boycott-riaa.com - Article: Sink the PIRATE Act

Sink the PIRATE Act

Posted by on June 1, 2004 at 10:50 PM (printer friendly)

The PIRATE Act (S.2237) is yet another attempt to make taxpayers fund the misguided war on file sharing, and it's moving fast. The bill would allow the government to file civil copyright lawsuits in addition to criminal prosecutions, dramatically lowering the burden of proof and adding to the thousands of suits already filed by record companies. It would also force the American public to pay the legal bills of foreign record companies like Bertelsmann, Vivendi Universal, EMI, and Sony. Meanwhile, not a penny from the lawsuits goes to the artists.

Don't let the record industry use your hard-earned dollars to pursue this fruitless war; tell Congress to sink the PIRATE Act!

Bill text:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:s.02237:

C|Net: "PIRATE Act" Raises Civil Rights Concerns:
http://news.com.com/%27Pirate+Act%27+raises+civil+rights+concerns/2100 -1027_3-5220480.html

TAKE ACTION HERE: http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2906

User Comments (These do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this site)


boggieman	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 11:03 AM I think we should all write (or email,FAX etc) our Senators on this even though we may think it won't do any good. I've already done so and encouraged family members to do so as well. At least if we all do this, they will know that the public is aware and they make think harder about it. It will also give us a better idea of where our Senators stand on consumer rights, once a vote is taken. So at least some good would come of it if this draconian bill passes. We will then know who NOT to vote for when they come up for re-election!

Prideful-Chr...	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 11:25 AM We must take a stand on this FASCIST act now!!!!! Lets all make them aware that we WILL NOT VOTE for any of them who vote for this FASCIST act to pass through and dreadfully become a law!!!!

hbkfan	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 12:37 PM I'm getting ready to send a letter to my Congressional representatives. Could someone look this over and give me feedback please? I need to know if I am accurate and somewhat focused. Thanks!! ------- I am writing to discuss my growing disdain with the government's handling of copyright laws, specifically in they pertain to the public's fair use rights. For the past three years, Congress has been willing to listen to RIAA and MPAA representatives, among others, who have constantly sounded a battle cry of "It's illegal to file share!!" They've done it to the point that it has caused at least two very important lies to be perceived as truths: 1.) File sharing in itself is not illegal. If I want to give a friend a copy of my term paper for him to review, and I choose to send it via a file sharing program, that is within my rights. So file sharing, as a whole, is not illegal, and needs to stop being addressed as such. 2.) The word piracy. U.S. Law, under USC 18, defines piracy as "Whoever, being a citizen of the U.S., commits any murder or robbery, or any act of hostility against the U.S., or against any citizen thereof, on the high seas, under color of any commission from any foreign prince, or state, or on pretense of authority from any person, is a pirate, and shall be imprisoned for life." That in no way equates with the charges being brought forth of copyright infringement. Again, a gross distortion of facts, which has allowed Congress to be mislead into calling an act, something it is not. Notwithstanding those blatant mis-truths, Congress is also acting against the best interest of the public. Currently, there is a bill, S.2237, which is being steamrolled through the House with little to no debate. This law would authorize the use of U.S. taspayer dollars to file civil copyright infringement suits. In an age where the U.S. Government is running up obscene amounts of debt; in an age where the RIAA, MPAA, and other like-minded organizations already have the means, vis-vis bills already enacted previously by Congress, to bring civil lawsuits; in an age in which copyright laws are becoming more and more one-sided--slanted for big business, and not "balanced" (which seems to be the catch-phrase of congressman); I ask why Congress sees the need to push this needless, and immoral law, through? This is supposed to be a government represnetative of Amercians. Why then, would this bill even be considered, knowing that is benefits foreign-owned companies? The big businesses' which have been bemoaning their downfall the past three years, have refused to catch up with the times, and the technology. (And that is a debate that could easily fill volumes of books, certainly not enough time to cover in one metter.) They already have iron-clad copyright laws, taxes on blank CD's, and grossly over-inflated CD's to benefit them. Why do they need still more? And again I ask, why does a government, designed to represent the American people, try to ram a bill through that benefits foreign-owned companies? I am asking those that claim to represent me in the state of Illinois to oppose the incorrectly-named PIRATE act. There are many many issues which need to be addressed, and many, many better ways to spend taxpayer money. ------

