the privelege of working for us. That's the big lie and promise of globalism, for some magical reason, billions of people are going to continue to slave away and "license" enough stuff from us to keep us running at a great middle class level life, middle class or above.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    I see no way how this is going to work, not for very long anyway. They will keep doing stuff like this law to try and make it work, eventually the rest of the planet will just tellus FU and go about their business, stop dealing in US dollars and ignore whatever our government spews at them. MS is getting a taste of that right now, too many folks in europe know that none of their stuff is no longer necessary and it strips euros from their economy for NO practical reason. Asia knows this, that's why they pirate, make noises like they will "crack down", then go back to ignoring it, because they know it's a BIG FAT JOKE to charge billions for cheap digital copies of crap, whether it is movies, music or software. all of that stuff is way overpriced if you pay legit full retail at US levels. Beyond a joke. Almost the entire planet realises this. And so on.

    Can you say grasping at straws to try and keep this phony economy sputtering along another few years?

    The reason why you see an extremist idiot fascist pig like feinstein, a dimocrap, partnered with an extremist repugnicant like graham the cracker, is because there is no difference in the parties, there is the boss/overlord party, that's it. That is the only party that runs the US government. It has two wings, but there is only ONE PARTY. The differences in party names are to keep those with low IQs and short attention spans faked out that there is some meaningful difference. It's called keep em divided so they stay conquered. It obviously works well for the overlord class/party. Remember, if you don't vote for the overlord boss class party,either wing, you waste your vote! That's what they say anyway.

    DRM = Democrats and Republicans and Money

  96. representation ratio by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

    Actually the number would be over 8000 Representatives - the Constitution specifies a 1:30k ratio. I think 1000 Representatives would be a good compromise, though.

    1. Re:representation ratio by Illbay · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected. I was thinking back to a conversation on the radio I heard a few years back.

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
    2. Re:representation ratio by KodeK · · Score: 0

      Actually, it's 1:600k people.

      298,444,215 / 435 =
      679,848.58390804597701149425287356 to be exact :)

      http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ us.html
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_o f_Representatives

      It still needs to be reorganized, though.

    3. Re:representation ratio by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

      I was referring to the ratio specified by the Constitution, not today's actual ratio. Being out of whack by a factor of 22 is pretty bad, IMO.

  97. Any one gotta torrent link to this bill? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    POW!

  98. What If I Want My Music Streamed in mp3? by TVC15 · · Score: 1

    What if my band wanted our music streamed in mp3 on internet radio stations without DRM? Just because our business model doesn't match that of the major recording labels, doesn't mean that it should be outlawed. Does it? What if we _want_ people to stream rip/download our music and send it to their friends so they will come to our shows? This bill would be limiting our potential audience to those who happened to be listening to the station at the time our music is played and killing all viral interest.

  99. Proposed != Law by Zordak · · Score: 1

    Before we all get too upset, remember that this is not law yet, and probably never will be. Most bills die in committee and are introduced as a bone to throw to your favorite lobbyists. Diane Feinstein is from California and the Entertainment industry is one of her top contributors. If you don't like this law, write to your Senator and encourage him/her to vote against this law. Also, you should probably vote him/her out for good measure, because incumbancy is pretty much the single largest foe of Democracy in America. So while you're at it, push for mandatory term limits by Constitutional amendment if necessary (one term would be good--that way, the special interests can spend all they want electing candidates they think will be beneficial, but have basically no power over them after the election). That would put an end to a lot of this pandering.

    --

    Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
  100. Fine Swine by SoCalChris · · Score: 1

    Fine Swine

    That's what we called her when we lived in California.

  101. Generally, not always. by MarkusQ · · Score: 1

    A substantial rewrite of the rules of Congress might help, but they're not happening any time soon (because the present rules always benefit the party in power).

    They generally benefit the party in power, but not always.

    --MarkusQ

  102. Bi-partisan by iminplaya · · Score: 2, Insightful

    See? The Republican and the Democrats can work together. When it come to restricting our freedoms and increasing their own power, they will work as one. Oh, and it also shows that their similarities run much deeper than any differences they might have. In other words, they are the same. So let's not hear any of that garbage about how the Democrats respect your rights any better than the Republicans, ok?

    --
    What?
  103. Hard to apply by Viraptor · · Score: 1
    This one is really hard to apply:

    uses technology that is reasonably available, technologically feasible, and economically reasonable to prevent the making of copies

    That is? I've got no software that can stream DRM'ed content (not available). Even if I had - it's still not preventing making of copies. Of course decompressed real audio compressed back to mp3 vbr loses quality... but it's still many times better than recording analog radio.
    So... Is DRM really that technology?
    1. Re:Hard to apply by SmurfButcher+Bob · · Score: 1

      Actually, the text refers to making a copy of the transmission.

      In my book, that includes all protocol overhead - the TCP, IP, ethernet, and anything else that's required for the transmission to take place. By the time the data hits Userland... it aint a transmission anymore. Basically, the proposed law states that streamers need to take steps to stop things like Ethereal, PacketMon, et al, from writing a capture to disk.

      After all, Words Mean Things.

      --

      help me i've cloned myself and can't remember which one I am

  104. internet part duex by deviceb · · Score: 1

    can we not just build a new internet and kick out people who do not know how to use it? these people all need to be jumpsmacked

    --
    Kill your TV
  105. I get it now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, I think it goes like this: Less Sales -> Less Taxes. The govt gets less money. Terrorists can't get killed in time because there's not enough money for bombs. Etc.

  106. Follow the money trail by frenchs · · Score: 1

    I always think it's fun to look at who gives money to candidates that make decisions like this. I've always disliked Feinstein, and stuff like this just reenforces my opinion.

    http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_rcvd/C0031517 6/ (slow server)

    I know this is a full contribution history, but here are the names I picked out as having opened their checkbooks.

    ASCAP
    RIAA
    MPAA
    AOL/Time Warner
    MGM
    Viacom
    Sony
    Disney

  107. Hey Senator Feinstein! by Topherbyte · · Score: 0

    That does it. You just lost my vote.

    Californians can and should let her know here.

    1. Re:Hey Senator Feinstein! by Jackie_Chan_Fan · · Score: 1

      Like she cares...

      She gets her votes the same way they all do. They lie, they promise... and when they get into power... they throw all of that stuff out the window and let lobbyist right bills, and they pass them because their pockets are stuffed with yummy green cash.

