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Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Copyright Cops 483

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the EIPA (the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008), which would create copyright cops. And these cops would take over the RIAA's War on Sharing by filing civil lawsuits and using civil forfeiture laws to take any and all computers engaged in infringement. Worse, they would even seize computers (such as servers or database farms) that house the data of innocent people, and these people would not have any right to get their data back. At best the 'virtual bystanders' who happened to have data on a computer used for infringement could get a protective order saying that no one should go rummaging through their stuff. Perhaps the only good thing in the bill is that they've excluded DMCA circumvention from the list of grounds for seizure. So while the Senators believe this is needed to combat foreign copyright infringement cartels, it's entirely likely that innocent people will be harmed by this law."
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Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Copyright Cops

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  • please think of the children.

  • by SpiderClan ( 1195655 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @08:58AM (#24976723) Journal

    I only scanned the article, but I don't understand how US pseudo-cops seizing US computers and servers is going to stop foreign copyright infringement. Unless these are somehow international cops, but I doubt that.

    • by Hyppy ( 74366 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:01AM (#24976753)
      It's about as foreign as the NSA's recent wiretapping, I'm sure.
    • by deniable ( 76198 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:12AM (#24976903)

      Team America: World Copyright Police. (Puppets of the RIAA/MPAA, how fitting.)

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Sabathius ( 566108 )
        Great.

        We already have the largest prison population of any country on earth. We need more government agencies to think of more ways to put more of our citizens in prison?

        How about no.
        • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

          This is a civil matter. No one is going to jail. Nice flaimbait post however.
        • by PunkOfLinux ( 870955 ) <mewshi@mewshi.com> on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:48AM (#24978365) Homepage

          It's not that we should be worried about... it's this utter bullshit of tax payer dollars investigating civil matters. If the RIAA wants to fucking sue, they can do it with their own fucking money, worthless bastards. Why should *my* tax dollars be used to boost the profits of *any* corporation?

          And yes, there's a difference between incentive and handout.

          • by n dot l ( 1099033 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @11:33AM (#24979117)

            Why should *my* tax dollars be used to boost the profits of *any* corporation?

            Bear Stearns, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the **AA's. If anything, they seem to be getting better at propping the big companies up before they collapse. And to answer your question, it's because your government values said corporations more than it values you or your tax dollars. And they value the companies more because a fancy dinner party and sponsorship for the party convention is worth much more than the votes of the small part of the population that both understands and cares about what's going on.

            • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

              by Abcd1234 ( 188840 )

              And to answer your question, it's because your government values said corporations more than it values you or your tax dollars.

              Actually, in the case of Freddie and Fannie, it's because the government values you not having to live through an economic recession to rival the great depression.

              *But*, the government absolutely fucked up by letting F&F get so big... having such a large single point of failure in the economy was absolutely ridiculous. But trust me, the way things are now, you'd rather the gove

              • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                Actually, in the case of Freddie and Fannie, it's because the government values you not having to live through an economic recession to rival the great depression.

                If that was the case they would be propping up the home owners who are the ones with the ridiculous debts, not the loan sharks. The buddies of the kleptocratic oligarchs in the government are quite content if 90% of the "little" people lose their houses and go bankrupt thus causing the very depression we are supposedly being "protected" against,

                • by Abcd1234 ( 188840 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @01:43PM (#24981451) Homepage

                  Note that bailing out the loan shark does nothing whatsoever for the economy as the home-"owners" will still go under in massive numbers and thus their purchasing power will be reduced to near zero

                  How wrong you are. If you don't backstop the investors, all that delicious foreign capital the US has become addicted to would evaporate overnight as they went running for the hills. And given the US economy has been running on credit for, what, 20 or 30 years? means that the US economy would basically grind to a halt if that happened.

                  Incidentally, I agree, they absolutely need to provide some sort of relief to homeowners (hence rumours that the fed might ask F&F to halt foreclosures for 90 days... although that's just putting a finger in the dam), but there's no way they can afford to prop up every failing mortgage that's out there.

                  • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

                    How wrong you are. If you don't backstop the investors, all that delicious foreign capital the US has become addicted to would evaporate overnight as they went running for the hills. And given the US economy has been running on credit for, what, 20 or 30 years? means that the US economy would basically grind to a halt if that happened.

