Controversial Section of PRO-IP Act Cut 101
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Rep. Berman (D-CA) has removed the controversial section 104 from his PRO-IP Act. That section would have multiplied the already excessive statutory damages for infringement in the case of compilations, making the damages for infringing upon the copyrights of a single average CD rise into the millions of dollars. This change came after proponents of the amendment were unable to cite even one case where the statutory damages recovered were insufficient. But don't let the article fool you into thinking that the PRO-IP Act is no longer controversial now that this one section is gone, the act still creates copyright cops who are authorized to seize people's computers."
Good example. (Score:5, Insightful)
How could statutory damages ever be insufficient? (Score:5, Insightful)
Just the latest in a long list of malfeasance ... (Score:5, Insightful)
WalMart (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Time for the old Dead Man's Switch (Score:-1, Insightful)
Re:Time for the old Dead Man's Switch (Score:3, Insightful)
I remember (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Yes. It's also good to remember (Score:0, Insightful)
Re:Just the latest in a long list of malfeasance . (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:WalMart (Score:4, Insightful)
This should be alarming (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I remember (Score:4, Insightful)
I know I'm replying to your rather flippant remark with something serious, but why are we doing this? The other democracies in the world seem to have veered in a more liberal direction (liberal, not by the American definition). What makes the Americans MORE susceptible to welcoming a tyranny with open arms? I would have thought it the opposite, being one of the most violently individualistic countries on earth.
The average American, it seems, is the epitomy of sheep, anti-education, anti-freedom, and pro-tyranny, and not just our tyranny, but the tyranny of everyone else too. How did this happen, for a large part our founding fathers were ideal freethinkers (minus Adams), and liberals (again in the non-modern American sense), but somehow we've turned into the modern Soviets. This confuses the hell out of me.
How the hell did Europe (and Canada) beat us at our own, original, game?
How did France, Canada, the Nether
Re:I remember (Score:3, Insightful)
Wish I could give you an answer. I'm Canadian, and I don't much like the direction my country is heading in at the moment, either.
I've forgotten what our Prime Minister looks like, it's been so long since he pulled his face out from between Bush's ass cheeks.
Re:I remember (Score:3, Insightful)
"We were attacked" "by evil terrorists" (the fact of who those "evil terrorists" actually are or whether it was some bullshit storybook conspiracy that completely falls apart and lacks credibility if you have half a brain OR was a manipulation in the first place doesn't matter because the effects are the same with how it is being used).
People are being made to feel like there is danger coming at them from all corners at all times. The fear has been ratcheted up constantly and is bombarding this TV addicted country relentlessly; and the internets is the newest place where terrible things can happen to you, your family, and the country (according to the TV).
If you can find 4 or so hours of pre-recorded mainstream network television (including news and the ever ubiquitous crime drama) from ten years ago (it was still total trash but not the same trash we have today) - watch it - then, watch the same amount of today's television and I think you'll see that there is a very noticable difference.
The people driving the bus that is America want you to feel as though you're on a roller coaster that is careening off the rails all at times sourrounded by foreigners with rocket launchers just waiting for their chance to blow you away and next they're going to be trying to convince you that the neighbor on your left (who looks you) is in league with those "terraists" and the neighbor on your right is going to go off of his meds and shoot up your kid's school.
When people are this scared they make bad decisions. When people are this scared they'll allow things they would NEVER allow (like giving up their rights and taking a "I don't care, lock 'em up or torture 'em, it's not me or my family who will be affected" attitude)...The fact that this country would even talk about being okay with indefinite incarceration without charge and torture (let alone actually allowing or making it fucking policy) is disgusting and unbelevable and would have never been possible without this scheme. The thing most people don't get is that it already is affecting the entire society and it will affect them and those they care about because the definition of "terrorist" and what is considered is "terrorism" is being changed - look at the homegrown terrorism act for one thing..
People wonder how Germany was transformed in the 30s...I don't wonder anymore.
Re:I remember (Score:3, Insightful)
Really the down fall of American politics can probably be traced to the Truman administration, if not before.
Remember before the current USAPATRIOT act mentality we had McCarthy and J.Edgar Hooverism. Islamic extremists are nothing more than the new International Communist Conspiracy. I guess (barring the unexplanable wankerism of the 90's) fear can be the main effect, which still begs the question "why are we so afraid?".
Not to sound to paranoid, I'm still sad to admit that I can see ourselves being the bad-guys of the next century, taking Germany and the USSR's place. I want to love my country, I really want to, but I have no shared values with America anymore, it seems. This depresses the hell out of me. For Pete's sake, we actually are arguing about the merits of torture, this is the sign of a whole country jumping the shark.