Induce Act is due for serious consideration on Thursday

28 Jul 04 00:38 by Seán Byrne in category Uncategorized To news archive

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The Induce Act will be put under serious consideration on Thursday in the US Senate. If put into effect, it will outlaw the manufacturing and development of any equipment that can assist with copyright infringement. Not only would this outlaw P2P networks and effectively VCRs, but could potentially put the manufactures of everyday equipment such as hard drives, optical drives, cassette recorders and portable music players at risk. This law
would also effectively put the movie and recording industry in control of
technology that can handle audio or video content.

Unfortunately, the movie and recording industry are spending a huge amount of money to push this Act. Just a few weeks ago, another Act known as the “Digital Media Consumer’s Rights Act” is also expected to get a serious hearing in the US Congress. However, this Act has the total opposite proposal to what the Induce Act is aiming for. One wishes to change the DMCA to allow fair-use backups of copy-protected content, where as the other wishes to prohibit any sort of unauthorised copying at all. GristyMcFisty submitted the following news via our news submit :

THE US Senate Judiciary Committee is seriously considering a bill on Thursday which many in the technology industry say will drag the country kicking and screaming into a pre-tech dark age.
The Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act (S. 2560) was introduced last month by Orrin Hatch head of the Senate Judiciary Committee will outlaw peer-to-peer networks and prohibit the development of technologies that enable copyright theft.

This means the maker of any device including video, hard-drives, floppy disks, which the film and video industry thinks can be used to copy its wonderful products could face jail.

While some users in the industry would like to see the key players go to jail for something, many do not want to see the technology they have created go under.

Read the href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=17453"
target=_new>full article
here.

Even if the Induce Act goes into effect, I cannot see every hard drive, MP3 player and optical drive manufacturer suddenly shutting down, but it will certainly mean a change to how they advertise their products and design future products. Software will likely be the main area targeted since
tools such as CD rippers, CD recording software, MP3 encoding tools could all
easily assist with piracy.

What would likely happen is the music and movie industry would be on the look out for any sort of product’s advertisement that includes phrases like ’stores xxx MP3’s”, ‘copies CDs”, ‘easily share” and so on that could entice the end user to use their product illegally. DRM enforcement would also surely be pushed and at some later stage, the entertainment industries may start going after those who do not enforce copy-protection measures on their equipment.

Source: The Inquirer

25 Comments

sorti: Posts: 281; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 01:06

This is very good news for Asia and Europe while we here in the US stifle innovations in stem cell research and computer technology the rest of the world will move forward. It's too bad that America will go down in flames in my life time; I'd hope to die before seeing this happen. I wonder how America will be remembered. If Bush is elected the time frame for the downfall is very short, I think fifty years is the max, and four more Bush years would cut our time in half, don't let the Corporate State of America spread to where you live.

SupremeCheddar: Posts: 139; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 04:16

If this bill passes I say everyone should go to Washington and stage their own 'Induce Act'. The vomit of thousands of protestors stinking up the Capital is bound to have some affect :d

Sherrif: Posts: 851; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 04:37

The amount of graft flowing around that day is due for "serious consideration". The size of wallets dirty politicians should carry that day is due for "serious consideration". The groundswell of opposition to this bill should have been growing since its conception. This is what happens when voters sit on their hands and 50 % to 60 % of american voters sit on their hands...... Ya know, sometimes you really DO get what you deserve. I know hundreds of containers of computer "greyware" come into this country every year so the only thing that will change is that they will make crimminals of law abiding citizens........buts thats nothing new is it ????.......:X

RTV71: Posts: 132; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 04:54

Time to head over to the EFF Action Center and spam congress

Crabbyappleton: Posts: 5757; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 06:05

That's right RTV71. The sad thing is if this passes we can kiss computers goodbye. But then you will not be able to write Congress even with a pencil and paper, since they could be used to copy a book and will no doubt be determined "illegal tech devices". :r

ajomigra: Posts: 14; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 06:21

Why make criinals out of consumers? Is there enough space in the prisons to accomodate every guy who makes a back up copy of a DVD. Why should I be branded a criminal or even feel slightly guilty or paranoid about making a copy of something I paid for that will only be used by myself? I can't imagine the people putting up with this crap... The congressmen should think twice about infringing upon the liberties of the common citizen lest their free meal tickets be yanked from their jowly gullets.:X

severach: Posts: 61; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 06:54

I say pass the sucker, and let the games begin. The big corps stand to lose their dingos at the same time. Movies induce many people to commit crimes. Let's shut 'em all down. It's a way of saying share it or lose it.

slyder2: Posts: 82; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 07:51

Well.. Just move those big tech corps to Canada!... Only in America eh?

And just think!.. You guys actually voted for the idiots that are taking this crap seriously... Can you believe that... Wonder what happens to the American economy once this passes... Can you say "Third World Country" ????? UNBELIEVABLE!

debro: Posts: 11639; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 07:53

I think they should outlaw Sesame Street! That show was always encouraging people to share.... Obviously, the show was fostered with the intent of bringing down the Movie and Music industry! Well, thats the same with P2P, right?

slyder2: Posts: 82; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 07:55

furthermore!... If this makes ALL recording type technology against the law... then must not the Government itself be compelled to follow its own laws.. after all... lets not shake nickles here!... alot of duplication occurs on Uncle Sams equipment... Just a thot! ---> sits in lawn chair, cracks a brewsky, sits back and waits for the game!.. should be bloody!