                    This of course is the classic "argument" against doing anything at all for anybody else other then the "investor" (read: aristocracy) class. Inhuman conditions in the workpla

                    • by Abcd1234 ( 188840 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @08:56PM (#24986067) Homepage

                      That's a lovely diatribe (and ironically, I happen to agree, corporatism is no better than totalitarianism in my humble opinion), but I noticed you didn't disprove anything I said.

                      To be clear, I don't think the US government should make a habit of catering to corporations or bailing out failing businesses. But damnit, sometimes, you gotta compromise your ideals... otherwise you're just cutting off your nose to spite your face. And right now, the only logical thing to do, like it or not, is to protect those investors.

                      And no, there is no "fixing" this mess save for a fundamental overhaul of the entire delusion of "global free market"

                      Umm... huh? Fixing the problem is simple. Either eliminate the secondary mortgage market entirely, or institute regulation to prevent bad mortgages from being issued in the first place. And it'd also be worth scrutinizing those firms who's jobs are to rate investment vehicles.

                      The fact is, the "global free market" has nothing to do with it, although it does make a fun scapegoat, as your post illustrates. The US government is fundamentally responsible for the shitstorm that's sweeping the nation thanks to the hands-off approach they took to market management, and it's the US government that must be responsible for fixing it.

                    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                      But damnit, sometimes, you gotta compromise your ideals... otherwise you're just cutting off your nose to spite your face. And right now, the only logical thing to do, like it or not, is to protect those investors.

                      Except of course this action does nothing whatsoever for the economy. Spouting such meaningless platitudes is a hallmark of an economic demagogue.

                      So let me break it down, so that the emptiness of all that rhetoric of yours can be exposed to some daylight.

                      You have a group of individuals "HO", i

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        Oh America. We are one step closer [plexipages.com]...

        We no longer live under a system of capitalism. American capitalism has become corporatism.

      • And as likely to succeed as all the others.

  • Seizures? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Dunbal ( 464142 )

    Ahh America, where civil law meets criminal law. You know, I'm sure that my neighbor has built his fence 2 inches over the property line. I wish I could call the cops and have them seize his things and jail him.

    America, even if you don't get the difference, please stop exporting your arbitrary laws to the rest of the world. Thank you.

    • Re:Seizures? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by clam666 ( 1178429 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:29AM (#24977089)

      It's just another in a long line of laws that America has created where seizing private property is the response.

      Before you just, you know, paid a fine, went to jail, and recovered property was returned to the owners when some crime was committed. Now the myriad of crimes have punishments that cover:

      1. Any property that "may" have been used in the crime.
      2. Any property that may have been purchased due to the crime unless you can magically prove that THESE dollar bills bought that but THOSE dollar bills didn't.
      3. Any other property, which the government can legally seize, and you have to spend years fighting to get it back.

      I doubt this is the America that people envisioned hundreds of years ago, but what really disturbs me is that I don't think this was the kind of America when I was a kid. It is actually really bothering me these days.

      The amount of growing government power to just seize anyone and everything for any amount of time with massive legal hassles to get it or you out of seizure is insane. The concept of government punishment is growing far beyond the crime (share 1000 mp3s with your friends for crap music you would never have bought in the first place) to destroying and shattering peoples live forever.

      The laws are being created to circumvent the judicial system. It used to be that the police could be ignored in many cases, because arresting someone really means very little, it was the prosecution that mattered. You might spend a bit of time in jail pre-trial, but prosecution was something you could avoid with the right lawyers.

      Realizing this, the laws are being set up now, so the punishment isn't just some "jail time", now you have to spend years recovering even your basic possessions for the laws which now are designed to benefit the agencies itself. Whether prosecuted or not, getting your property back is a very very difficult task.

      I just don't see it getting better, but getting worse. Mix laws where people and property can be taken without recourse with the wrong executive body governing the application of those laws and there will be some real problems coming.

      But hey, at least I know that when I write some music and sign a song I'll have royalty protection for my music label and I'll get my 5 cents on the dollar.

