File-swapping foes exert P2P pressure

By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
August 13, 2002, 6:48 AM PT

news analysis WASHINGTON--The anti-piracy war is about to spill over onto the home front.
Until now, the entertainment industry has relied on civil lawsuits aimed at companies, not individuals, to limit widespread copyright infringement on peer-to-peer networks.

Full text at:
[url]http://news.com.com/2100-1023-949533.html?tag=fd_top[/url]

When VCR tapes was new technology, the Movie Industry fought tooth and nail to outlaw them. When they could not outlaw VCRs they tried to tax them and the Movie Companies would receive the tax. The Big Movie Cos claimed they would go out of business if civilians - the little people like you - were allowed to record the Big Movie Company's property on home VCRs.

Of course this did not happen and it seems silly now.

What the Big Movie Cos and Big Music Cos want is all your bases to belong to them. Or rather all your freedoms to belong to them.

They presume you believe that the government exists for the rich and powerful. In most of the world and for most of history the government existed for the rich and powerful. In the US the government does not exit for the rich and powerful only. That is part of your legacy of being an American.

I don't share songs peer to peer because the average American would not care for my music.
I don't share movies because I have a phone line connection. And it appears both are illegal under the current law. How they got that law passed is a wonder to me. There is no shortage of stupid Americansm is the reason, I guess.

The funny thing is that these guys actually BELIEVE they can legislate the Internet like this. Technology will always find a way.

The unintended consequences could be profound. Consider what would happen if the record industry alienated an entire generation of young people?