RIAA & MPAA Seek Authority To Pretext 263
msblack writes "The RIAA and MPAA are lobbying California legislators for an exemption to proposed legislation that would outlaw pretexting. Pretexting is the practice of pretending to be someone else in order to obtain personal information on a person, such as telephone or banking records. According to an article in the LA Times, the RIAA and MPAA sometimes need to lie in their pursuit of bootleggers. They would like the legislation to exempt anyone who owns a copyright, patent, trademark, or trade secret from restrictions against pretexting. An interesting line from the article is, '[RIAA's Brad] Buckles said the recording industry had never, nor would it ever, assume someone's identity to access that person's phone or bank records.' Fortunately, Senator Corbert, the bill's author, is unlikely to accept these hostile changes."
I.e. Make the legislation worthless (Score:5, Funny)
Since copyright is attached at the moment of creation, anyone who has ever written a letter, blog post, or even a comment on slashdot owns a copyright.
In other words, "everyone should be exempt from this legislation, except possibly pets."
So now... (Score:5, Funny)
In other news... (Score:4, Funny)
They promise they would never shoot innocent people, and in fact, added that being shot by a RIMPAA anti-piracy squad is actually proof that the target was a pirate.
Sure, I'll support this bill... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Anyone who owns a copyright? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sure, I'll support this bill... (Score:3, Funny)
They probably wouldn't mind, so long as you stuffed them with money.
Re:I.e. Make the legislation worthless (Score:2, Funny)
Actually, my dog's shit coils in a very artistic way - he must have 60 copyrights for whats in the back yard
Re:I.e. Make the legislation worthless (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Almost everyone owns copyrights (Score:5, Funny)
Allows them to trick others
Merely pretexting
© 2007 El Torico
In Other News... (Score:4, Funny)
RIAA and MPAA lobby to be exempt from jail and fines for anything they do. Spokesman quoted saying, "Hey, diplomats have this already, so it's hardly unprecedented."
And...
Applications for copyrights, patents, trademarks, and claimed Trade Secrets rise to an all-time high, especially in California. U.S. government spokesman reports, "If this continues, soon every American and illegal immigrant will have laid claim to some piece of intellectual property. I wonder why they'd all want to do this now?"
Re:Sure, I'll support this bill... (Score:3, Funny)
So you should have said
"The moment they add on a rider making it legal to hunt and mount lawyers."
There, that's better.
Re:In other news... (Score:4, Funny)
It's not like they would shoot people without warning. I'm sure they would first give people an offer they can't refuse.
Re:Pretexting? (Score:3, Funny)
Pretexting is what happens when pre-pubescent pre-teens use mobile phones.
Re:Anyone who owns a copyright? (Score:5, Funny)
Our chief weapon is suprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... and pretexting?
I'll come in again.
Re:Sure, I'll support this bill... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Burden of Proof (Score:5, Funny)
How stupid could you be, an addendum to a law that basically allows everybody to ignore it, oh my, only RIAA lawyers could have manage that one.