Do you like fast-forwarding through commercials on a television program youve recorded? How much do you like it? Enough to go to jail if youre caught doing it? If a new copyright and intellectual property omnibus bill sitting on Congresss desk passes, that may be the choice you'll face.

How can this be possible? Because language that makes fast-forwarding through commercials illegalno doubt inserted at the behest of lobbyists for the advertising industrywas inserted into a bill that would allow people to fast forward past objectionable sections of a recorded movie (and I bet you already thought that was OK). And thats but one, albeit scary, scenario that may come to pass if the Intellectual Property Protection Act is enacted into law. Deliberations on this legislation will be one of the tasks for the lame-duck Congress that commenced this week.

[...]

Heres more of whats included: a provision that would make it a felony to record a movie in a theater for future distribution on a peer-to-peer network. IPPA would also criminalize the currently legal act of using the sharing capacity of iTunes, Apples popular music software program; the legislation equates that act with the indiscriminate file sharing on popular peer-to-peer programs. Currently, with iTunes, users can opt to share a playlist with others on their network. IPPA doesnt differentiate this innocuousand Apple sanctionedact from the promiscuous sharing that happens when someone makes a music collection available to five million strangers on Kazaa or Grokster.

This bill is shameful. Crippling software does absolutely nothing to serve the public interest. Politicians who threaten citizens sitting in their living room with jail time to pander to the RIAA and MPAA's war on technology should expect to be sent home during the next election.

Americans might disagree on abortion or guns or health care. But fuck with our tv and expect riots.

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

NOV 23, 2004 12:02 PM

Edit Preferences:

view art
view ads

[Edited on Nov 23, 2004 by Point_Blank]

JaiDee

SUICIDEGIRL

New York, USA

NOV 23, 2004 12:04 PM

huh??????? how would they know??? and what if it's old movies where the commercials don't even count. this is weird.

dunx

San Antonio, TX

July 2003

NOV 23, 2004 12:11 PM

I don't even know how to respond to the one.

Kayla

Dublin, CA

June 2003

NOV 23, 2004 12:13 PM

JaiDee said:
huh??????? how would they know??? and what if it's old movies where the commercials don't even count. this is weird.

Duh, Jaidee they are goigg to send robots into your house that monitor your television viewing patterns.

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

NOV 23, 2004 12:16 PM

What if I find commercials "objectionable"?

MisterGraves

Portland, OR

November 2003

NOV 23, 2004 12:17 PM

Will the revolution be televised?

MemmnochtheDevil

I'm lost

November 2002

NOV 23, 2004 12:17 PM

Kayla said:

JaiDee said:
huh??????? how would they know??? and what if it's old movies where the commercials don't even count. this is weird.

Duh, Jaidee they are goigg to send robots into your house that monitor your television viewing patterns.

Ha ha dude they are. Shit I can't find the link but I know I read about how the Fed Gov has technology in printers now to monitor document activities...They say its for counterfeit tracking purposes but.....its scary how much the government has invaided the home now....I thought GOP were for smaller unintrusive governments! Shit is getting closer and closer to facsim by the minute

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

NOV 23, 2004 12:17 PM

And I would love to be the first person arrested for this offense, just so I can have my own Supreme Court case: Daniels v United States. Even Scalia would bitchslap this shit down.

anonymouse

Miami Beach, FL

OLD SKOOL

NOV 23, 2004 12:17 PM

with Senator Orrin Hatcha very Hollywood-friendly polon his way out as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to be replaced possibly by Arlen Specter, many in the Hollywood community see this as an important, last chance to get their demands made into law.

Man, I hope so. I like Arlen Specter.

This is so stupid. That Lamisil commercial with the fungus monster lifting up some dude's toenail is objectionable to me.

[Edited on Nov 23, 2004 by anonymouse4Kerry]

doghouse_reilly

I'm lost

February 2004

NOV 23, 2004 12:18 PM

When they outlaw fastforwarding only outlaws will fastforward.

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

NOV 23, 2004 12:19 PM

They can take my clicker from my cold. dead. hands.

luckyride

Portland, OR

May 2003

NOV 23, 2004 12:22 PM

that would be horrible policy

Fuck them. Fuck them so hard with no lube.

smithers_jones

I'm lost

November 2003

NOV 23, 2004 12:27 PM

Another victory for those small government* conservatives.

*Some restrictions apply. "Small government" is not intended to imply a reduction in the size of the government, the role of government in people's lives or an endorsement of civil liberties. The size of the government and the role of government in people's live may increase.