Counseling Copyright Infringers May Be A Crime

from the that-doesn't-sound-good... dept

Senator Orrin Hatch clearly has some bizarre beliefs about copyright infringement. Exactly a year ago, he made his infamous suggestion that companies figure out a way to destroy the computers of anyone who infringes on copyrights. While that seemed a tad extreme to most folks, Hatch continues his crusade against the things like fair use and innovation. While it's not yet confirmed, the EFF is reporting that Hatch is set to introduce a new bill that would make it a crime to "induce" copyright infringement. That seems fairly broad and ridiculously dangerous. Even worse, the law also targets those who "counsel" infringers. Does this mean those who infringe on copyrights, even for fair use reasons, no longer have a right to legal representation? Update: More details including the apparent language of the bill and an excellent analysis by Ernest Miller about how ridiculous this whole thing is from the title of the proposed bill right through its intent.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Permanent4, 17 Jun 2004 @ 9:26am

    Is it just me...

    ...or does Senator Hatch remind you of the grumpy bastard in group therapy who's only there to get a rise out of everyone else?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      thecaptain, 17 Jun 2004 @ 10:19am

      Re: Is it just me...

      more like the grumpy old coot on the corner who's going senile and lost all contact with reality.

      Only backed by mega corporate bucks.


      Does this man even PRETEND he works for the people anymore?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Jun 2004 @ 9:35am

        Re: Is it just me...

        more like the grumpy old coot on the corner who's going senile and lost all contact with reality.
        And going around with a loaded gun.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Jun 2004 @ 11:55am

    No Subject Given

    Is it me or does the full title of this act suggest that there is such a thing as "lawful" child exploitation? hmm, I think they tried too hard to fit the acronym.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    plastic molding, 16 May 2009 @ 3:43am

    wuxi?

    How's China printing industry developed this years, who can tell us? China based plastic injection molding services with low costs and supeior quality Steel and aluminum scaffolding for construction is a very useful tool.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.