If you haven't heard of the Intellectual Property Protection Act (IPPA), the so-called DMCA-2, start fearing it. Tons of sources are information, but I guess this CNET article was one of the first. Google it for more info.. it's nasty. Apparently according to this proposed bill, downloading copyrighted materia now supports terrorism, and can get you a ten-year jail sentence. Putting that in perspective, downloading child porn is apparently six years, and assaulting a police officer is five. The bloggers' reactions to this is pretty much universally negative, which isn't surprisingly. I couldn't expect too many people to be happy about it... One interesting side-effect that I've noticed is that the DMCA, which was until a couple weeks ago some satanic byproduct of the music industry and Clinton administration has now become some "man, those were the days" type of thing (remember, the IPPA is still hypothetical at this point). Anyways, I just wanna see what people think about and have heard of this. If this went through, I think I'd be heading up north.
This whole anti-piracy thing is really getting out of hand, they might aswell ban computers, no ban technology, everyone will live like the first people on Earth. Ban technology and we will never have a problem with copyrighting...Idiots
That’s all that needs to be said. So technically if this went through, the law would be kinder if you robbed hmv? that makes no sense. Personally I don’t download music, I pay for Napster, But there’s a line were sanity loses a grip on reality, and were rapidly approaching it.
So who else wants to chip in and buy an island we can all live on and tell the rest of the world to Eff Off. This god damn stuff is really starting to piss me off, I honestly can't comprehend how the politicians/lawmakers are actually considering putting any of this stuff through. What ever happened to a government "Of the people, By the people, and For the people"?
The most worrying bit is probably - just the act of having a CD ripper installed on your PC, which you may be using ONLY for ripping your store-bought CDs to put the tracks onto your MP3 player, could cause you serious trouble, a very hefty fine and maybe even a prison term. Bye bye any sort of "fair use". If that's not ridiculous, scary and VERY worrying I don't know what is. I would love to feel glad not to live in the USA so I can escape such draconian laws, but I'm sure the BPI will put the pressure on our government to force the UK copyright laws to be updated in line with the US. Although we've never actually had any sort of fair use provision so the act of ripping a CD we own so we can put the songs on our MP3 players has always infringed copyright, but no one really cared as long as you're not sharing the tracks.
Technically, owning a computer puts you in violation, as you're in posession of a tool that can be used to break an encryption scheme. Just like I could use a wrench I own to bludgeon someone to death, even if I only ever intend to use it legitimately. H - Apaprently some chunk of Vermont (not the part where I live though) wanted to drop out of the union... I'm really wishing that it happened now. Except that I'll be headed to college in a few months.
You know what Im thinking LAN party!!! I would say to write letters to your state reps but who here can pay them enough to make them notice.
[quote = kiljoi]So who else wants to chip in and buy an island we can all live on and tell the rest of the world to Eff Off.[/quote] I'm in, and I can probably recruit a few other good peoples.
Count me in, I have a Gb-switch an almost a mile of cat cable. Does someone here know a nice island. Preffably somewhere warm.
Come to australia - the biggest island in the world We already have a cat5 connection i hear but its constantly down and the speeds are rather crappy. Gaming over our lan is 'orright though In all honestly there aren't many cases of people getting pinged by the cops for piracy over here. Selling copyright material - that'll get your undies in a twist though. and check this out: was at http://entertainment.news.com.au/story/0,10221,17673408-10431,00.html but its gone into the archive where you have to pay to read the article now, ...
so why has this all of a sudden become an issue.. everyone has had tapes and video recorders for most of my life and it has never been a problem. Whats the difference between this an the new sky package you can get where if DIGITALLY records the program onto a hard drive :S so how can the likes of AOL entise people into using a 'new high speed connection' for downloading media? so okay lets use a 8mb connection for surfing the net just general websites. Doesnt make much sence to me. and i like the fact that every ipod user has now broken the law... wonder how apple feels
Yet another reason to move to Australia!!! Even if you are stuck with a crappy PM, at least your attorney general has some sense! Where can I apply for permanent residency?
I was more thinking of a small island somewhere near africa, where internet is hardly known so hopefully not many laws about it
I'd be very tempted by Canada myself, were I american. It's got the same culture(yes it does, be honest with yerselves !) as the US, and they've got a levy on all blank media, so theres no moral reason to pay for retail music or anything, and the laws are damn slack anyway.
It always made me chuckle that the dept of internal affairs for Sealand has a UK address : SEALAND 1001, Sealand Post Bag, IP11 9SZ, UK Kudos for their experiment though!
