Are Anti-Piracy Laws getting out of hand?

[Chadder007]

Just thought I would share this.....this is absolutely outrageous what the EU is allowing pass....

Are Anti-Piracy Laws Getting Out of Hand?

Think your home is your castle? Maybe not, at least not if you live in Europe. Last week, BBC News reported that the European Parliament has passed an anti-piracy law, by a vote of 330 to 151, that would allow companies holding copyright to raid homes, seize property and ask courts to freeze bank accounts of those they believe have violated their intellectual property rights. For the story, see:
http://www.winxpnews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040316ED-Anti-Piracy

This goes even further than laws proposed in the U.S. Congress that would allow copyright holders to hack into the computers of those they suspect of violating their copyrights and delete the files. Many see that as an invasion of privacy, but it's nothing compared to giving a private company the right to enter your home without your permission.

There's no doubt that copyright violation can be a serious problem for those who make their livings creating intellectual property. Laws around the world recognize their right to control and profit from their creations. But traditionally, the method for enforcing those rights was through the civil court system. Now violation of copyright has become a criminal matter, and even worse, lawmakers are sanctioning a form of vigilante justice when they give the victims the right to take enforcement action themselves. Can you imagine this happening in any other type of case? If I think Joe Jones stole was the one who stole my TV set, should I have the legal right to break down his door myself and retrieve it (putting aside for a moment the utter stupidity of doing so)? If this is going to be done at all, shouldn't it be left up to trained law enforcement agents, and only after a properly issued court order?

What do you think? Is this another instance of anti-piracy laws getting out of hand? Or is it a reasonable response to the growing incidence of intellectual property theft? Let us know at feedback@winxpnews.com.

 

[Triumph]

No surprise, Europeans have never valued the rights and liberties of individuals as much as we have. See taxes in France, video cameras in Britain, censorship in Germany, etc. etc.

 

[SweetSweetLeroyBrown]

thats the EU...no way no how is any "company" going to raid a private residence in the USA all by themsleves w/o the law enforcement

 

[XZeroII]

Don't worry, if Kerry is elected, we will be seeing that here in America too. [sarcasm]SOCIALISM FOR ALL![/sarcasm]

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Don't worry, if Kerry is elected, we will be seeing that here in America too. [sarcasm]SOCIALISM FOR ALL![/sarcasm]

That is why I hate Kerry. I don't like Bush either but my vote is definately going to him.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: SweetSweetLeroyBrown
thats the EU...no way no how is any "company" going to raid a private residence in the USA all by themsleves w/o the law enforcement

The RIAA already has impersonated police officers and done this.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

example

 

[Tab]

No, Piracy is getting out of hand. Just hypothetically download a $20 DVD, $2,000 security software and some other things...

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Triumph
No surprise, Europeans have never valued the rights and liberties of individuals as much as we have. See taxes in France, video cameras in Britain, censorship in Germany, etc. etc.

Like Janet Jackson's boobie?

Anyone's going to find "crazy" restrictions in other cultures. We have some pretty stupid restrictions on TV and radio. And they're only going to get more limited under Heir Bush's watch.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Don't worry, if Kerry is elected, we will be seeing that here in America too. [sarcasm]SOCIALISM FOR ALL![/sarcasm]

PLEASE don't make this more OT.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Thera

Originally posted by: Triumph
No surprise, Europeans have never valued the rights and liberties of individuals as much as we have. See taxes in France, video cameras in Britain, censorship in Germany, etc. etc.

Like Janet Jackson's boobie?

Anyone's going to find "crazy" restrictions in other cultures. We have some pretty stupid restrictions on TV and radio. And they're only going to get more limited under Heir Bush's watch.

That's because in America we are less open about sexual matters than the Europeans. No argument here. But you can't even wear a Swastika on your coat in Germany, whereas in this country we allow the KKK to rally in our state capitals. Their mindset is different than ours.

 

[zimu]

definitely getting out of hand. i hate it when these losers get so much power that is given through them because of their function to society. think of some random ticketing agent making minimum pay who thinks they rule the world and has a power trip. or basically anyone you have to rely on or need a favor from, no matter how smallt hey are in the grand scheme of things they can be asshats with powertrips

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

Laws in general are getting out of hand. There are way too many controls legislated into our lives anymore and it's getting worse every day. *sigh* Such is life in the USSA though.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Seriously, that is a violation of rights. I don't agree with downloading music. If you really like an artist, why not support them with some money? But this is getting horribly out of hand. If that comes to America, there's gonna be "riots" like no other.

 

[JoeKing]

I wonder how many of these "raiding" parties are going to be shot by unsuspecting but armed homeowners.

 

[SweetSweetLeroyBrown]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: SweetSweetLeroyBrown
thats the EU...no way no how is any "company" going to raid a private residence in the USA all by themsleves w/o the law enforcement

The RIAA already has impersonated police officers and done this.

Yeah but thats different...the RIAA had to go the extra mile and pretend to be govenment law enforcement....from what I read about the situation in the EU, there's no need to pretend to be law enforcement...the company itself can start raiding private residences.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Joeyman
I wonder how many of these "raiding" parties are going to be shot by unsuspecting but armed homeowners.

This is in Europe, in most countries they have already taken all the guns away.