      • Re:Seizures? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by mandelbr0t ( 1015855 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:21AM (#24977963) Journal
        Agreed, it's back to the Inquisition in many ways. While your public trial may ultimately vindicate you, the amount of grief it's possible to inflict just by laying charges has become substantial. The legal system is supposed to prevent its use as a tool of persecution, but it is used as just that more and more often. Just another example of the two-tiered justice system I criticized in my journal.
      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by foobsr ( 693224 )
        I just don't see it getting better, but getting worse.

        Agreed, and another bad thing is that these 'rules' are exported to the (willing) US-colonies (UK etc. ...). I disagree, however, that it is about punishment of misbehaviour or crime. I rather think it is about preparing for a different regime.

        CC.
  • by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:00AM (#24976743)

    So, in a nutshell, you now pay for the RIAA to prop up their outdated and failed business model. Well, not really, you pay for people who do it for the RIAA. I kinda fail to see the public interest. Because that's what tax money should be spent on.

    When I want to wage a war against my neighbor because I think he might do something illegal (ya know, he's one of those $minorty_group, and we all know they $stereotype), the public doesn't care, as they should. I can't go to the police station and demand that they install some surveillance cams and send a car by his house every couple minutes. Actually, I might have a suit for harrassment on my ass for doing so myself.

    Can someone explain why the RIAA is entitled to harrassing people, now not only with their own witchhunters but by people that YOU pay for?

    • by easyTree ( 1042254 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:06AM (#24976839)

      I kinda fail to see the public interest. Because that's what tax money should be spent on.

      I think you're being a little unfair. Considering the amount of bribe-money that's changed hands, they're entitled to a few laws which serve only them and allow them to ride roughshod over the public interest. Geez. Stop being so selfish!

    • Can someone explain why the RIAA is entitled to harrassing people, now not only with their own witchhunters but by people that YOU pay for?

      My guess is campaign contributions.

    • by ShieldW0lf ( 601553 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:19AM (#24976975) Journal
      Because, collectively, you all got blinded by greed and put too much faith in the shell game that is economics. In the name of this shell game, you stood by and allowed your government to transform every piece of common wealth into someone elses private property. Now, they own everything and they run everything in an arbitrary fashion, and they're trying to expand this dominion over the entire globe.

      You talk about "paying for" these people, what a joke. You have no choices anymore. Look at the housing market. Years of construction, millions of people paying every month for years, and with the stroke of a pen, money is printed, currency is devalued, public wealth is transferred to ensure all those defaulted loans are covered. The white collar crooks get the loan money repaid by the government and more importantly, by the time the money becomes utterly devalued, they'll own the deeds for half the country.

      If you want to understand what's going on around you, I'd suggest you start reading up about the Great Depression.
    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

        by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:56AM (#24977541)
        Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • by Anonymous Brave Guy ( 457657 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:23AM (#24977987)

          In general: if the majority does something that is illegal, then it is not the people that are wrong, it is the law that is wrong.

          So tell us: what proportions of the population of your country do you think:

          • believe copyright to be unethical and copy knowing they are breaking a law they consider unjust?
          • don't object to copyright in principle but copy in the expectation that they will not get caught?
          • don't understand copyright and copy without knowing they are doing anything wrong?
          • don't object to copyright in principle and don't deliberately infringe it?

          Slashdot is not exactly a representative forum on this subject, and across the population as a whole, I suspect the answers are not what you think they are.

          • by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @11:05AM (#24978707)

            Many don't even know that what they do is breaking the law. Even more would be really surprised to learn that what they have been doing for ages has become illegal suddenly.

            Copyright changed a fair lot in the last decade. What used to be legal and was actually common practice for decades is now a big nono. I'm fairly sure if people did realize, the outcry would be quite noticable. Take someone who uses some tool to break copy protection on a movie or CD to make a copy for a friend, just like he did with video and audio tapes for years. With the difference that he didn't have to break any kind of protection, but he doesn't even notice this either. He just knows that this program can copy the DVD while the other one cannot. So he uses the program that can. Legality? I guess he just thinks that the program simply can't do it for some odd reason, or that he can't figure out how to make it work. That one can, so he uses that one. Period.

          • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

            by dwandy ( 907337 )
            I believe there is a measurable %age of the population that equates "right" == "legal" and "illegal" == "wrong". And they equate this without question. There is clearly no point in asking any of these people your questions.
            I believe further that of the remaining population the overwhelming majority have never done any serious research into copyright. These people will largely make up their mind based on what has been 'sold' to them over the years. There has been aggressive marketing from various Copyright
      • by Stevecrox ( 962208 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:03AM (#24977671) Journal
        I think your missing a huge point in their business model. SONY BMG, Universal, etc.. are companies that traditionally trumped up the high recording/production costs in making films/movies. They would spend the required millions to put people on stage they would then contractually and physically have the ability to limit supply and so artificially increase the value of their product.

        The problem is that technology has changed where you needed a $1 million dollar recording studio twenty years ago we can now use a $2000 PC and importantly you get the same quality of music out of it. The advent of the internet means it is now relatively cheap to get your message out. I believe Sandi Thom showed just how easy it was to gain a large audience through the internet. On top of this technology has made copying intellectual property very cheap (it costs around 10p to copy a DVD.)

        Their business model isnâ(TM)t making things and selling them (such a description covers every single business model I can think of.) Their business model is being a middle man in the access to music. They were able to control the supply of music to the masses and in doing so make money from it. Technology has meant they have lost the ability to control that, rather than update their business model and try adding value to their product they continually attack their customer base and work to devalue their business model (paper cd cases, drm, etc..)
      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Spatial ( 1235392 )

        There'd be no reason for "copyright cops"

        Didn't they already tell us that they had record-breaking profits for the last few years?

        What exactly is the reason? They don't seem to be losing money. As far as I can tell they have neither cause to ask for special protection, nor a failed business model.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Stanislav_J ( 947290 )

          Didn't they already tell us that they had record-breaking profits for the last few years?.....They don't seem to be losing money.

          You don't understand....it doesn't matter that they are still making a profit. It doesn't even matter that they are still making a large, record-setting profit. They will argue that they are losing money because their profit could be oh, so much higher if it weren't for those meddling pirates and their dog. The difference between what they actually made and what they think they should have made, theoretically, without "freeloaders" downloading and sharing their product, is the "loss" that they claim to have

      • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

        by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:09AM (#24977787)
        Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Chyeld ( 713439 )

        On the reverse side, people would have a far easier time justifying to themselves 'paying' for stuff if the people the RIAA represent didn't go out of their way to craft the most one sided deals possible when offering their wares.

        There would far fewer 'pirates' in this world if we didn't have things like DRM preventing us from using what we've bought the way we want to. If we didn't have laws like the DMCA attempting to prevent us from fixing things so we could. If our law makers hadn't allowed themselves t

      • by Jewfro_Macabbi ( 1000217 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:22AM (#24977975)
        Society defines what it considers socially acceptable behavior. In this context it appears a majority of society feel downloading content regardless of copyright/intellectual property law is acceptable. Such large numbers engage in the act industry itself can't handle attempting to police it. Therefor it is "socially acceptable" behavior.

        "How many businesses do you think survive without any laws at all to ensure people play fair and don't use the fruits of their labors without paying towards the costs?"

        I don't care. I care about my rights to privacy. I care about my tax dollars being wasted to protect outmoded business models while critical infrastructure is in shambles. I care about my fellow citizens being harassed by corporate interests.
        Functioning, profit earning markets require neither copyright nor intellectual property. The goods still have to be manufactured even if no one owns that right exclusively. The original copyright agreement gave the inventor a short term exclusivity (ten years then which should equate to about one year now) so they could be first to market. It did not grant perpetual ownership nor ownership of the idea itself. Corporations have repeatedly bribed our government into extending and modifying the terms of that societal contract in their favor. People now ignore the contract, and are wholly justified in doing so.

      • by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:46AM (#24978339)

        The business model isn't outdated because it relies on laws to be profitable. As you point out, many businesses do that. "Selling" music isn't outdated. What's outdated is the model of distribution. Who needs a studio to record or distribute his music? I don't.

        The refusal, of artists and customrs alike, of big studios and their business model comes from years of feeling ripped off. We have a global market but I can't buy CDs from US bands that aren't distributed in Europe, and neither can I buy US shows on DVD when they appear on DVD in the US. Because of artificial boundaries and territory protection. When the CD emerged, we were told the CDs are hellish expensive because it's a new technology and they will become cheaper when the sales pick up, we gotta wait 'til records disappear and CDs become the medium of choice. Well, records disappeared, CDs became the only medium and they got more expensive.

