Senate May Ram Copyright Bill (and make skipping commercials illegal!)

[NashVegas]

The Senate might vote on HR2391, the Intellectual Property Protection Act, a comprehensive bill that opponents charge could make many users of peer-to-peer networks, digital-music players and other products criminally liable for copyright infringement. The bill would also undo centuries of "fair use" -- the principle that gives Americans the right to use small samples of the works of others without having to ask permission or pay.
...

The bill would also permit people to use technology to skip objectionable content -- like a gory or sexually explicit scene -- in films, a right that consumers already have. However, under the proposed law, skipping any commercials or promotional announcements would be prohibited. The proposed law also includes language from the Pirate Act (S2237), which would permit the Justice Department to file civil lawsuits against alleged copyright infringers.

...
In addition, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairmanship of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) will expire next year, with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) in line to take over the committee. Bill opponents hope Specter would take a different approach to copyright law than Hatch, who has been an advocate of several bills that have rankled public-interest, technology and consumer-electronics camps.

http://wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,65704,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2

[colonel odis]

1. "However, under the proposed law, skipping any commercials or promotional

announcements would be prohibited."

why don't they just escort us into little rooms, put toothpicks in our eyes so we can't shut them, and force us to watch commercials all day?

better yet, how about only allowing us to purchase products whose mfrs contributed to the republican party? they could go ahead and make it illegal to buy from people who didn't contribute.

[sui generis]

11. well folks there is a reason you're supposed to act like a constituent

If our lawmakers are doing something we don't like, get in their fucking faces.

Call your representatives. Call your senators. Write letters. D. All of the above.

If you don't then there won't be any dissenting voices, and crap like this will get passed.

[dkofos]

23. Crap like this will continue to be passed

because our so called representatives don't listen.
They don't have to.
It's cheaper to payoff the vote counters.

Wer'e so screwed

[TahitiNut]

15. One step closer to making it illegal to turn off Pox News.

You must watch Big Brother; ignoring Big Brother is unpatriotic. All televisions must be on 24x7 and tuned to Pox News. You have been warned. National Security (and our vital juices) depends on you.

[AlinPA]

17. That's what it is all about. To start with you must watch the republican

campaign commercials.

[Huckebein the Raven]

30. It'll be easier to just "chip" us all. Or force us all to take

"equilibrium". (If you haven't seen the movie, then ignore my last sentence)

[Delphinus]

2. The best way to deal with this problem ...

turn the blasted tv off and tell them to go screw themselves.

[itzamirakul]

14. But see....

it's not just about watching tv. From what I understand from the original post, it would affect writers and others who use "small samplings" of other people's work within their own work.

Let me explain: I often write plays that make use of small segments of others' work for educational purposes. This falls within the realm of "fair use."

My plays go into the schools to present historical information or present examples of playwright's work to bring information that teachers often do not have time to cover-material that is not in the students' textbooks. It encourages interest in reading the entire work and discussion of the playwrights involved. To prevent this fair use would certainly curtail educational information.

[Katarina]

3. Maybe I need more coffee

but can someone explain to me the bit about skipping commercials? One of my biggest uses for my PVR is the ability to pause and skip through commericials. How would they know if you skip commericals? WTF is wrong with this country???

[arwalden]

5. I Believe That This Would Prohibit The Technology

that permits you to do an instant-skip... but fast-forwarding through commercials would be permitted.

I love my ReplayTV because it permits 30-second skips and segment-jumps. At one time, they had an option that would automatically detect commercials and skip over them without ANY user interaction, but when threatened with lawsuits, they caved in and abandoned that feature.

I think that PVR's are the reason we're seeing more "banner ads" within the show itself. --- At first it was just network self-promotion banner ads ("You're watching The Simpsons. Coming up next: Arrested Development"). Recently I saw a VERIZON banner ad that was displayed DURING an episode of the History Channel's "Mail Call" show. Disgusting!!

[NashVegas]

33. TiVO User Here

I have the 30 second skip.

Isn't it interesting how, once you get accustomed to going without commercials, how stupid they ALL look? Watching the Superbowl at a friend's house last winter, I couldn't understand why anyone else in the room found the ads entertaining.