      I need a politician, like i need a politician with a hole in its head...

  108. Blink... Blink my tapedeck is illegal now? by tinkerghost · · Score: 1

    (iv) do not permit the redistribution, retransmission or other exporting of a phonorecord embodying all or part of a performance licensed under this section from the device by digital outputs or removable media
    OK I read that as saying if your trasmition can be recorded on any form of removable media it's illegal to broadcast without DRM. You know if I read it that way, some **IAA fucktard is going to try to use it that way.
    Remember the DCMA will never be used to sqash innovation or competative ventures, and the PATRIOT act would never be used except to fight terrorists. Our dedicated politicians told us so.

  109. RIAA and MPAA will make geeks cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When non-technical people realize that most geeks have a 100G to a terabyte of non-DRM'd music and movies running on their home theatre. And when they realize what they need to pay for a DRM crippled version of the same setup. They are going to forget about piracy being 'wrong'. It's not a matter of right or wrong, its a matter of being made a 'sucker'.

  110. And then? by Acta+non+verba · · Score: 1

    What if I'm drunk or horny? Will it know that I'm a geek by day and a drunk pervert by night? I can't log on to my own system to watch porn? WTF?!?!?!?!?!

    --
    /*signature goes here*/
  111. Implants by olego · · Score: 1

    What, you didn't hear? The latest technology requires you to have implants that bypass the ear drum and send signals straight to your brain. Without them, you won't hear the music at all!

    This new HD-CD chipset will cost $1000 plus $10,000 installation fee. Each HD-CD will cost about $40.

    There is also a law banning mandatory implants. We'll see how long until that law is repealed.

  112. Does the bill make reading out loud illegal too? by Jackie_Chan_Fan · · Score: 1

    They cant tell us what formats to use. Thats corporate favoritism. Its a slap in the face to free speech, innovation, technology, and basic common sense.

    Do they have to make laws every day? Can't they just sit around and count their money on some days?

    Free speech is Mp3, OGG, Xvid, you name it...

    A format is a format is a format...

    Microsoft and real are greasing someone... I guess Apple didnt pay up....

    I hope it passes. I hope all of these dictatorial laws pass.... I hope we get rid of freedom sooner because the big lie that is America is becoming tiresome. The sooner we just ban free speech, and hand over all of our rights to the rich corporations of the world, and stop teaching our children about "revolutionary wars" and "freedom"... The better we'll all be. I dont need the headaches :)

  113. Secure Audio Path by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just use Total Recorder

    Total Recorder is a shim driver. Shim drivers don't work if your streaming station requires the Secure Audio Path, which works only on audio output drivers that have been signed by Microsoft as conforming to Windows Media Digital Restrictions Management rules. Drivers must turn off all cleartext digital outputs as a condition of getting signed; all unsigned drivers get silence. But ye still cannae stop the analog hole.

    1. Re:Secure Audio Path by Atomm · · Score: 0

      If I remember correctly, wasn't there an initiative to put DRM on analog audio ports?

  114. The obvious solution by iminplaya · · Score: 1

    is to not stream major label music. The RIAA would feel the pinch soon enough if ALL streamers were to refuse their content. Just stay away from their stuff. It's poison.

    --
    What?
  115. what does this mean for signed artists on myspace? by critical_v · · Score: 1

    Seriously...let's take Gnarls Barkley for example. They have a record contract (I think), but they also allow you to stream music from their album on their Myspace page. So, would they no longer be allowed to do that, since their music is licensed? It seems like this idea is so bad that even licensed artists will suffer because of it. On the other hand, my music on my Myspace Music page is not licensed. (what do they mean by 'licensed' anyway? i could put a CC license on it easily.) So, I'm assuming I could still stream my music. Then again, why should I assume that this law will be applied in a logical way?

    --
    You sure 'bout dat?
  116. Re:America Government by and for the Corporations. by kimvette · · Score: 1

    John "I don't own an SUV (but my very rich wife owns seven and I just happen to drive them)" Kerry is the sole reason I voted for Bush. It was the only way to vote against Kerry that had the slightest chance of counting.

    Looking back, I think that Kerry would have been less harmful to our nation and our essential inalienable rights because you can do only so much damage when you miss 60-80% of your scheduled meetings.

    Both candidates were scum. Matt and Trey are right: we get to choose between a big turd and a stupid douche - we need a good, strong third-party candidate with a backbone, not some fork-tongued two-faced spineless corporate puppet.

    --
    The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  117. One Answer: Previews by Jon+Luckey · · Score: 1

    MP3 players these days commonly support ID3 tags

    One ID3 tag (type CRA) can specify encrypted audio. But it also specifies that part of the stream can be a unencrypted sample.

    So satisfy the law. Use DRM. Use MP3 with embedded CRA tags. Make 99.9% of the stream a free preview. Encrypt a millisecond ocasionally. Pick a moment of silence.

    I suggest using the 'XOR with a Zero' code.

    See section 4.21. http://www.id3.org/id3v2-00.txt

    --
    -- 3 events that reshaped the world in the 20th century: WW1, WW2, and WWW
  118. Re:WTF! They spend fucking tax dollars on this shi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    actually yes i'm pretty sure, since those artists FTFA are pretty old, and or suck. As i commented on THAT article, show me a current artist who's making bank and isn't a canadian suck wad who is doing then THEN I might give a rats ass. Avril, Sum41, naked ladies, mcglauglin, yah who gives a rats ass.

    that's like saying that kirk is going to be redoing the episode of the original series of trek......no one cares........

  119. Time to start downloading P2P? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because if they leave us DRM crippled formats as the sole option I and many others still will not use them. Why should we squander system resources and tolerate breaches in our systems' security -- just to help the **AA maintain the illusion they can enforce the unenforceable? To prop up an obsolete business model?
    It's futile.

    Whatever happened to pricing things at or below what the market will bear? That and perhaps changing a bit with the times is really all they have to do to minimize their losses from "illegal" downloading.

  120. When will they learn. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    When will the government officials learn that you can't stop Software Pircy and MP3 downloaders.

    #1 Rule.

    Where there is a will, there is always a way.

  121. Support this bill! by Infernal+Device · · Score: 1

    It hurts RIAA more than it hurts the public - by stopping podcasters from commenting on RIAA members releases, it actually helps the independent musicians who release their music under a more compatible license!

    There's not downside here. RIAA members lose - we win.

    And the best part is that they cut their own throats. How is that not a good thing?

