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Message: <blockquote data-quote="totoro" data-source="post: 1014983" data-attributes="member: 11939">The most disturbing thing about this bill is really the same thing that was disturbing about the Digital Millenium Act.  It is criminalizing what used to not be a crime.  Copyright was an affirmative right.  That means if you want to enforce your right, you can, but it was not a *crime* to copy information.  That's just a shame.  It is perfectly natural for human beings, who share information at a rate that is unparalleled in the natural world, cannot continue to do so.  Before the DMA, we were allowed to share files and books with our friends.  That was considered getting full enjoyment out of your purchase.The reason for the criminalization of copyright infringement is that it is too easy to do.  It's a shame that simply because the sharing of information has become so efficient that we have to punish more severely for punishing what has been labeled someone else's intellectual property.  IMO, the corporations sponsoring these bills should come up with novel ways to protect their copyrights.  They have the money for R&D.  It's pretty sad that every one of us is now a criminal for some reason or another.  Makes you wonder why everyone isn't apathetic toward our government and law enforcement machinery.And anyway, why make it a CRIME?  They could have provided civil remedies.  Non-profit pirates aren't going to give away $50,000 worth of books if they have to pay for it.  True profiteers who actually make profit are going to have to pay it all back plus penalties if they get caught.  Now we just lump everyone together as a bad guy, mark up their permanent records with permanent ink, and take away their right to vote for more reasonable legislators!</blockquote>

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