From: Michael M. Butler (mmb@spies.com)
Date: Wed Jun 18 2003 - 12:35:51 MDT
Excerpted. Orrin Hatch talks tough.
> Hatch Takes Aim at Illegal Downloading
>
>
> Tuesday, June 17, 2003; 5:22 PM
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6241-2003Jun17.html
>
>
> WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday
> he
> favors developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of
> people
> who illegally download music from the Internet.
>
> The surprise remarks by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during a hearing on
> copyright abuses represent a dramatic escalation in the frustrating
> battle
> by industry executives and lawmakers in Washington against illegal music
> downloads.
>
> During a discussion on methods to frustrate computer users who illegally
> exchange music and movie files over the Internet, Hatch asked technology
> executives about ways to damage computers involved in such file trading.
> Legal experts have said any such attack would violate federal anti-
> hacking laws.
>
> "No one is interested in destroying anyone's computer," replied Randy
> Saaf
> of MediaDefender Inc., a secretive Los Angeles company that builds
> technology to disrupt music downloads. One technique deliberately
> downloads
> pirated material very slowly so other users can't.
>
> "I'm interested," Hatch interrupted. He said damaging someone's computer
> "may be the only way you can teach somebody about copyrights."
>
> The senator acknowledged Congress would have to enact an exemption for
> copyright owners from liability for damaging computers. He endorsed
> technology that would twice warn a computer user about illegal online
> behavior, "then destroy their computer."
...
> On the Net: Sen. Hatch: http://hatch.senate.gov
-- I am not here to have an argument. I am here as part of a civilization. Sometimes I forget.
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