SWAP A SONG - GO TO JAIL
Source: YAHOO NEWS
Music industry lackies Howard Berman (D - CA) and John Conyers (D - MI) want to put you in the pokey for file sharing. BIG TIME. If the RIAA gets their way, the Conyers-Berman bill would operate under the assumption that each copyrighted work made available through a computer network was copied by others at least 10 times for a total retail value of $2,500. That would bump the activity from a misdemeanor to a felony, carrying a sentence of up to five years in jail. And being a convicted felon also means a convicted file swap felon could not vote in elections or own a gun.

So, let me get this straight ... a single song is worth $250?! Wow, no wonder people aren't buying CDs these days!.

On top of that, would this allow police and district attorneys to "assume" that a car thief has stolen 10 more cars other than the car he was caught for and therefore be charged ten times?

What about bribes? If ... say ... a Congressman was caught taking a bribe from a powerful music interest, could we assume they were bribed ten other times?

BTW - according to OPENSECRETS.ORG, in 2002, Howard Berman was the TOP recipient of music industry campaign contributions: $221,791 (according to the standards of this bill, we can "assume," therefore, that's $2,217,910). Conyers received $49,859 (we can therefore, "assume" he received $498,590).

I mean, fair is fair.