DSC_0046-800
What you GOT?
Why do Democrats vote for things like the ProIP Act?
A question: Why do Democrats vote for things like the ProIP Act?The act essentially creates a federal copyright police to do the RIAA’s and MPAA’s bidding, like seizing computers merely suspected of a single act of infringement (to name just one of the adjustments to the criminal statute).
It’s just another in the long line of bi-partisan copyright overreach that’s been happening over the last 15 years (see also the Bono Act and the DMCA). Of all the organizations out there that people hate, I’d bet the RIAA and MPAA are up there with the cell phone companies and cable companies. Why should taxpayer dollars be wasted on them and their dying business models, not to mention the further erosion of our civil liberties?
More broadly, why is intelligent IP policy so hard to come by from our congress?
Here’s more on the bill:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/12/pro-ip-act-increase-infringement-penalties-and-drastically-expand-government-enfor
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/09/house-passes-bill-th.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9829826-38.html
Here’s the vote:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2008-300
Here are the Nays:
Nay VA-9 Boucher, Frederick [D]
Nay CA-4 Doolittle, John [R]
Nay TN-2 Duncan, John [R]
Nay AZ-6 Flake, Jeff [R]
Nay OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]
Nay CA-16 Lofgren, Zoe [D]
Nay WI-4 Moore, Gwen [D]
Nay TX-14 Paul, Ronald [R]
Nay TX-2 Poe, Ted [R]
Nay GA-3 Westmoreland, Lynn [R]
Nay AK-0 Young, Donald [R]
