April 25, 2006

• More fun with lawsuits

  Some interesting things I'd to offer after learning about some recent tech news and new US legislation being drafted in Congress...

  • Sony Music had a terrible PR smear after their attempts to hijack consumers' computers were exposed.
  • The Philips company announced the new patent submission of theirs that would make it impossible for TV viewers to fast-forward through commercials on DVR devices, or to even change the channel when commercials begin during live viewing.
  • The RIAA attempts to sue a mother, but failed. So instead, the RIAA decides to sue her 13 year old daughter! Thankfully, the US court rejected the case.
  • A US senator rejects & returns a video iPod that was donated to him by a nonpartisan group called IPac. Does it have to do with the fact that Senator Conrad Burns has accepted campaign donations by TV/Movie/Music industry leaders, including Disney and the RIAA?
  • And finally, a new proposed draft in Congress, with its vague language, may make it possible for organizations such as the RIAA to sue companies and people who even ATTEMPT to communicate technology or means of technology that COULD result in piracy. Translation: If you own a MP3 device, a CD album, and a CD-ROM, you possibly could be sued and thrown into prison because you have in your possession, the technology, the means, and the ability to pirate!

  And why in the world would any Congress person support this? Answer: According to the Bush administration...TERRORISM. The end all answer to everything right?

  I wouldn't normally have an objection, IF the language and writing of the law was more specific, but it has been left purposely vague. Just as other laws that have been passed in the last couple of years, the vagueness of the laws have allowed large corporations such as Sony, and Philips, and the RIAA in general to scare people into submission. What's worst is that debacles such as the Sony rootkit fiasco might have been adverted earlier hadn't these laws scared the living daylights of out of responsible researchers.

  The bright spot about this recent proposed law is that it is only in its draft stage, and it isn't the highest priority for the law makers right now. There is still time to write, call, and urge our local congress men/women to either improve and fine tune the wording of the law, or to do a full rejection of it. Either case, we still have time to act for those who can vote.

  • 11:04 am
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