Justice Department Asks To Become Subsidiary To The Entertainment Industry
from the meet-the-new-boss dept
As was suggested last week, John Ashcroft has now put out a report talking about how the Department of Justice wants to deal with intellectual property issues and it basically reads like a dream list for the entertainment industry. Basically, they want both the Induce Act and the Pirate Act, as well as "more spending, more FBI agents and more power for prosecutors." Yes, that's right, rather than spend on real problems, like stopping terrorists, they want more cash to stop kids from letting a friend hear a song they might like. They apparently feel they need more power to stop casual sharing, defending an increasingly obsolete business model for a single industry who doesn't want to change with the times or fight their own legal battles alone. As was suggested last week, they're viewing the "war" against file sharing in a similar light to the war against drugs and corruption -- and it's likely to have about the same level of success. As a lobbyist for Kazaa (bias, noted) says: "They could be proposing here the greatest mass criminalization of conduct by otherwise law-abiding citizens since Prohibition." You get the feeling that, as law enforcement, the Justice Department feels they're better off if more people are breaking laws, because it gives them more to do -- even if there's simply no real reason they should be involved.
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
A bigger issue
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A bigger issue
If they are using file sharing networks, no money exchanges hands.
If terrorists are financing the creation and distribution of phoney CD's / Movies etc...well that is one way to make money. But even they would feel the pinch of people just going online and getting what they want.
I say screw the whole music industry. Stop buying music, period. I am sure we all have enough music already to keep us all entertainted for the next couple of years.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A bigger issue
P2P does not generate profits vis piracy (well maybe ad-ware and such).
The Entertainment industry would LOVE to have you believe (along with Ashcroft) that they are doing it to "fight terrorism", and unfortunately that line seems to hook the fish (ie: the sheep, the gov) hook, line and sinker. However, what they REALLY want to stop is Joe Sixpack from humming a tune without paying royalties (or for now, using P2P)...they couldn't give rat's behind for stopping terrorists right now.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A bigger issue
Deep in the caves of Afghaniraq Joe-Bin Ladin is plotting, "Even though there's ample poppy for me to refine, I'm gonna sell burnt copies of Aaron Carter to help support our cultural revolution"
"Together, brothers, We strike a blow at the heart of American captiolism. The corrupt music industry. We shall liberate the music of the oppressed so that NO artist should be forced to live under the yoke of their Imperialistic tormentors. Praise Allah!"
hehehehe Terrorist Pirates "Arrrrsalam alakum!"
arrr
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Just the beginning.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
another real question
[ link to this | view in thread ]