It's a pity they don't let birds vote.
I'm fully in agreement with Kenny here. This kind of attitude is "Of the rich, by the rich, for the rich". While illegal trading of music is just that - illegal - it by no means warrants making this a felony offense. Felony theft for a hard good is defined as stealing something worth over $100. This basically turns individual acts of petty theft into a felony merely because somebody's bitched about losing sales. No company has a RIGHT to make a profit, and it's their own damned fault for not taking measures to protect themselves and adapt to the changing technology. Most software companies have taken anti piracy measures, from CD keys to dongles to other annoyances, some more successful than others, but they at least try to adapt, and if they know they can't stop piracy they find ways to placate would-be thieves and make it more advantageous to buy the whole product by offering exclusive services you can't get if you pilfer it. It's called "Doing business the smart way." Flies around shit, bees around honey.
I think the backlash from this will be severe. Politicians are forgetting that college age students are of voting age and can easily become polarized by this kind of crap. It's also a fact that jailing and bankrupting your future scientists, engineers, teachers, and LAWYERS is a bad idea, but then, these elitist kk'r'kki's in government think that you all are nothing but a bunch of hooligans who do nothing but cause damage and destruction and are wanton criminals at heart anyway, and you need to be taught a LESSON for your evil deeds. As if they should talk...
If this passes into law the RIAA and anyone else who's supported this will find people switching to underground methods, using encrypted networks, writing anonymous routing software, or just copying CD's and trading them like playing cards. The record companies will find even less cash flow than before, and some servers will get wiped by some rather skilled hackers out there. What's needed is for the record companies to change their business model and make their products more appealing, not pass new legislation making everyone guilty of high crimes.
If you think this is not a problem, consider this. Felony offenses according to the site strip you of your right to vote. Also, as they said, the fine would be $270,000 dollars. While that might change, you NEVER get your right to vote back. You also cannot hold certain jobs, and you cannot ever own a firearm to protect yourself or your family with. Whether you like them or hate them, the fact that you LOST THIS RIGHT and so many others is the issue here. This puts you in the same category as murderers and rapists! The bigger crime here is in that people in power would actually CONSIDER such legislation. :angry:
Remember this the next time you hear these damn politicians say they're doing something "for the children" or "because they care". Then remember what they're really all about.
|
