Re: [tlug] OT: government getting ready to inspect your iPod, laptop without probable cause

[Scott Robbins <scottro@example.com>]

On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 09:23:03PM -0600, David J Iannucci wrote:
> > The record industry is trying to make ripping CDs illegal, so they
> > want to have DRM only downloads on an iPod. In other words if it is
> > not digitally signed it is not legal.
> 
> 
> I'm sure it's legal to rip your own legitimately purchased CDs for use
> in portable players... I'm pretty sure that's true in the US anyway...
> so if you say you own the CDs, how can they possibly prove otherwise?

The trouble is that (this has been covered in the US press) that
basically, they can do what they want and at that moment, they are
answerable to no one. 

Obama has promised, if he is elected, to retrieve our civil liberties.
("our" being the US.)

Hopefully he will.  Otherwise, Ayn Rand's old statement that the whole
point is to make enough laws so that you can always get someone for
something becomes more and more true. 

Of course, believing a politician's promises is not always the wisest
thing to do.  :)

Apropos of nothing, this reminds me of the Mark Twain line, considering
that it was Congress who was more or less responsible for this.

------------------
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Congress.  But I repeat myself.

-- 
Scott Robbins
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