Copyright Bill to Kill Tech?

Found on Wired on Wednesday, 21 July 2004
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Critics say the bill would effectively outlaw peer-to-peer networks and prohibit the development of new technologies, including devices like the iPod. The Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act was introduced last month by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The legislation would hold a company liable that "intentionally induces" a person to infringe copyright.

It's the biggest threat to technology in 20 years, said Jeff Joseph, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. The organization's president will testify before the committee.

The judiciary committee will also hear testimony from Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters and the heads of the Business Software Alliance and the Recording Industry Association of America. A representative from the IEEE-USA's intellectual-property committee and the director of NetCoalition will also testify.

"This bill really creates a huge risk that people won't bring new products to market because they will be afraid to be sued out of existence," said Mike Godwin, legal director of Public Knowledge, which is opposed to the bill and is submitting written testimony to the committee.

Yeah, go ahead, outlaw everything. Create a law which turns the US into a technological 3rd world country. Let's sue the inventors of DVD/CD burners, FTP, the Internet and of course the copy command.