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House passes bill (HR 4279) that will let the RIAA take away your home for downloading music
http://www.boingboing.net/ ^ | May 9, 2008 | Cory Doctorow

Posted on 05/09/2008 12:06:07 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander

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To: Joe Boucher
It means they may take your home away if your KID is steeling music over the internet without even your knowledge.

And how do they know you downloaded protected property online? By checking the Internet addresses of people who download, then matching the data up with usage logs subpoenaed from Internet service providers. This means that if your ISP makes a recordkeeping error in handling addresses that may be reassigned hundreds of times a day, you also lose your house.

41 posted on 05/09/2008 2:31:18 PM PDT by BlazingArizona
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To: antiRepublicrat

Thanks for the ping. It is fair to say that every computer used by any of us has unlicensed copyrighted content in its memory. I suppose the authorities could now say that any of that content could be intended for other-than-fair use and concoct a reason for seizing the computer on the basis of prospective copyright infringement.


42 posted on 05/09/2008 2:38:49 PM PDT by aposiopetic
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To: antiRepublicrat
The rest of the world give authors copyright protection for about 50 years after their death.

The rest of the world isn't constrained by the Copyright Clause of the Constitution. To comply with the Berne Convention and follow what the rest of the world does is to violate the Constitution.

The US SIGNED the Berne Convention! One should not sign things that one has no intention of complying with!

The copyright clause says nothing about establishing a copyright office (featherbed bureaucracy that does nothing useful) and charging people an exorbitant sum for protection! In fact, it says pretty much the same thing as the Berne Convention!

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, the Copyright and Patent Clause (or Patent and Copyright Clause), the Intellectual Property Clause and the Progressive Clause, empowers the United States Congress:
“ To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
Nothing in there about opening a humongous bureaucracy called the "Copyright Office" which does nothing but charge a sum for time-stamping - something which could be done online in seconds and for nearly free.

The copyright office does not evaluate works like the patent office must do. If you had a pet monkey and it banged on your word-processor and produced some gobbledygook, it would be copyrightable.

The copyright office is a relic of a bygone era, one which has no usefulness whatsoever, and one which is a burden upon producers of intellectual property. The entire mess exists as just another tax and time-wasting exercise for authors and producers of intellectual property. To not use this wasteful monopoly and pay the exorbitant fees is to effectively give up copyright protection in the USA.

Copyright protection is enjoyed by people all over the world - for free. The copyright office does not protect anyone, it's just a racket.

43 posted on 05/09/2008 2:39:03 PM PDT by Bon mots
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To: JerseyHighlander

Reasonable men will obey reasonable laws.


44 posted on 05/09/2008 2:43:11 PM PDT by papasmurf (Unless I post a link to a resource, what I post is opinion, regardless of how I spin it.)
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To: JerseyHighlander
Still reading, but when I came acrodd this...

Like the doublespeak PATRIOT Act and Peacekeeper missiles,

...I knew that this guy is, at best, in "stopped-clock-is-right-twice-a-day" territory.

Whenever someone says the Patriot act is unamerican, I always look forward to their tales of how they objected just as long and loud about the same methods being applied to drug dealers and mobsters, but they never seem to have any stories like that...

45 posted on 05/09/2008 2:48:33 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
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To: JerseyHighlander

This is a dumb law............... as the Chinese as stealing every song, movie, t.v. show and video made in America and reselling them for pennies throughout all of Asia.
Americans buy music............ look at the money itunes makes............ so going after your customers in court and taking away everything they own is misguided and it will ultimately blow up in their face.


46 posted on 05/09/2008 3:15:55 PM PDT by Fox_Mulder77
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To: Bon mots
The US SIGNED the Berne Convention! One should not sign things that one has no intention of complying with!

They have the intention of complying with it. They've already violated the Constitution in implementing its terms, and I'm sure there's more to come.

Nothing in there about opening a humongous bureaucracy called the "Copyright Office"

It gives Congress the power to "promote," and the mechanism of such promotion is up to Congress as long as it doesn't violate the Clause.

something which could be done online in seconds and for nearly free.

I agree there. The copyright office is behind the times. I would like a set yearly fee for such a system with an API that bloggers, newspapers and others can connect to in order that posts are automatically registered. Even then, the Copyright Office would be running the service. But progress is being made, there is already an online service in beta, and the fee is $35.

The copyright office does not evaluate works like the patent office must do.

That's why a work is considered registered as soon as the Copyright Office receives it.

If you had a pet monkey and it banged on your word-processor and produced some gobbledygook, it would be copyrightable.

Wrong. There must be an original creative component to the work.

