| The penalties for copyright fraud could soon be much | | | | profit copyright infringements that don't actually |
| severe. What would you think a reasonable | | | | manage to make any profits. |
| punishment for pirating a copy of windows would be? | | | | Currently, it's required that the criminal distribute at |
| A slapped wrist and don't do it again? A fine? How | | | | least 10 copies within a 180 day period. Now the new |
| much though? Maybe about double the cost of | | | | bill will state that they did not have to get round to |
| buying it in the first place? Yeah, that sounds about | | | | doing that in order to be punished. This again it is |
| fair. | | | | removing the need for evidence. |
| On a related note what types of crimes do you think | | | | Permitting more wire-tapping for piracy investigations. |
| would merit a life sentence?. In America, legislation | | | | Also allowing computers to be seized more readily. |
| has been proposed that would mean certain kinds of | | | | Increasing the penalties for violating the Digital |
| copyright infringement could carry a life sentence | | | | Millennium Copyright Act. |
| penalty. Its not quite the death sentence but it is not | | | | Just to round things off, the new legislation also |
| far off. | | | | contained increased punishments for repeat |
| Entitled the Intellectual Property Act 2007, the new | | | | offenders, and a requirement that RIAA be notified |
| legislation encompasses several new definitions and | | | | of anyone trying to import copyright infringing |
| provisions of crimes. | | | | material. |
| These include: | | | | Obviously, this bill has not been passed yet, and from |
| Criminalising attempting to infringe copyright-on the | | | | where were standing, does not seem particularly |
| grounds that where most laws are concerned, | | | | likely to be. So its possible this is just one of those |
| attempting to commit the crime is as illegal as actually | | | | media get hold of something and blow it out of |
| committing it. This doesn't entirely seem to make | | | | proportion. |
| sense though. | | | | Not to mention that even if this legislation did get |
| Currently Federal Law does punishes not-for-profit | | | | implemented in the US, it might not make it over the |
| copyright infringement(like downloading/copying media | | | | Atlantic. |
| for your own use) with between one and ten years | | | | So to summarize this whole discussion i think that |
| imprisonment, but the infringement must have to | | | | there should be tougher punishment for for |
| been proven to have taken place.. This new legislation | | | | offenders who use copright material for profit, |
| seems to remove the burden of proof, or to make | | | | whether it leads to life imprisonment is another |
| evidence unnecessary. | | | | matter. To be honest in my opinion i think a lesser |
| Adding penalties for intended copyright crime-i.e. for | | | | sentence should be enforced. |