        Instead we got some insane protection mechanisms that broke any standard in the (red) book and the silver discs (they are NOT CDs, I don't want to get sued by Phillips for using their trademarked name "compact disc" for these abominations) didn't play in some players. Could we return those faulty discs? No, we were told to get a new player. If we weren't accused of attempted copyright infringment by returning the disc after allegedly copying it.

        Sales plummeted. If you ask me, quite logically so. I don't buy something when I can neither be sure that it works nor be able to return the item if it doesn't. Well, "plummet" is maybe the wrong term. Despite a global decline in economy and many companies in the red, the music industry still went on strong in the black, yet they cried about dwindling sales and of course those pesky pirates are to blame. Not a copy protection that alienates users and cranking out shovelware music nobody wanted to listen to.

        Certainly, people copied songs. Some copied entire libraries and looking back at the years around the 2000, it was out of hands. But why did it come to that? It's not like people are hard wired to take stuff without paying. If anything, we've been told from birth that taking anything requires you to buy it. People also usually have moral problems with stealing. So maybe you can explain why they didn't when they copied music?

        Today, though, we have two fronts colliding. And neither side is willing to give an inch or only a fraction thereof. A customer is treated like a criminal, while the studios are seen as big, greedy, law-buying monoliths that don't give a rat's ass about their customers. Neither side would willingly offer the other even so much as a glass of water if they should be drowning.

        The problem is, though, you can't force anyone to buy. If you want me to buy something, you have to offer me something I want. I don't want music on silver discs that don't play in my hardware. I don't want music on my computer that plays only on this machine and only as long as you allow me to. I don't want DVDs where I can't ignore the ads. I don't want BluRay discs that "fuse" with my player and don't allow me to play them in a different one. I don't want to wait to see a movie that has already been available for months in some other country and could easily be sold here.

        That's what I meant when I said outdated. You cannot enforce something against your customers. Your customer sees that it is possible to offer him music without restriction, to offer him movies that give him the movie only and not some unskippable ads and that plays wherever he wants, and he gets it as soon as it is out. Of course people will start looking for ways to get rid of those limitations and they will find them. That they don't have to pay money for it is maybe an added bonus, but usually not the deciding factor.

        If you want to survive "legally", without resorting to actually waging a war against your customers, which will hurt you in the long run more than them, you have to offer what your customer wants. Only then he will buy.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Firehed ( 942385 )

        An interesting standpoint the issue, and certainly "devil's advocate" by Slashdot standards.

        The problem with the RIAA's approach to business, at least in my eyes, is that their business model is built around having a monopoly on a product. By being the sole distributor of a product, they can charge whatever they want. Now of course with music as an elastic good (as compared to, say, gasoline, home heating oil, water, food, etc) there's still a hint of free market in place.

        Legal or not, though, piracy has

    • by db32 ( 862117 )
      Actually you are entitled to harrass people just as you described. You just don't have the funding to procede with it. The only difference here is the RIAA has the funding to push this kind of crap. When you can purchase a few congress critters you can get them to declare whatever you want to do legal, and if you buy enough of them you might even get the government to pick up the tab for you.
  • by DragonTHC ( 208439 ) <Dragon.gamerslastwill@com> on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:00AM (#24976745) Homepage Journal

    This is the straw that broke the camel's back. I am going to wait until the copyreich brownshirts raid the very first webhost and seize a whole server farm. We'll see how well this goes over when a few thousand customers sue the US government for illegal seizure.

    This is so far from being common sense. I can only wonder what senators have been smoking.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I can only wonder what senators have been smoking.

      I'm guessing rolled up $100 bills.

    • by russotto ( 537200 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:14AM (#24976923) Journal

      This is the straw that broke the camel's back. I am going to wait until the copyreich brownshirts raid the very first webhost and seize a whole server farm. We'll see how well this goes over when a few thousand customers sue the US government for illegal seizure.

      Same as it's gone over with everything else they've pulled. "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

      Nobody of importance will complain. Nobody who complains will be heard from. Not until the copyright cops bust into a few wrong places and get shot; then we'll hear about how copyright infringers are terrorists, and they'll create some even WORSE laws.

