Prison Time?

[brainsmile]

Reuters Market News
Ashcroft Asked to Target Online Song Swappers
By Andy Sullivan

http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020809/tech_copyright_2.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers have asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to go after Internet users who download unauthorized songs and other copyrighted material, raising the possibility of jail time for digital-music fans.

In a July 25 letter released late Thursday, some 19 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle asked Ashcroft to prosecute "peer-to-peer" networks like Kazaa and Morpheus and the users who swap digital songs, video clips and other files without permission from artists or their record labels.

The Justice Department should also devote more resources to policing online copyrights, the lawmakers said in their letter.

"Such an effort is increasingly important as online theft of our nation's creative works is a growing threat to our culture and economy," the letter said.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

The recording industry says peer-to-peer services cut into CD sales, and has been battling them in court since 1999, when the five major labels sued pioneer service Napster Inc.

A U.S. federal judge ordered Napster to shut down its service in July 2001, but upstarts like Kazaa and Morpheus soon took its place. Kazaa, which in addition to music allows users to swap movies and other media files, said this week that its free software had been downloaded 100 million times.

Music labels have not ruled out suing individual users, and have pushed for the right to flood peer-to-peer networks with bogus files, or disrupt them by other means.

While a debate has raged on Capitol Hill over the proper balance between copyright and technological innovation, U.S. law-enforcement authorities have taken a minimal role.

The Justice Department filed a supporting motion siding with the record labels in the Napster case, but has brought no cases of its own.

The move was welcomed by the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the five major labels --Bertelsmann AG (Dusseldorf:BTGGga.D - News), Vivendi Universal (Paris:EAUG.PA - News), Sony Corp (Tokyo:6758.T - News)., AOL Time Warner Inc (NYSE:AOL - News). and EMI Group Plc (London:EMI.L - News).

"There is no doubt, mass copying off the Internet is illegal and deserves to be a high priority for the Department of Justice," said RIAA Chairman Hilary Rosen in a statement.

An analyst for a digital civil-liberties group said the Justice Department probably had better things to do with its time.

The letter "implies that Justice should be going after relatively innocent behaviors that I suspect most Americans don't think warrant the time," said Alan Davidson, an associate director at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

On the other hand, "we would much rather see current authorities be used before Congress goes and creates brand new laws," Davidson said.

A staffer for Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who signed the letter, said that lawmakers did not want FBI agents to arrest casual users but instead go after operators of network "nodes" that handle much of the traffic.

Among those signing the letter were: Delaware Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden; Wisconsin Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner; Virginia Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott; Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers; North Carolina Republican Rep. Howard Coble; and California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

[brainsmile]

Thanks

[coleslaw]

Originally posted by brainsmile
A staffer for Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who signed the letter, said that lawmakers did not want FBI agents to arrest casual users but instead go after operators of network "nodes" that handle much of the traffic.

[NuTs62]

and lets see.. how many DANGEROUS criminals are running 'round the streets? and they spend their resources doing this? thats all they need.. a bunch of us geeks filling up the already maxed-out prisons.

[sbp]

Hi guys: we're a little busy with the war on terrorism and other serious matters.

signed,

Justice Department

[brainsmile]

Originally posted by NuTs62
and lets see.. how many DANGEROUS criminals are running 'round the streets? and they spend their resources doing this? thats all they need.. a bunch of us geeks filling up the already maxed-out prisons.

I know... oh well.

[latingirl]

This is just dumb. I agree, there are more pertinent issues. And I can't believe that record companies cry over this with all the money they make AND waste. Some of these people are stupid rich. I used to go to audiogalaxy before they shut it down. If I really liked the songs or artist, I would go ahead and buy the CD to have in my collection.

Though, call me biased AND on another note, I always buy music from christian/gospel artists because I think that the industry needs the support. Much of the music now is just as quality as anything out there on the radio. Esp. when you have producers like Missy Elliot and Timbalind producing some gospel artists songs.

[sbp]

{saw coleslaw vote for the gingerbread man option}

[NuTs62]

Originally posted by latingirl
This is just dumb. I agree, there are more pertinent issues. And I can't believe that record companies cry over this with all the money they make AND waste. Some of these people are stupid rich. I used to go to audiogalaxy before they shut it down. If I really liked the songs or artist, I would go ahead and buy the CD to have in my collection.

Though, call me biased AND on another note, I always buy music from christian/gospel artists because I think that the industry needs the support. Much of the music now is just as quality as anything out there on the radio. Esp. when you have producers like Missy Elliot and Timbalind producing some gospel artists songs.

yeah, many of us are actually biased because we aren't the ones getting "stolen" from.. I used to spend so much money on CD's. Eh, just hated when i got crappy CD's. Mp3's helped alleviate that problem.


so, i'll see you all in prison..? come by and visit my cell when you get there k?

[Nija]

hey baby I'll see ya'll in prison cause I like to sample the music, before I buy it. I prefer not to purchase crappy music.

(_o_)

[NuTs62]

Originally posted by Nija

hey baby I'll see ya'll in prison cause I like to sample the music, before I buy it. I prefer not to purchase crappy music.

(_o_)

aw man.. just shoot me now! don't let nija be sentenced to the same prison as me.. that is cruel and unusual punishment.. nobody should be subjected to that sort of treatment!! NOBODY!

[Ladogaboy]

They don't even have room for all the casual marijuana smokers they arrest, how are they going to fit all the geeks too.

[Grimm]

Hmmmmm.... I think lawmakers are tromping on our "fair use". If I make a tape off a CD I own and hand it to a friend to listen to, it used to be entirely legal.

These "lawmakers" would rather see us die to terrorist attacks than see us get away with sharing a song. Talk about corporate greed and political lackys.

Please remember these people when it comes time to vote.

[sbp]

If the RIAA and company had their greedy way everyone would pay for each copy of an album you already own ala Microshaft. This whole thing is reminscent of the movie studios in the 80's whining VCR's were terrible. Turns out the VCR was a boon to their pocket book.

Words for them to live by: Embrace the future, don't fear it.