RIAA. MPAA. Legal Hacking.
An upcoming bill in congress has me worried, and it should have you worried, too. Could Hollywood hack your PC?.
Here’s a brief synopsis: Copyright holders would be allowed, under federal law, to hack into your personal computer if they think you’re pirating something.
They don’t have to get a warrant.
If they screw up, they’re not responsible unless it costs you more than $250.
If they screw up, you can’t sue without getting permission from the Federal Attorney General.
They say “law-abiding citizens” should not be concerned, but let’s look at that again: they don’t have to prove you’re doing anything wrong, they don’t have to get a warrant, and they’re allowed to destroy electronic property up to $250 worth by accident — more, if Ashcroft is having a bad day. And they’re not gathering evidence for criminal proceedings, either. They are Shutting You Down. I can easily envision the RIAA hacking my machine, deleteing all of my legally-obtained MP3s, and moving on. And I won’t be able to do a damn thing about it, because despite all the state and federal laws on computer crime and privacy, they will have been a free hand.
When this bill is introduced, be sure to call your congresional representatives.
