I guess $10,000 bucks a song isn't enough.The “Prioritizing Resources and Organization of Intellectual Property Act of 2007” is newly proposed legislation that seeks to strengthen civil and criminal intellectual property laws while ensuring that it gets ample attention from federal govt by creating an office of intellectual property within the White House. That's right, it would create a new federal agency whose sole mission would be to track down on those who illegally share content using P2P and file-sharing services. Calling it "Good for American business," MPPA head Dan Glickman thanked the bill’s sponsors for their "leadership in the fight to protect America’s businesses, workers and consumers." “Intellectual property fuels the U.S. economy and stronger enforcement measures are needed to protect the many American business sectors and American workers that depend on it,” Glickman said. “In the motion picture industry alone, film theft costs foreign and domestic distributors, retailers and others $18 billion a year, not to mention the loss of more than 100,000 America jobs.” It's pretty obvious that he failed to mention to lawmakers that his industry made record profits last year, but I guess the real truth behind all those powerpoint "loss screens" isn't important to him. What matters is potential profits, consumer freedom and privacy be damned. Here's some of the major details of the legislation:
The most disturbing part of the legislation is Title III which establishes the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER), in the Executive Office of the President, to "enhance nationwide and international coordination of intellectual property enforcement efforts." This new "piracy czar" would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The chief sponsors of the bill include House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA). "This legislation is an important and necessary step in the fight to maintain our competitive edge in a global marketplace," Chairman Conyers said. "By providing additional resources for enforcement of intellectual property, we ensure that innovation and creativity will continue to prosper in our society." What's funny is that the MPAA has allowed the debate over fake handbags, tires., and medicine to enter the debate over piracy. “I believe that the American business community can speak in one voice today in support of these legislative efforts to protect intellectual property,” Glickman said. “From counterfeit medicine and fake automobile parts to pirated movies and knockoff handbags, the ill-effects of intellectual property theft are felt across many sectors of the U.S. economy. I am pleased to see a concerted effort by Congress to address this growing problem, and the MPAA looks forward to working with congressional leaders in the weeks to come.” Though underhanded and deceitful, I have to admit it's a pretty darn good tactic on their part. I mean it's one thing to have to make case why the Feds should spend billions on busting little Billy for sending his friends a copy of "Transformers," but when it's about fake heart medication or faulty tires on a family SUV, the debate is pretty much over. Lastly, you know its a practically a done deal when lawmakers start citing our founding fathers. “Our founding fathers understood the importance of innovation so well that they specifically provided strong protection for intellectual property in the Constitution itself," said Rep. Feeney. "Intellectual property piracy and counterfeiting undermine the creative spirit that drives our economy and constitute a threat to consumer health and safety, and this initiative will provide us with more tools to address this growing problem.” Hmm. So you mean George Washington was Pro-DRM? Benjamin Franklin would've been upset if diagrams for his inventions appeared on The Pirate Bay? With a number of Hollywood actors and actresses still able to make an obscene $20 million dollars a movie, and in light of it's record profits last year, my gut tells me the movie industry is doing just fine. Maybe a better way to take care of the unions and working class people it seems to be so concerned about would be by paying them a decent wage in the first place, and by not ripping them off like they do currently the writers who get a measly 3 cents for each DVD they sell. But, we both know that what's really going on here is that already rich movie studios and Hollywood producers aren't making as much money as they THINK they could. But, unfortunately for them the "agony" of only making say $20 million instead of the $30 they think possible doesn't play well in the media. I guess last year's record profits just wasn't record-setting enough for them. With Jammie Thomas already having been ordered to pay $222,000 for illegally sharing a measly 24 songs, is increased penalties really necessary? Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
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If the US Congress would DO THEIR JOB and try to balance the budget...secure the borders...pass laws against dangerous imports...deal with illegal immigration.....they may just find that they have a job waiting for them at the end of2008!
But the way they are going, they shouldn't count on it.
The way these Democrats are going, they are not much different than the Republicans that held the majority in congress a few years ago!
Oh and yes....they are going to have a 5 day work week....but where they failed to inform the American people...is that they have only scheduled THREE weeks out of the entire year as a five day workweek! The rest of the time it will be three or four day work weeks.
Gee, I am glad though that they are hard at work passing laws on copyright....after all....they don't have time to tackle the real issues....gotta get in that round of golf!
I hope they kick all the bums out and start over.
@fakexloser.......Apparently, this isproposed legislated that has not passed yet according to the article quote. It said "would create"...so I guess that means it has not went through both houses of congress yet.
Yah its being PROPOSED.
See that ain't worth it, people have family's to feed and bills to pay.
But on the other hand, there is NO HARDCORE evidence that states that people are being totally ruined by piracy. I believe that if a product is worth it, people should go buy or pay for the effort put into producing that product. But let's face the facts and look at the FACT, that movie studios make FUCKING MORE MONEY THAN WE CAN EVER FUCKING IMAGINE and that if they have the power to make 60 million dollar productions you really have to doubt their motives.
Torrents make movies and products popular, yes even products that simply sucks donkey balls!
So my advice?
If a product or movie is worth it, pay for the effort but the big shots ain't losing so many dimes as they talking about. It's more of a vendetta or personal quest for them, to fight that of which they do not have any control over.
See these people have more money than people like Bill Gates, these people get what they want whenever they want. They are used to having TOTAL CONTROL and their selfish pride is damaged by piracy. It's not about the shillings but about selfishness, megalomania, power, greed and control.