      • No not really (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Sycraft-fu ( 314770 )

        See the thing is that server farms hold all kinds of servers. Your little personal website can be sitting right next to a big company's big important server. So, if they start grabbing equipment left and right, they are going to get a lot of pissed off people, and some of those people are going to have money and lawyers.

        The reason why you don't see so many challenges of the warrantless cash seizures is because it is a targeted kind of thing. If the cops pull you over and seize a bunch of your cash, that doe

  • I guess in the same way jumping off a 50 story building, sans chute, means it's "entirely likely" you'll spatter on the pavement below.

  • Minor correction (Score:5, Insightful)

    by qwertphobia ( 825473 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:04AM (#24976799)

    ...it's entirely likely that only innocent people will be harmed by this law.

    There, I fixed it.

  • by Jane Q. Public ( 1010737 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:05AM (#24976823)
    that this is a make-or-break issue... that is, if it ever comes up for a vote. If it does, I sure as hell intend to tell mine that if they vote for it, they will never receive a vote from me, for any office, again.
    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      What I find excruciating about this is that the 4 senators who voted against the bill were all Republicans. It just goes to show why, in general, I support third party candidates.

      On an unrelated (sort of) note, somebody at my university received a notice that they were engaged in copyright infringement, came to the computer center and asked what they had done -- they didn't even know what it meant to download music or movies. Or so they claimed.
  • by Gandalf_the_Beardy ( 894476 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:07AM (#24976847)
    That's all of Europe, the Far East - anywhere with fast bandwidth and cheap power that'll be hosting US websites now. Folk will be setting up anywhere with a building and good connectivity that's out of reach of these people. Maybe if someone pointed out that fact to your lawmakers they would stop this ludicrous suggestion. Until then we will commiserate with you, host your websites, and hell the way the dollars climbing we don't mind that much if you want to pay with greenbacks either.
  • by Thelasko ( 1196535 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:10AM (#24976879) Journal
    The Chicago Cubs won over the St. Louis Cardinals 3 to 2.
    [knock knock]
    Hang on, someone is at the door.
    Who is it?
    The Copyright Cops
    What's this about?
    Descriptions of games are copyright of Major League Baseball. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • I can't wait for the day that my shit can be taken and I can be locked up just for walkin down the street.

    It'll happen.

  • by 3seas ( 184403 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:13AM (#24976915) Homepage Journal

    ... as its easier for ego manic cops to bust the innocent then it is for them to sweat it out busting organized crime.

    incredible simple math that a kindergarten kid even knows at the sandbox....

  • by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:19AM (#24976977) Homepage

    Firstly, any and all your home computers, if you use bittorrent or download music you need to change your habits. Get a USB hard drive and a live CD to run your computer when you are in EVIL PIRATE MODE. if the live CD you use allows the use of truecrypt on the USB drive, I highly recommend it. If it is found you need plausible deniability. I had hacker friends that hid their USB drive inside a belkin UPS under their desk. nobody questions a UPS with a USB cable out of it, Hiding it in plain sight like that will help deter and distract the invading police during their search.

    This way you can hide your usb drive with all the evidence and your regular home PC is pristene and clean with no evidence to condemn you.

    Works great, leaves no evidence except that which is on your USB drive. You need to start using habits like the Jews had to use in WWII Germany.. take your drive and hide it well when not in use as you will never know when your home will be raided by the Secret IP police. you need to live a double life, and make sure you have good hiding places for your contraband. also be secret, never brag or tell others about your stash as they may be agents of the IP Police... (Bet you money that in a couple of years they will start a "rat on your parents/neighbors/friends" blitz to encourage people to turn in their neighbors.

    • You miss the point, they don't need evidence. All they need is suspicion to seize your property, and good luck ever getting it back.

      • by Sandbags ( 964742 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:56AM (#24978547) Journal

        First of all, they do need evidence. They need enough evidence to meet probable cause to get a judge to sign a warent to enter your home. They DO have a burden of proof to meet, and that IS constitutionally protected. As far as seizure, if the judge OK's seisure, you're also protected under the constitution to a speedy trial. The courts will likely rule pretty quick that they can copy an image of your system for further investigation, but since forensics on a PC can be done in a few days tops, if they can't provide further proof of illegal activity to a court quickly, a lawyer will very quickly have that system released back into your hands (likely with blank hard drives, but if you're not backing up, that's your fault!). If you;re found innocent, provided there was both a burden of proof, and due process, you can't sue the government for loos of use, but if the system was physically damaged (not data lossm, but damage or extended unreasonably loos of use) then you do have a case, nut only for minor compensation.

