DoJ ramps up IP war
p2pnet.net News:- The entertainment industry has mounted a full-out war on p2p, file sharing and ‘piracy’ with America’s Depatrtment of Justice leading the way.
US attorney general John Ashcroft has announced the recommendations of the department’s Intellectual Property Task Force set up on March to “examine all aspects of how the Department handles intellectual property issues and report on proposals for future activity”.
In it, “I am confident that our nation’s creative and intellectual resources will be better protected when the recommendations of the Task Force report are implemented,” says US attorney Debra Yang, singling out movie “theft” as a key element. “The Justice Department will have additional tools to fight movie theft and product counterfeiting,” she says.
The entertainment industry has virtual control of major on- and offline mainstream print and electronic media outlets not only in the US, but also abroad, and through its many and various alphabet enforcement organizations such as the RIAA, MPAA, MPA, CAPIF, ARIA, JRIA, BPI, IFPI, and so on, regularly addresses not only the US government, but also foreign administrations as if they’re employed by Hollywood and the Big Four record lable cartel.
Ever since Napster and the Net showed how p2p, peer-to-peer, communications could free the world’s ‘consumer’ populations from the control the labels and studios, the mega-billion-dollar industry has been relentlessly crying out that it’s being devastated, hammering out one press release after another on alleged financial losses and terrible hardships it’s suffering under what it calls online piracy.
Significant elements of the entertainment industry, such as Sony, are continually developing, making and selling millions of highly profitable disc blanks, recording equipment, DVD and CD burners and other products which are essential to counterfeiters and other organized criminal enterprises.
The task force examined IP issues as they relate to criminal law, civil law, international treaties and obligations, legislative and regulatory proposals, and overall public awareness, says the DoJ, emphasising that David Israelite, Ashcroft’s deputy chief of staff, led the task force’s “six-month investigation”.
Now, in addition to recommendations regarding civil and antitrust enforcement of IP laws, task force proposals include:
- Charging and prosecuting all intellectual property crimes whenever federal law applies, including organized crime, fraud, and illegal importation cases, in addition to strengthening the Justice Department’s ability to bring those cases;
- Updating the legal tools that help the United States to charge IP criminals overseas under American law;
- Encouraging respect for intellectual property rights through youth education programs; and
- Increasing cooperation with individuals, businesses, and industries that have been victimized by IP theft.
“Well-organized criminal enterprises have recently begun to increase the scale, scope, and sophistication of international theft and counterfeiting,” says the DoJ, going on:
“Given the simplicity of disseminating millions of copies of stolen software, music, video, and other products and programs around the globe with a single computer click, and given the inconsistent enforcement of existing laws worldwide, it is imperative that intellectual property rights be reaffirmed and vigorously protected.”
Stolen software, music, video, and “other” products.
Significantly, as an example of its IP enforcement activities to date, the DoJ draws attention not to ways in which it’s dealing with the counterfeiting of designer jeans, say, or watches, or any of the other products sold around the world, but to:
- Operation Fastlink, “announced in April 2004 and led by the Department’s Criminal Division and the FBI” and, “the largest international law enforcement effort ever undertaken against online theft“.
- Operation Digital Gridlock, announced in August 2004, targeted IP theft over peer-to-peer networks and resulted in the seizure of more than 40 terabytes of material. The Justice Department’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Units have been expanded according to the Attorney General’s directive to prosecute those who are responsible for cybercrime. The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Department’s Criminal Division has also been expanded, providing additional resources to fight theft.”
And to make sure America’s interests are protected in other countries, “Federal prosecutors will go to U.S. embassies in Hungary and Hong Kong to help with efforts in those countries, and the United States will ensure that intellectual property crimes are included in all its international extradition treaties,” says a Reuters story, without saying why Hungary and Hong Kong in particular.
“Ashcroft said the FBI also would increase the number of agents assigned to investigations, and develop youth information programs to encourage respect for artists’ rights,” it says.
FBI agents will, “develop youth information programs to encourage respect for artists’ rights”?
These will no doubt be along the lines of programs currently operated in American schools by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Reuters quotes RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) boss Mitch Bainwol as saying the, “commitment of focus, energy and resources outlined in this report is music to our ears”.
The RIAA, with one of the As standing for America, is owned by the Big Four record cartel. Only one of its members is American, in a manner of speaking. That’s Warner Music, USA. Warner was recently bought by a consortium led by Canada’s Edgar Bronfman Jr. The other members are Sony-BMG (Japan and Germany), UMG (France) and EMI (Britain).
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See:-
Task Force – ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT ANNOUNCES RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TASK FORCE, DoJ, October 12, 2004
David Israelite – The RIAA, MPAA, DoJ Coalition, October 13, 2004
online theft – raided schools – FBI’s Operation Fastlink, p2pnet, April 22, 2004
40 terabytes – GuidoZ – Gridlock and CWOTMAM, p2pnet, August 29, 2004
extradition treaties – U.S. Declares War on Intellectual Property Theft, Reuters, October 14, 2004
BSA – BSA weasels into schools, p2pnet, August 13, 2004
MPAA – MPAA: brainwashing children, April 27, 2004
FCC – FCC launches Kidszone, p2pnet, September 13, 2004
