RIAA Opposes 'Fair Use' Bill

Of course the RIAA opposes the fair use bill. Otherwise the industry couldn't charge the unsuspecting public two, three, and multiple other times for the same content... And they would be forced to actually innovate and deliver more original entertainment. With the exception of the artists themselves, the industry is incapable of that. They just follow statistical trends of what sells and shovel more of it.

George Orwell had it wrong,... "Big Brother" wan't going to be a totalitarian government,... it is ending up as a industry consortium...

They want you to pay,... continuously... because they cannot justify their existence in a market where anyone has the capability of producing fantastic special effects, brilliant music, and stunning storylines and they can also distribute it themselves as well... And that is where we are headed technologically... The only thing that is lacking are tools that everyone knows how to use, and broadband that everyone can access... So, we are almost there.

This is really a knee-jerk reaction by the RIAA because the bill does absolutely nothing to protect fair use.

Any language regarding fair use is advisory in nature -- no teeth.

The encouraging thing is that any lawmaker has seen fit to recognize the issue and give it a little bit of light. Perhaps the jerk in the RIAA's knee is a well-founded fear that bills like this, toothless though they may be, are a step towards tarnishing the the white knight armor of pirate hunters, and exposing them for what they are: inquisitors and bounty hunters.

Quoting:George Orwell had it wrong,...

Orwell: 0, Cyberpunk: 1

Quoting:Orwell: 0, Cyberpunk: 1

I think I'd give the point to William Harrison ("Rollerball").

dinotrac is right that FAIR USE falls rather short... I think RIAA's reasoning is amazing... Cracking digital media could be used for legitimate fair use reasons or it could be for piracy. So, applying that logic to other areas:

Cars a now illegal because while they could be used to get to work/school, autos are also instrumental in such crimes as speeding, drunk driving, vehicular manslaughter, etc.

Computers are now illegal because while they can be used to perform life-saving research or play gripping games, they are also instrumental in computer fraud.

Prescription drugs are now illegal because while they may save your life, they are also a growing element of illegal drug use and abuse.

Absolutely absurd. And we Americans pretend to be the land of the free?!

"The Wall" should be illegal because, while it can be used to bring hours of aural enjoyment, it can drive teenagers to suicide.

I'm just sayin', is all.

>Absolutely absurd. And we Americans pretend to be the land of the free?!

I see by your surprise that you don't own a firearm.

The machinations of the RIAA pale in comparison to the labyrinth of local, state and federal laws, regulations, guidelines and legal tripwires that owning, and woe be it for someone actually _using_, a firearm entails.

Shall we add a gun to your list?

A criminal using a gun is now illegal 12 times over instead of 11, since Paramount owns the copyright on using a pistol to rob someone by holding it to their back, as seen in the movie "The Maltese Falcon".

...or some other idiocy.

Quoting:* Create a new crime of life imprisonment for using pirated software. Anyone using counterfeit products who "recklessly causes or attempts to cause death" can be imprisoned for life. During a conference call, Justice Department officials gave the example of a hospital using pirated software instead of paying for it.

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9719339-7.html http://uk.theinquirer.net/?article=39642

* Permit more wiretaps for piracy investigations. Wiretaps would be authorized for investigations of Americans who are "attempting" to infringe copyrights.

Thought crimes...

The great things there is you use an illegal copy of the OS having decided to (so no recklessness unless it's in the potential disregard for the consequences, but there is deliberate intent) it gets shut down remotely having been identified as illegal and stops access to software, facilities or information that ends up killing patients. Probably potential 25 year sentence even without recklessness.

Or your legal software is mistakenly shutdown locking everyone out of important features resulting in multiple deaths. Result, software vendor completely OK. Hospital that depends on it still probably liable.

I think we are seeing potentially great examples of acts for the love of money causing evil.

http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/07/06/17/1910247.shtml

;-P