Gonzales: It's time to punish 'attempted' piracy

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales created quite a stir last month when he called for an aggressive rewrite of criminal copyright laws, including prison time for "attempted" copyright infringement, life behind bars for pirated software use, and more expansive wiretap authority in piracy investigations.

If anyone doubted his seriousness about that dramatic plan, look no further than the text of a speech the official delivered in Seattle on Wednesday.

"IP (intellectual property) theft is not a technicality, and its victims are not just faceless corporations--it is stealing, and it affects us all," Gonzales said, according to those prepared remarks, at an intellectual property event sponsored by the lobby group TechNet. "Those who seek to undermine this cornerstone of U.S. economic competitiveness believe that they are making easy money; that they are beyond the law. It is our responsibility and commitment to show them that they are wrong."

Urging the necessity of keeping the nation's copyright laws "up to date," he pointed specifically to the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007 (PDF), which was drawn up by his department and submitted to Congress in May.

In addition to the provisions mentioned above, that bill would allow more ready seizure of computers and other assets used to commit copyright crimes, punish certain "intended" copyright crimes, and require Homeland Security to alert the Recording Industry Association of America about attempts at importing "unauthorized fixations of the sounds, or sounds and images, of a live musical performance."

For a more detailed rundown of the additional penalties, crimes, and forfeiture of assets the Justice Department is backing, here's a handy list we prepared last month.

Although the Democratic-controlled Congress includes its fair share of copyright hawks, the attorney general hasn't been winning any popularity contests lately with the body as a whole lately, so the bill's prospects remain uncertain.

Update: A spokeswoman for Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who heads the intellectual property panel that would handle such a proposal, said her boss is far more focused, at least for the time being, on bills dealing with patent system changes and immigration.

[ben::zen]

Overreaching?

After all, it only states that the RIAA must be
notified, and also, the use of this begins to
feel like 1984... as if it wasn't already. Would
this bill really pass? Seriously, I think enough
people might just send their signatures on
petitions against this sort of thing....
I value my privacy, and this begins to feel like
unlawful search and seizure.

[T38]

sigh....

Quote: ..."life behind bars for pirated software use, and more expansive wiretap authority in piracy investigations."

This guy is an absolute wacko. When murderers get prison terms of a few decades and rapists and child molesters get maybe tens years, Gonzales wants "life behind bars for pirated software use"? Note he didn't say for trafficking in pirated software, he said for use of pirated software.

<dons tinfoil hat>Unfortunately, the part in which I think he is *really* interested is more expansive wiretap authority in piracy investigations. Given the Bush administration's penchant for wiretap dragnets, Gonzales' desire for even more authority for wiretaps -- for completely unrelated crimes -- seems even more sinister to me. If Gonzales had his way, I suspect we would be living in a police state right now.

Please, Mr. and Ms. senators -- reign this guy in before America becomes just another third rate dictatorship.

[aka_tripleB]

You don't think we already live in a police state?

With everything the Bush administration has done, I would say we already live in a police state. And I would not be surprised if Bush declares martial law before January 20, 2009. If this doesn't prove that the executive branch has been corrupted, just look at what else they want to do. They want to change what is needed to get an ID card. You'll need to give all sorts of personal information to the federal government if you go in a post office. All this just to curb illegal immigration. It's not going to do anything to stop that because the law isn't the problem, it's the enforcement of the law. Just look at all the organizations that help illegal aliens gain citizenship after they break the law.

And now, Gonzales wants to pass a law to, most likely, violate our rights to say that we intend to break the law. Is it me or does it sound like illegal immigrants are safer here than citizens? And the fact that he specifically said "RIAA" makes me think this government is no longer "for the people, by the people." Let's protect the citizens of our country and impeach every official that has sold out this country.

If you want to see one of the posts I wrote about the Real ID Act, go to:

http://news.com.com/5208-10784_3-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=28701&messageID=283804

[CNET BITES]

we already are...

bush II is a third rate president and he has the powers of a dictator. So I guess we are a third rate dictatorship already.

[chuchucuhi]

Oi!

This is a little much in my opinion. This tries to turn a grey area into a b&w topic which will fail in the end.

[Machaira]

Ha Ha Ha!

Does anybody else find it funny that this Gonzales of all people is
talking about going after people who think that they are above the
law?

[Xenu7-214951314497503184010868]

Thought Police

If you even THINK about downloading that movie, they will know, they will find you, you will be sent to prison and forced to use Chinese toothpaste.

[protagonistic]

RE: 'attempted' piracy

Ah, let me get this straight. RIAA and MPAA think it is a copyright
violation for me to make a backup copy of my DVD. So if I attempt,
attempt and fail mind you, to back it up Gonzales wants to put me
behind bars?

This guy is more of a whacko than Hillary...

[Gippslander]

Distraction

This isn't the kind of lawbreaking that Gonzo should be worried about right now.

[ordaj]

Cheney is the one who should spend life in prison

Traitors, all of them. Unpatriotic. Kleptocrats. Plutocrats. Oligarchs. Take your pick, they all fit.

Maybe just call it the monarchy.

[DarkPhoenixFF4]

Intellectual Property 'Theft'

Of course, let's not forget that such 'theft' only counts if the victim is American. No one seems to care when an American performs 'IP theft' on the citizens of another country, like oh, say, India...