Slashdot Mirror


DOJ Opposes Extending DOJ Copyright Authority

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The White House has opposed the bipartisan bill that would create copyright cops on the grounds that it would cause the Department of Justice to end up 'serving as pro bono lawyers for private copyright holders.' And while they do occasionally prosecute criminal copyright infringement, they have no intention of dabbling with civil cases because, 'taxpayer-supported department lawyers would pursue lawsuits for copyright holders, with monetary recovery going to industry.' At this rate, the discovery of winged suiformes would appear to be imminent."

8 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Be for you get to be to optimistic by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This seems to stop the DOJ from prosecution these cases with tax money. That is NOT a-typical of the Bush administration. What they would rather see is that the record labels have their own private police force that the record labels pay for. Small goverment, big business. Makes perfect sense.

    Remember that if it is the DOJ that prosecutes these cases AND the only one who can do this, that would put copyright infringement up against all other crimes for attention. Plus there would be far more oversight of the cases.

    Remember what happened in germany? There these cases belong firmly in the hands of the justice department and then justice department told the record industry that they can't be arsed. Case closed.

    That is NOT what happened in the US so far. In the US, the justice department can't be arsed BUT the record labels are given more and more powers (or not being stopped) from investigating and prosecuting these cases themselves. If you are worried about to much police power, you should be even more worried about police power in private hands.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  2. Re:Yey! Victory! by tinkertim · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A victory caused by laziness is still a victory, right?

    Its one thing to permit far fetched litigation. Its another thing to supply all lawyers needed for free.

    I think the RIAA realized .. if we're going to enforce copyright ... enlisting public defenders is probably __not__ going to help. So they quit pushing.

    This is as reassuring as it is funny.

  3. The industry is not losing money to home users by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The movie industry in particular wonders why it's having a tough time, well, have you looked at the cost of most movies lately? How about Blu-Ray? Gee, I wonder why $30 disks aren't flying off the shelves, and the technology being generally adopted, in an economy that is going sour. Couldn't possibly be because if you walked into a typical retailer, the movies are priced as though nothing has changed in the economy since 1998-1999, could it?

    When these cartels start pricing toward a more realistic economy of scale, and still have no luck selling stuff, I'll gain an ounce of pity for them. Not enough to support this sort of handout, but enough to actually consider them victims of the economy, rather than their own ivory tower mentality ("the law says we have these rights, fuck the real world, fuck the economy, our rights, rights rights, all say that we can charge this much and there's nothing anyone can do about it!")

  4. Re:If only the copyright act were to be repelled.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If Imaginary Property is real, where are the Imaginary Laws to protect it? Can't I just imagine someone breaking down my door and hauling me off to court to be slapped with a hundred thousand dollar fine? If that's the case, can I just pretend I sent them the money? Seriously, I love music, and the concept of imaginary property is plausible...but if it all sounds the same, whose imagination did it come from? Who really owns it? We need new styles and fresh sounds. Why doesn't someone invent a new instrument to replace the Electric Guitar? THAT would be innovation. Peace Out.

  5. Re:Yey! Victory! by jedidiah · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not laziness so much as self interest.

    The basic problem here, the one that led to this law
    in the first place, is the fact that real law
    enforcement types don't want this crap. They want
    "sexier" assignments that will look better in terms
    of promotion.

    This is about "career minded opportunists" rather
    than laziness. FBI agents want to do things that
    the FBI has been traditionally known for ( drugs,
    armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism).

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  6. New word proposal by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would like to propose that we adopt a new word in the English language:

    Buypartisan: A bill sponsored by politicians from both parties who are both being paid off.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  7. Re:Yey! Victory! by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's called "wu wei," action through inaction. If you prefer, knowing when inaction is the best action.

    Maybe our government is going Taoist?

    Actively opposing a bill is not inaction.

    The other reason Bush's Administration is opposing this bill was left out of TFA
    http://www.itworld.com/government/55331/us-doj-copyright-protection-bill-flawed

    The legislation would also require the U.S. president to create an intellectual property enforcement office in the White House, and it would expand some civil and criminal penalties for copyright infringement. The requirement to create a new office in the White House would be a "legislative intrusion into the internal structure and composition of the president's administration," the letter said.

    Bush & Cheney would never allow a precedent like that to be set.
    It would be an enormous step back for their Unitary Executive Theory [TM].

    If you think Bush's Administration is going to "wu wei" themselves through this, you've got it all wrong.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  8. Re:Yey! Victory! by ravenshrike · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Given that every other alphabet agency, all technically part of the executive branch, "causes" this effect it's pretty much a bullshit line. *sniff* *Wipes away tear* I never thought I'd see the day when Bush refused more power.