PRO-IP Act is Now in Law

[modeps]

The PRO-IP Act is now a part of us all. It effectively gives the government the right to take 100% of your digital stuff (computers, and the like) if they determine that you've got one MP3 you didn't obtain legally. Joystiq has the report (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/bush-signs-pro-ip-act-into-law/):

In a bid to avoid the lowest presidential approval rating in 70 years*, President Bush signed the PRO-IP Act into law today. While not quite on par with, say, an ultimate solution to the world economic crisis, the law will create new jobs, er, one new job: The Intellectual Property Czar.

Backed by the RIAA and MPAA, the PRO-IP Act has drawn criticism for its potential for extreme punishment. In its proposed state, the act could grant the government permission to seize all computers and compatible devices from a home if a single, pirated MP3 was discovered on one of the machines. So, about that approval rating ...

Hopefully this is the last stupid thing Bush subjects our country to. GG GWB. :rolleyes:

[Wyrm]

Oh, great.

[dr_wily]

scary.. sounds a little too all encompassing. this will be a trojan for all sorts of govt. uses. Using this law as a shield to try and find worse things on the computer.

hooray for BIG BROTHER <cry>

[Meusli]

Can this not be thrown out at a later date, perhaps by a less draconian President? Thank god this man is not Prime Minister of England I say.

[XxSATANxX]

*yawn*

The one aspect that was scary was removed from the bill. (civil suits filed by the feds)

The rest is just amping up the penalty for pirates.

Yes the next President can ignore this crap!

[AlwaysOn222]

lol so much for USA being the land of the free and all. More like the land of big fat companies. Or wait, it is not even that any more considering the latest financial crisis. Oh well, at least you got NHL and tons of good TV shows, that's always something I guess.

[HarverdGrad]

It's about time.

[Metal Khaos]

Fucking a.

[Grimgrock]

This is why they make drive encryption software. TruCrypt for the win. Nothing can break that encryption. Heck, it can even make entire partitions completely invisible.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

[RMan]

Yes, by signing the bill, GWB has made yet another blunder we can skewer him for. Let's ignore the fact that the president is the last step in this process. Let's ignore that it had an overwhelming majority vote, likely making it veto proof. Yea, let's ignore that GWB is clearly NOT the problem if you have half a brain, let's just keep bashing him and blaming him for all our country's woes, not because he's the problem, but because he's the most convenient target. Let's keep electing the same people to congress and stick our heads back in the sand (after all, my state's officials rock, it's the other 49 states that need to get their act together).

I'm no fan of GWB, but blaming him for absolutely everything that happens in this country is just silly.

[aries100]

-ehm-

Yes, GWB is not the cause of this. He just signed the bill that made this suggestion into LAW in the US. On a somewhat related note that EU Parliament and the EU Commission has just turned down a suggestion from France that people who pirate would get their internet connections clipped (as in cut off) if it was found that they had downloaded illegal stuff three times.

Coming back to the law or bill in the US, I think, this bill will have its day in the Supreme Court and that the Supreme Court of the US may decide that it is unconstitutional since it violates your rights or something like that.

The big problem I have with the US Congressional system is that apparently the big corporations behind the RIAA and the MPAA can just lobby to make such a bill come into being...

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

...From my cold dead hands.

[HeartbreakRidge]

Let's ignore the fact that the president is the last step in this process. Let's ignore that it had an overwhelming majority vote, likely making it veto proof.

That all bears repeating. Bad laws make it to the president because CONGRESS PASSES IT FIRST. If you criticize the president and exempt the people who WROTE the law in the first place, you might be suspected of being more interested in an opportunity for a partisan attack than in the truth of shared responsibility.

[Gel214th]

Americans are such pussies.

Look at Canada, who are fighting tooth and nail to ensure that their consumer rights are respected
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3450/125/

Meanwhile in America they are signing bills that elect another Czar. Like the Drug Czar did such a stellar job.

Anyone who thinks that this bill is anything more than legislating the business practicies of the US Corporatocracy is a seriously deluded individual in my books, and I have a bridge to nowhere in Alaska for sale!

How anyone could look at the types of Suits against US Citizens, the illegal DMCA takedown notices, the restrictions on where you can use the product you purchase and for how long, the erosion of Fair Use which was so hard fought for and CONCURRENTLY the ongoing attempts to restrict the usage of the Internet to approved content providers that play ball with the Corporatocracy and a concerted effort to strangle the emerging Digital Distribution channels...how anyone could be aware of even a few of those aspects of Internet use and think there is ANYTHING good in this legislation for the consumer has their head so far up their ass it's not even funny.

[Mephistopheles]

That all bears repeating. Bad laws make it to the president because CONGRESS PASSES IT FIRST. If you criticize the president and exempt the people who WROTE the law in the first place, you might be suspected of being more interested in an opportunity for a partisan attack than in the truth of shared responsibility.

Agreed. I wouldn't be surprised if the RIAA or MPAA are the original authors of this bill.

[Some Ghost]

You can get the house roll call vote here. (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_record&page=H10304&position=all)

[SuicideKing]

Sigh, I thought it was agreed to keep politics off the front page. I can only imagine how the hate will grow if McCain pulls it out and beats The One.

As for the law itself. Yeah it sucks, but seriously, does anyone actually expect that seizing all computers and compatible devices from a home if a single, pirated MP3 was discovered on one of the machines will become the new de-facto standard?

[Rommel]

This is another step in the march towards socialism. If you want to avoid this, elect Republicans and demand they vote right, as their party edict dedicates.

