Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 26th Apr 2006 15:06 UTC, submitted by Punktyras
For the last few years, a coalition of technology companies, academics and computer programmers has been trying to persuade Congress to scale back the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now US Congress is preparing to do precisely the opposite. A proposed copyright law seen by CNET News.com would expand the DMCA's restrictions on software that can bypass copy protections and grant federal police more wiretapping and enforcement powers.
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RE[6]: What about our rights?
by cerbie on Thu 27th Apr 2006 11:06
in reply to "RE[5]: What about our rights?"
Member since:2006-01-02
I shall cut down the tallest tree in the forrest with...a herring. A red herring.
"Stealing a DVD legally gets me a fine.
Making a copy of the DVD legally gets me a long prison sentence.
That the one which si not theft carries a vastly higher punishment is wrong."
"You are allowed one backup. No one has been prosecuted for making backups."
Yeah, that so logically follows. OK, it might also be a non-sequitur--I think the herring fits better.
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Member since:
2006-01-06
Because the punishment (10 years in prison) is grossly out of proportion to the crime (copyright infringement). In free societies, the punishment is supposed to fit the crime. If I walk into wal-mart and steal a DVD and get caught, I'm not going to prison, I'm going to pay a fine.
The feds and most states permit you to make a single personal archival backup of digital products, as a hedge against data loss, destruction of media, etc. As such, neither the FBI nor any state has prosecuted an individual for making a personal archival backup, to my knowledge. Are you aware of any prosecutions -- or are you simply confused about your rights?