Senator wants to destroy computers of copyright violators

[JohnL]

Senator Orin Hatch has said that he would be interested in hearing about ways to remotely destroy the computers of users who download copyrighted material from the net. I can only assume that "destroy" would mean scrambling the HD or possibly erasing the BIOS. I find it rather disturbing that this moron is quoted as calling computers, a "set" as if it were a TV.

Senator wants to destroy computers

[Chadzilla]

If it's an illegal download, I'm all for it.  Being a writer, I'm a big supporter of protecting intellectual property rights.  Stealing is stealing.

[Fearless Freep]

As a musician I'm still highly interested in the creative rights of artists to control their own creations.

However, I don't think we should allow punishment without due process

[Cullen]

I don't think it's such a hot idea, myself.  I think it screws around too much with the "innocent until prove guilty" part of our justice system.

On top of that, I have a feeling that the serious pirates will find a way around it.  They find ways around everything else.
__________________________

[Brother Ragnarok]

As much as I hate conspiracy nuts, this has serious Big Brother Syndrome.  I'm not real good with computers, regardless of how much I post on here or that I write for a site myself.  I could see myself accidentally downloading something copyrighted (not songs, that's obvious, but an article or program somewhere), or someone else downloading on my computer without my permission.  When you live in a dorm, several people have access to your computer whether you like it or not.

Brother R

[Mr_Vindictive]

Did anyone else notice which party Hatch is from?
I'm pretty sure he doesn't care about piracy.  I'm pretty sure that the 500.00 dinner and new mercedes some lobbiest no doubt bought for him probably made him opinonated about the issue.  


Had to say it!


And That's My Two Cents!

[Nathan Shumate]

(Sigh.)  He's Republican from Utah.  And as a Utahn, I disclaim all responsibility.  I've NEVER voted for that goober.

[Grumpy Guy]

Skaboi wrote:

> Did anyone else notice which party Hatch is from?
> I'm pretty sure he doesn't care about piracy.  I'm pretty sure
> that the 500.00 dinner and new mercedes some lobbiest no doubt
> bought for him probably made him opinonated about the issue.  
>

Not to be a jerk, and don't take this as claiming a party (which I refuse to do on general principle), but BOTH parties have $1,000 a plate fundraisers held by and attended by special interest groups.  You can't lay that one on party lines - it's par for tha course in Washinton...

On the subject at hand, I'd have to say that the idea really bothers me.  Here in America, we have this thing called "Due Process."  I'm into the protection of artists rights, but we can't let them invade our computers without probable cause, or let the government touch our hard drives without a court order.

So, what, will they imbed a virus that activates when you rip music from a CD?  Last I checked, it was legal to make copies of music  (or other media that you have purchased) for personal use and backup.  What if I want to use my new Bare Naked Ladies CD on my MP3 Player?  Am I just S.O.L.?  What if I don't know about this little protection device?  Great.  My computer is screwed because I tried to do something legal.  Thanks, Senator Hatch.  Jerk.

Keep the Government out of our hard drives.  Without due process, they have no buisness touching anything held there.

[SkullNinja]

Hatch is a windbag and a guilible fool. Let him talk.

[Grumpy Guy]

It's not him talking that worries me.

It's the concept that some people are listening.

[raj]

Fair use?  You want Fair use?  Didn't you know that the Digital Millenium Copyright Act was the first salvo in destroying fair use?

This actually would be a good issue for Democrats to run on:  "Republicans want big corporations to go in and destroy your computers" except I'm sure that Democrats are equally in Hollywood's back pocket (actually more so.)

Write your congresscritters demanding fair use.

[JohnL]

>If it's an illegal download, I'm all for it. Being a writer, I'm a big supporter of
>protecting intellectual property rights. Stealing is stealing.

Besides all the things mentioned already, like accidentally targetting someone innocent, what about grey areas?

If someone were to post episodes of a cancelled TV series from 10 years ago, it would be a violation of the network's copyright, but what harm does it do if the show is just rotting away in their vault. For example, I'd kind of like to see the show Beyond Westworld again, but CBS has it locked away in the vault. Considering what a flop it was, there's little chance that they'll ever offer it for sale on DVD, so pirating might be the only way to ever see it, at least the episodes that actually made it on the air.

What about old software, also called Abandonware? Write to Activision and ask them where you can buy a copy of the program Alter Ego and all you'll get is "Huh?", but yet the IDSA will threaten any web site that puts a copy of it for download. They'll never sell copies of it again, so no harm is done by downloading a copy of it.

Then there are people who will download a movie just to tide them over until the official release, like a DVD that has been released in the UK but isn't due out in the US for another 6 months.

No, not all copying is harmless, but to the copyright holders, downloading a copy of something 20 years old is the same as downloading a copy of Matrix Reloaded before the movie even hits the theaters.

[Jim H.]

Heh, yeah, like I illegally have an SVCD of X-Men 2...  But I saw it twice in theatres.  I don't feel bad about that, and I'll likely buy it on DVD when it comes out.

This will never pass, as there is NO WAY to know if they're getting an MP3 legally or not, without actually looking at ALL of their CDs.

[JohnL]

>This will never pass, as there is NO WAY to know if they're getting an MP3
>legally or not, without actually looking at ALL of their CDs.

I don't think they care. Unless the download comes from the company's own web site, they don't want *ANY* copyrighted material on the net no matter what the circumstances.

[Dunners]

*Sighs* I really really hate our government officials, I wish everyone of them died is some accident involving a salad shooter. Maybe then we could get normal peopel in office and not stupid wrinkled rich pussies.