Congress May Outlaw 'Attempted Piracy'

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 15, 2007 @02:03AM from the i-see-what-you-were-trying-to-do-there dept.

cnet-declan writes "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is asking Congress to make 'attempted' copyright infringement a federal crime. The text of the legislation as well as the official press-release is available online. Rep. Lamar Smith, a key House Republican, said he 'applauds' the idea, and his Democratic counterpart is probably on board too. In addition, the so-called Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007 would create a new crime of life imprisonment for using pirated software in some circumstances, expand the DMCA with civil asset forfeiture, and authorize wiretaps in investigations of Americans who are 'attempting' to infringe copyrights. Does this go too far?"

2 of 768 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Re:Why does the law punish attempts at all? by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · 2007-05-15 05:18 · Score: 0, Redundant

Now really, they don't give the Nobel Prize away for attempted chemistry (Obligatory Simpsons quote)

--
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
Re:Why does the law punish attempts at all? by BlargIAmDead · 2007-05-15 05:21 · Score: 0, Redundant

Attempted Murder?! Pffft. You don't see them handing out Nobel Prizes for Attempted Chemistry.