markalot
25 Sep 2004, 10:11 AM
http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/040920.asp
The poor repubs are getting further and further away from 'conservative'.
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Criminal Penalties Suggested in S. 2560 are Anti-Consumer and Set Dangerous Precedent, Says ACU
ACU Launches Campaign to Oppose S. 2650: Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Third parties should not be held legally liable for the criminal acts of others solely to appease Hollywood millionaires and their trial attorney friends, the American Conservative Union said today in announcing a major advertising campaign opposing S. 2650 the "Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004."
"This misguided legislation would hold manufacturers of computers, software and other technologies criminally liable if their legal products were misused to reproduce copyrighted material," ACU Executive Director Richard Lessner said announcing the organization's ad campaign.
"It is a basic foundation of American jurisprudence, recognized in the Supreme Court's landmark Sony Betamax decision, that those who actually violate copyrights should be held criminally responsible, not those who manufactured the computer, VCR, copy machine, or computer software used to infringe. S. 2650 is tantamount to holding gun makers liable for the acts of armed criminals, or automakers responsible for drunk drivers."
While the protection of intellectual property rights is an important issue, Lessner said, and the infringement of copyrights is a serious problem, S. 2650 is an overly broad remedy. It would penalize technology producers for "inducing" others to act criminally. The bill's standard of inducement, however, is so subjective that it would chill technological innovation, severely restrict consumer choice in the marketplace, and create a whole new class of lawsuits for predatory trial attorneys.
"Unfortunately, this misguided legislation's chief sponsor is Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican who should know better," Lessner said. "ACU is launching a major advertising campaign to educate the public and Republicans in Congress about the dangerous nature of this trial-attorney boondoggle.
"An important principle is at stake here. If this bill were to become law, it would set a precedent for holding innocent Americans liable for indirectly 'inducing' criminal acts in others. The implications are staggering."
ACU's campaign launches today with an advertisement in The Weekly Standard. The ad also will appear in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, National Review, Human Events, and selected web sites.
http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/Ad2REv4.pdf
The poor repubs are getting further and further away from 'conservative'.
- - - - - - - -
Criminal Penalties Suggested in S. 2560 are Anti-Consumer and Set Dangerous Precedent, Says ACU
ACU Launches Campaign to Oppose S. 2650: Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Third parties should not be held legally liable for the criminal acts of others solely to appease Hollywood millionaires and their trial attorney friends, the American Conservative Union said today in announcing a major advertising campaign opposing S. 2650 the "Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004."
"This misguided legislation would hold manufacturers of computers, software and other technologies criminally liable if their legal products were misused to reproduce copyrighted material," ACU Executive Director Richard Lessner said announcing the organization's ad campaign.
"It is a basic foundation of American jurisprudence, recognized in the Supreme Court's landmark Sony Betamax decision, that those who actually violate copyrights should be held criminally responsible, not those who manufactured the computer, VCR, copy machine, or computer software used to infringe. S. 2650 is tantamount to holding gun makers liable for the acts of armed criminals, or automakers responsible for drunk drivers."
While the protection of intellectual property rights is an important issue, Lessner said, and the infringement of copyrights is a serious problem, S. 2650 is an overly broad remedy. It would penalize technology producers for "inducing" others to act criminally. The bill's standard of inducement, however, is so subjective that it would chill technological innovation, severely restrict consumer choice in the marketplace, and create a whole new class of lawsuits for predatory trial attorneys.
"Unfortunately, this misguided legislation's chief sponsor is Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican who should know better," Lessner said. "ACU is launching a major advertising campaign to educate the public and Republicans in Congress about the dangerous nature of this trial-attorney boondoggle.
"An important principle is at stake here. If this bill were to become law, it would set a precedent for holding innocent Americans liable for indirectly 'inducing' criminal acts in others. The implications are staggering."
ACU's campaign launches today with an advertisement in The Weekly Standard. The ad also will appear in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, National Review, Human Events, and selected web sites.
http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/Ad2REv4.pdf