SWAT Teams Enforcing Copyright

techliberation ^ | 1/17/07 | Tim Lee

[traviskicks]

Radley Balko, who has tirelessly publicized the problems created by the promiscuous use of SWAT teams, reports that federal police in Atlanta have used a SWAT team to help the recording industry enforce copyright law. Even worse, the target wasn't even a commercial piracy operation:

Last night, a federal SWAT team assisted the RIAA in a raid on the studio of Atlanta musician DJ Drama. This local news report says the locally famous mixtape DJ is under investigation for piracy. But Drama's supporters say the DJ is a mix artist, not a bootlegger. They say news footage of the raid shows RIAA officials boxing up only recordable CDs filled with mixes, not bootlegs of retail CDs (the local news reporter seems to conflate the two as well).

Assuming for a moment that RIAA and federal officials do indeed know the difference between a mash-up DJ and a bootleg operation, and that they did find evidence of actual piracy in the bust, there's still the problem of why RIAA officials were participating in a police action, and why a SWAT team was used to raid a professional studio under investigation for a nonviolent, white-collar crime.

Quite so. It's not like this is a fly-by-night operation selling CDs out of the back of a truck. This is clearly not the sort of problem that justifies dramatic police raids. If the RIAA thinks DJ Drama's activities violate copyright law, they have plenty of civil law remedies available that don't involve Gestapo tactics.

Also, check out the gratuitous smearing of the two as drug dealers and gangsters. A police officer comments that "In this case, we didn't find drugs and weapons, but it's not uncommon for us to find other sorts of contraband when we execute a search warrant."

If they didn't find drugs or weapons, why did this factoid merit a mention in the story?

[Old Professer]

I just read the thread on Ernest Borgnine coming up on his 90th birthday and noticed in there that he got paid $5,000 for his Oscar role in "Marty."

There was no mention of royalties.

[Centurion2000]

Radley Balko, who has tirelessly publicized the problems created by the promiscuous use of SWAT teams, reports that federal police in Atlanta have used a SWAT team to help the recording industry enforce copyright law. Even worse, the target wasn't even a commercial piracy operation:

This is absolute insanity.

[RobRoy]

You may actually be right here. There is always more to the story, especially when the story doesn't seem to make sense.

Any parent of teenagers knows this.

[Old Professer]

SWAT teams are the modern jackbooted thugs and they love every minute of it.

They are an insult to civilization.

[jrooney]

Sorry but in today's society, swat teams are needed and they save lives. There may be a time you or yours need their assistance in a crisis.

[traviskicks]

yea, could be the case, maybe there is added information not contained in the aticle. Even so, I don't like the idea of 'federal swat teams' being involved in pretty much anything.

[massgopguy]

Good thing I don't play in that Aerosmith Tribute Band anymore. I could get shot.

[mugs99]

Sorry but in today's society, swat teams are needed and they save lives.

How many lives have they saved?
.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Quoting with some corrections:

I am sure it has more to do with the swat team was used because some rap artists and their entourage American Citizens carry guns and drugs, even when they are in rap studios the presumed safety of their own homes. Intelligence provided by the swat team or to it may have suggested the possibility of weapons and potential violence by some within the building house. If that was the case, it is always safer to use a swat team to enter a dangerous environment.

There - fixed it for ya'!

[jrooney]

I have no idea if honest statistics are even tabulated for them. A swat teams mandate is to save lives, not take them. Swat teams only use deadly force as a last resort to protect life. That is universal across the country and 99.99% of swat teams are very professional.

[jrooney]

:) Thank you, thank you very much.

[Centurion2000]

Sorry but in today's society, swat teams are needed and they save lives.

Yep, that SWAT team at Columbine really helped.

[jrooney]

Without special weapons and tactic teams, our civilian equivalent of special forces, there would be anarchy. Unfortunately because man can do horrible things to man, we need individuals to intervene. It will not always work perfectly, but it works for the most part.

[elkfersupper]

Sorry but in today's society, swat teams are needed and they save lives.

I would rather have an army of crack whores directed to my general vicinity than a SWAT team.

[org.whodat]

Anything to justify bloated budgets and shiny new toys of our militarized police. jack booted thugs.

[org.whodat]

That is universal across the country and 99.99% of swat teams are very professional.

And if we defunded 80% of them it would make no difference, in other words most of them are a wast of tax payers money.

[Kevmo]

Bump for later reading

[biff]

Well, when they don't work out perfectly somebody usually dies and that somebody is usually innocent. I just cannot fathom in todays society they do not case out a house or even check the phone book to see who lives there before kicking down the door with guns blazing at 4:00 in the morning.
PS - and I am a big time supporter of law enforcement.

[pnh102]

Unfortunately because man can do horrible things to man, we need individuals to intervene.

The guy was mixing a tape.

If we used this kind of force against street gangs, we would not have a street gang problem anymore.

[mugs99]

I have no idea if honest statistics are even tabulated for them.

Then you have no idea if they save lives.
.