The Copyright Police

Arstechnica NEWS reports that congress now wants to pass a Pro IP bill to create the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER). What are their jobs and responsibilities? You guessed it... copyright enforcement, Rambo-Style. This has some scary implications. Look at how many people have gotten into hot water over their kids downloading MP3s .... I guess going for a hundred thousand dollars for stealing an mp3 wasn't enough for these guys. Now they want blood :-) ..

I am really starting to wonder if I am the only person that realizes cracking down on piracy 100% is a) impossible, and more importantly b) a waste of money. It is impossible because smart people can always make copies... and they will. It is a waste of money because the majority of people buying or stealing media can't afford the real thing anyway. So RIAA don't pitch a fit when you don't see another 20 billion or so in your pockets for your efforts. But hey, I guess its just one step closer to having everything we download and distribute get tracked by our government. Way to go assholes.

Specifically, the PRO IP bill is intended to:

* Strengthen the substantive civil and criminal laws relating to copyright and trademark infringement;
* Establish the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER), in the executive office of the president, to enhance nationwide and international coordination of intellectual property enforcement efforts;
* Appoint intellectual property officers to work with foreign countries in their efforts to combat counterfeiting and piracy;
* Authorize the creation of a permanent Intellectual Property Division within the Department of Justice to improve law enforcement coordination. The bill would transfer the functions of the existing Computer Crime and Intellectual Property section (CCIPs) that relate to IP enforcement to the new IP division;
* Provide the DOJ with new resources targeted to improve IP law enforcement,
including local law enforcement grants and additional investigative and
prosecutorial personnel; and
* Require the DOJ to prepare an annual report that details its IP
enforcement activities.

"This legislation is an important and necessary step in the fight to maintain our competitive edge in a global marketplace," Conyers said in a statement. "By providing additional resources for enforcement of intellectual property, we ensure that innovation and creativity will continue to prosper in our society."