[TriLUG] (Slightly OT)New Bill in Congress would make file-swapping a felony

[Michael Thompson]

+1!  

This is exactly the kind of attitude that gives Linux users the
'communist pirates' label.  Software and Music pirates STEAL and are no
different than shoplifters.  P2P networks allow you to create thousands
of violations in a short amount of time, which I think justifies the
felony charge...  Aren't we all entitled to be paid for our work? 

--mike

On Thu, 2003-07-17 at 11:05, Chris Merrill wrote:
> prhodes at vdsinc.com wrote:
> > There's a new bill floating around in Congress, which would make uploading
> > even ONE
> > file over a P2P network a federal felony... get this... punishable by FIVE
> > YEARS in
> > jail, and a $250,000 dollar fine.
> 
> NO!  IT does NOT!   Did you _read_ the bill?
> 
> It refers specifically to COPYRIGHTED material.  It does not make file sharing
> networks illegal.  Distributing copyrighted material without the authors
> permission is already illegal - this simply makes it an offense to _offer_ the
> material for public download via a computer network.  The way it is worded, it
> would also apply to putting copyrighted material on a webserver...already
> widely recognized to be illegal.
> 
> Incidentally, the bill also makes it illegal to register a domain name with
> false identity information.  IMO, that's a good thing.
> 
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> *********************************
> Chris Merrill
> cmerrill at nc.rr.com
> *********************************
-- 
Michael Thompson <thompson at easternrad.com>
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