Anti p2p university act advances in House
A possible threat to the scene is getting much more real shapes. The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a step toward approving a Hollywood-backed spending bill requiring universities to consider offering “alternatives” and “technology-based deterrents” to illegal peer-to-peer file sharing. In the House Education and Labor Committee’s mammoth College Opportunity and Affordability Act (PDF) lies a tiny section, which dictates universities that participate in federal financial aid programs “shall” devise plans for “alternative” offerings to unlawful downloading, such as subscription-based services, or “technology-based deterrents to prevent such illegal activity.” The committee unanimously approved the bill Thursday.
The provisions do ask colleges, to the extent practicable, to develop plans for offering students alternative legal ways to file share, as well as plans to prevent file sharing, but this would not be included in the financial aid program participation agreements colleges enter into with the U.S. Department of Education,” committee spokeswoman Rachel Racusen said. More detailed analysis of the act is available at CNet. Needless to say, universities are most common location of scene topsites and uni networks are very often used by scene groups because of their speed counting in hundreds of Mbits per second.
Comments (28)
If this goes ahead it may give the students motivation to find a way past ISP throttling (My ISP responable for this).
ISP throttling sucks!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR
Damn I’m glad we moved to Canada.
Oh big deal .. connect through a VPN -_-
Get a bunch of buddies and cough up $5-$10 each
Wonder how much these so called senators get from Hollywood? My bet is in the millions.
lol, there’s a string loose in my underpantz and when I pull it I basically pull my penis around – ooolololol.
I’m from Sweden btw so that’s about how interesting this conversation is for me! – Us Swedes own this country, not like you US people who are owned by the state and corporates. (lol, owned).
Mulleboy you don’t even own the bed you sleep in little boy.
I got my bed from my neighbour when he moved :/
It still smells of “him”..
It’s not lupus.
Deceptive post title!
you watch too much tv z
Mulleboy makes a good point in his original post (kind of lost all reason after he got flamed by no one’s perfect). In many EU countries the people have a serious voice and what the people say makes a difference. In America the country is run by the state which is in turn run by big companies. Almost every bill in the US that is like this one, is passed because people within the power houses get a massive pay off. America runs on money and nothing more. If I had $50,000,000 US, I could probably get a bill passed that states everyone who sees me must lick my shoes.
America has a funny view of Freedom of Speech and the rights of its people. Anyone who thinks the US government is doing a good job and defends them, is a moron.
@JesusChristIt’sALion
i like Canada too, but they are worse than the US.
what is going on with this poor guy in Quebec who they want to lock up for two to five years for recording part of the movie ‘Dan in Real Life’??
talk about a facist state!
I think its stupud to try and pin the costs of controling P2P to the universities. if they want to run a losing war against pirates, so be it but why should a learning institution have to pay for it?
Here in India the government doesn’t even know what bit torrent is…lol.
Cyber laws were passed only in 2000 and that doesn’t even cover illegal file sharing now.
@11
Yeah, that’s true, but every country has it’s flaws, and to point out just one and say that that makes a country suck isn’t really a good way to go about it. It’s like saying that everyone in the US likes Bush.
My university just asked us NOT to dl warez between 8am and 3pm, besides that it was free for all
Yawn… Bush and USA hating is so 2004! And when Hillary is elected, the world will suddenly embrace America and be best of friends once again?
@15
that’s genious, lol
where?
Attempting to control p2p shareing in Canada is like trying to control pot.. they can make a bunch of noise and crucify a few, in the end it’s just a waste of $ and time
Sure go ahead laugh at the U.S., but realize if you don’t get organized, and support P2P, these other groups that are working to change laws, will eventually succeed in your country as well.
Sweden isn’t isolated, and even North Korea, which is renown to be the most isolated government finds itself at the table. Canada politics is no different than U.S., and to think them politicians wouldn’t succumb to MPAA and RIAA money is a laugh on you…
To see these stupid comments continue, just shows how little your cause will fail, allowing others to go down simple because your not willing to stand up, get organized and get the system to support your cause…
The Internet is changing, and unless you CARE to insure it remains in your cause, it’s going to be DRMed by those to control you… to make more profits…
I say, your chickens… afraid to care enough to lobby your governments, and stand up for those fighting your cause if even in other countries… which are no less the same cause.
Think about it…
When you fail to demonstrate adequate concern for the freedom of others, you embolden and empower those who want to take yours away.
All business issues are related to political issues, and in the end, every important political and social issue has relevance to business!
I agree Blue. I believe the issue faceing North America runs far deeper than internet control. The civil liberties and freedoms of the 3 main countries are erodeing away by the day. Not to mention the possibility of the Amero. Steps must be taken before all the power is taken away from us. On such things as Internet, Currancy and Trade. Act now before yer a just a # on a chip!
http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1028_3-6218834.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
I will stick with my NNTP Server, Newsgroups rule and been around even before the internet. Torrents are for people who dont know what they are doing. Newsgroups are lighting quick and you arent waiting on “Joe Blows computer” using “Joe Blows Bandwidth” and when “Joe Blow” decides to shut off his computer your on his beck and call!!!!
@16 HAHAHAHAHA @ the hilary part, don’t make me sick!!!!!!!!
@Blue
Totally agree! We can also fight the DRM devils by refusing to purchase products containing DRM. We dont need their music and videos anyway, that is really how they are trying to enslave us.
By making us all think we need to see the latest movie from Hollywood or hear music from the latest recording industry star. If we all just ignore them and refuse to bow down and fall for their tricks, they would have option but to capitulate to our desires.
The best way we can hurt them is not to fund them. We can find other avenues of entertainment that wont fill the pockets of the DRM devils.
But when simple eye-candy crap like Transformers can supply the enemy with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ammunition, that shows we have a tough battle ahead.
A main problem trying to help lobby this kind of issue is that there small tidbit paragraghs in a major 200pg spending bill that must pass. Most congress men don’t read the small attachments, only the main bill which if they vote against because of little things noone knows are included their reputation will be smeared.
This is the nonsence you want changed!
@don #22
for us people that are part of private torrent sites, the speed owns Usenet, nntp servers, news servers, what ever you wana call it.
i have never gotten over 6 MBS on my news server, i have been getting speed of 11 MBs on torrent site and the rls time on some private trackers are way faster then Usenet.
@26 Isis
OMG plz tell me your ISP. Comcast supposedly gives me 10 down 1 up but my torrents download at 200kbs on average though I’ve seen it go to 1000 although rare with only 50kbs upload. I thought they were throttling it, but they claim not to be. Anyone tell me if this could be my config. of my bittorrent?
Many universities have already done this. I think alot of them offered rhapsody.
Anyways, most of them stopped after they realized it was a gigantic failure. Most students knew they would get all thier music deleted when they graduated unless they paid for a subscription for the rest of thier life. Therefore they were just wasting thier money.
I read it in TIME or Newsweek years ago.