[Katarina]

36. I totally agree

I cannot stand to watch commercials anymore. They are a nuisance and they seem to get worse all the time. I don't understand why the hell it's the governments responsibility to do this though. What business is it of theirs if I watch a flipping commercial or not? God forbid they actually do something productive like figure out we can get affordable health care or fully fund education or....well you know.

[Atlant]

6. For digital TV, it's easy.

> How would they know if you skip commericals?

Just transmit a "flag" that indicates that the current program material
is a promotional announcement, then program everything that stores such
programs to refuse the "Fast Forward" button while it's displaying
material with the "promotional attachment" flag set.

I don't know if this would fly in the marketpalce, but it's certainly
technically feasible. (The old Replay commercial auto-skip feature
pretty much proves the point; most commercials can be detected even
*WITHOUT* the digital flag. They're noisier, louder, brighter,
more colorful, and faster-moving than most of the enclosing program
material.)


> WTF is wrong with this country???

As Cameron Poe said in Con Air (with reference to Garland
Greene, the Marion Mangler):

"My first guess would be 'a lot'."


Atlant

[VegasWolf]

41. Yes, but the fix for the flag would be on hack Tivo the next day.

[Atlant]

48. Yeah, for all three people that would be willing to implement it.

(Yes, I'm exagerating. But I suspect Hack TiVo doesn't reach more
than a small cross-section of the TiVo-using audience.)

Atlant

[sui generis]

12. they'll make the technology to fast forward through them illegal

so you won't be able to buy a PVR that can fast forward through a commercial.

Also, they will probably require operating system upgrades for existing PVR's.

How 'bout the government of the people by the people for the people?

Oh wait, not this government.

[freeplessinseattle]

24. the Shrek 2 dvd won't let you ff thru the ads, according

to a post here the other day, how aggravating! It reminds me of those damn telemarketer voice messages that won't let you ff thru to get to your real messages, so invasive if you ask me (which you didn't but I'm telling ya' anyway!;)I don't know how they could prevent you from skipping commercials otherwise tho, or know that you have an illegal skipping device unless they did random home checks, but that may be next, who knows. damn, hope they don't find out I took the tag off the mattress!

[VegasWolf]

42. When that happens try hitting pause twice, the machine will

then think you want to restart at the beginning of the movie. Works for me.

[napi21]

4. GOOD! I hope they pass it!!!

I keep saying, let this NEW POWER GO unrestricted! That way, they will manage to pi** of all the American people, and the Dems will win BIG in 2006!

Do you realize how many Pubs really hate the commercials for Viagra, beer, violent movies, etc?

I view this as just one more way of over-reaching, and I hope they continue!!!

[Flammable Materials]

7. I agree.

Let it all burn.

Let them have everything they want.

Democrats, stand up en masse, walk out. Once the "nuclear option" is in play, you'll be castrated anyhow.

I really don't care. If this is what the people want, then let them have what they want. Let them suffer. Let them fucking suffer until it's too late. Let them cry themselves to sleep in the bed they made.

[Flammable Materials]

9. Of course, we'll suffer too ...

... but if the chastening will bring some of these fucktards to their senses, it will be worth it.

[sui generis]

13. better yet

we need to keep track of who is voting for this. In the next round of elections it will be priceless to point out that representative Asshole wanted to make it illegal for you to NOT watch a commercial.

Win or lose, they've already lost.

[starroute]

18. No, that would not be a good thing

One of the tools of totalitarian societies is to have laws which effectively make *everyting* illegal -- and then to enforce them selectively only against those they with to target.

For example, if fair use becomes illegal, they get to close down DU instantly because people post quotes from articles. That simple.

Letting the bastards do their worst in the hopes it will wake people up has never proven to be an effective strategy.

[Chimpanzee]

8. Sex bad, Nazi propaganda good!

[lil-petunia]

10. ffuck them. ffuck them all.

the whole country is falling apart because of these morans.

[HeeBGBz]

16. As much as I shiver in the colder temps

Canada keeps looking more and more appealing. Its looking warmer and warmer while the chill down here in the states is frosting my heart.

[Devil Dog Dem]

19. This is something for Dems to run on. Seriously.

Americans may not care about their shitty health-care, or the middle class' increased share of the tax burden, but they don't want to have to watch commercials.

Does anyone think the repugs wouldn't run on this stupid ass issue if the situation was reversed?

