who knows about this Pro-Ip Act??

[Hilltop Customs]

just wondering if anyone knows some good info about this pro-IP act that was just signed by our great lead3r.(holds back comical statement to stay out of the political realm)

I just saw this statement in a game site I frequent, and it made me curious for more info:

"Backed by the RIAA and MPAA, the PRO-IP Act has drawn criticism for its potential for extreme punishment. In its proposed state, the act could grant the government permission to seize all computers and compatible devices from a home if a single, pirated MP3 was discovered on one of the machines."

so anyone know more about this??? I'm trying to find some more info on it through google, but as usual google provides a wealth of info that takes way too much time to wade through.

[michbich]

Isn't file sharing still legal?

[Hilltop Customs]

Heres a link I found with a little info....would really like something more significant though....

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/12/pro-ip-act-increase-infringement-penalties-and-drastically-expand-government-enfor

where can you find the exact wording of bills and such? I'm not so much worried about the piracy issues....just see this as another means to invasion of privacy along with...actually this describes how I feel pretty well:

"....it is an entire system that values mega-corporations over the citizenry.

Back in the "good ole days" if a company couldn't face the threats against them, they faltered, and a new, more agile company stepped in take its place. In the "slightly worse now-a-days" companies have figured out that they can sue and strong arm those threats out of existence. They don't actually have to face them, or understand why they exist. They can simply regulate them away (ironically the only time these corporations want regulation).

The US Government is the greatest anti-competitive agent in the world."

(the first part was removed because it was too political) I'd change the last like from "is" to "is quickly becoming"

[Hilltop Customs]

Isn't file sharing still legal?

depends on the file....I think, but who really knows.

[Dark Side]

What about those that download files outside of this country and then come into the USA?

Is it pirated if it is "given" to you freely?

What about the RunDMC that I recorded off the radio in 90' and converted to MP3? Would that be considered pirated?

[michbich]

The "problem" is, it doesn't concern only one country.

If i download a song from a server in Japan, and it's legal there. Would i still be breaking the law? I could say that the person in Japan willingly shared a file with me...

[robnix]

Isn't file sharing still legal?

No. Sharing copyrighted material is mostly illegal depending on how it's used and how much is shared. Fair Use laws still apply, not for much longer I'm afraid, but they still do.

Howver, it's perfectly legal to share files that are copyleft, copycenter, or copyanywhere.

[Hilltop Customs]

for the pirated part, I think it has less to do with where the file is coming from and more to do with where it is copyrighted. IE: song copyrighted in US, downloaded in the US, but comes from Japan....you are SOL if the government finds out.

I just think its sad the government can be brought in to help a company turn more profits instead of a company just developing a better method of sales. So what happens to the innovator down the road who comes up with a better method of sales, or a better DRM? They are now useless, since the government has now been brought in to enforce the current system. Instead of innovating and developing, lets just stick with the current method even though it simply put, SUCKS.

ahhhh I'm just drunk lol

all in all, just bounce your IP around a few time and you should be safe for file sharing.....not that I condone that sort of thing seriously though, I dont stop looking at me like that I thought I told you to go away?


none of this was really my opinion, it was just alcohol induced comments....which BTW is still completely legal, I still cant wrap my mind around that one though.

[Hilltop Customs]

No. Sharing copyrighted material is illegal. It's perfectly legal to share files that are copyleft, copycenter, or copyanywhere.

if I had a signature, that would definitely go in there....hell I'm making a fake sig for this post, just for your comment







-------------------------------------------------------

No. Sharing copyrighted material is illegal. It's perfectly legal to share files that are copyleft, copycenter, or copyanywhere.

[Avianrave]

[Sudz]

The "problem" is, it doesn't concern only one country.

If i download a song from a server in Japan, and it's legal there. Would i still be breaking the law? I could say that the person in Japan willingly shared a file with me...

and what about torrents? Where you get a small piece from tons of people all over the place, depending on the fastest server. Depending on where these sources are, do the rules change to reflect this?

[michbich]

What about China where there are no copyright laws.

[Hilltop Customs]

what gets me.....how is something like this even enforceable without monitoring everyone's internet usage all the time?

basically I'm interested in how its possible....and more specifically, if it opens up any doors....to go about "discovery".

[edweird]

regardless of the piracy issue(moot with another discussion); this act flys in the face of the 4th amendment; giving a corporate entity unprecedented rights under US law to snoop, and seize evidence without a warrant.

Anyhow, the RIAA and MPAA are both aging dinosaurs who have out lived their business models; I think its time they pass away quietly in the night.