[olug] MPAA toolkit

[OBrien, TG]

On Sun, November 25, 2007 16:52, Sam Tetherow wrote:
> DYNATRON tech wrote:
[snipped]
>> don't be surprised to see this type of software enforced by law, not
>> just in
>> the university com closet, but also in your telcos.
>> it's only going to get worse, time for the next tech revolution.....
>>
> I doubt you will see much movement here from a legal standpoint.  There
> was some discussion on a similar topic late last year and early this
> spring at ISPCON.  The proposal was to require ISPs to keep email and
> network traffic laws for a considerable amount of time (something like 1
> to 3 years).  But no one other than a select few in government seen it
> as anything other than another hair brained idea.  The general
> consensus, even from many state attorneys, is that it would not pass
> constitutional muster in a court of law and from a tech standpoint it is
> not very viable due to cost considerations.  That added to the fact that
> ISPs are now required to be CALEA compliant means that the law has
> little benefit unless they can manage to change a wire tap request to be
> retroactive.

Bollocks! For another example, some proposed legislation (form the latest
Compynight meeting email reminder mailing):

* US to Tie University Funding to Copyright Enforcement?

A new piece of US legislation would require universities to 1)
provide students with legal music downloading options and 2)
consider technology-based measures to stop downloading on campus
or 3) lose government funding for student aid.  What a deal for
record companies!  Step 1 suggests that schools may have to get
campus-wide licenses up for RIAA-approved subscription services
like Napster or Rhapsody, the cost of which will likely be passed
on to students.  Step 2 will help the recording industry outsource
its litigation efforts to campus IT departments.  And Step 3?
According to a letter from several university presidents to the
bill's sponsor:

    "Even more alarming, it is our understanding that
    the consequences of the Secretary deciding that a
    targeted institution has failed to prevent illegal
    file sharing would be loss of Title IV student aid
    eligibility. Such an extraordinarily inappropriate
    and punitive outcome would result in all students
    on that campus losing their Federal financial aid
    – including Pell grants and student loans that are
    essential to their ability to attend college,
    advance their education and acquire the skills
    necessary to compete in the 21st century economy.
    Lower income students, those most in need of
    Federal financial aid, would be harmed most under
    the entertainment industry's proposal."

That's right - if the school fails its copyright physical, *all*
students could lose their federal student aid.  If that sounds
like a bad idea to you, check out the Electronic Frontier
Foundation's action alert on the bill.

Links

EFF Backgrounder on H.R. 4137:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/11/campus-copyright-mandates-threaten-financial-aid-funds-and-campus-networks

EFF Action Alert on H.R. 4137:
https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?alertId=331&pg=makeACall


> The MPAA and the RIAA have shown themselves to be nothing more than
> bullies in these cases and all they seem to be interested in is taking
> peoples lunch money.  The "fines" they assess do not come close to

And they will continue to be bullies; doing whatever possible to keep
their flawed, dying market plan alife as long as possible.


> the money from these collections.  I personally would like to see more
> Universities and ISPs stand up to them when the come knocking.

Good luck with that. Let me point to another article/blog opinion posting:

When Pigs Fly: The Death of Oink, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief
History of Record Industry Suicide.
http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2007/10/when-pigs-fly-death-of-oink-birth-of.html

The fat cat record companies have it good in their eyes, and are going to
do everything possible to stay in that lifestyle. Just like the previous
format wars...


-- 
Timothy "Irish" O'Brien
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