Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tells reps from the MPAA that it plans to “target the new threats enabled by the Internet in the same way that we have targeted ‘hard goods’ in the past.”
The federal govt seems to be buying into the hair brained MPAA notion that illegal file-sharing is supporting terrorism and criminal gangs.
It’s well known that physical piracy has always been about profits and that many of the same groups, as pointed out by a 2009 RAND Corporation study, that illegally trade in pirated copies of films are also involved in everything from human smuggling and document fraud to contract killing and the drug trade.
However, file-sharing is a much different animal. It’s called sharing for the simple reason that no money ever changes hands only data does. The MPAA and other copyright holder groups can’t very well wage a campaign to stop illegal file-sharing without having a certain amount of hysteria and fear to succeed, especially when its trying to get law enforcement and legislators on its side.
It’s become evident that it’s managed to do just that with remarks given by John Morton, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at a recent gathering of representatives from the MPAA, seven of the largest movie studios, and law enforcement officials at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Crystal City.
The IPR Center, led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), hosted the meeting to share intelligence on the latest threats to creative products.
“ICE pledges a sustained law enforcement effort with our partners in the IPR Center to target the new threats enabled by the Internet in the same way that we have targeted ‘hard goods’ in the past,” Morton told the crowd. “Industry knows where the vulnerabilities are and law enforcement should consult with industry to help identify those who exploit those vulnerabilities for their own gain and subject them to law enforcement investigation and subsequent arrest.”
He emphasized that the IPR center is committed to fighting criminal activity that it claims has cost American jobs, funded criminal activity of organized crime, and exploited the creative work of artists.
But, again, Internet piracy is much different than physical piracy, and Morton’s vow to treat file-sharers the same as those trying to profit from the works of others is wrong.
Counterfeiters may be using P2P to locate pirated material to burn and sell on the street, but they certainly aren’t using it to “locate and distribute to customers” as Morton asserts.
Too bad file-sharers never get a voice in the debate.
Stay tuned.
jared@zeropaid.com
Related
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- KaZaA Founder, Former RIAA Anti-Piracy Head Join Forces to Fight Piracy
- BEHOLD! The pyramid of internet PIRACY!!
- UK Official on “Three-Strikes”: Digital Piracy the Same as Physical
- (“Any of You Kids Pirates?”) Feds take a nip-it-in-the-bud approach to Internet piracy
The feds failed to protect the US with their stupidity on and prior to 9-11 they then failed to catch those responsible even though opportunities have since existed to do so, going after the poor who are often the folks who enjoy downloading the most is perhaps a simple task fir for their intellectual capacity but surely a waste of tax money.
pack of cunts.
In other words, the US government throws money it doesn’t have into yet another black hole.
We owe other countries so much that it is in itself likely a huge security threat to the US.
Also, how much of this “enforcement” is likely to violate Federal wiretap law, just like when the NSA hired AT&T to vacuum up all private phone calls/
What a bag of douche bags. They don’t understand what the difference between physical copies and electric things are. There now criminalizing 1’s and 0’s from being shared. Bag of cunts
Lock up the pirates, they are a threat to, um, to um AMERICA! … Seriously America, get your fucking politicians under control, your ridiculous law makers are trying to push their stupid agenda world wide. You stop it locally and everyone else will.
As ICE’s jurisdiction is limited to the borders, perhaps they have plans to try to force the interdiction of packets to or from Rapidshare, or offshore torrent trackers.
As one has no rights of privacy at the national border, perhaps the plan is to install DPI gear on the major international peering points.
I wonder if me downloading my regular porn (the only reason I have one of my internet accounts (its so slow only thing it can be used for really) will get ice and f b i raid me flat? I will tell them and have the reference that the internet is for porn.
This is another excuse for the government to usurp our liberties. It has nothing to do with protecting copyrights and everything to do with prohibiting the free exchange of information. It’s only a matter of time before even the ability to type here is made illegal. Resist, refuse, and download away!
Ain’t no wonder Immigration can’t keep the illegals out – because the RIAA want’s to use TAXPAYER MONEY to fight for their business model which is RIPPING OFF ARTISTS AND CONSUMERS AND CONTROLLING THE INDUSTRY.
If the RIAA is so desperate to have these things happen WHY DON’T THEY SPEND THE BILLIONS IN PROFITS THEY MAKE EVERY YEAR?
Any politician who allows taxpayer money to be used by the RIAA should be out of a job.
The Feds aren’t the stupid ones, their just bought and paid for in the United Corp of Amerika.
They know that most of the idiot public shits themselves anytime terrorism is mentioned in the same sentence as anything else. They can get away with literally anything and everything until the U.S. wakes the F up!
Piracy supports terrorists? lol
Well in that case, when you buy music or movies, you must be supporting Israel or something.
You can stop me ,but you cannot stop us all.
Screew stupid us rules, they cannot rule the word. Guys watch Jessie Ventura at trutv and alex jones at infowars.com to know how the USA is corrupt.
The US government will cease to exist before file sharing does. I would bet anything on that.