[NYTr] US Copyright Laws Bring New Meaning to 'Long Arm of the Law'

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

[Many of us are more outraged by extra-territorial US outrages such as 
fining foreign companies and individuals because they do business with
Cuba than we are about this nonsense. But it, too, is an example of
the US seeking to dictate behavior all over the world to suit its own
profits and policies -- even if it's about silly stuff like cartoons, TV
shows, games, videos and music. See the original URL for more info.
-NY Tranfer]

sent by MichaelP (activ-l) - Aug 27, 2007

ZeroPaid.com
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8973/US+Copyright+Laws+Bringing+New+Meaning+to+Long+Arm+of+the+Law

US Copyright Laws Bringing New Meaning to 'Long Arm of the Law'

An Australian man had never been to the US nor ever even owned a 
passport, but thanks to US copyright laws he's currently serving a 
15-month sentence in a US jail.

Hew  Griffiths  was  convicted  by a Federal Court in Virginia back in 
June  of  this  year  for being a ring leader of DrinkOrDie or DOD, an 
underground  software  piracy  network,  but  the  case is interesting 
because  he  never actually set foot in the United States nor did ever 
actually profit from his copyright infringing activities.

Griffiths  was  living in Berkeley Vale in the Central Coast Region of 
NSW,  Australia  before  he  was  detained  and  jailed by authorities 
seeking  to  extradite  him  to  the  United Sates as requested. After 
fighting  extradition  for  almost  3  years,  Griffiths  was  finally 
extradited  from  Australia  to  the  US  and on February 20, 2007, he 
appeared  before Magistrate Judge Barry R. Portez of the U.S. District 
Court  in  Alexandria,  Virginia.  He  would  later  plead  guilty and 
ultimately  be  sentenced  to  51-months in jail, all but 15-months of 
which  were  credited as time served based on his years in the custody
of Australian authorities while fighting extradition.

What  makes the affair so particularly alarming is that any Aussie who 
violates  US copyright laws in excess of $1000 USD could also face the 
same fate as he.

Many  think that this is easy to avoid, that by simply not engaging in 
illegal  file-sharing  or  properly  paying for all music and software 
obtained  that  a similar fate won't befall them. Yet, what many don't 
realize  is  that  simple  things  like  removing DRM protections from 
music,  making  a  backup  of  a DVD or a CD, or copying software onto 
multiple  household  PCs  without  proper  licensing  can also just as 
easily  rack  up copyright infringement damages that could guarantee a 
spot in US custody.

All  of  this  has some in Australia rightfully upset with the current 
state of copyright laws and many are clamoring for much needed reform.

It's  no  longer a matter of trying to distribute content illegally en 
masse  online,  but  rather  simply  that  of  trying to use purchased 
content  as one sees fit. Things like TV time-shifting(think Slingbox, 
DVR,  and  recording)  and  data  sharing(think  guitar  tabs,  sewing 
patterns, and game guides), have made many wary of running afoul of US 
copyright laws and landing an unwanted seat on "con-air."

With US laws increasingly infringing on the neutrality of the internet 
with  things like a ban on gambling, user privacy vis a vis server log 
subpoenas,  and  the demand that foreign music sites like Allofmp3.com
pay US-decided  royalties not those of its own country, net neutrally
has never been an important issue.

But,  it  seems  so  long as US laws work in favor of US companies and 
special  interest  groups  that  that the problems and challenges they 
mean  for the free flow of ideas, thoughts, and information around the 
world are disregarded.

Maybe  if  more  web  sites  and consumers in other countries ought to 
actually  do  what TorrentSpy did today and simply cut us loose. Maybe 
only then would we see a groundswell of public support in this country
for much need copyright reform and network neutrality legislation.