Dems need to start screaming and blow this issue wayyyyyy out of proportion.

[katmondoo]

21. The way things are going

they can run all the commercials they want but there won't be any money for anyone to buy anything.

[Devil Dog Dem]

27. Good point

[never cry wolf]

20. Payback to the media for ther "assistance"?

Have to keep the 4th estate happy now, don't they? That's the best way to keep the sheeples blind, after all.

[Walt Starr]

22. That'll piss off the Nascar Dads!

They can't Tivo the Daytona 500 and skip past the commercials!

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

25. kick

[zanana]

26. No skipping "Girls Gone Wild" commercials?

n/t

[wordout]

28. SMASH TELEVISION!

- and for my next trick, watch me block popup windows!

[Squatch]

29. You will watch commercials and like it!

[this_side_up]

31. subliminal messages in commercials

Republicans are good. Democratic Party bad.

[KamaAina]

32. 6079 Smith W! Turn your telescreen back on NOW!

...our forces have won another glorious victory on the Fallujah Front... chocolate ration to be reduced to twenty grams a day...coming up on Fox News: Why Oceania will always be at war with Eastasia...

[Zhade]

34. Guess I'll do what a FOAF does...

He hates the crawl at the bottom of "news" channels like CNN, so he actually leaves a piece of cardboard over the crawl area of the screen when he watches them!

I guess if they make it illegal to avoid commercials, I'll just keep a piece of cardboard handy to block the screen with.

Something tells me this is going to make P2P (which they will NEVER be able to get rid of, keep dreaming you Congressional corporate whores) even more popular than before.

[Mountainman]

35. Turn the f..ing TV off

[JohnOneillsMemory]

46. Simple. Control your own mind 100% of the time, NO TV, ZERO, NADA.

Believe me, it is a much better world.

Even if you think you are immune to the bs and propaganda, it affects you physically and clutters your unconcious mind with thousands of images.

Step away from the remote. NOW. It's for your own good.

[gulfcoastliberal]

37. Ok, here's one early test ffor our new leader Reid...

we know Pelosi is a toothless tiger; will Reid be another Daschle? Is there anything worth the "capital" of fighting these repugs? I was outraged during the Goss confirmations. I knew putting him in the CIA would be a disaster. Are we going to see a New Era of Appeasment? Or will we fight like the underdog opposition party we so desperately need?

The confirmations for the new * cabinet will be telling of what to expect.

[MisterP]

38. up next: blipverts, Whackets, and Neurostim

our p-p-p-procession into our Max Head-head-head-head-headroom future continues as planned. Th-that will be all.

[UncleSepp]

40. Max Headroom!

I always thought that show had more worth than most folks thought. Way ahead of its time and pretty subversive, too.

[Laelth]

39. Umm, political reality check, folks!

Didn't it strike anyone as odd that the American Conservative Union is opposed to this bill? The article also says that the bill has the "overwhelming support" of one of the houses of Congress. Notice that the entertainment and recording industries support this bill.

I have this awful feeling that the Democratic Party's leadership supports this bill, as it seems to favor some of our more significant contributors. All this talk about this bill biting the Repukes cuz' Middle America doesn't want the government messing with TV? Fantasy.

I have a bad feeling that we're going to get blamed for this bill. I have a worse feeling that our leadership actually supports it. Now, more than ever, we have some real power (and a real duty) to act. If I'm right, we need to contact our reps. immediately. At the very least, let's pressure them not to get rid of "fair use."

-Laelth

[magdalena]

43. My cable company

had a 30 sec skip feature on its DVRs. The feature was removed last week or so and the reason given was a "new law that prohibits skipping commercials".

[flaminbats]

44. unlimited damages should be awarded for just skipping commercials..

"BUSH'S HEALTH PLAN Bush wants to limit jury awards from malpractice lawsuits.Republicans and other advocates of capping the damages that juries can award argue that suits without merit drive up health care costs in two ways: forcing malpractice insurance rates up and encouraging the practice of defensive medicine."

How is protecting intellectual property rights more important than protecting consumers from medical malpractice?

[donheld]

45. I can't wait for them to jail all offenders

we'll all be in jail together

[NashVegas]

47. topping for TiVo

so we can have twin threads