Nuke001: Posts: 138; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 12:54

I smell a cyber revolution coming forth.. Those who work in Government admin. will join the crusade and take down everything.. Hmmmm sounds like SkyNet 3.0 :X

Lacrymator: Posts: 48; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 14:31

Why Bush?? What did he do for this? Shake shake.. there is no way this will pass. it contradicts fair usage. it's deplorable. Looks like a bill that may never get off the floor. Kerry your pick??? Rofl.. do some research, HE is the one who would kill america with his (godihopenot) presidency,, shudder.. Two faced. all i got to say.

chsbiking: Posts: 543; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 14:53

"If this passes?" Forget that, for even considering this the people should go to washington and into the homes of our representives and remove all the devices from their homes that could be used for making illegal copies. Wonder how the law makers would feel about the American people taking away their laptops and VCRs. Maybe even them. I mean couldn't a human being itself be described as a form of technology that induces piracy? For without the technology of the human being, piracy would not be possible.

Bear263: Posts: 8; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 15:24

People wonder why most of the big corporations are moving out of the US to other countries. Mmmmm, let me think. To get out from under the US laws and do what they want. What's next? The US will put a restriction on imports that it can't be used for copyright infringement. Someone needs to get a clue in Washington and relize that the more they push this (or any) kind of stuff about copyright, it'll only hurt the ecomony in the long run.

kev99sl: Posts: 114; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 16:53

You're kidding, right? Canada? Canada?! Please. First off, if you think "they" aren't coming for you, you need to wake up. This is a wave, and the companies pushing it are more heavily populated than your country. Second, well ... where do I start? You've gotten so much right in Canada, haven't you? That's why everyone from your country who wants good medical care races across the border as soon as they can, for one thing. Whatever ... I doubt it will pass. If it does, it will likely be found to be burdensome, and quickly modified.

SciFer: Posts: 193; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 19:25

AMEN!

slyder2: Posts: 82; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 19:35

"kev99sl " Yeah Canada!... As for getting so much right? sure we have, take P2P for example!... take swapping tunes for instance.. our own supreme court ruled it was ok since the industry was getting theirs from surcharges on media etc... and stuff like that makes a helluva lot more sense then the comical crap your tax dollars are paying for your Government to even begin entertaining the lunacy occuring in the US on all fronts, and of which has become the butt of many a joke and chuckle in homes and bars throughout the world!... For the rest of the planet to get its daily laugh.. we just watch the news and somehow the USA will entertain us with another moronic move... But its not all bad in the US.. after all.. Where else in the world can the people actually elect a governement freely and without duress that will work very hard to ensure that its peoples fought for and constitutionally protected freedoms and privacies pushed aside by things like the Patriot Act in the name of homeland security. A security that is being openly threatened because that very government fell asleeep at the switch, lulled by its own arrogance and sense of false superiority. It never ceases to amaze that with such power can come such foolishness... of even greater concern is that the majority of the population actually appears to blindly swallow all the fodder they are fed.. Does a solid sense of Patriotism always induce such blindness to reality?... --> jumps down from his podium, shuts up, grabs another beer and readies himself to observe the game once again... so far... the home team is losing.... go figure

kev99sl: Posts: 114; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 20:02

"Does a solid sense of Patriotism always induce such blindness to reality?... " Geez, sounds like a question you need to ask yourself based on that mile-thick rhetoric you're swinging around, no? And as far as the rest of your post, exactly why, then, do you care so much about what does or doesn't get passed in the Senate of a country you don't even inhabit? For someone who finds the whole thing so ludicrous, you certainly do seem to take an active interest in it. Finally, last I checked, P2P hasn't been outlawed in the U.S. Last I checked, it's doubtful that this legislation will even pass. Last I checked, if it passed, it's doubtful it would even do any such thing as outlaw P2P. So what exactly is your point? "Yay Canada?" OK. Again, then that just makes you the pot calling the kettle black when it comes to rampant jingoism, or - what did you call it? - a "solid sense of Patriotism," right? Right. From the sound of it, slyder2, you're not one to be preaching to Americans about "arrogance and sense of false superiority": you've got it in spades ...

Andareed: Posts: 348; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 20:20

What are YOU talking about? If I want to see a doctor I go see a doctor. I don't need to take out my cheque book or anything. Last I heard, it was Americans rushing up to Canada to get cheap pharmacuticals. Further, recent Canadian legislation has been going the other way. It was recently deemed legal to download AND share music. P2P is pretty much fully legal here.

slyder2: Posts: 82; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 23:11

See!.. There it is again!... Why am I not surprised?

slyder2: Posts: 82; Posted on: 28 Jul 04 23:12

My interest is in comedy... and this stuff is funny!

kev99sl: Posts: 114; Posted on: 29 Jul 04 00:03

kev99sl: Posts: 114; Posted on: 29 Jul 04 00:03

Sherrif: Posts: 851; Posted on: 29 Jul 04 02:20

If bush and co get re-elected the world can piss itself larfin' for another 4 years .....right??.......I mean the last 4 years have been fun, haven't they?........:X

T4Z: Posts: 130; Posted on: 30 Jul 04 23:46

It's now friday the 30th... I searched around but not seeing any follow up. Anyone hear anything further on this issue?

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Induce Act is due for serious consideration on Thursday

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