Re: New Internet Law

[ljsilicon@aol.com (LJSILICON)]

>President Bill Clinton signed into law a controversial bill imposing
>criminal
>penalties on copyright violators who do not profit from their actions.
>The No
>Electronic Theft Act, passed by Congress last month, was strongly backed
>by the
>software and entertainment industries, but opposed by science and academic
>groups.
> Under the new law, a person who "willfully" infringes on copyrighted
>material
>worth at least $1,000 could be subject to criminal prosecution even if he
>does
>not profit by it.  Under the previous law, copyright violators could not
>be charged
>with criminal misconduct unless they profited from the violation.
>Software and
>entertainment groups, including the Business Software Alliance, the Motion
>Picture
>Association and the Association of American Publishers, said the change
>was essential
>to protect software, music recordings and other creative products easily
>pirated
>over the Internet.

Yes, Bill did sign this bill. The problem that I see is enforcement. Where is
Mr. Clinton going to find enforcement personnel? Maybe he could ask for
volunteers from the internet. Everyone can do Gomer Pyle's line..."Citizen's
arrest!!!!" (spoken with a really deep southern accent).