[IP] Re: Bush administration proposal would criminalize 'attempted' copyright infringement

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Hinden <bob.hinden@nokia.com>
Date: May 15, 2007 7:39:00 PM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: Bob Hinden <bob.hinden@nokia.com>
Subject: Re: [IP] Bush administration proposal would criminalize  
'attempted' copyright infringement
Reply-To: bob.hinden@nokia.com

Is it April 1 again?  Is this for real?  I have semi-joked a few  
times that the way we are going that it was only a matter of time  
before copyright infringement becomes a capital crime.  Now I see:

> * Create a new crime of life imprisonment for using pirated software.
> Anyone using counterfeit products who "recklessly causes or attempts
> to cause death" can be imprisoned for life. During a conference call,
> Justice Department officials gave the example of a hospital using
> pirated software instead of paying for it.

Life imprisonment is only one step away.  So a hospital employee who  
uses pirated software (assuming this means that the DRM was  
subverted) will be punished in the same way that murders are punished.

What are these guys thinking.....

Bob




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