    --
    "My God...it's full of trolls!"
  122. You seem to be mistaken by funkatron · · Score: 0

    Your comment impleies that the US has a left.

    --
    "Welcome to our world. We are the wasted youth. And we are the future too." Yes, I know these are stupid lyrics.
    1. Re:You seem to be mistaken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your comment implies that the US has a right.

  123. Um... Internet is global by M0bius · · Score: 1

    Licensed streaming audio in other countries will continue to stream in mp3 format, and this legislation will just push hosts of such services to operate out of those countries, widening our trade deficit.

  124. I think this will turn out for the better. by Lost+Penguin · · Score: 1

    I will no longer download any trial music, will never again purchase music of any sort (I can't try the MP3 first)
    I believe most people are disgusted enough to do without music, at this point.
    In short, this will hasten the demise of the RIAA, that will be great.

    --
    I am the unwilling control for my Origin.
  125. I found out why they're doing this by LiquidHAL · · Score: 1

    Tommy Chong is now selling bongs over streaming MP3's. We must spend another $12million in anti-terrorism resources to stop him for good.

  126. Special Interest by simpsond · · Score: 1

    Sounds more like special interest BS than aiding the "war on terrorism". Smoke and mirrors I guess. Good thing U.S. can't make laws for other countries. It will be cheaper for entities to move their syndication servers to other countries than comply with this bill, if it does indeed pass. What open source alternatives to DRM exist..? I know of none. Perhaps this really is a result of special interest groups and their incentives for congress peoples.

  127. Empty Vee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wait... MTV plays music? Since when?

    Actually way back in 1980, there was a precursor to MTV called "Video Concert Hall" that didn't have it's own channel, but aired late at night on the "SPN" (Satellite Program Network) channel, and that's where my very first exposure to music videos came from. It was quite good. Then MTV came on the scene in 1981 and I thought most of the music videos were pretty decent until around 1984-1985 when they degenerated into the "Hoe-donna" and Metalheadbanger's channel, and have been in the toilet ever since.

  128. Re:America Government by and for the Corporations. by solafide · · Score: 1

    Michael Peroutka. http://www.constitutionparty.com/ No spinelessness there.

  129. Today's pirate - what are they getting, really? by doodlebumm · · Score: 1
    In most cases, piracy generates no money. It doesn't get money to the owners and the pirates may have money to spend on other things, but most pirates are giving away their booty for free.

    The logic used by our government is pre-kindergarten at best. I suggest we vote out every single incumbent in the next election. Show them we don't want their crap anymore. Then those that don't fall in line for the next election, vote them out. It may take a few elections, and it may cause a few problems here and there, but at least it won't be the train wreck we're going to see in the not too distant future if we don't change things.

    1. Re:Today's pirate - what are they getting, really? by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      I suggest we vote out every single incumbent in the next election. Show them we don't want their crap anymore.

      Seconded, on principle. But admittedly next to impossible and definitely pointless.

      Practically impossible because nearly all incumbents are here to stay, their districts carefully gerrymandered to prevent losing. In the same spirit as Saddam Hussein's old "elections," American politicians have been careful to prevent surprises.

      Pointless because, as you will have noticed, this is a bipartisan bill. Both parties are for sale, and the price is very affordable to fat cats in industry (surprisingly cheap, in fact--a five-figure contribution will do). So even if it were practical to vote out most incumbents, their party-approved replacements would be for sale, too.

      US "democracy" has been reduced to this: damned if you vote Democratic, damned if you vote Republican. What to do? I no longer criticize anyone for not voting; today it is a respectable decision, perhaps more respectable than taking part in a charade. But if nothing else, vote third-party. A symbolic gesture at best, there is one collateral benefit. You will help starve the duopoly of its lifeblood: dupes.

  130. I think this is very bad idea by djjoemex · · Score: 1

    I once heard a podcast withChristopher "Monty" Montgomeryand other geeks saying that MP3 and Music traffic in Internet now has 90% of bandwith use. Is this all about big companies trying to stop the next revolution that Internet 2 (not web 2) will have for all of us?

    I have 3 comments for this ignorant corrupt senator wich has to hear:

    1. If you haven't seen statistics of Internet Searching I can tell you that nowadays more than 90% of these searches go only for searching music, artists, and media. This means that latence in Internet traffic today would be better if users find a special ID for media items, stored in a central database like free-db.org where every single music track, video, picture is catalogued, so there could be cache searches for one single song hit, avoiding thousands of the same searches (try searching Daddy Yankee - Gasolina on google and you'll see what i mean). This could be great however it's not a standard and the backbone of Internet 2 must choose if this is viable in the next generation of Internet (see http://www.internet2.edu/ )
    2. There is a plan to make all telecommunications in the world via packet switching, instead of circuit-based switching see GNU-Gatekeeper where you don't need to have special telephone service installed in order to build a VoIP infrastructure in your P2P network. This means that cable companies are now going to do some real business with cheaper VoIP Internet calls. However they are at risk too, some interesting protocols trying to encapsule this packet networks are JXTA. This little baby protocol (in its earliest versions) has its own Address-to-Name translation system independent of DNS. I think this is another issue that Internet 2 Consortium has to deal with. If there is in the near future an exponential growing of these independent P2P networks where the old Internet law doesn't exist, i think the big companies will be buried just as they are doing right to mp3 broadcasters now in America.
    3. Because of this issues, big companies and are predicting that Internet 2 will be free- from sponsors in such a way that people will stop to buy their products. (Why a average citizen in a medium-size economy like Latin America will buy a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive if you can use XviD and AC3-audio to see the same quality in a 700MB disk?) So this is the big issue, and i think this is the reason why these companies are doing corruption in digg.
  131. Senator Fienstien Closet Republican by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I do not know when it happened but at some point she got so bought by the entertainment industry that she stopped even pretending to be a democrat. Shoot she even dresses like Anita Bryant now. It will be my sincere pleasure to vote her out of office next election.

    1. Re:Senator Fienstien Closet Republican by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Retarded statement of denial based on the false Democrats-can-do-no-wrong premise.

  132. Just to remind all Californians by Allnighterking · · Score: 1

    Senator Feinstien (Fr-ah-kenstien whatever) is up for re-election in Nov of this year. As a result this may encourage more of you to register and then vote for someone else who is actually in tune with the companies and people of the State of California. Need I remind you that this Senator also was a sponsor of the DMCA and similar legislation. The biggest problem is that in Nov everyone will see it as a choice between Feinstein and a Republican. Which is IMHO no choice at all, both having equal anti-american attitudes. *sigh* Again Rock the Vote in Nov.

