New Bill To Boost Penalties For Copyright Infringement

[davezan]

What is the name of your state? CA (well, going there soon)

Pardon if this appears inappropriate. But I thought I should post what I at least had gotten
from one of my feeds I just read:

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9719339-7.html

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pressing the U.S. Congress to enact a sweeping intellectual-property bill that would increase criminal penalties for copyright infringement, including "attempts" to commit piracy.

"To meet the global challenges of IP crime, our criminal laws must be kept updated," Gonzales said during a speech before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Monday.

The Bush administration is throwing its support behind a proposal called the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007, which is likely to receive the enthusiastic support of the movie and music industries, and would represent the most dramatic rewrite of copyright law since a 2005 measure dealing with prerelease piracy.

The "legislative proposal" in question:

http://politechbot.com/docs/doj.intellectual.property.protection.act.2007.051407.pdf

Start reading...and start talking to your congressman/woman if you think it's a cause for a
concern.What is the name of your state?

 

[FlyingRon]

Do you have a question?

Most copyright action is civil, while there are criminal statutes, you gotta be pretty much an "organized crime" type operation to attract federal prosecution. The changes just allow copyright infringement to be treated like other federal crimes.

 

[JSonnabend]

Do you have a question?

Most copyright action is civil, while there are criminal statutes, you gotta be pretty much an "organized crime" type operation to attract federal prosecution. The changes just allow copyright infringement to be treated like other federal crimes.

Ron, this is a discussion forum (last time I checked), and Dave was posting some interesting, relevant news for discussion. Must he have a question?

As for your conclusions regarding the criminal side of copyright infringement, on what are you basing your statement?

There, that's two questions for you.

- Jeff

 

[FlyingRon]

Ron, this is a discussion forum (last time I checked), and Dave was posting some interesting, relevant news for discussion. Must he have a question?

I was curious if he thought it was a good thing or a bad thing? It seemed from the tone of his post we were supposed to understand what his agenda was.

As for your conclusions regarding the criminal side of copyright infringement, on what are you basing your statement?

Simple observation. What is the number of criminal charges brought for copyright infringement on individuals ? Next to none. What's the number of civil cases being pressed...more than I can count (even after removing my shoes).

 

[davezan]

I was curious if he thought it was a good thing or a bad thing? It seemed from the tone of his post we were supposed to understand what his agenda was.

So much for meaning exactly what I said (or posted in this case).

No "agenda", really. Just posting something that might interest people around here since it
can affect them.