FCC wants FBI to control PC software

[Kite]

Exactly. The government realizes that the internet is a place where you can say and do basically whatever the hell you want. They dont like this. Its freedom that isn't hurting anyone, and therefore must be stopped. Just because a small group of terrorists use the internet to communicate doesnt give justification to be able to invade or scan or hijack everyones computer. However, I belive that this is one of those cases that untill the power they have is abused in some way and brought into the public spotlight, no action will be taken to protect privacy or limit what they can do.

[Compugasm]

Note to self: Next time you steal a computer. Make sure to sweep it for a transponder. Otherwise, the People in Redmond will get you.

[Scribbler1]

Maybe it's another angle to stop file sharing.

I was cleaning out my files last night and found this clipping in the local Delaware paper, "The News Journal". It was written from AP sources and is from 6/18/03.

"Headline: SEN. HATCH OFFERS A FIX FOR HACKERS.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday he favors developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of people who illegally download music from the Internet. The surprise remarks by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during a hearing on copyright abuses represents a dramatic escalation in the frustrating battle by industry executives and lawmakers in Washington against illegal music downloads."

[Protostar]

I remember reading about that on ZDNet. Orrin Hatch is an idiot and is the bitch of MP/RIAA. File sharing (P2P networks) has been around long before its prominent use for downloading music. There is no need to outlaw or restrict the technology just because SOME people use it in a malevolent way.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Son of Belial Wow, big surprise. Police state, here I come.

I don't know who applies the current laws now regarding software piracy, but in the United States, the fine is $10,000 per instance of illegal software on your computer.

Obviously the ones most susceptible to this law would be a company with employees where they maybe don't buy all their copies. They let an employee go, and that employee might report them.

That is how I've heard those that have gotten busted have had it happen.

I think it would be rare to see that in private homes at all, though most should simply buy what they want to use legally and not make it an issue at all. :-)

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: Protostar I remember reading about that on ZDNet. Orrin Hatch is an idiot and is the bitch of MP/RIAA. File sharing (P2P networks) has been around long before its prominent use for downloading music. There is no need to outlaw or restrict the technology just because SOME people use it in a malevolent way.

File sharing has been around since the advent of the cassette tape. The internet only made it WIDER. Personally I feel that although it IS theft and it IS a crime, it is way overblown and nitwits like Hatch ought to worry about bigger things. What this fool says would be funny if not as scary as it is, to think that the same government that invaded a country because it SWORE they had WMD would have the power to destroy personal computers because they THINK there are pirated files on it.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: GodBlessAmerica I don't know who applies the current laws now regarding software piracy, but in the United States, the fine is $10,000 per instance of illegal software on your computer. Obviously the ones most susceptible to this law would be a company with employees where they maybe don't buy all their copies. They let an employee go, and that employee might report them. That is how I've heard those that have gotten busted have had it happen. I think it would be rare to see that in private homes at all, though most should simply buy what they want to use legally and not make it an issue at all. :-)

Actually, if you are still commenting on the 2 year-old Hatch story, he was specifically referring to music and I disagree with your reasoning. Any company I know of buys their software with multiple licenses precisely to avoid what you say. My understanding is that they are busting people who are just too obvious. One story I read concerned college students who, once they realized the school had a high-speed Internet connection, downloaded every song and movie they could, and all at once too. THAT'S what gets you caught.

What I believe usually happens then is a payback deal is worked out because obviously most of these downloaders don't have a lot of money.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Scribbler1 Actually, if you are still commenting on the 2 year-old Hatch story, he was specifically referring to music and I disagree with your reasoning. Any company I know of buys their software with multiple licenses precisely to avoid what you say. My understanding is that they are busting people who are just too obvious. One story I read concerned college students who, once they realized the school had a high-speed Internet connection, downloaded every song and movie they could, and all at once too. THAT'S what gets you caught. What I believe usually happens then is a payback deal is worked out because obviously most of these downloaders don't have a lot of money.

