Here we go again... this time Utah is to blame

[Entsuropi]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6241-2003Jun17.html

[Tage]

One of my coworkers got so fired up about those statements that he called in to Hatch's office and left some "voter views" about the issue. I think most people agree that there's no way legislation like that could ever pass, because there'd be end to the litigation suits for erroniously destroyed computers.

[42]

I'm fairly sure the government won't pass any resolution to destroy computers for file sharing. It just has too many problems.

For one, how could they be sure that it is an American using the computer.

I think for hatch to expect all citizens to understand copyright laws. There are just too many of them and there are too many exceptions. I know very few people who understand everything about copyright laws.

Course, it makes sense that someone whose profession depends on copyrights to know  a lot about them.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Ai! That man now scares me. I was kind of jealous of my brother-in-law who's in Hatch's east coast ward (did you know he's a Stake Missionary? No lie). But now I think I'd have a hard time not getting into arguments with the man, so it's probably for the best.

[EUOL]

Ha.  I heard some comments about Hatch's comments more in-context, and it seems he was using hyperbole to draw attention to his cause.  I believe the term he actually used was "Blow Up" the computers of those who illegaly download.  I doubt he's serious about it.  

However, as one who still can't quite understand why my friends see downloading copyrighted material as an 'okay' form of stealing, I would be very amused if someone did frag one of their hard-drives remotely.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Wouldn't ever happen, with the amount of illegal file sharing that happens on government computers alone the cost to the economy would be astronomical, besides think about folks who leave their computer on and connected to their modem without a good firewall. What happens when hackers use their bandwidth and computer to store illegal files. When their computer goes boom are they a victim of terrorism, can they be compensated for the destruction of their property? What if the controls go wrong and a file scrags your hard drive after you legally bought it? What if it caused you to lose valuable work, time or effort? Not to mention what if someone who doesn't own the computer  (ie someones kid) downloads a song (valued by Apple at .99c) and because the song happens to be downloaded illegally it scrags the owners $2100 computer or $200 harddrive at the very least. How is that even close to equitable?