Controversial Section of PRO-IP Act Cut

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Rep. Berman (D-CA) has removed the controversial section 104 from his PRO-IP Act. That section would have multiplied the already excessive statutory damages for infringement in the case of compilations, making the damages for infringing upon the copyrights of a single average CD rise into the millions of dollars. This change came after proponents of the amendment were unable to cite even one case where the statutory damages recovered were insufficient. But don't let the article fool you into thinking that the PRO-IP Act is no longer controversial now that this one section is gone, the act still creates copyright cops who are authorized to seize people's computers."

Comments

Good example.

[palegray.net]

This is a good example of the fact that both major parties play these games with our civil liberties. As much time as people spend bashing the Republican party over privacy invasion and big business backroom deals, it's good to remember that the Democrats play the same games every day. Perception is a funny thing.

How could statutory damages ever be insufficient?

[John Hasler]

How could statutory damages ever be insufficient when the copyright owner has the option of proving actual damages?

Just the latest in a long list of malfeasance ...

[ScrewMaster]

Berman should be forcibly removed from office for the things he's already done. They can take Howard Coble and Orrin Hatch along with him. We the People have no use for them.

WalMart

[Anonymous Coward]

making the damages for infringing upon the copyrights of a single average CD rise into the millions of dollars. ...and yet, if you just physically steal one, no one cares near as much. Whatever floats their boat, I guess.

Re:WalMart

[bky1701]

Of course. Physical theft hurts businesses, especially small ones. On the other hand, piracy threatens the control of the media giants. Who do you think has more lobbying power?

Re:Time for the old Dead Man's Switch

[digitrev]

No one. But you can easily claim that, with all the various laws on the books, including laws that haven't been examined in years, that you could breaking laws you don't even know about. Hence, pleading the fifth.

I remember

[hyades1]

"Yes, Billy, it's true. The United States wasn't always a fascist dictatorship. Actually, the proper term is oligarchy, but I won't bore you with all that stuff now. Anyway, there was a time when the people in office actually cared, some more than others, about the ideals that made it a good place to live. And, no, there was no invasion. Our people just gave it all away, a little at a time, by always voting for politicians who promised to make the country a safe place for children and kittens. It's safe now, Billy...just as long as you do exactly as you're told."

Re:I remember

[Omestes]

Our people just gave it all away, a little at a time, by always voting for politicians who promised to make the country a safe place for children and kittens

I know I'm replying to your rather flippant remark with something serious, but why are we doing this? The other democracies in the world seem to have veered in a more liberal direction (liberal, not by the American definition). What makes the Americans MORE susceptible to welcoming a tyranny with open arms? I would have thought it the opposite, being one of the most violently individualistic countries on earth.

The average American, it seems, is the epitomy of sheep, anti-education, anti-freedom, and pro-tyranny, and not just our tyranny, but the tyranny of everyone else too. How did this happen, for a large part our founding fathers were ideal freethinkers (minus Adams), and liberals (again in the non-modern American sense), but somehow we've turned into the modern Soviets. This confuses the hell out of me.

How the hell did Europe (and Canada) beat us at our own, original, game?

How did France, Canada, the Nether

Re:I remember

[hyades1]

Wish I could give you an answer. I'm Canadian, and I don't much like the direction my country is heading in at the moment, either.

I've forgotten what our Prime Minister looks like, it's been so long since he pulled his face out from between Bush's ass cheeks.

Re:I remember

[moxley]

This is no accident. There has been manipulation and paranoia based behavior control.

"We were attacked" "by evil terrorists" (the fact of who those "evil terrorists" actually are or whether it was some bullshit storybook conspiracy that completely falls apart and lacks credibility if you have half a brain OR was a manipulation in the first place doesn't matter because the effects are the same with how it is being used).

People are being made to feel like there is danger coming at them from all corners at all times. The fear has been ratcheted up constantly and is bombarding this TV addicted country relentlessly; and the internets is the newest place where terrible things can happen to you, your family, and the country (according to the TV).

If you can find 4 or so hours of pre-recorded mainstream network television (including news and the ever ubiquitous crime drama) from ten years ago (it was still total trash but not the same trash we have today) - watch it - then, watch the same amount of today's television and I think you'll see that there is a very noticable difference.

The people driving the bus that is America want you to feel as though you're on a roller coaster that is careening off the rails all at times sourrounded by foreigners with rocket launchers just waiting for their chance to blow you away and next they're going to be trying to convince you that the neighbor on your left (who looks you) is in league with those "terraists" and the neighbor on your right is going to go off of his meds and shoot up your kid's school.

When people are this scared they make bad decisions. When people are this scared they'll allow things they would NEVER allow (like giving up their rights and taking a "I don't care, lock 'em up or torture 'em, it's not me or my family who will be affected" attitude)...The fact that this country would even talk about being okay with indefinite incarceration without charge and torture (let alone actually allowing or making it fucking policy) is disgusting and unbelevable and would have never been possible without this scheme. The thing most people don't get is that it already is affecting the entire society and it will affect them and those they care about because the definition of "terrorist" and what is considered is "terrorism" is being changed - look at the homegrown terrorism act for one thing..

People wonder how Germany was transformed in the 30s...I don't wonder anymore.

Re:I remember

[Omestes]

I don't think the current atmosphere is to blame, though it exasperated the situation. I came of age at the tail end of the cold war, and we were still ruled by the same fear as we are today (albeit more based in reality), In the 90's, after the end of the cold war, we still managed to be ruled by wankers (Clinton, and the birth of neo-cons), but this was not fear based wankerism. Bush I and Clinton were both in a time of naive optimism, but we STILL voted the the extreme right into control.

Really the down fall of American politics can probably be traced to the Truman administration, if not before.

Remember before the current USAPATRIOT act mentality we had McCarthy and J.Edgar Hooverism. Islamic extremists are nothing more than the new International Communist Conspiracy. I guess (barring the unexplanable wankerism of the 90's) fear can be the main effect, which still begs the question "why are we so afraid?".

Not to sound to paranoid, I'm still sad to admit that I can see ourselves being the bad-guys of the next century, taking Germany and the USSR's place. I want to love my country, I really want to, but I have no shared values with America anymore, it seems. This depresses the hell out of me. For Pete's sake, we actually are arguing about the merits of torture, this is the sign of a whole country jumping the shark.

Re:Yes. It's also good to remember

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's vote them in ... never vote Republican again, and then start working... How fucking stupid are you? The only way to fix the steaming pile that is our government is to get off your sorry ass and vote against the incumbent. When our elected leaders see that they are becoming nothing more than one hit wonders, they will come to the realization of, "Holy shit, we do work for the people and not the lobbyists". And when their is no incumbent in the race, vote for who you feel will do the least amount of damage. In the event that all candidates are equally damaging, vote for the candidate that is most honest about the damage they will do.

Re:Just the latest in a long list of malfeasance .

[Obyron]

We the People keep reelecting them. Blame California, North Carolina, and Utah. (and blame Canada)

This should be alarming

[sltd]

They're beginning to make compromises. With this controversial section removed, it's just that much closer to becoming a law, which is bad for everyone.