"Warning to Copyright Enforcers - Three Strikes and You're Out" - Cory Doctorow

[alysbowie]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/01/internet.copyright

"I think we should permanently cut off the internet access of any company that sends out three erroneous copyright notices. Three strikes and you're out, mate

Comments

[dizzy_duck]

YIKES.

[alysbowie]

Governments are giving media companies the ultimate say-so on our right to essential communications.

In Canada, with the new copyright legislation that's just been tabled, if a media company puts DRM on a product (a CD, let's say), then me as a consumer cannot copy that item, or break the DRM, without incurring a huge fine (should that company decide to litigate). $20K for breaking DRM, under the new law.

The scariest part (and I believe Doctorow mentions this in his article) is that these companies (the RIAA especially) are telling the courts that it is too much of a burden to have to actually prove that someone has been pirating/downloading material, and that the burden of proof on their part shouldn't be required.

Fucking mental.

[dizzy_duck]

Nice how they're sidestepping the whole "burden of proof" issue just because they're bigger than us.

Goes hand in hand with $5/gallon gas and all the other wretchedness that makes daily living so wack now. I can only hope this policy will collapse when/if challenged, because it smells baaaaaad.

[alysbowie]

It's exactly the sort of thing to write letters to your Congresscritter about. I've written my MP, the Minister of Industry, and all the other wags that have their fingerprints on this bill, even the Prime Minister.