Senate Unanimously Passes Anti-Camcorder Bill

jamonterrell writes "The US Senate just unanimously passed a bill allowing the criminal prosecution of recording movies with a camcorder in theatres. Victims of the new bill would face 3 years in prison on first offense (5 if it was done for profit), repeat offenders would get 10 years. As a side note, it will cost taxpayers an additional 5 million dollars per year through 2009 for enforcement." Several states have made recording in theaters a crime, although none of them have penalties nearly as harsh as this Senate bill.

That's interesting.

[Photo_Nut]

I don't suppose anyone is going to come up with an argument saying that they are in the theaters with their camcorders excersizing their right to time shift... :)

Thank God this passed....

[Iam18grey]

I'm sick of shaky camcorder job movies I've been downloading on Shareaza. Hopefully this will make the movies shared on P2P networks better quality.

Re:Not likely.

[Photo_Nut]

Ok, so I'm replying to myself.

If I wanted to get a shaky-hand-held-recording, I could just take a nice clear rip downloaded from the local pirate server, and record it with a camcorder.

But what's the point. I know... you were joking.

Victims Prosecuted!

[TheOtherKiwi]

"Victims of the new bill would face 3 years in prison on first offense" -

Whoa! Victims are prosecuted now? Sheesh, where I come from, its perps that get it...to each their own it guess.

People who secretly videotape movies

[zakezuke]

People who secretly videotape movies when they are shown in theaters could go to prison for up to three years under a bill approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate on Friday. ---TFA

This is good! It looks like if you blatently go in a theater and tape you are free in clear. Fuck this secret business, I want my cam download to look like MST3k with heckling. Oh, and the shadows of heads holding camcorders is a bonus for those of us who want that black space filled with something when we view in letterbox format.

Re:What Country are YOU living in?

[Mycroft_VIII]

Well actually it's they tend to only get caught in one (or one related set of) crime(s) then wise up and become a professional crook by running for office.

Mycroft

Re:That's interesting.

[fenix down]

"Zzzzzzzzzzz..."
"Sir..."
"Zzzzzzzwhazat?"
"Yea h, uh, we're gonna be placing you under arrest..."
"What? Oh, no, It's cool, I was kinda sleepy, so I'm time-shifting this for tomorrow morning."
"Well, all right."
"Yeah, whatever. ZZZZzzzzzzz..."

Re:Corporate Coruption

[Jarnis]

Farenheit 9/11? Got any links to a .torrent of good telecine/telesync of it? :p

(ooops)

And?

[cyberzephyr]

"As a side note, it will cost taxpayers an additional 5 million dollars per year through 2009 for enforcement."

And Popcorn and hotdogs costs how much?

Re:Surely this is a civil, not a criminal matter..

[nounderscores]

It would have been, but let me say this: Whoever the MPAA uses for a lobby group is probably getting some kind of lobby group oscar right now.

GREAT...

[SkunkPussy]

...now all the films I download will be high quality!

But your Honour...

[Anonymous Coward]

I was only making a backup.

Re:What Country are YOU living in?

[users.pl]

The judge was enlightened. Women are lower life forms. We shouldn't allow them to roam the streets freely. They deserve to be raped. In a perfect world, cow farms are replaced with female farms. We were never meant to drink disgusting cow milk when we can have the real thing. I say we start farming women for breastmilk and stop exploiting these helpless cows. Of course in order to farm breastmilk from women, we've got to get them lactating. And you know what that means.

Re:Not likely.

[bugmenot]

If I pay $10 to watch a movie I expect to be able to watch it at my own pace and pause,rewind or fast-forward as necessary. I have a right to take my camcorder to the theatre because I already paid for the ticket and I should be able to the contents for backup or timeshifting purposes. If I have a right to tape a show from my TV, taping it at the movies should also be allowed!
Does anyone know if the EFF is fighting this law?

Re:That's interesting.

[Seven001]

I think people SHOULD be sent to jail for releasing such movies. Have you seen how crappy looking they are? Just wait for the DVD you impatient fucks.

Re:Not only will this make CAM recordings more rar

[xSauronx]

Im just happy our government is focusing on the real issues that plague our nation and the world around us.

Go priorities!

Re:That's interesting.

[berzerke]

...If they are going to be draconian, why not just sentance camcorder "pirates" to death? What are those senators smoking?

Campaign contributions from the MPAA.

Re:Bill text

[Anonymous Coward]

Excellent idea! I'm taping up a black cardboard box with a battery-powered red LED stuck in the side of it RIGHT NOW!