Under arrest for file sharing
p2pnet.net News Feature:- Remember Bill Evans, the guy who founded Boycott-RIAA.com and more or less single-handedly got the ball rolling against Big Music’s main US enforcer?
He’s no longer associated with the site, but he’s still around and his wit is as acid as ever.
Here’s his take of news that the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) has likened its action against file sharers to legal fights aimed at battling drunken driving.
Read on >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
British bobby: (cop, to North Americans ; ) Step out of the car sir.
Suspected file sharer: Why, what did I do?
British bobby: You were seen on the internet and we have reason to believe you were (pause) file sharing.
ISuspected file sharer: It wasn’t me.
British bobby: Well, we’ll determine that and if you are innocent you have nothing to worry about.
Suspected file sharer: Oh, OK.
British bobby: To begin, spell BitTorrent.
Suspected file sharer: B-I-T-T-O-R-R-E-N-T
British bobby: That’s correct. Now spell Grokster.
Suspected file sharer: G-R-O-K-S-T-E-R
British bobby: That’s correct. (casts eyes toward partner, almost imperceptable nod)
Suspected file sharer: One last thing.
Suspected file sharer: Uh —- OK.
British bobby: Would you turn around and place your hands behind your back? (CLICK)
Suspected file sharer: HUH?
British bobby: You’re under arrest for suspicion of file sharing. You can spell the names of two well-known file sharing applications, and we noticed you were listening to Eminem. According to the IFPI, three out of four copies of that music is illegal, so you must have been file sharing.
You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney, if you can’t afford one TOUGH SHIT KID!
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See:-
drunken driving – Is file sharing like drunk driving?, p2pnet, March 14, 2005
March 14th, 2005 at 11:14 pm
As usual Bill’s right on the money. todays police agencies are being trained by the entertainment industry.
-Rick-
March 14th, 2005 at 11:51 pm
The file sharer is safe from prosecution because the Bobby read him his rights the American way. The British version starts “You are not obliged to say anything…”
Appalled by the cultural insensitivity.
March 15th, 2005 at 12:11 am
But Bill is an American, who has never be arrested in Jolly Ole England.
March 15th, 2005 at 12:39 am
File downloading, uploading or sharing is NOT a criminal offence in the UK
For that matter, the BPI admit they can do nothing about downloaders
This article is fantasy, pure crud
March 15th, 2005 at 1:14 am
well duh… can you say “satire”? i didn’t think so…
March 15th, 2005 at 4:42 am
Some people need to get a sense of humor!!!! Lighten up dude. Come back from the Darkside!!!!! Bill is your father!!!!
March 15th, 2005 at 9:07 am
We can soon change that…
:->
March 16th, 2005 at 3:15 am
please.
i have relatives who were killed in a drink/drive accident and i find this insulting. who can compare looking at a book in a library to 1st degree murder?!?!
the legal profession not only practice this now, but will do far into the future and i feel its my duty to defend the innocent people who use the ‘net solely for information to tell their ISP of their intention to gain information without the publishers right, even if your r looking at a URL. surely this is the same felony/crime/charge?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!
March 16th, 2005 at 4:03 am
this is the classic conundrum. move forward
March 16th, 2005 at 5:43 am
Actually the Correct arrest procedure is:
“You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned anything that you later rely on in court. also anything you do say may be used in evidence against you”.
As an afterthought I am a police Officer and I think that having to arrest people for listening to music on the internet is disgusting and should they ever come and attempt to check my pc (I havent got any actually) they will find themselves being prosecuted under the Human Rights act for a right to a private and safe life free from persecution, it would also fall under the right never to recive torture having to listen to half of the crap that they produce today anyway*
Yours ATRADES xXx
March 16th, 2005 at 7:14 am
no shit.
March 16th, 2005 at 11:41 am
You dirty, rotten file sharers deserve all you get!…And so do I!..(ps…..is Overnet and WinMX not proper file sharing then?:)
I would hate to go to prison for downloading a song by Kylie Minogue!…
But lets face it…If you BUY a song by her…you deserve to go to prison anyway!
March 16th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
I agree with you completely. I also think its disgusting to compare filesharing (which may hurt music industry profits a tiny bit) with drink-driving which is responsible for killing hundreds people every year just in the UK and also for seriously injuring many more.
March 16th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
Ummm…. “Suspected file sharer: One last thing.”. Shouldn’t that be “British Bobby: One last thing.”?
March 16th, 2005 at 9:00 pm
Actually, copyright infringement is a weird situation in the UK. You can be arrested for it. You can also go to jail because of it (depending on the situation). Look at case law, you will find many cases of people being arrested for copyright infringement.