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10 Years in Prison For Online Pirates a Step Closer in the UK (torrentfreak.com)
The UK Government's Digital Economy Bill has moved a step closer to becoming law after its second reading in Parliament. With unanimous support, the current two-year maximum custodial sentence for online piracy is almost certain to increase to a decade, TorrentFreak reports. From the article: Due to UK copyright law allowing for custodial sentences of 'just' two years for online offenses, anti-piracy groups such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft have chosen to pursue their own private prosecutions. These have largely taken place under legislation designed for those who have committed fraud, rather than the more appropriate offense of copyright infringement. Physical pirates (CDs, DVDs) can be jailed for up to 10 years under current legislation. During the past few years, there have been lobbying efforts for this punishment to apply both on and offline. That resulted in a UK Government announcement last year indicating that it would move to increase the maximum prison sentence for online copyright infringement to ten years. They also urge Google to do something about growing incidents of piracy.
10 years for piracy? Force them to pay for the pirated content, plus a fine. Why prison at all?
Also, what about google? Why should google "do something"? Not their table . . .
Let's put lots of young people in prison on long mandatory sentences for petty crimes. Sounds genius!
Mike @ The Geek Pub. Let's Make Stuff!
PrisonerA: "What are you in for?"
PrisonerB: "I was caught with a potted plant in my home."
PrisonerC: "I couldn't remember my password."
and now,
PrisonerD: "I consumed propaganda without also paying for the privilege."
And many more! Western civilization has gone bonkers.
10 years? For 10 years I can mow down an MP with my car. Or kidnap his kids and rape them repeatedly before cutting off a limb or two. Or after, if that's more my fancy. I could also blow up the effin' Parliament (of course while nobody is inside, else it could mean a longer sentence).
No, wait, blowing up the Parliament carries a lower sentence.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
10 years for piracy?
Actually until 1998 piracy used to carry a mandatory death sentence in the UK under the 1837 piracy act. This was one of the few crimes which still had it after the (almost) abolition of the death sentence in 1965. Mind you it did have to be committed on the high seas so it only applied to those downloading content while on a ship at sea.
Nazi war criminals serves five years or less.
Apparently IP piracy is more severe in scope than industrialized murder of six million.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
Prisoner 1: "What are you in for?"
Prisoner 2: "I posted a low grade copy of "Spock's Brain" to YouTube."
Prisoner 1: "What!? Are you mad? How many views did you get?"
Prisoner 2: "Zero."
Prisoner 1: "How long is your sentence?"
Prisoner 2: "They are giving me 'The Chair' tomorrow morning."
Prisoner 1: "Dude, I'm sorry. That sucks."
Prisoner 2: "Yeah... well, my brother-in law did the same thing; only it was "Threshold".
Prisoner 1: "Star Trek Voyager? The Wacko Amphibians??"
Prisoner 2: "Yeah. That one. He died in a drone strike, an hour after it was posted."
Prisoner 1: "Who killed him?"
Prisoner 2: "It's a toss up between Trekkie's and the government. I'm leaning towards the government."
Prisoner 1: "Well... I'm out tomorrow. I guess killing 12 people isn't what it used to be. Your president really means business in clearing this Cuban prison."
The sign above the door reads 'Guantanamo Bay'
I know its US vs UK, but Brock Turner (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/us/sexual-assault-brock-turner-stanford/) received a 6 month sentence for raping an unconscious woman, yet someone else could spend 20 times that length of time imprisoned for copying a file?
And people wonder why we question our faith in the police, government and the system!
Ninjas don't carry tic tacs
When will these type of crimes become proportional FFS??
Here's some average jail times for crimes in the UK to put this into perspective:
Administering drugs to obtain intercourse Sexual Offences Act 1956 s4 2 years
Abuse of trust: sexual activity with a child Sexual Offences Act 2003 s16 5 years
Burglary with intent to commit rape (non-dwelling) Theft Act 1968 s9 10 years
Distributing copyrighted material Dumbass Act 2016 10 years?!
Who is "demanding justice" in this case to require 10 years for "piracy"? It's not for the people...you know, the individuals that make this democracy thing work.
A 'singular oddity' is an event that cannot be explained and only happens when you are alone.
Thankfully the USA has the 8th amendment forbidding cruel or unusual punishment. So we won't see such a bill here.