Posted on 07/03/2004 5:50:20 PM PDT by Vermonter
Hang Onto Your iPods: Here Comes Orrin Hatch
By Larry Katz 07/03/04 8:08 AM PT
The key word here is civil. Unauthorized file sharing is already illegal, but right now the attorney general can only pursue criminal copyright infringement cases, which are much more difficult to prove than civil cases. The proposed PIRATE act would make it far easier to win suits against file sharers. Those convicted could be required to pay thousands of dollars in penalties.
The Feds aren't coming to take away your iPod yet.
But it could happen, according to critics of a piece of pending legislation in the Senate. Not only your iPod is in jeopardy. The Inducing Infringements of Copyright Act introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) could conceivably make using CD burners, MP3 players and even some cell phones illegal.
(Excerpt) Read more at macnewsworld.com ...
Yeah, interesting take. We go through this every format change. Remember when cassettes were destroying the record industry, and VCRs were destroying Hollywood? Instead, RIAA-imposed restrictions have destroyed formats (DAT, Mini-Disc, to name two).
The labels have to have an idea on what kind of money their Luddite attitude, oddly, leaves on the table; 65 cents of every $1 Apple collects from the iTunes Music store goes to the labels. About a nickel passes on through to the artist.
In re your friend's 78s, I have found that if I rip my 60's pop records from vinyl, I can often get a better sound than the official CD releases. This is especially true of the Beatles CDs, which sound like they were mastered by a team of deaf-mutes relying on bad VU meters.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
I have about 10,000 torts I'd like law enforcement to handle for me.
The RIAA can get in line behind me.
As we get closer to November, the democrats will be finding useful idiot Republicans who have no clue this type of stuff HURTS REPUBLICANS.
This law is about using public lawyers to pursue a private civil matter.
This would be called song writer wealfare.
Sen. Orrin Hatch R-Utah needs to go don;t vote for him
Somebody gave us a guitar a while back. It was around the time this RIAA thing got off the ground--their bankrupting students and families to "set an example." I've bought two cds since, from a second-hand store.
Serendipity? Grace? Who knows, but I've gotten more satisfaction framming away at that guitar than I ever got from listening.
Consider this alternative.
When CDs first came out and the studios went back to the master tapes, they went overkill in hiss-reduction and dulled out the sound. Also, they may have had degradation in the master tapes or been working with a 3rd or 4th generation copy.
Some classic material is being remastered again with this in mind and released in SACD or with outtakes (giving loyal fans another chance to spend money for something they already have).
Well, my friend's 78's didn't sound so superior; if I'd had something good to clean them with, they probably would have sounded a lot better. But the imperfection is part of what makes those records what they are.
Of course, Hatch isn't the one up for election this year.
When I'm on my computer, just back over my right shoulder is a beaten old telecaster -- not my good, rosewood one -- for "stress relief." You are right that music always sounds better when you're making it yourself.
The RIAA crowd probably want to find some way to put a stop to that,>/i> too.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
If Palladium takes off, one of its purposes would be to make it impossible for anyone to examine code; a DRM file would contain code which could be executed but not decoded, inspected, or virus-checked. Am I misunderstanding how Palladium works, or should it be code-named "virus heaven"?
Then he really needs to go after the record companies. They've been ripping off songwriters for years. It appears the game is as follows: don't pay the writers (or performing artists) what they are due. Simple, that easy. The artists will rarely find out because it takes large amounts of cash to hire an auditor to go through the complex trail of finances the lables have set up in order to find out if they are even owed any money. Often, the audit cost is more than the amount owed. A recent investigation found millions owed.
The labels of course said they couldn't get in touch with those people to pay them. However, Michael Jackson was one of those owed, and most of the country knows where he lives.
But of course Hatch won't go after the labels because songwriters don't donate to his campaign -- the labels do.
There's a difference between copying music (copyright infringement) and thievery.
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