President Signs Law Creating Copyright Czar 555
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "President Bush has signed the EIPRA (AKA the PRO-IP Act) and created a cabinet-level post of 'Copyright Czar,' on par with the current 'Drug Czar,' in spite of prior misgivings about the bill. They did at least get rid of provisions that would have had the DOJ take over the RIAA's unpopular litigation campaign. Still, the final legislation (PDF) creates new classes of felony criminal copyright infringement, adds civil forfeiture provisions that incorporate by reference parts of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, and directs the Copyright Czar to lobby foreign governments to adopt stronger IP laws. At this point, our best hope would appear to be to hope that someone sensible like Laurence Lessig or William Patry gets appointed."
Re:Czar (Score:5, Informative)
Establish a secret police to rout all revolutionaries and anti-royalists. Establish a serfdom and enforce it with an iron fist. Confiscate the property of radicals and starve them and their families. Get lined up against a wall and shot when the revolution comes.
Re:USA + Bush = FAIL (Score:5, Informative)
Your government is out of control. Perfect timing. This will get zero media attention.
In the subject, you name Bush.
In your post, you name "your government"
Guess what, they are not one and the same.
Bush has issued 12 vetoes during 8 years.
4 of those vetoes were overridden.
The blame for this rests on the Senators and Congressmen who allowed themselves to be lobbied into passing such industry serving legislation.
Re:Czar (Score:5, Informative)
Because departments tend to be ultra-introverts and power crazy zealots a "Czar" is sometimes created to cross these boundaries to encourage (and enforce) cooperation to a common goal. (e.g. Drugs, terrorism and now copyright)
It has more impact and is (arguably) more cost-effective than creating a new department to carry out tasks which are the same as other departments. This also assumes that the departments will fail to work together effectively and squabble over funding and power.
Sometimes there is a double up. There is a department that deals with drugs specifically, so the Czar's main role would be to coordinate all the interested departments.
Re:How many copyright cases criminal court standar (Score:4, Informative)
In criminal cases they send the police to kick down the door of the accused, and they present such evidence as "we caught him red handed".
They get the name and address of the accused, not by an absentee discovery order, but by a search warrant. Or, with new legislation that is likely to follow, by just looking up the data that ISPs are required to retain without even the need for a warrant.
This is what happens when you appoint a Czar.. a fuckin' WAR is declared and any allusions that people have about their rights go quickly out the window.
Lessig is not as progressive as you think (Score:2, Informative)
You don't vote for Kings (Score:3, Informative)
"unfortunately, we're talking about an unelected bureaucrat, not a real Czar."
The real Czars weren't elected either...
Cue the "In (pre) soviet Russia " jokes..
I believe the term Czar (later spelt Tsar) comes from the name Caesar - which orriginally was the given name of the first Roman emperor (Gaius Julius), and only became a 'Title' when adopted by his Nephew (Gaius Octavius - AKA Augustus)
Re:Civil Asset Forfeiture = Really Bad (Score:5, Informative)
Drugs were but an excuse. The government wanted to increase their ability to track money through the economy, reduce gray/black market activities, force people into using banking for every penny they could, increase taxation success, reduce currency in circulation, increase plastic usage, etc, just give it some thought. I can remember when successful farmers and ranchers carried rolls of hundred dollar bills with them often, no idea if they still do that or not but if they do they are at risk while just trying to do their daily business. Used car dealers on buying trips have had their money seized in forfeiture as have many others that don't have anything to do with drugs. For law enforcement, it is a license to steal and even kill. One of the examples being:
Wonder how many similar things were just swept under the rug?
Re:Country Suggestions? (Score:5, Informative)
They already have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton [wikipedia.org]
Re:USA + Bush = FAIL (Score:3, Informative)
Re:You don't vote for Kings (Score:5, Informative)
Actions to take, in a few minutes. (Score:4, Informative)
So yes ths bill is awful. The Civil Forfeture provisions alone are foul let alone the Czar. While it may not roll things back overnight here is something simple that you can each do.
1) Find your senator/representative on the list of supporters (see below)
2) Call their office or contact them via the Senate [senate.gov] and House [house.gov] websites.
3) Ask them why they voted for the bill. If their response does not convince you politely explain that this is an awful bill and one that has cost them your vote. Inform them politely that you will not vote for them or donate money to their campaigns again.
4) Repeat.
I would be shocked if any of them read this bill or have a reason for voting other than that they were in favor of good stuff. But the act of informing them that you will not support them because of it makes the point.
For those of you not in the U.S. I would recommend contacting your representatives with the message that you will not back them if they consider a stunt like this.
Now the Senators who voted in favor are here [house.gov].
The house members in favor of the PRORIP act which became this are here [house.gov]
Re:Fist Prose (Score:5, Informative)
I've done some research and it appears that out of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain and Sarah Palin none of them bothered to vote on it.
OK... Palin's my least favorite from that list. But blaming her for not voting on that bill is more than a little unfair.
You do realize that she's neither a senator nor a representative, right?
Re:Fist Prose (Score:3, Informative)