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DOJ Doesn't Like the Idea of A Copyright Czar
sconeu writes "Seems as if the DOJ is not particularly happy about HR 4729, the 'Copyright Czar' bill. The Deputy AG told Congress that the current structure works quite effectively. 'Panel members also expressed concern over Section 104 of the bill, which would allow a copyright owner to collect statutory damages for each copyrighted work that is stolen. Detractors fear that this provision could result in protracted lawsuits ... Section 104, however, would penalize criminals on a per-song basis, so if someone pirated a motion picture soundtrack that had songs from 12 different artists, the pirate would be charged with 12 separate offenses and be subject to exorbitant fees.'"
> ... would allow a copyright owner to collect statutory
> damages for each copyrighted work that is stolen.
So if I buy a Metallica CD, and someone swipes it, Metallica gets the money when the thief is caught?
Bizarre.
I gotta be honest, I was at best buy and I didn't see any particular movie or CD that interested me and I had a $5 off coupon to spend. Movie, music, and TV executives take note: I'm done. You can keep your ball and play by your rules, but I'm going to go home and do something constructive, like build a book shelf, or read a book, and maybe stop, look up at this beautiful world we live in and decide I don't need your crap to enjoy life.
It will be a huge turn for the federal government in US history. Meaning, this is a blantant example of politicians wanting to use the federal government resources to help primarily large businesses maximize and enforce their revenues. Piracy, like it or not, provides a market balance where in many industries it did not exist before, and most of the politicians know this.
More Twoson than Cupertino
Abuse of the court system to slam 'Intellectual Property' offenders benefits corporations.
Taken past a certain point, though, it impairs the ability of the court system to be responsive, and brings massive costs to the agencies which have to support the infrastructure.
We're getting to that point.
You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
The American drug Czars have done soooo well haven't they? A copyright Czar is SURE to end all copyright violations!
Yanks: DO something about your electoral system! It's time to move back to Democracy from Corporate Oligarchy.
Copyright infringement is a civil offence. Nuff said.
If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.
We already have laws that punish real bootlegging pirates. Walk down the street in most major metropolitan areas and you see people making money off other peoples hard work. Would those people be charged with both the original crime AND a crime for EACH of the copyrights they violated to sell a five dollar version of a 20 dollar RIAA CD?
This isn't a bill written to make the constituents happy... I'm glad the DOJ is doing more than following along.
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
Yeah, for now.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
If the "We Don't Torture, but Oppose Anti-Torture Legislation" DOJ thinks a piece of legislation is a little too heavy-handed, Congress should damn well get the message that it's time to reconsider.
Gifts for Geeks - Stuff that really matters!
How is it that copyright receives a higher standard of punishment than traditional crime. Maybe because the RIAA holds itself more important than people who really get hurt.
If someone is assaulted they cannot prosecute the assailant for each punch/stab/whatever....
They are entitled to fair protections but the system must make the redress fair as well. Each $2.99 song is a million dollars by their accounting. Now they want each instance to give them a retrial and more ability to punish the poor with larger threatened lawsuits. This is not trial by judge or jury anymore. They are fighting for trial by the inefficiency of our judicial system. They want to make the court system worse and more expensive while they use it as a hammer to win settlements - out of court. And who picks up the tab??? The country.
Go back to the initial copyright as set out by the constitution. Remove the extensions and emphasize the benefits of a global distribution system that costs peanuts to maintain.
Of course, because ripping a DVD and putting it on your video iPod is stealing.
It's not about stealing, dipshit. It's about choice.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
you can dig in your heels and fight it tooth and nail, until reality passes you by
or you can adapt gracefully, and keep right on swimming
adapt, or die
i mean these are some pretty fantastic death throes we are witnessing now
riaa, mpaa: in 5 years i want to see shocktroopers on the street with congressionally mandated shoot to kill on sight orders for anyone caught singing christmas carols without prior authorization
that's the logical progression of your denial
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
"Back in the 20's the christian right got the volstead act."
Applying the term "christian right" to a political movement before the 70's is like calling something a "genocide" that happened before WWII - it uses a term that didn't exist at the time of the event, not to describe it, but to leverage current emotional and intellectual trends to get the reaction the writer wishes.
In other words, trolling.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
One in office
One in jail.
No exceptions.
Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
A free man makes his own choices. The effects of prohibition are organized crime and massive profits for the black marketeers who care nothing for their victims. We already have a system in place to distribute drugs just as potent, and often more potent than meth, crack and opiates. It's called prescription medication, and those drugs share the same problems of addiction and loss of freedom. Yet instead of receiving your drugs from a gangbanger and funding organized crime you are visiting a doctor who can help inform you about your situation, and get you in touch with counseling and rehabilitation services.
The choice is simple, continue fighting a war against your own citizens or simply allow the people who already deal with powerful drugs the ability to control the situation. There is only one sane option, unfortunately we are far from arriving at it.