A new bill proposed in Congress on Wednesday would land a person in
prison for five years and impose a fine of $250,000 for uploading a
single file to a peer-to-peer network.

http://wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,59654,00.html

The whole point of a peer-to-peer network is SHARING. What stupidity - but
not surprising. However, it's one thing to propose a bill; it's quite another
to get it thru and enacted. Let's hope someone in Congress has some common
sense.

Geez, while we're at it, we might as well make all Xerox copiers illegal too.
Should we propose that to Congress?

Thomas Roy Garner wrote:

don't think this will get through congress.

I hope you're right, but why would they try to stop it? What do they care?

Cyberia wrote:

in the end it's against the constitution and freedom of speech.

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 19:09:54 +0200, "Cyberia" <cyberia@nospam.org>
wrote:

No member of Congress could possibly give a fuck about true free
speech. Period.

It amazes me that so many people think actually have a right to steal what
does not belong to them simply because they don't like the price that it
cost to buy or that we think the record companies agree greedy.

Don't get me wrong I as gulity as te rest of you. But for pity' sakes if it
comes to a screaching halt someday why the hell would you be
suprised/shocked or worse yet actually think you have been screwed?


"Thomas Roy Garner" <thomasroygarner@hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:j7fdhvcei0amsof68p50olg411besaort4@4ax.com...

"brian" <x@mchsi.com> wrote in message news:<CG_Ra.93181$ye4.65901@sccrnsc01>...
On the downloading thing,

What will happen, is the RIAA will start suing people that don't have
these files they're claiming they have. They'll say "well we know IP
number X downloaded this file"....still, that doesn't mean you
actually have that file or that the file works, good lawyers will be
able to figure that stuff out. Plus, this seeding that they've been
doing with fake files to get your IP address.... I think that may
actually turn around to hurt them.

It's a safe bet they can get you if you're offering files, that can be
tracked easily and if they download some of the files and see that
it's really their property, you're gone.... if they start going after
someone who downloads something, so they claim, and start suing wrong
people, or people who don't have these properties, they will get into
some serious problems that even their big money eventually can't buy
them out of. Granted, if their past history holds up, they'll go after
a small time downloader, but if they have any sense, before they open
themeselves up for counter suits, they'll concentrate on people
offering files "before" they try to get someone downloading something,
because there they'll have to actually prove it was an actual copy of
something. I am sure they'll go for "conspiracy to piracy", but
juries are going to want to see, and hear, what the RIAA is suing you
for.

Anyway, if you are offering files, they will need to have copies of
these files, and have gotten them from you, and prove they got them
from you. That's usually how that kind of evidence holds up. Saying
they saw 100 files on your computer for uploading, that kind of stuff
they can fake too easy, of course, I wouldn't put that past them
either. Especially after the wells start to run dry or they've got it
in for you because you may speak up against their rackets.

But for god's sake, don't let the government with "laws" get into this
anymore than they already are, we don't need another expensive mess
for the people to foot the bill for. Remember the drug war we're all
funding? Hasn't that just been glorious and victorious? Can you
imagine federal storm troopers kicking in the door because junior
downloaded the latest metallica and the feds need the actual files for
prosecution? I can see it happening, our country has gone down that
bad.