    --

    I'm sorry, I'm to tired to be witty at the moment so this message will have to do.

  133. I called Senator Feinstein's office about this by jfern · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here are her numbers:

    DC: 202-224-3841
    SF: 415-393-0707
    LA: 310-914-7300
    SD: 619-231-9712
    Fresno: 559-485-7430

    Or you can e-mail her here:
    http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.htm

    1. Re:I called Senator Feinstein's office about this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correction on the email:

      http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html

  134. Ah well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Looks like US politicians are hurdling their citizens into the technological stoneage... tough for you americans, good for the rest of us who will continue to develop new and more efficient standards for webcasting... soon the american media companies will become foreign assets, after which legislation will change to allow the foreigners to use their improved tech for the benefit of the american people.... just too bad it'll keep ya in the darkages for a while ;o)

  135. So does this law also ban FM Radio? by joemite · · Score: 1

    OK, so from the post the bill specificly names "webmasters" needing to use DRM. I would say that MP3 streaming is the digital equiv of FM radio. The quality, at least to my ears, is about the same. Hide your tape decks! Those are next to be banned!

  136. WTF?!! by thegattaca · · Score: 0

    Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, who wants to go to the punk rock show?!! "ME! ME! ME!" Okay! Bring your tape recorders and we'll pass around good copies later!

  137. *sigh* by schizrade · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Just more proof that Diane Feinstien is the "Great Satan" that the islamo-fundies are harping about. Truly evil

  138. Just bought 8 Songs on iTunes today by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    My spouse needed some music from her dance classes. We found nearly all on iTunes. I bought, DLd and burnt them on a CD-Rom. Perfect. Steve Jobs, Apple and the Industry got their fair share from me today. Zero hassle, zero fuss and a DRM that interests NOBODY who doesn't do illegal stuff. So I can't burn a playlist more than 7 times. Who cares.
    WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, I ASK?

    Bottom line:
    Get pissy with me, and I'll be off your customer list again. Play nice and you'll get my money. BTW: I recommend Magnatune.com to everybody. They've got some really cool stuff on their download site. All formats (including FLAC and OGG) all bitrates and no DRM. And 50% goes to the artists directly. Oh, and the music is good.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
    1. Re:Just bought 8 Songs on iTunes today by dieman · · Score: 1

      Hmm, I don't have an IPod and want to put it on my Brand-X mp3 player, how do I do that? Also, how do I buy music from anyone else who has their own drm fiefdom? Lastly, how do I resell this music?

      So we've taken away free markets and the first sale doctrine, way to go!

      --
      -- dieman - Scott Dier
  139. encrypted streaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If our "representatives" don't represent us anymore but base their decisions on their bribes from the recording industry it's time to move on to better methods such as encrypted and anonymized filesharing and streaming. Systems like Freenet(see: http://freenetproject.org/ have already improved quite a bit and are gaining strong popularity. End the corruption. Long live true democracy.

  140. feinstein must be pissed about the mp3ivo! by chriscappuccio · · Score: 1
  141. do something about it: ipaction.org by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    www.ipaction.org

  142. GROKLAW COMMENT COVERS BASES - EVERYONE HAPPY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See Parent and children to this link:

    http://www.groklaw.net/comment.php?mode=display&si d=20060427044611872&title=Senate+Judiciary+Cmte.+H earing+on+the+Music+Industry+-+Digital%2C+Internet +Radio%2C+Copyright...&type=article&order=&hideano nymous=0&pid=434950#c434983

    Senate Judiciary Cmte. Hearing on the Music Industry - Digital, Internet Radio, Copyright... - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, April 27 2006 @ 09:43 AM EDT

            * Senate Judiciary Cmte. Hearing on the Music Industry - Digital, Internet Radio, Copyright... - Authored by: PolR on Thursday, April 27 2006 @ 10:26 AM EDT
                        o Not DRM- simply creative commons with a law that enforces an artist's allowed uses! Open & Free! - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, April 27 2006 @ 12:18 PM EDT
                                    + Prior Art is Basic Networking Security, as it is *group allow execute* tech - Tons of Prior art! - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, April 27 2006 @ 01:42 PM EDT

  143. I live in Washington state.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...fat f***ing chance I or any of my neighbors are going to have getting Maria Cantwell to vote against this.

  144. Who is the plaintiff? by tepples · · Score: 1

    this law would not have anything to do with copyright, only with requiring DRM on *all* music streams. Yes, it's that bad.

    If I obtain a negotiated license from a label to perform a work publicly through a digital transmission, with the label's full contractual understanding that the transmission will use no digital restrictions management, then who is the plaintiff?

    1. Re:Who is the plaintiff? by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 2, Insightful
      If I obtain a negotiated license from a label to perform a work publicly through a digital transmission, with the label's full contractual understanding that the transmission will use no digital restrictions management, then who is the plaintiff?

      The US Department of Justice. And they better damn well enforce it in ever instance, otherwise the law could be seen as violating the Constitution's Equal Protection guarantee.

      --
      "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
      --- Jerry Garcia
  145. If it only saves one life... by HiyaPower · · Score: 1

    I suggest that a better use of the governments influence would be to ban the usage of cars and make people use horses instead. Think how many deaths a year would be eliminated through the elimination of drunk driving (in case you do not know the number it is about 15,000). Gad, are these people stupid or what...

  146. "Reasonably available" standards by bgspence · · Score: 1

    Good, at least the standards will now need to be open standards.

  147. hah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And I have a bill entering the Senate to ban propaganda produced by the military industrial complex. Fuck em.

  148. Vote in the primary election by Mr2001 · · Score: 1

    No, because if you are Democrat, you aren't going to vote for a Republican in order to vote against the blacklisted politician. And if you are a Republican, you are not going to vote for a Democrat. Either way you will make some excuse why it is OK to vote for the pro-DRM candidate ("Well, I gotta vote for Fienstien or otherwise the Republicans will win, and we can't let that!").

    Maybe... but not if you get involved before then. Vote the pro-DRM bums out during the primary so your favorite party doesn't nominate them in the first place, and then you can happily vote a party line ticket knowing you won't be voting against free speech.

