President Signs Law Creating Copyright Czar

[drjtech]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/bush-signs-law.html

President Bush on Monday signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a cabinet-level position on par with the nation's drug czar.

Two weeks ago, the House sent the president the "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act", a measure the Senate approved days before creating a cabinet-level copyright czar charged with implementing a nationwide plan to combat piracy and "report directly to the president and Congress regarding domestic international intellectual property enforcement programs."

The White House successfully lobbied the Senate to remove language tasking the Department of Justice with suing copyright and trademark infringers on behalf of Hollywood, the recording industry, manufacturers and software makers. But the Bush administration also said it didn't want a copyright czar, a position on par with the nation's drug czar Congress created in 1982 to wage the war on drugs. Lawmakers, however, sent him the package anyway and the president signed.

The czar is not likely to be appointed until after the elections.

-drjtech

[bunginuts]

So that means the person with 1 burnt cd will get busted vs. the person who bootlegs the movies from theaters. Things are getting crazy.

[Marvingj]

Bush....Mush!

[drjtech]

Since the Drug Czar has done such an effective job eliminating the drug problem, they must figure the Copyright Czar will do an equally effective job against copyright infringers. 8)

-drjtech

[nwo]

Someone new getting paid for sod all.

[mail2tom]

Of course something like this is going to pass and become law. It's an election year! Hollywood throws money at pro-Hollywood incumbents that are up for election ensuring they get the best laws money can buy. Nothing new about this, except that it's more noticeable every 4 years.

[deadrats]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/bush-signs-law.html

President Bush on Monday signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a cabinet-level position on par with the nation's drug czar.

Two weeks ago, the House sent the president the "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act", a measure the Senate approved days before creating a cabinet-level copyright czar charged with implementing a nationwide plan to combat piracy and "report directly to the president and Congress regarding domestic international intellectual property enforcement programs."

The White House successfully lobbied the Senate to remove language tasking the Department of Justice with suing copyright and trademark infringers on behalf of Hollywood, the recording industry, manufacturers and software makers. But the Bush administration also said it didn't want a copyright czar, a position on par with the nation's drug czar Congress created in 1982 to wage the war on drugs. Lawmakers, however, sent him the package anyway and the president signed.

The czar is not likely to be appointed until after the elections.

-drjtech

the funny thing is that republicans, as a general rule, are supposed to be for smaller government and and less government intrusion and oversight yet under the bush administration the size and the scope of the federal government has ballooned to ridiculous levels.

God, i can't wait for that douche to be out of the white house...

[jagabo]

The Republicans are for less government when it comes to regulating business. They are for more govenrment when it comes to helping or bailing them out. The situation is reversed for the Democrats. The result is more government regardless of who is in power.

[redwudz]

Discussing politics will get this thread closed. Fair warning.

Moderator redwudz

[Seeker47]

Here it comes . . . !

[MOVIEGEEK]

With all of the problems in the US we now need a Copyright Czar?!
I'm done buying CD's or DVD's for now,Hollywood can kiss my @ss!*

*The above statement is not the opinion of VH.com or it's affiliates,it was not a political statement but me expressing my outrage.

[lordsmurf]

I thought we were supposed to be against earmarks, pork spending, etc?

[offline]

Somehow this reminds me of that Red Dwarf line "Rubber nuclear weapons had to be deployed..." i.e. crazy stuff.

Government* showing it's true master - industry

*all political flavours, some worse than others.

[adam]

For what its worth this "copyright czar" is not a new position. It was created in 1999 but the position was head of a council under the Commerce Department. This new law, among other things, just shifts this council into the executive branch by making it into a Committee. The president had the power to appoint this person under either incarnation so I don't know what the practical effect or reason of this branch shift is, but I'm sure there is some political motivation.

As for the position, I really don't think it is very "czar" like. The statute expressly prohibits them from getting involved in any prosecution or in the involvement of any law enforcement agency. The point of the position is to collect feedback from agencies, businesses, and consumers and report their findings back to Congress and to the President. I think the position is just more pointless than anything else. There is more than enough industry influence on Congress and the President as is, and I doubt this Committee head is going to fight that hard for the consumer.

[FulciLives]

I vote for anarchy myself.

I'm sick and tired of how things are "going along".

Time we cut the heads off of a bunch of rich people. Hey it worked for the French a few years back.

Oh and NO I am not kidding.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[edDV]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/bush-signs-law.html

President Bush on Monday signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a cabinet-level position on par with the nation's drug czar.

Two weeks ago, the House sent the president the "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act", a measure the Senate approved days before creating a cabinet-level copyright czar charged with implementing a nationwide plan to combat piracy and "report directly to the president and Congress regarding domestic international intellectual property enforcement programs."