        Honestly though, this is not about creating a govenrment body to do the RIAA's bidding, it;s about creating a government body so that we can make the RIAA stop! individuals and the media alike are causing swells in the voter community regarding the RIAA, and though it's currently a minor issue, it IS an issue. Likely more imnportant is the fact that the RIAA is pissing off large universities, schools that give candidates a HUGE boost with campaign finance, open public forums to speak in, and more. I'm sure the senators want to see this harassmenty of their voter base end as soon as is possible.

        Once this agency takes over, the RIAA is rendered virtually powerless. They'll be outside the law and open to direct criminal prosecution for their actions if they continue on their current track.

        Equally, this agency might go looking for some big, press worthy targets, but they're not interested in pissing off the same pool of people the RIAA is.

        Besides, the RIAA ius a bunch of nut jobs, eager to do anything they can, and paid extremely well for their efforts. If it all falls apart, either way, they all got rich trying. On the government side of the picture, we're talking about career law enforcement salaries here. These guys not only will NOT be rich if they get fired because they got the agency sued, it ends their careers as well. The RIAA guys are businessmen, and can get another job in their field. A cop gets fired, he's going to low budget security work. Not exactly appealing.

        These guys, just like the NYC cops who seize the cars of drunk drivers, will overlook questionable cases and only go for the sure wins. They can'ty afford to make mistakes. If they can be absolutely certain you're stealing files, and can convince a judge of the same, then come in and take your system, odds are, you WILL be guilty. It's a big enough expense to prove themselves right, especially since they'll likely never see any real money back from it and putting you in prison only costs more, but LOOSING a case could cost them millions, and the government does NOT take that kind of risk lightly.

        They do not need "suspicion" they need to overcome warentable burden of proof. Failure to return property to an innocent is a violation of the constitution, and people who make government wage will be fired if this is an issue on any level. It's called personal accountabiulity, and the RIAA does not currently have that, so it;s a problem that must be resolved.

        Many think it might just be easier to outlaw the RIAA's activities, but doing so has too many side effects. 1) since there is no government organization doing the same, it basically gives us all free license to start sharing, since only gross violaters would ever be noticed by the FBI, the only other fallback. 2) it would also limit PIs all over the country, as well as smaller government offeces. We can't stop the RIAA's activitys alone, we have to offer a legal substitute.

        This agency may have a completely flawedf desig

  • by Attila Dimedici ( 1036002 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:27AM (#24977067)
    Anybody else notice that one of the members on this committee is Joe Biden, Senator from Delaware and VP nominee of the Democratic Party.
    • by megamerican ( 1073936 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:08AM (#24977771)

      http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s3325/show [opencongress.org]
      Sponsor
      Sen. Patrick Leahy [D, VT]

      Co-Sponsors:
      and 7 Co-Sponsors
      Sen. B. Evan Bayh [D, IN]
      Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]
      Sen. John Cornyn [R, TX]
      Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D, CA]
      Sen. Arlen Specter [R, PA]
      Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]
      Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]

      I can't find who in the committee voted for it or against it. It passed committee 14 - 4.

      Members on the committee:
      http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm [senate.gov]

      Committee Members
      Patrick J. Leahy
      Chairman, D-Vermont

      Edward M. Kennedy
      D-Massachusetts

        Arlen Specter
      Ranking Member, R-Pennsylvania

      Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
      D-Delaware

      Orrin G. Hatch
      R-Utah

      Herb Kohl
      D-Wisconsin

        Charles E. Grassley
      R-Iowa

      Dianne Feinstein
      D-California

        Jon Kyl
      R-Arizona

      Russell D. Feingold
      D-Wisconsin

        Jeff Sessions
      R-Alabama

      Charles E. Schumer
      D-New York

        Lindsey Graham
      R-South Carolina

      Richard J. Durbin
      D-Illinois

        John Cornyn
      R-Texas
      Biography

      Benjamin L. Cardin
      D-Maryland

      Sam Brownback
      R-Kansas

      Sheldon Whitehouse
      D-Rhode Island

        Tom Coburn
      R-Oklahoma

  • Profit Police... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Sabathius ( 566108 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:29AM (#24977083)
    Hey, I've got an idea! How about an arm of the government that cracks down on any form of "interference with corporate profit".

