U.S. law proposed means jail time for uploading single song

I just read
this thread in our Downloads, P2P and Legal Forum.  BadReligionPR, one of our forum moderators had contacted a Connecticut representative to voice his opposition to ACCOPS, or Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003. Below is a quote of the reply he received. Frankly, I was not aware of this proposal and was shocked when I read it's contents. I have taken the liberty of posting this reply here for all to see.

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Thank you for contacting my office in opposition to H.R. 2752, the "Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003 (ACCOPS)." I appreciate your taking the time to share your views.

On July 16, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced H.R. 2752, legislation to enhance domestic and international enforcement of copyright laws. Advocates of the measure claim that existing laws do not go far enough to protect copyright holders such as artists, authors, and software developers, and that penalties for illegally obtaining this work must be bolstered. Under this measure, individuals could face up to five years in prison for online copyright infringement and fined up to $ 250,000 for up-loading a single song to a file-share network. In short, ACCOPS would make it a felony to transfer music over the internet without copyright holder authorization.

ACCOPS has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property where it has not yet received a hearing. You will be pleased to know that I am not a cosponsor of H.R. 2752. Should it come to the floor for a vote, rest assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind.

While it is important to uphold and enforce copyright infringement laws, I believe Congress must strive to find solutions to the relevant challenges that have arisen with our technological advancements with a degree of common sense. To this end, we must come to an equitable agreement that retains the rights of owners and artists while allowing consumers to access material without fear of committing a crime. I do not believe that this bill strikes that balance.

Thanks again for contacting me. Your opinions help me better serve you and the people of eastern Connecticut. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.

All the best,

Rob Simmons
Member of Congress
Second Distict, Connecticut

Thank you BadReligionPR for bringing this important issue to our attention. We need more folks like you to write their Congressman and let them know we are apalled at such proposals and try to stop these sort of actions. We also need to keep an eye on Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and those of his ilk, as they are not sensitive to the people and their rights. To send someone to prison for the simple uploading of one copyrighted piece of a material is not appropriate. Plus, in order to enforce such a law, it would seem to involve a complete loss of privacy on the Internet. Please, if you disagee as well, write your Congressman or Congresswoman as our moderator has done and let them know you don't agree with this logic.

Thank you Rob Simmons of Conneticut, for being there to counter such legislation.

Source: club.cdfreaks.com/

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