    --
    Visual IRC: Fast. Powerful. Free.
  149. The Senate can by thallgren · · Score: 1

    The Senate can KISS MY ASS!!!

    (I live in Sweden)

  150. To my fellow Californians... by evilviper · · Score: 1

    To anyone in California who may be reading this:

    As much as it galls me, I know the only solution is to vote for the Republican Candidate this year (Richard Mountjoy), who is running against Feinstein.

    Feinstein is the most pro-Hollywood senator around, for reason that should be obvious. She's extremely pro-business, siding with Republicans trying to take away your right to sue companies. She was the co-sponsor of the PATRIOT Act. She voted to invade Iraq, and now her husband's company is making millions in contracts there. That seems to be the same reason she's a heavy supporter of China.

    The only way the democrats are going to put up somebody else is if we kick Feinstein out, and live with Mountjoy for the next 6 years.

    I've sent MANY letters, faxes, and e-mails to Feinstein's office over the years about the RIAA/MPAA's overbearing and heavy-handed tactics, and they all come back with the same form letter about the need to protect copyrighted material. She clearly doesn't care, and it's time for her to go.

    --
    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    1. Re:To my fellow Californians... by twistedcubic · · Score: 1

      I agree, she needs to go. But six years is a long time. I think I'd rather have a 99% republican who might even retire after the next six years, than a 100% republican. It would have been nice if Michael Huffington won after all.

    2. Re:To my fellow Californians... by evilviper · · Score: 1

      One of the big differences is, she has seniority in the senate, and sits on some powerful boards.

      I don't want a 99% Republican with the power to push-through legislation like Feinstein has. I'd rather have a 100% Republican, who won't have practically any power for the next 6 years.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  151. Next step, ban streaming totally.. by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Remember you might let your friends listen to the speakers at the same time, and cut into their revenue.

    Now, if they would just go after those idiots with the too loud stereos under the 'unauthorized rebroadcast' concept..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  152. When they outlaw streaming MP3's.... by d474 · · Score: 1

    ...only the outlaws will have streaming MP3's.

    Doesn't quite have the same *ring* to it.

    --
    Authority questions you. Return the favor.
  153. Fucking idiots.. by msimm · · Score: 1

    Anyone technically inclined enough to rip mp3 streams is perfectly capable of doing the same with Real Media or Windows Media. Neither streams are truly encrypted and requiring a key to listen to streaming audio would effectively kill it anyway.

    This is stupidity on the highest order. I run an internet radio station and I have and active interest in protecting my artists assets. There's a balance and if no-one's read everybodies favorite groups webcasting policies read up. I think they've pretty much got it covered.

    I'm sure Real Media and Microsoft would love the extra royalties, but as a solution to a problem this does, how do we say? Fuck-all.

    --
    Quack, quack.
  154. Ob. Simpsons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As far as I know not a single American has died on American soil as a result of a terrorist attack since our invasion. In fact I don't know of any Americans that have died due to terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a
                  charm.
      Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
    Homer: Thank you, dear.
      Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
    Homer: Oh, how does it work?
      Lisa: It doesn't work.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
      Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
      Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
                    [Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
    Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
                    [Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]

  155. How does this bill define a new crime? by tepples · · Score: 2, Informative

    T[he plaintiff in the case of a digital transmission to the public without DRM would be t]he US Department of Justice.

    This bill (page 1 and page 2) makes no amendment to Title 18, United States Code, which defines crimes. It changes only Title 17, which defines copyrights. Specifically, this bill narrows section 114, which primarily makes exemptions to the exclusive rights under section 106. Therefore, in the case of a licensor and licensee who have agreed to a license under the exclusive rights of section 106 to transmit a work to the public without DRM, how would this bill make either party guilty of a crime or otherwise bring the DOJ into it?

  156. Governmental bloat and creep by SonicSpike · · Score: 1

    The problem is that the government has granted itself more and more power to legislate and regulate where it doesn't belong as defined by the US Constitution.

    This is why big business likes big government. Might seem counterintuitive at first but think about it. If big business can buy influence and legislative bills, then they can stifle their competition.

    For example, one has to jump through many many hoops to open a small business in this country. Why? Because the government has over legislated and regulated to ensure that every single rule is followed for business. Big business has the capital and resources to be able to handle all of these hoops because they have legal departments, paper pushers, accountants, etc etc. The sole businessman doesn't have all of these methods to be in compliance with the nessecary laws. Therefore they have to spend an inordinate amount of time, effort, and money to keep up.

    If the government would stick to its original definition as set forth in the US Constitution and Declreation of Independence, then we wouldn't have any special interests, buying of influence, over legislation, draconion regulation, etc because the government wouldn't have the power to affect such things.

    If the government doesn't have the power to regulate the markets, then no one will pay money for the government to regulate the markets because it would be futile. We should stop governmental creep and bloat NOW!

    --
    Libertas in infinitum
  157. Depends on what you mean by 'pirate' by CustomDesigned · · Score: 1
    Gonzales is thinking about the pirate who stands on a street corner in Indonesia and calls "CDs, cheap! DVDs, cheap!" - and indeed, they are only a $1USD each. Although the album art seems to be slightly fuzzy and off-color.

    You are thinking about the "pirate" who unknowingly distributes copies of a copyrighted work to strangers while using a PTP "download" application (and receives no money for the distribution).

    Gonzales assertion makes sense with the first kind. Trying to equate the two, ala *AA, is the logical fallacy known as "equivocation".

  158. Such hypocrisy by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

    Where are the "Hands off the Internet" lobbyists and shrills now?

    I thought all the "big" companies were for non-regulation of the internet?

    Go fuck yourselves, music industry.

    --
    WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  159. I did vote Libertarian by andrewagill · · Score: 1

    I did vote Libertarian. Doesn't make me feel any better about this bill.

  160. The broadcasts will still... by Slashdot+Junky · · Score: 1

    The broadcasts will still be recorded. If only Congress would spend the time wasted on crap legislation like this one fixing real problems, perhaps they'd actually be worth keeping in office.

    Later,
    -Slashdot Junky

    --
    .
    Landfill Mining Co.
    Managing the (Un)natural Resources of Tomorrow
  161. Disgusting by Criton · · Score: 1

    Polititions that sell out to the media companies like this make me sick . One I like being able to listen to radio froma linux box or even an amiga that has a PPC card. No way will I resort to running windows just to listen to an online radio station. Also it's unfair to the broadcasters in forcing them use an inferior and not free or even low cost close prioperitary codec wrapper. So they are forced to spend more and offer an inferior product.

