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PRO-IP and PIRATE Acts Fused Into New Bill

Posted by Soulskill on from the when-legislation-attacks dept.

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) have just sponsored a new bill, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008, which would combine the worst parts of the PRO-IP Act and the PIRATE Act. The basic idea is pretty simple: expand the Federal government to create something like the Department of Homeland Security for IP. The Copyright Czar then polices the internet and clogs the courts with thousands of civil lawsuits against individual infringers so the RIAA doesn't have to. Feel free to contact your representatives with your feelings about this bill. Right now, they believe the bill (PDF) will 'protect jobs.'"

3 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. Protect jobs? by Ritz_Just_Ritz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ermm.....more likely "will protect the stream of political contributions and lobbying money from the RIAA/MPAA/etc."

    1. Re:Protect jobs? by thermian · · Score: 5, Interesting

      the theory goes that if intellectual property can be protected totally, then money will be made in large amounts.

      What it actually means is that as soon as profits are assured by this sort of action we will see distribution channels becoming more powerful, taking a bigger cut, and IP owners getting a smaller piece of the pie.

      Not that it would work, no government that criminalises millions of its own citizens has done well in the long term.

      --
      A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
    2. Re:Protect jobs? by thermian · · Score: 5, Interesting

      in this case the criminalised group would be predominantly middle class, since that is the social group with the highest percentage of internet access.

      No-one cares if you criminalise lower class/unemployed/homeless/poor people. Really, they don't. Its amazing how little people with even a little success care about people less well off then them. It sounds cynical, but I'm only being honest. How many friends do you have that aren't in or above your social class?

      Criminalise people who are successful, have nice houses, jobs, and are otherwise highly respectable, and you have a potential storm on your hands.

      --
      A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams