Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Thursday August 01 2019, @06:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the just-turn-off-the-internet dept.

The Senate Judiciary Committee intends to vote on the CASE Act, legislation that would create a brand new quasi-court for copyright infringement claims. We have expressed numerous concerns with the legislation, and serious problems inherent with the bill have not been remedied by Congress before moving it forward. In short, the bill would supercharge a “copyright troll” industry dedicated to filing as many “small claims” on as many Internet users as possible in order to make money through the bill’s statutory damages provisions. Every single person who uses the Internet and regularly interacts with copyrighted works (that’s everyone) should contact their Senators to oppose this bill.

Making it so easy to sue Internet users for allegedly infringing a copyrighted work that an infringement claim comes to resemble a traffic ticket is a terrible idea. This bill creates a situation where Internet users could easily be on the hook for multiple $5,000 copyright infringement judgments without many of the traditional legal safeguards or rights of appeal our justice system provides.

The legislation would allow the Copyright Office to create a “determination” process for claims seeking up to $5,000 in damages:

Regulations For Smaller Claims.—The Register of Copyrights shall establish regulations to provide for the consideration and determination, by at least one Copyright Claims Officer, of any claim under this chapter in which total damages sought do not exceed $5,000 (exclusive of attorneys’ fees and costs). A determination issued under this subsection shall have the same effect as a determination issued by the entire Copyright Claims Board.

This could be read as permission for the Copyright Office to dispense with even the meager procedural protections provided elsewhere in the bill when a rightsholder asks for $5000 or less. In essence, what this means is any Internet user who uploads a copyrighted work could find themselves subject to a largely unappealable $5,000 penalty without anything resembling a trial or evidentiary hearing. Ever share a meme, share a photo that isn’t yours, or download a photo you didn’t create? Under this legislation, you could easily find yourself stuck with a $5,000 judgment debt following the most trivial nod towards due process.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @08:55PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @08:55PM (#874242)

    > In the history of the world republicans have no comparison,

    You are talking about the party that ended slavery.

    The fact is, when you define someone as a "person," you give them rights per the constitution, and rights as a human being. That includes the right to not be murdered. Democrats justified slavery by denying blacks personhood, and Democrats are denying personhood to babies so that they can justify their tax washing. Sending public money to Planed Parenthood, so that Planed Parenthood can give that money to the Democratic party.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   0  
       Flamebait=1, Insightful=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Flamebait' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   0  
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by sjames on Thursday August 01 2019, @09:47PM (3 children)

    by sjames (2882) on Thursday August 01 2019, @09:47PM (#874282) Journal

    Frankly, the current GOP should be called the RINO party. Read Eisenhower's famous warning about the military-industrial complex and try to tell me he doesn't sound more like a Democrat than a Republican.

    Of course that's because the DNC is more aptly called the DINO party these days.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:18PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:18PM (#874305)

      There is no surprise that the NeverTrump GOP's are also the worst RINO's. Trump represents an existential threat to corrupt the RINO and DINO system. They know what is coming, but the public will not until a year or so from now. Did you notice that Democrats are now supporting criminal charges against former presidents? Enjoy the show.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @12:33AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @12:33AM (#874381)

        "Trump represents an existential threat to corrupt the RINO and DINO system."

        I needed a good laugh, thanks! Oh, now that I finished laughing and started typing I guess you could say Trump is an existential threat just as any other dictator is a threat to the status quo.

        Sanders 2020 if you want a better world.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @01:01AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @01:01AM (#874393)

          Swap "corrupt" and "the" in my quote.

          Sanders has an Epstein problem. Did you not notice that he was controlled during the 2016 election cycle? He was not allowed to compete fairly because he plays in the same corrupt system. Interesting how many houses he has for a public servant who has never done anything productive in his life.

          Trump is using all of the power that the constitution and congress gave him. Do not like it? Blame the people who gave the office of the presidency the power. Following the law does not make him a dictator. Antifa seems to want a dictator, as long as it is their dictator. Communism is always a bait and switch scam. It always results in totalitarianism.

          Will you be laughing when Obama is prosecuted for his crimes of using the national intelligence system to spy on his political opponents? The democrats are now saying "no one is above the law" and former presidents can be charged with crimes. It amazes me how Trump makes his opponents dig their own graves.

          A better world is coming. You just do not know who the real bad guys are because you live in 24/7 propaganda.

  • (Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:48PM

    by Rupert Pupnick (7277) on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:48PM (#874332) Journal

    I predicted this response (in another thread, but still)!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:55PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 01 2019, @10:55PM (#874339)

    Oooh oooh, I found a good movie quote for you!

    "My government knows no shame."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkvRNblURRU [youtube.com]