FTC To Take a Second Look at P2P

BlueMerle writes to mention that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has asked the FTC to take another look into the world of peer-to-peer file sharing. This time around however the inquiry has nothing to do with copyright. "But a USPTO report earlier this year stirred up the issue again by claiming that P2P installs could adversely affect national security when they made confidential government information available. This has already happened several times, as the Oversight Committee learned in July when it held hearings on the USPTO report and its findings. At that hearing, representatives were also shown real-time P2P search data. While most of the searches were for porn, movies, and music, the committee noted a surprisingly number of searches for private financial information."

Comments

Just wonderful.

[adolf]

Now, instead of RIAA, I have to worry about the Secret Service and the NSA when I'm browsing pirate bay looking for some mus

*bright flash of concussion grenade*

$#(FRe2%DEK#NO CARRIER

Re:Just wonderful.

[Ash Vince]

Many people just don't get the fact they shouldn't use their home directory as a place to download their goodies. It is what they share without even knowing is what is dangerous. Then when they lose all their money to identity theft and starve it can be treated as clear cut case of Darwin Laws in action and we post it slashdot as positive confirmation of the theory of evolution.

Anyone that stupid should not be using the internet.

Re:Just wonderful.

[Technician]

Anyone that stupid should not be using the internet.

True, but they do. As an example of a large collection of these people, visit My Space.

Re:Just wonderful.

[MrNiceguy_KS]

Old method for getting free music via the internet:
1. Download and install LimeWire
2. Search for desired artist/song.
3. Download songs that others are sharing.

New method for getting free music via the internet:
1. Download and install LimeWire
2. Search for Quicken and TurboTax files that others are sharing.
3. Transfer their assets to bank account in Cayman Islands.
4. Use money in said account to buy CDs.

Just one extra step, and no angry settlement letters from the RIAA!

How convenient...

[jamstar7]

So, since the MafIAA couldn't stop all those 'illegal filesharing piratical thieves' it's now going to be a national security issue like personal encryption was back in the 90's.

How much pr0n does the government have laying around, and why isn't it on Limewire yet?????????

Your honor...

[Romicron]

Financial information is more important data. All those numbers take up lots of tube space. Soon we'll have all those tubes clogged up with dollars and cents* unless we can cut off the P2P box from trying to get this data! *Dollars and cents are number figures, not actual coins. Please don't go digging around and cutting open the tubes for money.

Re:I may not be a bureaucrat ...

[cybereal]

But wouldn't the real solution be to train government employees in the arcane art of not installing P2P applications on government computers in the first place? Or does that just make too much sense to be effective? I'm sorry. You forgot to file form 23-B "Request for request to criticize" and amendment form 27-B-A2 "Amendment to criticism for system specific criticisms involving apes, lepers, or government employees," and submit it the resulting form along with a notarized copy of your mother's birth certificate request form, so I have the unfortunate duty to file a form to request the manual to instruct my assistant on how to file the request to have your bureaucrat grade demoted.

Remember to file the acceptance forms or risk a lengthy repeat of this entire process!

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