  162. Re:America Government by and for the Corporations. by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    No, that's a "giant douche" and a "turd sandwich", I believe.

    There's several viable third-party candidates; Ralph Nader, Cobb of the Green Party, the Libertarian guy (can't remember his name), etc. The problem is no one wants to vote for them because they may be effectively helping the candidate they hate the most, because of this insanely stupid voting system that prevents anyone who's not a member of the two major parties from getting a real chance.

  163. What a choice by Charcharodon · · Score: 1
    Wow first they sue MS for having a monopoly then we making it ilegal for anyone to use anything but MS (A burning case of herpes is perferable to using Realnetworks products).

    I guess if my choices are either MS or Real when it comes to getting music streamed, then the choice is neither.

    One more product I will not be interested in.

  164. um, use OGG? by davek · · Score: 1

    The signal is the key. If the format of the signal is in some patented, commercially controled format like MP3, then any government from anywhere can influence the DRM within the signal. However, if the signal is OGG, an open format, then it cannot be controlled. Even if governments craft laws that make it illegal to "broadcast any music created by anyone other than the broadcaster" without a license (something which is totally impossible to reconcile with the american constitution allowing freedom of expression), they will have the obvious problem of enforcing an unpopular law on SINGLE INDIVIDUALS, not corporations.

    That is not to say that governments won't try to make these laws. The only difference is, with open formats, these abhorent actions are presented with immediate resistance, whereas with commercial formats, the automatically bend over and take it, no matter if its right or wrong.

    -dave

    --
    6th Street Radio @ddombrowsky
    1. Re:um, use OGG? by flyneye · · Score: 0

      Better yet,lets all write that communist witch feinstein and tell her what a hairy chested moron she is.I'm so sick of all this bullshit social(ist) concience these self proclaimed expert democrap senators exhibit.Theyre hardly qualified to run a merry-go-round let alone legislate for the U.S..Write to the B*tch daily,profess her mistakes,how you would do it.Tell her why she is unqualified to do anything.Send her some limbaugh philosophy,send her some porn,send her email to every misogynistic porn site you can think of.Send her packing.
      Feinstein, Dianne- (D - CA) Class I
      331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
      (202) 224-3841
      http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html

      While we're at it.........
      Feingold, Russell D.- (D - WI) Class III
      506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
      (202) 224-5323
      E-mail: russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov

      Another clown that makes you realize 2 out of 3 really is bad.
      Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - MA) Class I
      317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
      (202) 224-4543
      http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html

      Boxer, Barbara- (D - CA) Class III
      112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
      (202) 224-3553
      http://boxer.senate.gov/contact

      Since she's on a listening tour...
      Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D - NY) Class I
      476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
      (202) 224-4451
      http://clinton.senate.gov/contact

      Oh hell with it,fix up a form and mail it to them all just like they do to the Republic*nts

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
  165. Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by some+damn+guy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "The problem isn't the senators. It's the industries that *own* them"

    Cut the oppressed masses bullshit. I bet you aren't even trying. You want an insight? You are a defeatist baby.

    Do you know what? There isn't a bill like this that has ever been passed that couldn't have been defeated by each member of congress getting maybe a hundred hand written letters. Not form letters or emails, fricken hand written notes a page and a half a page long. Thats it. Maybe less. People don't know, don't show it or don't care. That's why bills like this get passed.

    Just remember, to your local member of the house or senate, 1 handwritten letter equals at least 3,000 votes. People are so apathetic that it's probably about right too. It's even more effective for technical stuff like this because it's off the radar screen. No polls, no nothing. Just public reaction. Most congresspeople would have their minds changed if they were forced to face up to the fact that something as esoteric as this was pissing off so many voters. Even if they aren't just clueless, and are actually in the pockets of their contributors, it has to slide in under the radar if it's something unpopular. YOU JUST DON'T SIT THERE AND LET IT HAPPEN. It doesn't take much to let them know everyone knows what's up. Sadly, not even this happens.

    Remember kids, congresspeople want keep their jobs, and all that matters is votes- otherwise why worry about campaign contributions? They get too much static after dealing with taxes, Iraq, entitlement programs, Jack Abramhoff and everything else to loose thousands of votes over a silly DRM bill that only 127 people in the media industry actually want.

    Think about it- why are campaign contributions so important? 30 second TV ads. But here's the secret: they aren't really that effective. Not because people are savvy and ultra-informed of course, but because the population that is actually on the fence enough isn't very big. Still, this can often swing a close election. But then again, in that situation a couple thousand mad music lovers can too.

    So, in short, anyone who complains about everything being fixed is part of the problem. The same atmosphere of apathy that amplifies the influence of corporate america also amplifies the influence of those who care enough to actually make their voices heard.

    So stop your pathetic whining, get out an envelope, a stamp and a piece of paper and write a fricken letter. Try to sound informed, i.e. actually find out the name and number of the bill and have some idea about what's in it. Finally, make it known that you vote and you aren't going to let innovation and creativity be stifled and killed by the rotting dinasour carcass that is the media industry.

    1. Re:Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by C3ntaur · · Score: 1

      Last time I wrote a letter to my representative (snail mail, but typed -- my handwriting is horrible), I got back a form letter about a totally unrelated issue. Clearly they hadn't taken the time to read my letter, and I suspect it's because there wasn't a check enclosed with it. They really don't care, and they really are in the pockets of the bribers.

      --
      Loading...
    2. Re:Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by Sax+Maniac · · Score: 1

      Have you ever written a letter to a senator? You get the standard form letter response; paraphrased: "Thanks for your concern, but, I'm not changing my mind." The letter only works when you put a check in the envelope.

      --
      I can explanate how to administrate your network. You must configurate and segmentate it, so it can computate.
    3. Re:Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by srussell · · Score: 1
      Cut the oppressed masses bullshit. I bet you aren't even trying. You want an insight? You are a defeatist baby.

      Do you know what? There isn't a bill like this that has ever been passed that couldn't have been defeated by each member of congress getting maybe a hundred hand written letters. Not form letters or emails, fricken hand written notes a page and a half a page long. Thats it. Maybe less. People don't know, don't show it or don't care. That's why bills like this get passed.

      I call Bullshit.

      I can see it now:

      Aid: "Senator, regarding that digital piracy bill you're supposed to be voting on? We have one-hundred-and-one hand-written letters from your constituents opposing it. Oh, and that $300,000 campaign contribution from the RIAA 409 front came through."

