MPAA admits working on AG letter
p2pnet.net News:- A major scandal involving the motion picture industry and the California attorney general’s office is breaking with news that a Hollywood lobbyist admits having worked on an official ‘warning letter’ American AGs may send to p2p operators next month.
“”We view with grave concern reports that at least some P2P software developers may be adding features deliberately designed to hinder law enforcement in its prosecution of crimes using P2P software,” says the letter. “Companies that engage in such conduct, and fail to meet the important responsibilities referenced above, harm the interests of consumers in our States.
“It is widely recognized that P2P file-sharing software currently is used almost exclusively to disseminate pornography, and to illegally trade copyrighted music, movies, software and video games. File-sharing software also is increasingly becoming a means to disseminate computer worms and viruses. Nevertheless, your company still does little to warn consumers about the legal and personal risks they face when they use your software to ’share’ copyrighted music, movies and computer software. A failure to prominently and adequately warn consumers, particularly when you advertise and sell paid versions of your software, could constitute, at the very least, a deceptive trade practice.”
The letter was prepared by California attorney general Bill Lockyer’s office but edited by Vans Stevenson, who reports directly to MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) boss Jack Valenti.
“They [Lockyer's office] sought our input,” Stevenson, MPAA senior vice president for state legislative affairs, is quoted as saying in a Reuters story here. “We didn’t write the letter.”
Lockyer, who’s president of the National Association of Attorneys General, will apparently be looking for other AGs to back his letter when they meet this week.
The letter has so many factual errors that P2P United, the trade group repesenting the major commercial p2p operators, wonders if it’s a fake.