The copyright office does not protect anyone, it's just a racket.

You still have copyright without registration. However, without registration you don't have prima facie evidence of infringement nor do you get statutory damages. You can still sue for infringement though, and receive any actual damages. But if there are actual damages (you were making a profit from your work), you probably should have taken the time to register anyway.

I would prefer that nothing is copyrighted unless it is registered. That would remove any doubt for someone wanting to use a work as to whether it is copyrighted, whether the copyright has expired (the orphaned works problem), or who to ask permission from. The current system leaves doubt of those answers, and sometimes creates the impossibility of knowing the answer. That hinders instead of promotes the arts, which makes the situation unconstitutional.

47 posted on 05/09/2008 3:20:34 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Mr. Silverback
I always look forward to their tales of how they objected just as long and loud about the same methods being applied to drug dealers and mobsters

I have those objections. Principle does not change based on the situation.

48 posted on 05/09/2008 3:22:50 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: traviskicks

Wow!


49 posted on 05/09/2008 3:51:15 PM PDT by KoRn (CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
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To: CJ Wolf

I wish there would have been either a Paul/Duncan or a Duncan/Paul POTUS ticket. Jimmy Duncan-R-TN is one of the few left in congress with any common sense.


50 posted on 05/09/2008 3:55:35 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Three Blind Rats. Three Blind Rats, See How They Run. See How They Run. Hillbomacain)
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To: JerseyHighlander

All this for “music” that’s not worth paying for anyway? Why put your life in jeopardy? If it’s worth spending your precious time listening to, it’s worth paying for.


51 posted on 05/09/2008 4:23:11 PM PDT by giotto
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To: antiRepublicrat

OK, what did you do about them at the time they were applied to drug dealers and mobsters?


52 posted on 05/09/2008 4:54:12 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
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To: muawiyah

Yeah, these guys should have been told “Hey, if a guy has done so much damage to you that he deserves to lose his house, you can go into civil court and sue him for his house. Now beat it.”


53 posted on 05/09/2008 5:07:00 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
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To: MrLee

Duh! It’s good for the goobermint and bad for their marks, er, employers, and I haven’t seen him pass up one of those yet.


54 posted on 05/09/2008 5:20:41 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Typical white person)
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To: MrLee

I mean, this guy even signs stuff he SAYS he is against.


55 posted on 05/09/2008 5:21:33 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Typical white person)
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To: Regulator
You just know these RIAA pukes and their lawyers don't abide by either the immigration laws nor the child labor statutes.

Wonder if we could each contact our own Congresscritters and "complain" about RIAA and their clients NOT obeying those laws and asking for some massive ICE raids.

Seems to me there's no difference between a raid on RIAA or one of their lawyers and a raid on a chicken packer. Well, maybe a little difference ~ the RIAA guys probably pack or have body guards and might shoot back, so ICE could find themselves having to pre-empt the need for trials.

56 posted on 05/09/2008 5:25:19 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah
I can't add anything to that! All Too True!

Real Altruists in the Rock'N'Roll recording biz, huh?

Whadda buncha creeps...

57 posted on 05/09/2008 5:32:31 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: Mr. Silverback
Just sent the following e-mail to the punk in chief, Conyers:

"Re: HR 4279

My understanding is this bill benefits primarily RIAA and their clients.

On a recent trip to California I observed at first hand the incredible depth of the use of illegal aliens and child labor by the RIAA beneficiaries, and by RIAA.

Supposedly they've never been raided by ICE ~ kind of considered out of bounds by everyone, particularly when it comes to the kids in their stables.

Do you think it's possible that you guys could get RIAA to agree to abide by the immigration laws and get rid of all their illegals?

Like, why should they get to violate the law with impunity while you pass legislation on their behalf to seize homes and toss widows and orphans into the street?

Doesn't seem fair does it?

I thought you'd agree.

Now, turn their asses in. Get ICE over there. Perpwalk some of your friends ~ show us you give a damned eh.

"

58 posted on 05/09/2008 5:33:58 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: giotto

But that’s just the point. We’re not talking about a definition of “piracy” that anyone rational enough to post here would possess. These chuckleheads are expanding the definition at such extreme velocity and to such a comic degree that there are any number of ways one could run afoul of this with music THEY FOOKING PAID FOR!! [ shouting not directed at you, dear gentle Freeper ]


59 posted on 05/09/2008 5:46:01 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Typical white person)
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To: Still Thinking

Do you suppose RIAA agents make sure John gets his fill of access to some of the younger “stars”?


60 posted on 05/09/2008 6:22:11 PM PDT by muawiyah
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