      Senator: "By golly, send that check back! My people have spoken!"

      Excuse me while I scoff.

      --- SER

    4. Re:Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by some+damn+guy · · Score: 1

      I'll concede that senators might need a thousand or two- I was thinking house members. But you are looking at it wrong. Even if it's just 53,400 letters to congress people, that is still literally a tractor trailer or two full of nothing but angry letters. When these show up within a day or so of each other it does make an impact.

      If you are still hung up on the number, say I'm off by a factor of ten. Is that unrealistic? Thats not even one letter per slashdot account number.

      Now, think about that from the point of view of the average member of the house of representatives. You have 500,000 constituents. Only 400k can even vote, and of these only 200k probably will. Now of these people, at least 66,000 will vote for a yellow labordor retriever before you as they are staunch partisans. That leaves around 133,000 votes you even have a chance of getting.

      Now imagine that nearly 1% of your total real consituency has actually taken the time to write you a hand written letter. Not an astroturf form letter but a real one. These people know what a bullshit letter looks like. Guess what, if there are even 5 votes standing behind each of these, that could cost you an election right these.

      It's not about pieces of paper. It's a show of resolve, not of one person but of a group of people It shows that someone is paying attention and that their vote WILL be riding on a particular decision.

      Don't take my word for it. Look at the religious right. You won't hear Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson telling people not to waste their time writting letters. Those fucking people write letters to everyone with a mailbox. Look at the Janet Jackson thing. It was a small, but very vocal group of people who got together and flooded the FCC. And let me tell you, it was a lot less than 50k letters, yet it sent a chill down the whole broadcasting industry. Same thing with radio. And the movies, and video games. Try and have anything approaching a natural depiction of sex in a movie. You can't show it because it won't get an R rating. Think that's just the media industry being greedy? Sex doesn't sell movie tickets anymore? Which media executive thought the v-chip act would be a great law to buy?

      You think those people give up after they make one tiny gesture and don't get their way? I mean, you think you can't stand up to the media industry, but the bible thumpers have pretty much proved you wrong, haven't they? We could be doing the same thing, but we just bitch and moan. Meanwhile, yet another group makes the decisions for us.

    5. Re:Stop being a baby and write a damn letter. by srussell · · Score: 1
      If you are still hung up on the number, say I'm off by a factor of ten. Is that unrealistic?
      No, no. You're right; unless you have big bucks to contribute to a campaign, your only chance of making a difference is in letter-writing. However, I think you over-estimate the impact of a letter.

      If a politician has enough money, it doesn't much matter how many angry constituents s/he has. They can always do a media blast which, in the US, usually works.

      I'm not trying to dissuade people from writing letters to their congresscritters; I just don't think letters have the impact that they may once have had; I think money talks louder. It probably always has.

      --- SER

  166. Thats what they want by jonwil · · Score: 1

    The RIAA has hated streaming audio since the days when "streaming audio" meant files comming over a 300bps modem that told your PC speaker how to beep a song.
    The whole point is that, unlike traditional radio stations (ClearChannel etc), streaming radio stations play what THEY want to play, not what the RIAA wants them to play.

  167. New business model? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So does that mean if I just make a format more restricted than WMA or Real, everyone is legally required to use it?

    That sounds like a good Step 2 to me..

  168. This is Why... by eno2001 · · Score: 1

    ...the so-called "darknets" will grow in number. I've been doing my own for the past five years. Originally I started off with using simple OpenSSH tunnels to forward ports from home to work, parents to my house, friends to my house and vice-versa (with respect to all listed sources and desintations). Then I discovered OpenVPN and started using that to do the same thing. What this means is that I can stream whatever I want to whomever I allow onto my VPN in whatever format I choose and the FCC/RIAA/MPAA can't do a damn thing about it. As far as the net is concerned, anyone sniffing my traffic will just see a lot of traffic on a random port. They can't read my stream at all unless I allow them in. It's not that hard to implement and I believe this is the "next big thing" for the kind of user who wants the power to publish content without limits. American business sheisters, lawmakers and the government are currently a bunch of fools who think they can get away with controlling the general public and not get a backlash. It's coming and it's going to hit them hard...

    --
    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
    1. Re:This is Why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, a group of friends and I have done the same thing using programs like hamachi and other things. It works quite well.

  169. Live365 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What will happen to Live365?

    For one I hope this law doesn't get passed. If it does, it's time for this type of legal service to get out of the USA.

  170. Easily hackable. by Thomas+Shaddack · · Score: 1

    You can sneak the file through the ADC in multiple ways. Scramble the audio in an analog way, then apply a reverse transformation using DSP. You can repurpose an ADC chip from other application. You can pair two chips and feed them synchronously with a mangling signal and a mangled input signal, then again use DSP software to restore the original. Either they will have to use ADCs on chips larger and denser-integrated than Pentium IV, or it will be ridiculously easy to work around.

  171. Yes by GuloGulo · · Score: 1

    "it was about banning animal cruelty"

    Which was already banned. So, as GP said, there are better things for the politicians to be doing than banning something which is already banned.

    Unless you're trying to say it wasn't banned already. Is that what you're trying to say?

    --
    "The government grants you rights, not the other way around."-- beav007. Yes, these people really exist...
    1. Re:Yes by resonantblue · · Score: 1

      clearly, at least one manifestation of it was, indeed, not banned if foei gras can be legally created or distributed.

  172. where are they? by WeeBit · · Score: 1

    Why aren't the News stations, radio, etc picking up this news for tv and radio? I have not seen one part of this mentioned on the news. Is this being hushed so it will fall though the cracks with little fuss as possible?

  173. Yes, you are by GuloGulo · · Score: 1

    "With over 2,000 dead, and thousands more left injured, the current situation is basically a complete disaster."

    That is a misrepresentation.

    "should being "high" be illegal if being "drunk" is not?"

    That is also a misrepresentation. As someone else said, there are MANY MANY instances where being drunk IS illegal.

    So yes, you are misrepresenting the facts. Now ask yourself why you aren't willing to acknowledge it.

    --
    "The government grants you rights, not the other way around."-- beav007. Yes, these people really exist...
    1. Re:Yes, you are by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      As someone else said, there are MANY MANY instances where being drunk IS illegal.