Yes, I was referring to programs like Word for Windows and not music. As you say, most companies are smart enough to buy and write off copies of software.

The direction regarding music and movies does seem to be where the kids and bandwidth are.
Many colleges make T3 lines available for the school and kids download full movies before they even go to DVD. They are being chased down as are the kids downloading all kinds of music for free.

It would be best if they buy what they want rather than steal IMO.
They wouldn't like someone forcing them into labor for two weeks for no pay, so why should a production company have it's product stolen for any reason?

Bottom line, buy it and avoid the whole issue, you wouldn't want people stealing from you, right?

[Jack]

They won't be using Grokster any more.
The shame of this is that legislators who don't have a clue about computers want to paint the entire activity of file sharing with the pirate brush. There are many legitimate reasons to share files, especially in a school and business setting. It makes no sense to make an entire activity illegal simply because it could be used improperly.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Isherwood They won't be using Grokster any more. The shame of this is that legislators who don't have a clue about computers want to paint the entire activity of file sharing with the pirate brush. There are many legitimate reasons to share files, especially in a school and business setting. It makes no sense to make an entire activity illegal simply because it could be used improperly.

There are lots of freeware, shareware that do the same things as most other programs. You may not get a free big name product, but you can find a funtional one that will help you in a school or business setting.

What kind of thing do you do that you can't find a legal freeware program to do?

[Scribbler1]

And don't forget the more sinister aspect of cracking down on Internet file sharing. To catch these horrible evil doers the government must first know that illegal music (or software) exists on their computers. To know that, the government must also be able to differentiate what is and what ISN'T illegal, and to do that they must know what every file on a computer IS first. Otherwise they just couldn't do their job protecting the people from these terrorists could they.

I'm quite sure it is all very innocent.

[Jack]

Sorry, I was speaking generally, not specifically. I use my web space to share files, or I burn them to disk. I don't d/l music or DVDs, so my concern with this topic isn't personal.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Scribbler1 And don't forget the more sinister aspect of cracking down on Internet file sharing. To catch these horrible evil doers the government must first know that illegal music (or software) exists on their computers. To know that, the government must also be able to differentiate what is and what ISN'T illegal, and to do that they must know what every file on a computer IS first. Otherwise they just couldn't do their job protecting the people from these terrorists could they. I'm quite sure it is all very innocent.

There is a solid record of every post and downloading on the internet left behind, it does not go away and is heavily monitored. They wouldn't just pick a home and go in, they would for instance see who the largest offenders of downloading illegal music were and chase them down first by their internet activity.
There is only ONE way to not get monitored or caught in this regard that I know of and I won't post it here because we have a war against terrorists who would use the method.

Loose lips sink ships...

[zynner]

What would you expect from a police state in the making?

~ zynner

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: GodBlessAmerica There is a solid record of every post and downloading on the internet left behind, it does not go away and is heavily monitored. They wouldn't just pick a home and go in, they would for instance see who the largest offenders of downloading illegal music were and chase them down first by their internet activity. There is only ONE way to not get monitored or caught in this regard that I know of and I won't post it here because we have a war against terrorists who would use the method. Loose lips sink ships...

If you mean proxy servers, forget it. That is last years news and I would think terrorists are hip to that anyway. I mean a variation of what that idiot Hatch suggested. Make a law that says personal computers MUST have some gadget or method that allows the government to tap your computer. Similar to a wiretap, where the government must get permission to tap a phone they would need permission to tap a computer. With all the hysteria over terrorism and the way government likes to capitalize on fear I'm sure that "permission" would boil down to some politician writing a memo stating you were "suspicious", making you a "potential" terrorist and tapping your computer any time it wants to.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Scribbler1 If you mean proxy servers, forget it. That is last years news and I would think terrorists are hip to that anyway. I mean a variation of what that idiot Hatch suggested. Make a law that says personal computers MUST have some gadget or method that allows the government to tap your computer. Similar to a wiretap, where the government must get permission to tap a phone they would need permission to tap a computer. With all the hysteria over terrorism and the way government likes to capitalize on fear I'm sure that "permission" would boil down to some politician writing a memo stating you were "suspicious", making you a "potential" terrorist and tapping your computer any time it wants to.

