Senator Coleman Wants Lower RIAA Fines, Judicial Review For DMCA Subpoenas
from the as-expected... dept
Senator Coleman, who has been saying that the recording industry has been going too far, now says he's going to introduce new legislation that would lower the fines for copyright infringement of music and require judicial review of any DMCA subpoenas. The judicial review point has been talked about by just about everyone and makes perfect sense. It will make it more difficult for anyone to file frivolous subpoenas. Lowering the fines is also important, because most people who are accused of the activity are being forced to settle. While some would like to fight it, the threat of a multi-million dollar fine is making them cave. It would certainly be pretty difficult for the recording industry to prove that a single person sharing a single file cost them $150,000, but that's what the current law says. Now let's see if he actually does introduce the legislation and what happens when the RIAA puts all its force lobbying against it.
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P2Pdirt
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No Subject Given
USPS Sues Internet Users
By Jordan Baugher
Washington, D.C. - The United States Postal Service surprised citizens and lawmakers today by filing thousands of lawsuits against netizens with active e-mail addresses. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the use of e-mail violates the government-approved monopoly the USPS currently enjoys.
Art Benedum, a lawyer representing the Postal Service, quoted the part of the new law that grants the authority for this action. "Any business/government agency who has lost money because of services now provided freely by the Internet may sue to regain those funds, so long as their company/agency's name is a four-letter acronym."
Among the first to be slapped with a lawsuit was 7-year-old Regina Wells, who has been communicating with her father, a Marine in Iraq, via e-mail. When asked if she felt unfairly targeted by this legal action, she responded: "What'h a lawthoot?"
Ian Matthews, a specialist in law pertaining to gadgetry, explained that the USPS is now cracking down on what it calls 'postal pirates'. "This is an organization which has seen a 28 percent decrease in revenue since the rise of the Internet. They used to get royalties of 34 or 37 cents for every letter sent, but now letters can be sent for free, through what we call 'peer 2 peer' mail-sending."
Postal authorities are trying to get new legislation passed, banning these 'web sites' where these so-called 'e-mails' originate. If this fails, they have a back up plan to force Internet users to buy 'digital stamps'. "The digital stamps can be purchased directly from us by credit card, and can be used as 'attachments' with every e-mail sent. You don't even have to lick them," explained USPS R & D Vice President Nicholas Johnson. When asked why the Postal Service had a Research and Development department in the first place, he replied, "No comment."
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Re: P2Pdirt
I think it is time we changed your name from Anonymous Coward to "I am an idiot and a troll and I want to get flamed!"
Come on, Techdirt is about Technology, and P2P is, at least the last time I checked, technology.
Why don't you start posting other articles, or go somewhere else.
I frankly like these types of articles...and would like to see it continue. I don't use P2P, but I like knowing when my rights are being stomped on. And I am sure I am not alone.
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Re: P2Pdirt
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Re: P2Pdirt
Total articles: 20
Articles regarding P2P: 2
I don't feel like that's overwhelmingly unbalanced. Mike -- Thanks for keeping us up to date and informed, whether it's P2P or other TECHdirt we're getting.
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