It just keeps getting worse

George Toft plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Fri, 26 Jul 2002 09:29:05 -0400


I read the material provided on the link below, and I have to say, this
law is wrong.  It is like prostitution - it takes two to commit the
crime.  One offers the goods, and the other solicits them.  P2P file
sharing violates copyright laws, however, it requires two people to do
it, not just one, which is what traditional Title 17 USC addresses.  

In this case, the RIAA is being given a safe haven to perform body
cavity searches (hack your box) on the "working girls" (you) without
their prior consent based on reasonable suspicion of the commission of a
crime.  All they need to do is inform the Justice Department (local
cops).  I look at this as Illegal Search and Seizure, and not too
different from Sexual Assault.

Since the DOJ is tasked with law enforcement, they are predisposed to
bias against the person being searched, so I don't see a lot of "watch
dogging" going on here.  Watch dogging requires an unbiased third party,
which is conspicuously missing here..

Lastly, this bill is not just another bill.  It is an amendment to the
United States Code, which is second to the Constitution in our legal
system.  George no so happy about that.  Also, it addresses file sharing
only - it does not address IRC, which has a shiton of file sharing going
on.  This amendment is not general in nature; it addresses only one
specific issue.  I think the USC is the wrong place for Special Interest
Legislation.

George Orwell was right on the money (to the year) for the Cuban Missile
Crisis.  It looks like he missed the rest of the events by about 25
years.

George




bob smith wrote:
> 
> Following the links being posted on slashdot is like
> reading George Orwell's 1984 :(. I hope we all don't
> end up like Winston Smith though.
> 
> http://politechbot.com/p-03795.html
> 
> Also a few posts down there is a quote from a reuters
> article:
> 
> "Microsoft also warned today that the era of "open
> computing," the free exchange of digital information
> that has defined the personal computer industry, is ending."
> 
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