Don't even TRY to copy - Feds want to give you 10 years in prison:

[cyberpj]

Congress readies broad new digital copyright bill

snip...

The 24-page bill is a far-reaching medley of different proposals cobbled together. One would, for instance, create a new federal crime of just trying to commit copyright infringement. Such willful attempts at piracy, even if they fail, could be punished by up to 10 years in prison.

snip...

A DMCA dispute
But one of the more controversial sections may be the changes to the DMCA. Under current law, Section 1201 of the law generally prohibits distributing or trafficking in any software or hardware that can be used to bypass copy-protection devices. (That section already has been used against a Princeton computer science professor, Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov and a toner cartridge remanufacturer.)

Smith's measure would expand those civil and criminal restrictions. Instead of merely targeting distribution, the new language says nobody may "make, import, export, obtain control of, or possess" such anticircumvention tools if they may be redistributed to someone else.

"It's one degree more likely that mere communication about the means of accomplishing a hack would be subject to penalties," said Peter Jaszi, who teaches copyright law at American University and is critical of attempts to expand it.

much much more....
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6064016.html

[RoyGBiv]

1. Look behind the curtain ...

This is a direct assault on open source software and free distribution of information. This and another bill running through Congress dealing with streaming music/video will have the ultimate effect of standardizing DRM tools, tightening Microsoft's hold on the market, and making it a crime to use alternatives. Also note the mention of the DMCA being used to prosecute a toner cartridge manufacturer. Corporations are trying and succeeding in making it impossible for consumers to do anything but what a few, select corporations tell them they can do. You got a printer from Lexmark? Okay, you *must* buy cartridge and ink replacements from Lexmark, no exceptions. Go to jail if you try otherwise.

I could rant for pages, but I won't. Most people don't seem to care.

[FormerDittoHead]

3. Content makers will have to pay for DRM "services" to play on devices...

It frustrates me as well to see the road being paved brick by brick toward this future "jukebox culture" they're setting up.

For those who don't get it - in the future, you may very well end up paying for everytime you listen to a song, everytime you watch a TV show, pay-per-click for websites, etc.

I'd REALLY like to see a Democrat take the PEOPLE'S side of this issue, and stop confusing artist rights versus media comglomerates...

...now if only they'd enforce public performance rights on those cars that go blasting music down the street!

[cyberpj]

4. Not until it's too late, anyway......

"I could rant for pages, but I won't. Most people don't seem to care."

I'm with you bigtime on this. In addition I believe it's part of "their" m.o. to be doing so many things at once to us that it's hard to rally a decent shout against any one thing. And it's working very well for them too.

[Deja Q]

2. It'll keep the US citizens in line... how about the Chinese?

Theirs is a far worse problem... or so we're led to believe.

[hobbit709]

5. In a long list

of laws I've broken in my 55 years, what's one more?

[Berserker]

6. Berserker says:

Download your ass off and CRANK it up. Long Live P2P. Fuckum all.