So about that copyright infringement...

[unixronin]

Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing points to a paper by John Tehranian^(PDF) out that according to a strict application of copyright law as the MPAA and RIAA would like to apply it, an average person during the course of a normal day could, all quite accidentally, commit acts of copyright infringement totalling over $12 million in penalties.  That's about $4.4 billion per person, per year, just in the course of going about your day.

And THAT is ridiculous.

Comments

[rbos.livejournal.com]

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers."

(Ayn Rand)

[fatcook.livejournal.com]

Let's not bring her into this, please.

In reading the review it well stated as what could happen. What I love is by the author's example most members of both MPAA and RIAA would be in constant volition of the copy-right laws they are espousing.

[rbos.livejournal.com]

pff, like Rand or not, she's BANG on the mark on that one and I'll quite happily stand by it.