[GammaLeak]

Interesting. I wonder how many people upset with this have no problem with socialized health care*. That's even more intrusive and full of BS than this is.

*ya know, the one Barack Obama will subject us to

[Some Ghost]

Interesting. I wonder how many people upset with this have no problem with socialized health care*. That's even more intrusive and full of BS than this is.

*ya know, the one Barack Obama will subject us to

If you're found to have a single germ on you are you detained and quarantined in a government run hospital?

[agentgray]

Do you really think he did it for an approval rating?

Based on the last eight years, do you think he did anything for people's approval? He would have changed his tune a long time ago. I commend him for sticking with his guns and not being wishy-washy—whether it was wrong or right.

The world needs more people with conviction, not people looking to please everybody. Although, that would be nice. :D

Flame on. I won't be back to follow up in this thread.

[NuK]

381 yeas...wow. That's just crazy.

bleh.

[thehardac]

Maybe this will teach all you fucking nerds from pirating shit. Just because its media is expensive and at times is a ripoff doesn't mean you should be downloading the shit. Its still illegal and still a crime. Don't download shit or let pirates use your shit and you'll be fine. I hope some of you guys get busted. HAHAHA.

[Wackman3000]

Great day to still live in Canada!

[RMan]

Do you really think he did it for an approval rating?
Here's a fun quiz. Which president has had the highest approval rating in the past 50 years, and who has had the lowest? Additionally, what did they do to earn these ratings?

It doesn't take long, especially in light of current political states, to see that people do not associate a leader's job performance with their actual actions, but with a general state of that which they lead (and that seems often a best case scenario). Sadly, in an age where we, on paper, have dramatically more access to information than ever in history, there isn't a shred of evidence that people are more informed because of it, IMO.

[jpublic]

Thank god I live in Canada.

[Sir Kodiak]

Interesting. I wonder how many people upset with this have no problem with socialized health care*. That's even more intrusive and full of BS than this is.

*ya know, the one Barack Obama will subject us to

God knows that this isn't the proper place to debate UHC, but Obama's healthcare plan does not mandate that anyone be enrolled in the national healthcare coverage system nor does it mandate that any adult have healthcare coverage at all.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Im not normally one to complain about this... But why the hell are there so many stupid ass yellows now...

[Dirty Harry]

Im not normally one to complain about this... But why the hell are there so many stupid ass yellows now...
I'd reckon that it is because there are less elitists on the site now.....

[LilAbner]

This is another step in the march towards socialism. If you want to avoid this, elect Republicans and demand they vote right, as their party edict dedicates.

Wait. Didn't a Republican president sign this into law?

:confused:

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

I'd reckon that it is because there are less elitists on the site now.....

Its three periods, not five, come on!

[jeffbax]

One of the shittiest laws yet, to be sure. Going to waste a lot of taxpayer's money too.

[laggerific]

Another DMCA-like act? I think giving any more power to the RIAA, who have shown time and again their disdain for their constituents and the consumers of the constituents products, is a really bad move...to put it weakly.

[ResistanceAddict]

Pardon an ignorant n00b for asking an ignorant n00b question, but how exactly can the government discover this shit?

[Thumper]

Thank god I live in Canada.

You might want to start praying to that same god. We might have our own slightly draconian copyright law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_C-61_(39th_Canadian_Parliament,_2nd_Session)) in the works.

[92miata]

with the economy dead here in the states you have to figure out how to get us to give them the money. they could probably take my house if i have one illegal mp3.

people are just not spending money on movies and music because we are ......

BROKE!!!!!

but celebs and athletes need their 20 million a year so they have to figure how to get us to pay.

[Slade]

The idea of this law alone is just LOL.

[MJBuddy]

You can get the house roll call vote here. (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_record&page=H10304&position=all)

Got a list of Nays? My Rep isn't on the Yea's, but it doesn't mean he showed up for work (campaign season for him back home).

[heyitsjohn]

I'm no fan of GWB, but blaming him for absolutely everything that happens in this country is just silly.

Quoted for truth. If you're looking for a whipping boy, blame special interests and corporations who have the money to have someone in DC whispering in Congress' ear. Also, you could bitch to your congressional representation instead of the tubes. One or both are more acceptable than blaming the president for the creation of a law.

[92miata]

you know the really sad thing about this too.

i would bet my life that if you took gwb's daughters ipods they have "shared" music on them from a friend maybe.

how about as, the governor of ca, do you want to bet his kids have a "shared/illegal" mp3 or 2 on their ipod?

makes we want to completely ban movies and music.

and with this damn drm, GAMES too. now what can i do?

oh yeah, go outside and enjoy mother earth with my family. i suggest everybody should do the same.

but damn, check your zune and make sure you are legal before you go.

:)

[Spooky]

Please keep politics, especially your personal politics that show you have no idea how a bill is drafted or passed, off the front page.

[Rommel]

Wait. Didn't a Republican president sign this into law?

:confused:

Hence why we have to demand our party get back to its edicts. As the democrats have migrated further and further left, to borderline Communists and Marxists like Pelosi and Obama, the right has followed suit to move towards the center and center left of the spectrum. The reason is simple - people vote for give away politics, because they do not know any better. When we start voting for true conservatives, the Republican party will be able to shift back to where it belongs - a force for keeping government out of our lives.

Entering people's homes and siezing personal property in a blind search for stolen property... John Adams would be spinning in his grave if I didn't reanimate him a few months back.

[HarverdGrad]

Thank god I live in Canada.

United States: 300 million people
Canada: 30 million people

You grow Canada to the size & diversity of the U.S, and let us know what kind of laws you'd enact?

p.s ..I also thank God you aren't here :D