On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 13:56:46 -0600 Owen Robertson <univac2_at_earthlink.net>
writes:
> on 3/29/02 12:47 PM, jeff.kaneko_at_juno.com at jeff.kaneko_at_juno.com
> wrote:
>
> >> This will require lots of work to defeat, I think, as
> >> the politicians have bought into the fantasy that a
> >> pirated copy of something conctitutes a lost sale.
> >
> > Even if it does pass, there's nothing *anyone* can do
> > about it. Everyone (who matters) will ignore it.
>
> Well I seriously doubt than anyone will go along with this,
> even if it is passed. But didn't the people who came up with
> this consult people who know something about computers
> and software?
Surely you jest. This is *LEGISLATION* remember? It has
almost nothing to do with the real world. The only people
lawmakers consult when writing legislation, are the people
who sign the checks.
> If they had, surely someone would have explained
> to them that this is: A) total shit, and B) impossible to
> enforce.
Part "A" is actually true of *any* legislation made in the
past twenty years (probably even further back than that).
It's almost a requirement.
Part "B" is irrelevant, because the whole legislative
exercise in this country is about getting re-elected, and
aquiring the money to achieve this end. Period. If
it pleases the guys who sign the checks (and if the
aforementioned checks have the requisite number of
digits), it will become law-- one way or another.
> I'm not very 'up' on intellectual property laws, but
> how can they *force* programmers, both corporate
> employees and individuals, to do this?
That's just it: They can't, at least not without
spending massive amounts of money (which we don't
have) on enforcement. It's little more than a game.
Geez, look what you've done-- now I need a beer!
After that, I think I'm going to practise my kung-fu
on this here soapbox . . . .
Jeff
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Received on Fri Mar 29 2002 - 14:16:09 GMT