    Wow. Think of how many of our citizens we could throw in jail!

    -- America, where more money is spent on prisons than education.
  • by Reality Master 201 ( 578873 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @09:35AM (#24977159) Journal

    Not a good thing, but it's not law yet. You still have time to write your congresscritters.

    And I see it's tagged "democrats." I find the party's support of the copyright lobby to be rather dismaying, but let's not ignore the fact that more than half of the Republicans on the committee also voted in favor. They're all willing to suck off the media companies, cause most people don't really know enough to care, and most of those that do just bitch about on slashdot.

    • This suggestion is going to be modded to oblivion, but...

      Remember, any bill must be signed by the President to become law (modulo veto overrides et al.). Hold your nose and write to Bush.
      Ask him to veto this law should it come across his desk. Use his own language and prejudices in your favor. Use terms like "Unwarranted government intrusion into business", and "liberal Hollywood elite".

      Disclaimer: In the last two elections I voted neither Democrat nor Recpublican.

  • by Verdatum ( 1257828 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:03AM (#24977677)
    I can picture it now! We'll call them "firemen" and they'll wear a badge that says "451". I mean, if we're gonna do it, we may as well do it with some style!
  • by TheVelvetFlamebait ( 986083 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:28AM (#24978085) Journal

    ... but let's think about this. Which would you prefer in this situation? Would you rather the RIAA be in charge of investigating and prosecuting file sharers, or would you rather a force at least represented by the government, whom you elect? At least the government is not driven purely by profit.

  • Enforcement tactics (Score:3, Interesting)

    by eagl ( 86459 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @10:55AM (#24978529) Journal

    I wonder if the new copyright cops will get tanks and guns or will be a part of DHS so they can make warrantless house intrusions and take equipment before evidence is destroyed. It's all perfectly logical how they would NEED certain military style hardware and no-knock entry authority to do their job, right? After all, their JOB will absolutely require unannounced home intrusion, just like you'd expect against violent criminals, gang hideouts, and drug labs.

    Hell, if these guys show up *without* SWAT style tactics, they might reasonably expect to get shot by homeowners objecting to people busting into their houses to steal their computers.

    Knock Knock
    Who is it?
    Copyright cops. Let us in and we're going to take your stereo, all your CDs, all your computers, and all storage media in the house, both analog and digital. Trust us, we're from the government, and we're coming in whether or not you give us permission since if we wait until you get warrant confirmation, you might have erased all evidence.
    *door opens*
    Gunfire follows as homeowner defends property from intruders without proof of law enforcement status

    The obvious solution is to give the cops a tank and disarm the homeowner...

  • by Jackie_Chan_Fan ( 730745 ) on Friday September 12, 2008 @12:29PM (#24980049)

    Why do you fucking stupid ass people keep voting for republicans and democrats?! WHY? What the fuck do you expect? Nothing is going to change unless we get rid of these people. That means putting in NEW people, not associated with these parties into office.

    VOTE for independent candidates, get your ass out there... and do something.

    Sitting on slashdot and writing a bitch comment, or an intelligent one... aint going do it folks!

    Get the fuck out there.... and get some new people elected. RUN yourself... I dont care, just do something other than vote for a republican or democrat, or anyone else that may have the same mindset, who's only interest it is, is to make money, and rule over you, at the cost of your freedom.

    Oh this doesnt effect any of the politicians children who may be torrenting porn, or whatever else... They're above the law. You're not.

    You're only option is to write all of tehse fuckers... and threaten them. Tell them "If you support this... you're out of office... You will not get my vote. I and others will make sure that you are not elected another term ever"

    Then go VOTE for someone else already....

    This wont change. America is a fucking shithole. I hate this country. It is so full of shit. You ever wonder why the rest of the world hates us? Because for years they've seen the bullshit clearly.... Everyone except England of course.... because England is fucking worse than us. And if you remember this little thing called the American Revolutionary War... We fought to rid ourselves of the English. Now a days, we just want to be like them.

    FUCK AMERICA. I'm tired of it.

"I am, therefore I am." -- Akira

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