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1.  

   Don't do the crime...

   

   Billy J. West Jr., Sep 8th, 2004 @ 5:12pm

   
   

   If you can't do the time.
   
   Believe it or not, distributing copyrighted works without authorization of the copyright holder IS a crime. Just because "lots of college kids commit illegal acts while away at university" does not make it right. I may not agree with the way the entertainment industry is handling things, but I also don't think that those breaking the law should go unpunished.

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2.  

   Re: Don't do the crime...

   

   Anonymous Coward, Sep 8th, 2004 @ 5:14pm

   
   

   Give me a break. Who cares

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3.  

   Re: Don't do the crime...

   

   Mike (profile), Sep 8th, 2004 @ 6:06pm

   
   

   You think throwing them in jail for five years is fair? For letting people hear the music they love? Our priorities are screwed up.

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4.  

   What about criminalizing cliched anti-RIAA preache

   

   dorpus, Sep 8th, 2004 @ 7:56pm

   
   

   5-year sentences sound good.
   

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5.  

   Re: Don't do the crime...

   

   hanzie, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 2:35am

   
   

   You know, it might be more interesting to look at this from the opposite perspective. If so many people are violating the law, and if the violators of the law are looked upon as victims rather than as criminals by the vast majority of society, then maybe it's time to acknowledge that the law is wrong. After all, I always thought that the laws should reflect the will of the people, rather than being a tool for a minority to dictate their will against common opinion. Or am I wrong?

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6.  

   Re: What about criminalizing cliched anti-RIAA pre

   

   alternatives, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 6:49am

   
   

   5-year sentences sound good.
   
   Yup. Lets start with the sons/daughters and grandsons/granddaughters of the Congress and other people who work for the federal government.
   
   Oh, and the soldiers. They have ADMITTED to swapping songs. So lets lock 'em up to.
   
   Right Dorpud?
   
   

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7.  

   "it's death to kill the King's deer,"

   

   KK, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 7:16am

   
   

   A friend of mine is doing his doctoral dissertation on a comparison of "data" crimes with the ever escalating "Forest Law" in pre-Norman England.
   William Rufus (1087-1100) is supposed to have increased the severity of penalties for flouting Forest Law - death and mutilation apparently the penalties for interference with the King's deer. Killing a deer was punishable by death. Those that shot at a deer had their hands cut off and blinding was the penalty for disturbing the deer.

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8.  

   Sentences should fit the crime

   

   Mattb, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 7:26am

   
   

   The subject says it all. It is against the law to trade copyrighted work- the reason for it doesn't matter. The songs cost to much, the RIAA makes too much money and is mean, yadda, yadda. I agree, but it is still stealing. That being the case, I don't think it ranks up there with armed robbery, murder, drunk-driving, even shoplifting. Who are you hurting my trading songs- basically you are not giving money to the record companies and to the artists (though they get little anyway). Is this the same as physically hurting someone, stealing something, or causing damage- physical or electronic? I don't think so. How about a slap on the wrist, or probation, or community service, or a small fine (couple hundred or less) for people that are trading a lot of songs (1000 or above sounds good enough to me). The punishment can get worse the more times a person is convicted, just like with other crimes. But alas, Congress is it the back pocket of the entertainment industry or whomever will pay them enough to be re-elected.

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9.  

   Re: "it's death to kill the King's deer,"

   

   Adam, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 9:01am

   
   

   I find it amazing that a 13 yr old king could be so brutal! (1087-1100)
   
   Even Wikipedia knows his Birthday. Ok, I digress...

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10.  

    One more thing...

    

    Adam, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 9:06am

    
    

    More to the point of the topic:
    
    Are we actually arguing here that just because the "average college student" violates these copyright laws that they should be changed or not enforced?
    
    Having recently finished undergrad, I would venture to say that MORE college students drink underage than share files. Have our underage drinking laws changed at all just because they're relatively unenforcable and are violated en masse?
    

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11.  

    Re: Sentences should fit the crime

    

    thecaptain, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 9:09am

    
    

    it's NOT stealing.
    
    it's NOT theft.
    
    Its copyright infringement.
    
    Whether its really a crime or not, I'll let others debate.
    
    But it is NOT robbery, its NOT piracy, its NOT theft. Lets start calling a spade a spade.

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12.  

    Re: Sentences should fit the crime

    

    alternatives, Sep 9th, 2004 @ 2:03pm

    
    

    It is against the law to trade copyrighted work
    
    And enforcement should start with the staff that runs the government and their childern.
    
    Where is the RIAA suit VS the armed service people in Iraq? http://asoldiersview.com/-they all legal MP3's? Or how about Paul Allen's multi-terabyte MP3 server - is everything on it properly licensed?
    
    If the RIAA doesn't have the balls to go after soldiers or congress staffers, I have no reason to care about their bitching and moaning.

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13.  

    Re: Sentences should fit the crime

    

    Travelsonic, Nov 28th, 2004 @ 4:02pm

    
    

    "It is against the law to trade copyrighted work- the reason for it doesn't matter"
    
    
    If you have permission to share it from thecopyright holder, it is perfectly legal. Period.

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