University of Michigan Student Wants SafeNet Prosecuted

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "An anonymous University of Michigan student, targeted by the RIAA as a 'John Doe,' is asking for the RIAA's investigator, SafeNet (formerly MediaSentry), to be prosecuted criminally for a pattern of felonies in Michigan. Known to Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth — the agency regulating private investigators in that state — only as 'Case Number 162983070,' the student has pointed out that the law has been clear in Michigan for years that computer forensics activities of the type practiced by Safenet require an investigator's license. This follows the submissions by other 'John Does' establishing that SafeNet's changing and inconsistent excuses fail to justify its conduct, and that Michigan's legislature and governor have backed the agency's position that an investigator's license was required." SafeNet/MediaSentry defended their actions by claiming their company simply "records public information available to millions of users. If private investigator licenses were required to do what MediaSentry does, every user on Limewire and other illegal p2p networks would be required to have a license. Indeed, every search engine and Internet user would be required to have a private investigator license if MediaSentry needs one."

Comments

Re:p2p != illegal

[Z34107]

Wow, I sure opened myself up to be flamed. You're right, information does want to be free - nobody can "own" it, it's just one of nature's creatures, for us all to enjoy. And speaking of logical fallacies, this is also entirely true because "299 out of every 300 people" say it is.

use of paper as "necrophilia" because paper is composed of the corpses of trees

You got it.