Bush signs controversial anti-piracy law

Reuters India ^ | 10/14/2008

[Ultra Sonic 007]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on Monday a controversial bill that would stiffen penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level.

The law creates an intellectual property czar who will report directly to the president on how to better protect copyrights both domestically and internationally. The Justice Department had argued that the creation of this position would undermine its authority.

The law also toughens criminal laws against piracy and counterfeiting.

The Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture Association of America backed the bill, as did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"By becoming law, the PRO-IP Act sends the message to IP criminals everywhere that the U.S. will go the extra mile to protect American innovation," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Esguerra, spokesman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said he was relieved to see lawmakers had stripped out a measure to have the Justice Department file civil lawsuits against pirates, which would have made the attorneys "pro bono personal lawyers for the content industry."

But the advocacy group Public Knowledge had argued that the law went too far, especially given that fair use of copyrighted material was already shrinking.

Public Knowledge particularly opposed a measure that allowed for the forfeiture of devices used in piracy.

"Let's suppose that there's one computer in the house, and one person uses it for downloads and one for homework. The whole computer goes," said Public Knowledge spokesman Art Brodsky.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

To see how stupidly broad the wording of this article, reading the following analysis at Joystiq.

Plus, the RIAA is involved, and things are usually sticky when they're involved.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Ping of interest.

[rabscuttle385]

Great. We can protect the **AA fat cats and hedge funds on Wall Street but we can’t even deal with Mexican military incursions on our southern border.

[mysterio]

There are some really neat forfeiture clauses in this legislation.

This bill is a piece of ****. Not surprised Bush signed it.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

“the wording of this article” should be “the wording of this legislation is”. Bleh.

[null and void]

Is there an over/under for how long it will take team 0bama to start using this to suppress free speech?

I’m going with noon EST tomorrow.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Eric Blair for President 2008

"Vote for me. I promise to do absolutely nothing and leave everyone the hell alone. You can keep your money and your liberty. My record and my entire career demonstrates a strong track record of doing nothing. Just ask my wife. I don't do the dishes, take out the garbage or mow the lawn... If you want nothing and don't want any Gubmint Cheese, 100% home financing from ACORN courtesy of the Community Reinvestment Act or handouts, I'm your candidate!."

I'm Eric Blair and I approve this retarded message.

Good night.

[mylife]

RIAA can kiss my Irish bum.They are Mafia

[rwfromkansas]

Stick it up your ass MPAA and RIAA.

I will archive a copy of a DVD I bought in response to this stupid law, you thugs.

[conservative cat]

No words, just: AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[Alex Murphy]

ping to read later

[familyop]

"RIAA can kiss my Irish bum.They are Mafia"

Any fellow bum of Irish descent who also finally rejects our historically ethnic neighbors in the Mafia is a potential friend of mine. ;-)

[nothingnew]

Counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Costs the US??????? I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this is about tax $$$ not coming in from sales.......think I'm wrong?

FMCDH(BITS)

[bamahead]

Public Knowledge particularly opposed a measure that allowed for the forfeiture of devices used in piracy...."Let's suppose that there's one computer in the house, and one person uses it for downloads and one for homework. The whole computer goes..."



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!

[Gasshog]

bump4later

[AnotherUnixGeek]

"We are in the middle of something of a war here -- what some call "the copyright wars"; what the late Jack Valenti called his own "terrorist war," where the "terrorists" are apparently our kids."

Lawrence Lessig, in an article on copyright which makes a great deal of sense to me.

[kittycatonline.com]

Intellectual piracy? What!? I was hoping W had commissioned General Petraeus to go to Somalia and blow the pirates off the map!

[kittycatonline.com]

Counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

No, millions of people taking out ridiculous home loans they can't possibly afford is costing the US a trillion dollars. Conunterfeiting and piracy cost mostly Liberal Hollywood types some money, but judging by their donations to Obama, they've obviously got billions to spare, so they should instead shut the heck up and get used to their Fearless Leader's socialist ways and give their music and videos away for free.

[BlazingArizona]

U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on Monday a controversial bill that would stiffen penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level.

Maybe...Bush is trying to see if he can drive his poll percentage below zero? This would beat even Carter.

[Valpal1]

bookmark

[Eyes Unclouded]

Well if you can’t be the best might as well be the worst. At least your name lives on.

[max americana]

> “Let’s suppose that there’s one computer in the house, and one person uses it for downloads and one for homework. The whole computer goes,” said Public Knowledge spokesman Art Brodsky.

So they’ll be arresting my computer and NOT me?? I’m cool with that. (sarc)
*
On a lighter note: I couldn’t find the exact words on the bill. There’s bound to be loopholes in it, plus enforcement sounds more draconian than it should be.

[SiVisPacemParaBellum]

We've got pirates crossing our borders 24/7 but kissing up to the RIAA is more important. Our tax dollars hard at work as usual.

[dr_who]

Damn right. The country is stuck between a Bush and an Obama. And McCain with his mortgage bailout plan isn’t much better. I’m beginning to think we’d get better political leadership in a state of total anarchy.

[Daffynition]

[ShadowAce]

[LeVSKi]

LoL Ultra Sonic 007 makes a good point ..teehee.. :)

Soon big brother will be watching all your downloads/all your chat convos/web browsing/reading all your emails/text messages/letters/checking all your parcels and having you pay them for doing so in more ways then one..ahh the land of the free I bet you must be feeling so free and independant now.. oops did i say that a loud..my bad..you get my drift..

[BuffaloJack]

The RIAA borders on being a terrorist group. They attack people who sometimes aren’t even computer literate and sue them for thousands based on supposition.
Their influences make expensive equipment work poorly and computer systems slow down all to further their own greedy interests. They even tax media arguing that it could be used for illegal purposes.
Nothing good can come from this law.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

The RIAA is comprised of Lawyers that sue any and everything to try to stop the illegal sharing of music and other media. Much like Scientology does, they will sue almost anyone to make an example of them.
The younger generation, and some of us that are technologically “in the know” have a beef with the RIAA as they get legislation like this passed by people who haven’t a clue what they’re signing. This is bad for the world in the long run, as for example what BuffaloJack wrote, they cause ISP’s to filter/slow down their network speeds, it makes legal use of music and media difficult for the average user and all in all is just propagating horrible business practices.

[Huck]

Good deal. Protecting copyrights is a Constitutional issue!

[ksen]

Counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Costs the US??????? I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this is about tax $$$ not coming in from sales.......think I'm wrong?

With a little change in perspective the line could just as well have been written:

Counterfeiting and piracy saves United States consumers nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

[SunkenCiv]

stiffen penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level

Oh, yeah, right, that'll work. To finance the extra enforcement and prosecutions (and imprisonments), the most sensible thing, the most fair way to do it, is a federal excise tax on recorded works of all kinds. :') Otherwise, we'll all pay taxes to support efforts to keep the non-working class (the entertainment industry) in imported cars, $7000 handbags, and dope. Thanks US007.