The United States Senate is about to pass a new copyright bill that would turn everyday Americans into criminals. This report is not a joke: it's about HR2391, the intellectual property protection act. Keep reading to learn how your consumer rights are under intense attack, and then forward this to your friends to help spread the word. Because if this bill isn't stopped, you could technically be thrown in prison for burning an audio CD and copying the files to your favorite MP3 player.
This bill is, of course, promoted by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is being pushed through the Senate by their favorite Senator: Orrin Hatch from Utah. According to a wired News article, here are some of the things the bill would criminalize:
Anyone who uses the iTunes music sharing application could be charged with federal crimes and imprisoned. It would make it a criminal offense to skip television commercials -- because, of course, the broadcast networks want to force consumers to watch all advertisements by criminalizing people who skip ads. People who bring video cameras into movie theaters could wind up spending three years in prison for federal crimes. The bill would even allow the Justice Department to file civil copyright lawsuits on behalf of the recording industry, meaning that you can have the Justice Department at your door for something as simple as copying a few MP3 files for a friend.
Fair Use would also be destroyed. Artists wouldn't be able to use images of President Bush's face in funny flash animations, for example. Publishers would not be able to use a company logo in an article that makes fun of that company. And individuals would be denied the right to quote passages from articles, books, or magazines that deserve public comment. All such uses would be considered criminal and could earn you federal prosecution.
If this Senate bill passes, it will transform virtually every young American into a criminal, and at that point it will be up to the music industry and recording industry to decide who they want to imprisoned today. With every person defined as a criminal, it all comes down to "selective prosecution," where the industry targets anyone they want, because everybody is now technically a criminal.
These laws should never exist in a free society. These are the laws of a police state... one that seems to be ever more quickly creeping up on Americans in the post-9/11 era.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, November 16, 2004
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