it seems the RIAA and some paid off politicians are trying to hoodwink US citizens into some new legislation that attacks their usage of the internet, whilst pretending it does the opposite.
http://www.slyck.com/story1685_RIAA_Wants_ISPs_to_Act_on_PiracyThe RIAA's Mitch Bainwol is back on Capitol Hill, and this time, he's not touting how online piracy has been contained.
Believing there's something left to salvage from the carcass of the music industry, Mr. Bainwol testified that ISPs need to take a greater role in preventing music piracy. The RIAA stopped short of requesting government legislation, and instead opted to allow for the marketplace to take its course. In other words, the RIAA is hoping that your local ISP, such as Comcast or AT&T, will take a proactive role in blocking, thwarting, limiting, or deterring unauthorized traffic. If that effort fails, the RIAA has thrown its support behind the controversial "Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008".
What about this Internet Freedom Act you ask? Well the nifty thing about this bill is that it preserves the rights of the consumer - as long your online activities are considered "lawful". The music industry supported bill would essentially define what rights consumers have and can expect, and negates the DMCA's safe harbor provision.
Because the ISP is an Internet provider and not law enforcement, the DMCA guarantees the ISP the right not to interfere with traffic. Now, if something "unlawful" were to occur on a network, this bill could potentially entitle copy right holders to hold consumers and/or ISPs accountable.
So theres the hidden sting in the tail folks this is just another way to undermine your current freedoms on the net, and while mitch and the gang of financial cronies that make up the recording industry pretend to care about your rights to use the internet what they are actually seeking is a method to hit the filesharers and other groups they cant control, this bill is the equivalent of calling folks "outlaws" and stealing their rights online.
Keep you eyes open and spread the word about this misleading effort folks, control and monopoly is after all the core point of the recording industry's less than honest business model and this bill looks set to ceed more key rights to a few desperate men, hardly befitting of a nation based on freedom.