carla60626	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 12:51 PM Oh boy, editing, I love it. I made some grammatical and stylistic changes, but did not address the substance (which is fine). You're in Illinois? Whereabouts? I already wrote to Senator Dick Durbin but decided against writing to Fitzgerald. ------------------------------------------ I am writing to discuss my growing disdain for the government's handling of copyright laws, specifically as it pertains to the public's fair use rights. For the past three years, Congress has been willing to listen to RIAA and MPAA representatives, among others, who have constantly sounded a battle cry of, "It's illegal to file share!!" They've done it to the point that it has caused at least two very important lies to be perceived as truths: 1.) File sharing in itself is not illegal. If I want to give a friend a copy of my term paper for him to review, and I choose to send it via a file sharing program, that is within my rights. So file sharing, as a whole, is not illegal, and needs to stop being addressed as such. 2.) The word piracy. U.S. Law, under USC 18, defines piracy as, "Whoever, being a citizen of the U.S., commits any murder or robbery, or any act of hostility against the U.S., or against any citizen thereof, on the high seas, under color of any commission from any foreign prince, or state, or on pretense of authority from any person, is a pirate, and shall be imprisoned for life." That in no way equates with the charges of alleged copyright infringement. Again, this is a gross distortion of facts, which has allowed Congress to be misled into calling an act, something it is not. Notwithstanding those blatant untruths, Congress is also acting against the best interest of the public. Currently, there is a bill, S.2237, which is being steamrolled through the House with little to no debate. This law would authorize the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to file civil copyright infringement suits. In an age where the U.S. Government is running up obscene amounts of debt; in an age where the RIAA, MPAA, and other like-minded organizations already have the means, vis-�-vis bills already enacted previously by Congress, to bring civil lawsuits; in an age in which copyright laws are becoming more and more one-sided--slanted for big business, and not "balanced" (which seems to be the catch-phrase of congressman); I ask why Congress sees the need to push this needless and immoral law through? This is supposed to be a government representative of Americans. Why then, would this bill even be considered, knowing that it benefits foreign-owned companies? The big businesses that have been bemoaning their downfall the past three years have refused to catch up with the times and the technology. (And that is a debate that could easily fill volumes of books, certainly not enough time to cover in one letter.) They already have iron-clad copyright laws, taxes on blank CD's, and grossly over-priced CD's to benefit them. Why do they need still more? And again I ask, why does a government designed to represent the American people try to ram a bill through that benefits foreign-owned companies? I am asking those that claim to represent me in the state of Illinois to oppose the incorrectly named PIRATE Act. There are many, many issues which need to be addressed, and many, many better ways to spend taxpayer money.

carla60626	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 12:54 PM btw, this is a Senate bill, so you will want to write the two Illinois Senators. As far as I know, it hasn't been introduced in the House of Representatives (but someone tell me if I am wrong).

mmnuc3	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 1:30 PM you mind if i send a copy of it to my senators? don't want to "violate" your intellectual rights hehe

hbkfan	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 2:00 PM mmnc -- Send away. Consider this my "fair use" agreement with you. And we didn't even have to use peer-to-peer. :) Carla -- I live in Schaumburg. I've been writing representatives a lot lately. I'll definitely include this letter to the Senators. Thanks for looking it over and shaping it up. :)

Prideful-Chr...	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 2:38 PM @ hbkfan: Very well written letter. I'd send it to them. One thing you might want to add is that you will not vote for any Senator or Rep who wants for this FASCIST act to pass or any other draconian laws to pass that criminalize file-sharing or trample our privacy rights. And state that I have a lot of friends whom of are aware of this too, and they are ready to ensure they DON'T vote for anyone who wants this FASCIST act to pass. Spread the word to others about this and to do the same things to oppose this DRACONIAN FASCIST act!!!! How is this act moving fast through the senate. Does that mean there's a real danger that it will likely pass in the next couple of days???? GOD FORBID PLEASE TELL ME NO!!!!!!!!!!! But isn't it illegal under the constitution to secretly try and rush a law through the senate and house to get it to pass by trying to cesnor the real facts behind this FASCIST act from many of the other Reps and Senators?

carla60626	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 2:46 PM This was the thread from May 26: http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/12252 "Last week, the Pirate Act had been considered for a floor vote under a process normally restricted for noncontroversial measures. But the vote didn't happen, which one foe of the bill attributed to opposition from Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican from Minnesota." I haven't heard what's happened since then.

carla60626	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 2:49 PM Oh -- one thing hbkfan: The bill is being steamrolled through the SENATE, not the House. (paragraph 5) This is a Senate Bill.

boggieman	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 3:16 PM The Cnet news link that works is http://news.com.com/%27Pirate+Act%27+raises+civil+rights+concerns/2100-1027_3-5220480.html and thread from May 26 http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/12252 For some reason the above 2 links came back with errors, so try these. Hopefully these will work. Sen Durban I believe is a good one to write, as he is leary as to the true intentions of RIAA.

compmore	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 4:30 PM maybe a large group of people wanting to sink the pirate act should go to congress, sit in the galeries for spectators and put on eye patches and quietly watch the proceedings.

boggieman	Date: June 2, 2004 @ 8:34 PM gee comp....that would be a very intimidating way to protest it. What could they do? Try and throw you out? And for what? It would be a peaceful and quiet protest....

pinemikey	Date: June 3, 2004 @ 12:59 AM Don't forget the stuffed parrot on everyone's shoulder