Well, there are all kinds of devices that can read what is happening in your house through the electrical wires, which is why one vision of the future with broadband is to deliver it through Edison.

They have no need to tap a computer since all you did regarding the net stays on the net anyway.
The only reason you would have anyone go into a house to confiscate a computer is to use it as evidence against you and they would have to have at least already probable cause to get a legit warrant.
If for instance I had your computer, I think it would take me under 10 seconds to break any security you had to stop my access, then I can read every email and most posts you ever made in your life on that computer.
There are all kinds of secret hidden large files placed there through microsoft and other companies that keep a stroke by stroke log of everything you do.
You would have to go beyond F-disking your computer to lose what is on your computer.

I did not mean proxy servers by the way but I don't want to help people figure out what it is.

[Protostar]

Quote by: GBA f for instance I had your computer, I think it would take me under 10 seconds to break any security you had to stop my access, then I can read every email and most posts you ever made in your life on that computer. There are all kinds of secret hidden large files placed there through microsoft and other companies that keep a stroke by stroke log of everything you do.

That's assuming you are using Microsoft Windows. WHat if you are using a Mac, some distro of Linux, or one of the BSDs? It wouldn't be easy at all to crack a computer running an OS such as those mentioned (if they are set up correctly) IF you could crack it at all (which I seriously doubt you could do).

[Rainbow]

Quote by: Kite The government realizes that the internet is a place where you can say and do basically whatever the hell you want. They dont like this. Its freedom that isn't hurting anyone, and therefore must be stopped. Just because a small group of terrorists use the internet to communicate doesnt give justification to be able to invade or scan or hijack everyones computer. However, I belive that this is one of those cases that untill the power they have is abused in some way and brought into the public spotlight, no action will be taken to protect privacy or limit what they can do.

Your stament makes me laugh, unless you have a dark sense of humor :-)))

The point is not whether Feds can access your computer, read your e-mail, ect. They can do it with ease. To your knowledge :
- every single key-stroke is being logged, and that file stays on ISP's server for the next 10 years or more, and on yet another server that serves as a back up
What privacy, freedom, democracy, civil rights are you talking about ? :-)))
It has nothing to do with any terrorists, and/or any threats. It is being done on daily basis by your own ISP :-)))

The point is whether Feds go-ahead to do it freely, with accordance to the Law.
As of today, Feds can do it applying applicable letter of the Law.
Complaints ? To your U.S. House's representative.

[GodBlessAmerica]

Quote by: Protostar That's assuming you are using Microsoft Windows. WHat if you are using a Mac, some distro of Linux, or one of the BSDs? It wouldn't be easy at all to crack a computer running an OS such as those mentioned (if they are set up correctly) IF you could crack it at all (which I seriously doubt you could do).

Hard drives are nothing more than a series of magnetized 1010101011100010110s.
If you leave them for people, they can be hacked.

If I was Saddam (as an example) and I was told for a year the Americans were coming (as he did know), not only would I have moved all my money and weapons of mass destruction, I would have taken out my hard drives and physically destroyed them if I cared about them being read. :-)

[Son of Belial]

Quote by: GodBlessAmerica Hard drives are nothing more than a series of magnetized 1010101011100010110s. If you leave them for people, they can be hacked. If I was Saddam (as an example) and I was told for a year the Americans were coming (as he did know), not only would I have moved all my money and weapons of mass destruction, I would have taken out my hard drives and physically destroyed them if I cared about them being read. :-)

That isn't proof. I could accuse you of owning something illegal, then turn around and say "Oh, they must have gotten rid of them when they saw us coming." Unless we can prove it though, we can't do anything.