How do you feel about paying the RIAA and MPAA’s legal fees so they can continue on their crusade against piracy? Yea…the thought just thrills me too. Well if two senators could have it their way, we would be doing just that. Sen. Patrick Leah and Sen. Jon Cronyn have introduced the Pirate Act, which aims to put the force of the Justice Department against those who would dare share copyrighted materials. It basically gives the Justice Department the power to file civil lawsuits against infringers.
From the bill itself: “the attorney general may commence a civil action in the appropriate United States district court against any person who engages in conduct constituting (a copyright) offense, and federal judges shall award restitution to the copyright owner aggrieved by the conduct.†Sounds scary, huh?
The RIAA and MPAA are smitten with this idea…shocking, I know. The bill also features the creation of a “multi-national copyright enforcement operational unit” that would work under the FBI. This whole operation would require additional funding totaling around $32 million going to the FBI and the Department of Justice. And, my favorite part of the bill, the government gets the power to take away any of your possessions that might aid in pirating (like your iPod or computer).
Wow, that is no laughing matter. At least, it won’t be if the bill passes. But until then I will laugh hysterically at how preposterous the entire idea is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of piracy. But giving the government the power to take away your iPod because it might aid you in copyright infringement? That’s crazy talk! The Pirate Act is definitely NOT the answer for the piracy debacle.
[via Mashable]
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RIAA: Anti-P2P Movement | Jupiters Collision