The White House successfully lobbied the Senate to remove language tasking the Department of Justice with suing copyright and trademark infringers on behalf of Hollywood, the recording industry, manufacturers and software makers. But the Bush administration also said it didn't want a copyright czar, a position on par with the nation's drug czar Congress created in 1982 to wage the war on drugs. Lawmakers, however, sent him the package anyway and the president signed.

The czar is not likely to be appointed until after the elections.

-drjtech

the funny thing is that republicans, as a general rule, are supposed to be for smaller government and and less government intrusion and oversight yet under the bush administration the size and the scope of the federal government has ballooned to ridiculous levels.

God, i can't wait for that douche to be out of the white house...

UMM, you are missing that this all started with Pelosi (D-CA) and this Czar is to "report to Congress"? where the D run both House and Senate? This is Hollywood payback all right. Just wait for a D pres.

Could this be part of the "bailout" deal?

Senate sponsor is Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on July 24, 2008.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3325

Co-Sponsors are a mixed bag.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN03325:@@@P

House version is h.R.4279 sponsored by Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h4279/show

Note who voted Aye and Nay.

[DarrellS]

UMM, you are missing that this all started with Pelosi (D-CA) and this Czar is to "report to Congress"? where the D run both House and Senate? This is Hollywood payback all right. Just wait for a D pres.

Exactly! This country has gone to hell since the morons elected a Democrat House and Senate who have been padding their pockets with payoff money instead of doing their jobs. Wait till those same morons elect a Democrat President to go with it. The sheep always buy what the Hollywood propaganda machine is selling.

[lordsmurf]

Stupidity is not monopolized by either party -- there's plenty to go around.

[SCDVD]

UMM, you are missing that this all started with Pelosi (D-CA) and this Czar is to "report to Congress"? where the D run both House and Senate? This is Hollywood payback all right. Just wait for a D pres.

Exactly! This country has gone to hell since the morons elected a Democrat House and Senate who have been padding their pockets with payoff money instead of doing their jobs. Wait till those same morons elect a Democrat President to go with it. The sheep always buy what the Hollywood propaganda machine is selling.

Unfortunately the "stupid index" is too high among the general population and we get infested with these jokers from time to time. Remember Jimmy Carter and his "malaise" machine? It took four years to puke him out of office and Reagan did a dramatic turnaround. Looks like we may be heading to another national puke-out in four years.

[offline]

redwudz already mentioned the no politics rule. I'm not singling out any particular post but...

Keep it on-topic about the law itself (i.e. being relatively non partisan) and we can keep this thread from being locked.

[SCDVD]

I don't have a problem with protecting copyrights. But the efforts to reduce it would be a lot more effective if the prime offenders were pursued in a competent manner. Unfortunately a lot of what goes on are these endless copy protection schemes that are used by management in the Hollywood studios to convince the Board of Directors and stock holders that "we're on top of it now." It's a joke and has been going on for years.

[usually_quiet]

Another index of stupidity is that people don't seem know the difference between nouns and adjectives, or are confused about how to use them -- Democrat being a noun and Democratic being the correct adjective related to it. ...and no doubt I'll wake to this thread being locked because of even more stupidity.

[jagabo]

House version is h.R.4279 sponsored by Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h4279/show

Note who voted Aye and Nay.

Nearly all, both parties, 94 percent overall, voted "aye". Of course, most of them were probably just lazy and had no idea what they were voting on. They just wanted to get out of there.

[mpack]

As an outsider, but a citizen of another "common law" country (the UK), I have to say that I find the way the US is going on is this a bit puzzling. Copyright is a right recognized by the state yes, but copyright enforcement / infringement has always been a civil matter, nothing at all to do with the state. So what would a "Copyright Czar" do?

[jagabo]

So what would a "Copyright Czar" do?

Be the RIAA's and MPAA's full time direct representative in government. And they don't even have to pay him!

[bendixG15]

Discussing politics will get this thread closed. Fair warning.

Moderator redwudz

[AbePagota]

redwudz
I find it odd that you are not allowed to discuss politics when the add at the top of this page is for McCain/Palin.

[edDV]

This is a non-partisan analysis of the Senate bill version. Note that it will cost $2 per American per year (~ $800M) but of course actually paid by taxpayers and future generations.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3325&tab=summary

I'd like to be on the "intellectual property enforcement advisory committee" that have zero duties other than a report yet have a $800M lunch budget.

[freebird73717]

redwudz
I find it odd that you are not allowed to discuss politics when the add at the top of this page is for McCain/Palin.

The only add I see on this page is at the bottom and it is for HP windows home server. If there was an add like what you stated it was probably because of google's adsense. It will serve adds based on the text information on the page. Content relevant advertising.

Of course I usually don't see adds at all because I use adblock with firefox!

[JimJohnD]

The USA is suffering from the old adage 'penny wise, pound foolish'. Meaning, we'll pizz around and worry about things that DON'T REALLY MATTER while the country pulls the world into another depression.

It is too bad we can't run our cars on stupidity, we would be the world's leading exporter.