Anyway cheerio!
And I know for a bloody fact that Copycat Harper will fold like a bad hand of cards once the US puts any pressure on him, and that does not bode well for Canada either if this legislation slips through like so much chaff that goes through congress on a daily basis.
A pity Canadians cannot lobby against crap like this, as it is obviously an American issue, however is there no recourse at all to stand up with, can you only support the Pirate Party and *HOPE* for a better future?
This falls under the category of: America wants to police the world and thinks it still holds a significant advantage, trouble is they can't see through their rose colored glasses anymore to the truth, half the world thinks they've gotten impotent, the other world's pissed off at them for acting like a bunch of schoolyard bullies.
I understand that there are many Americans that see the error of their ways, but silence just means that you accept it, for crying out loud hippies had more backbone than today's youth, they actually protested, they actually stood up for what they believed in, now we got a bunch of lethargic post-emos who don't know any better than to take what's spoon-fed to them from the government.
I may be speaking out of turn but seriously guys, paying for Jamie's bill isn't going to fix things, it'll help someone out of a bind that is to be sure, but it won't fix stupid, period, you have to take a stand, and Vamp, it's great to say those things, but why not organize something, I can't due to the fact that well, I'm a little too far north for my opinion to count in the states, but you obviously aren't.
Good luck and if nothing else, at least pray that the legislature doesn't pass.
Come on Americans, show the world that old American spirit, what happened to the power of the people?
#11 is right, the people from the 60's and 70's wouldn't put up with this shit. Protest like there's no tomorrow, or live in a hellish country.
I just can't believe how corrupt your whole government is, and yet they go preaching about democracy this and democracy that. Yeah right, please.
Form a group, organise and protest.
Not with letters.. people.. March! Hold up banners, just do something now before you get areested just for mentioning you're going to protest.
Well, to be fair, it's not CORRUPT, just IGNORANT.
I mean what happens in the U.S should stay in the U.S. Unfortunately they tend to try to shove their laws into other countries.
If the U.S wants to punish all it's citizens, so be it, but leave the rest of the world out of it. That being said, the world shouldn't also sit by and watch this once great nation become like this and treat it's people like this.
Sad world we live in. I have some great American friends and American bashing isn't really fair on them. It's not the peoples fault their government is this messed up. or is it? :/
If this law passes, and i have no doubt it will, because the media giants would be paying a bit for it, the government says then, you download a movie, we'll treat you worst than if you committed an armed hold-up at your local 7-11. That's pretty messed up.
Anti-piracy bills have failed before. Seeing a committee chair and bi-partisan sponsors concerns me, but until we know more, there's no guarantee that this will get passed.
If the bill is most likely NOT going to be passed, worrying about it is silly. If on the other hand, the chances of it being passed are high, the American filesharing community needs to mobilize- quickly.
This place desperately needs a political expert.
Meh I tried at least :P
@JosefStalin...There you go making dubm remarks about things you know nothing about. Just like YOUR view on the world!
Stupid idiot, you don't even know that it is two separate people that posted. All you seem to want to do is attack me. But that is OK, I will try to get your ass banned!
All you can do is make dumb ass comments. And those are not even right. Go to school and learn something before you try to make comments on something you know nothing about!
An from now on, when you start posting comments about ME, I am gonna do the same to you, miserable FUCK!
Look at what America is today.....we have a president that could not give a rats ass about the working man in this country, a congress that bows to special intrest groups and a basic population that is basically willing to let it happen!
Where are the marchers in the streets over the policies of the US Government? Not just copyright, but health care, Iraq, broken borders and on and on?
What is really scary, is that the corporate elites do not seem to have people willing to stand in their way. Unless you count small groups like the EFF or other lobby groups that are more for what the people want than corporate elites....yet those are small in number compared to the huge lobby groups that the RIAA and MPAA have.
It really makes you stop and wonder as an American "How did we allow ourselves and our government to get to this point"? And even more important..."What can the American people do to get their government back"??? THAT IS THE BIG QUESTION!
does increasing the penalties actually make you feel more worried about downloading things? thats the only reason to do this. more reason to NOT download. for me, i dont give a rats ass.
Why isn't the RIAA blaming their loss of music profits on Terrorists, Bill Clinton for taking away our jobs hurting poor people, and blame it on the Iraq War because we are spending so much money on it, I'm surprised the Govt. still gives out Social Security for the very poor, Heck why are we blaming filesharers who share copyrighted data, why don't the RIAA blame the credit card companies for putting Millions of Adults/Teens in debt, and college student loans, Plllllease.
God, why don't the RIAA blame their loss of sales on our Countries Real True Economical Problems, why are we blaming file-sharers, the RIAA needs to adapt that File-sharing is the future, the ways of the Future, Why Don't They Freaken Adapt, geeze the RIAA are a bunch of idiots that rather sue the poor average Pirate file-sharer then sue Bill Clinton (who took away our jobs), Bush (The one who's wasting valuable tax dollars and putting our country billions in debt), Scammy Debt Collectors that rob from the poor and give to the rich (Lets call them Rochinhood), AT&T (because they stolen already $40 from my grandma, and stole $5 from me and that money could be used to buy maybe wut 3, or 4 Music CDs).
Why on't the RIAA sue the big cheese instead of the little guy, they did nothing but freely share.