Copyright holders are now lobbying to be allowed access to your computer to delete content they deem bad.
Big Brother is watching you. Actually, it's the RIAA and the MPAA, especially if you're parked on a BitTorrent client. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that both organizations--along with a few others--want to take the file-monitoring process a huge step further by infiltrating consumer PCs and deleting the infringing content off their hard drives. How? Through "anti-infringement" spyware developed and enforced by the government.
This is no joke.
"There are several technologies and methods that can be used by network administrators and providers...these include [consumer] tools for managing copyright infringement from the home (based on tools used to protect consumers from viruses and malware)," reads a caption in a joint comment (pdf) filed by the MPAA and RIAA.
The joint comment goes on to suggest other means of copyright enforcement including a mandatory scan on all internet connections to interdict transfers of illegal content, physical searches at all borders of personal media players, laptops, and USB sticks. There's even an indication that the parties want to enforce international bullying to force other countries to put similar policies in place.
But there's more. The comment said that the copyright holders want the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to fork over agents--at the taxpayer's expense--so that they can guard the media prior to distribution.
"The planned release of a blockbuster motion picture should be acknowledged as an event that attracts the focused efforts of copyright thieves, who will seek to obtain and distribute pre-release versions and/or to undermine legitimate release by unauthorized distribution through other channels," the statement reads. "Enforcement agencies (notably within DOJ and DHS) should plan a similarly focused preventive and responsive strategy. An inter-agency task force should work with industry to coordinate and make advance plans to try to interdict these most damaging forms of copyright theft, and to react swiftly with enforcement actions where necessary."
How far will they go?
Pretty sure Orwell was right when he wrote "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever."
Border scans of my hard drive and portable usb sticks? I'm fairly sure that that falls under the unreasonable search and seizure policy in the constitutions of Canada and the US.
So the RIAA and MPAA want to be allowed to legally hack our computers or to legally be able to download spyware onto our computers. AND they want the government to help enforce copyright laws at the TAX PAYERS expense...Oh yeah, they also want to bully other governments. Wow... amazing.
These companies are worse off than I thought. These are clearly signs of desperation. Do I even need to say that this will backfire horribly? I have paid for all my music, movies, and games, and I am getting pretty sick and tired of all the bull from the recording industries. Everyday I am given a reason by the gaming, movie, and music industry to hate them and not pay for their crap.
The good news is that this will never come to pass (and if it did, it would be struck down). That being said, it is disturbing to see what ends the MIAA and MPAA will go.
Oh wait this is America.
Home of rich snobs and bad politics.
We the people will always be one step ahead.