New Police State a'comin?

**Beatnik** · 05-27-2008, 11:52 PM

Looks like we may need to hide or encrypt those movies we rip to our hard drives to conserve battery power on long flights, if the RIAA gets its way.

As absurd as that notion is, this is scary stuff.

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...ndustry-police

their source article:
http://www.9to5mac.com/orwellian_nightmare

This is as ridiculous as it is dystopian. Which is a hard feat to pull off when you think about it. Orwellian nightmare, indeed!

bleckuhffinity · 05-28-2008, 12:00 AM

I don't even understand how'd they'd be able to tell whether something was illegally copied or not. I have lots of CDs that I ripped alongside downloaded files on my hard drive and they're absolutely indistinguishable. It just seems totally unfeasible.

**Santa** · 05-28-2008, 12:34 AM

Seems like its only customs (for now anyway) so you should be okay in domestic flight. I dont think theyd be able to get away with it domestically because its so obviously a breach of rights, and they cant put the "national security" tag on it since its just ripped music.

**Tybalt** · 05-28-2008, 12:47 AM

Seems unworkable for many reasons... but ya never know.

**icky** · 05-28-2008, 12:48 AM

If someone starts inspecting files anywhere, they are going to be subjected to the biggest and most foul (but legal) multimedia experience I can assemble.

**Tybalt** · 05-28-2008, 01:59 AM

A thousand goat.se photos renamed to Metallica and U2 tracks?

**-F33- derdmeh** · 05-28-2008, 02:05 AM

just when i thought i had brought my life almost completely in line with the law, this happens. i think they just want me to feel like i have something to hide.

**Bommando** · 05-28-2008, 02:42 AM

The chances of them employing enough tech-savvy people to make this a possibility is slim to none. I seriously doubt this will go through anyway. The whole process is a nightmare and I expect that anyone doing these inspections will probably be fooled by simply marking the files as hidden. Imagine the cost of employing and / or training a workforce to track down these files on a laptop. Will the copyright owners be subsidising this, or taxpayers?

I wonder whether they have the right to force me to login to my computer? What if I forgot my password? Will they break apart my hard drive platters on-site to get at my files? Can they arrest me for forgetting my password?

This whole thing is stupid.

**icky** · 05-28-2008, 03:55 AM

I suspect that it is just a case of a story which traveled around and was misunderstood at several steps along the way. A more likely scenario is that they plan on establishing a multinational copyright policing agreement so that it is easier for feds here to request that feds in another country arrest an individual. In the event of such an arrest, they would then confiscate your electronics in an effort to capture the evidence, as they do today in all such cases. Whether or not they are required to provide a solid enough case before taking such action is the great debate. We can only hope so. Save us EFF, you're our only hope!

Meers007 · 05-28-2008, 04:02 AM

"Excuse me sir, you have a Sony Vaio laptop. That's copyrighted. I'm afraid that I'll have to confiscate that."

Also, for those in the States, it violates the 4th amendment, which secures your right to your papers, unless the police have a warrant. I'd like to see them get a warrant for every fucking person in the airport.

Also, hidden folders ftw.

Also, The Inquirer does not sound like a reputable source.