      But how many instances is having a 6 pack in the trunk illegial? Only one that I know of, when you're under 21.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    2. Re:Yes, you are by GuloGulo · · Score: 1

      "But how many instances is having a 6 pack in the trunk illegial? Only one that I know of, when you're under 21."

      In dry counties. When crossing state/county lines. When the alcohol content is too high.

      There are three examples off the top of my head. All of them are illegal in various places, regardless of your age.

      In other words, your lack of knowledge on the subject is not a valid reason to assume you are correct.

      --
      "The government grants you rights, not the other way around."-- beav007. Yes, these people really exist...
    3. Re:Yes, you are by collectivescott · · Score: 1

      No, I'm not misrepresenting anything. Being high is illegal, period. Being drunk is not, except in a few fairly narrow circumstances. The point is, despite the fact that alcohol causes many problems directly, it remains legal and regulated. Illegal drugs are treated differently. I know a few people who have been arrested for being in posession of drugs. Meanwhile, cops often let underage drinkers off the hook, so even when its illegal it isn't always a big deal. Way to be pedantic and completely miss the point.

      As far as Iraq, what national interests have been furthered by the adventure in Iraq? Because there have been real consequences, besides the thousands dead, and injured. Such as the situation in Iran, where our hands are now tied. Or the situation in Sudan. There are daily assasinations, bombings, the fucking electricity doesn't work half the time. So how, exactly, is that not a disaster?

      Just because I don't reach the same conclusions doesn't mean I'm misrepresenting anything. It just means we don't agree.

    4. Re:Yes, you are by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      A better question then is why it's not ok to let localities legislate pot the same as beer - some can be "dry" others can have this limit or that limit, still others could have none...

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  174. Streamers already getting fleeced. by Jon_S · · Score: 1

    Radioparadise.com puts it well on their website (http://www.radioparadise.com/content.php?name=FAQ #160):

    -----------

    How do the artists you play get paid?

    We pay fees to the industry groups ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC (who represent songwriters & publishers) in very much the same way that an FM station does. These fees are distributed to songwriters & publishers based on periodic airplay surveys & reports.

    In addition, Internet radio stations are subject to additional copyright fees (performace royalties), paid to yet another industry group called SoundExchange. They represent performers and record companies - mostly the latter, since they are a de-facto arm of the infamous Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RP pays a surprisingly hefty fee to SoundExchange each year, which is distributed to artists and record labels.

    FM & AM Broadcast stations in the US are not required to pay performance royalties at all (though they do in Europe & elsewhere). Satellite broadcasters like XM & Sirius pay them, but at a significantly lower rate than Internet stations like RP. Due primarily to our lack of clout with the US Congress and the Copyright Office, legally operated Internet stations like RP pay the highest royalty rates - by far - of any class of broadcaster in the US.

  175. Something My Mother Said by SeanDuggan · · Score: 1
    There was a bill a few years ago to have the Kentucky legislature meet more often. I don't remember the actual scheduling, but it was along the lines of that the legislature currently met 10 times a year to which my mother quipped, "I'd rather they met once every ten years instead of ten times in one year."

    "Hi. I'm from the government and I want to help."

    --
    This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
  176. how funny is this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so, they just force streaming servers to be hosted at other countries. this is really smart as the money will just flow away to others. a webmaster buys hosting in the middle of nowhere, however he gets the money to pay it off out of adds in the usa. and thats how they fight the piracy. frackin greate.

  177. addendum by flyneye · · Score: 0
    --
    *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
  178. damned if they do damned if they dont by MrSoundAndVision · · Score: 0

    If the government restricts the internet, restricting access to high speed connections or restrciting access to art, whatever, the government risks radicalizing a very large portion of the American population. We have come to rely upon the internet as a tool of free speech inherent in the American social experience of the 21st century. Restricting it significantly will piss people off. Of course, the government and the media conglomerates know this full well, but believe that the infrastructure is in place to deal with this sort of social outcry. After all, what's the Democratic Party for? They'll implement the DRM policies and then select Democrats in Congress will shake their fists in the air, hold a hearing, and go on vacation.

  179. Multi-party system by SeanDuggan · · Score: 1
    So, what are the advantages of a two-party system enforced by our lame voting system? I'd like to suspect that, at the very least, a different voting system would encourage a larger voter turnout.
    Are you kidding? Voters today can't even keep track of the issues of candidates in the two-party system. Those who vote on issues generally a) are extremely intelligent and well-informed, and research both candidates for each position or b) vote on straight party lines assuming that all Democrats hold this political position and all Republicans another. In actuality, there are liberal Republicans, conservative Democrats, people who are all for gun control but don't like welfare. Politicians are people too, albeit perhaps a lower class thereof...

    Anyhow, my point is that I don't think that the average voter could cope with more choices. We'd just wind up with either people voting straight party lines because that's what their daddy/religion/regional group/racial group always votes, leading to the two main parties getting the lion's share much as today, or people would vote piecemeal, voting in Doctor X because "he's tough on crime" without paying attention to his other stated goals of conquering the world and creating a dictatorship.

    Jaded? Yeah, I guess I am.

    --
    This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
  180. heard it before by DoctorDyna · · Score: 1
    Ever heard the "if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns." statement?

    I think some of these performace artist "advocates" need to get a fucking clue. A life would also help. These guys are the modern day makealottamoneyofsombodyelsesshit asshole ambulance chasers. I swear, it's going to get to the point where music lovers who download music (and buy the good stuff) won't take it anymore. Maybe we should create something that spreads the music so far and wide for download, and makes it so easy that these fuckers don't have the legal resources to counter attack it all.

    We should do a hands across america or something. Fuck these assholes.

    --
    Windows has more viruses because linux has more virus coders.
  181. the senate is for the people eh? by stock · · Score: 1

    Here's a additional requirement to be passed as Senate Bill: these senators should have their brains checked for illegal confined bio-chip inside skull or hands.

    King James Bible (c)1611 :
    Book of revelation:
    13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,
          free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
          foreheads:

    Robert

  182. SDMI by tepples · · Score: 1

    There was SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative), which used watermarks, but Prof. Ed Felten and others showed that all SDMI watermarks fell into one of two categories:

    1. those that can be ABX'd by golden ears at a statistically significant rate, or
    2. those that can be destroyed without harming audio quality more than category 1 watermarks.
  183. Re: Voters by some+guy+I+know · · Score: 1

    Obligatory Simpsons quote (by Kent Brockman): "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Democracy doesn't work."

    --
    Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana