Alarming new bill trying to be passed in US senate..pls read!

By DrunkenMaster
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Grand Master

DrunkenMaster

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I read a post about this on ShackNews which talks about a Security Systems Standards and Certification Act bill which is currently before the Senate. This by all means seems even worse than the DMCA. You can read the full text here

http://www.politechbot.com/docs/hollings.090701.html

This would mean, no custom building your computer and no open source or non-certified OS's like Linux or Unix. http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cf...226&STARTPAGE=1

according to the post below from Anandtech. Whjich seems right on the money.

This seems to be very much legit though I certainly hope it isn't. As a Candian resident/citizen, I feel completely powerless over this. However, I would encourage all Americans on this board to protest this to the House of Representatives and your local US Senator in the hopes that this bill is never passed. Hopefully, the DMCA can be reversed as well.

BTW, if any Americans have advise for me (a Canadian) on how to protest this law, I would be more than happy for input. This law would affect us all. Any device manufactured for Canada in the US would prob. have to accord by this law as well by my best guess.

DrunkenMaster

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sunnyy4

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Tarzin, Dingell, (ass)Hollings, and Stevens should be voted out of office for:

1. Violating our right of privacy

2. Violating what our country stands for

3. Where's our freedom of choice and free enterprise???

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Grand Master

radioboy

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Originally posted by ShOcKz1104

That can't be true. Even if it is it will never pass.

Edit: Ok so it looks real... i don't think it will pass.

That's what we said about the DMCA too.

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Grand Master

DrunkenMaster

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...which is all the more reason you have to make this get the attention of your local Senators and the House. The DMCA was the first step. I bet most Americans don't even know about the DMCA - the protest is coming from the tech community. The protest has to be even louder than the one for the DMCA in order to make sure it doesn't get passed.

Did everyone read the whole bill on the first link I provided? Look at the very bottom. "Fines of up to $500,000 AND up to 5 YEARS IN JAIL" (I had to bold that). Look guys, just like the DMCA, they want to add jail terms for violating this law. Could you imagine GOING TO JAIL for using an uncertified OS or hardware? Farfetched? I don't think I would want to wait for the bill to be passed to find out.

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TimeRider

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In the State where I live, it is a felony if you fail to pay child support. To the best of my knowledge, there are very few if any, deadbeat parents in jail under this law.

The legislation here, would be impossible to enforce. To make something illegal does not make it go away. It would require billions of dollars in enforcement to even begin to make a dent in this.

Not to mention the literally thousands of companies that produce, distribute and sell the hardware and software required to build a PC at home. I would say that even if such a bill were passed, it would be as toothless as the child support legislation in my State.

The cost to our country economically would be catastrophic. It would be like making it illegal to bake your own bread or be in possession of the necessary ingredients.

I wouldn't worry too much about it myself.

-TR

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nicedreams

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If America would accually let something like that happen, then I'd probably find a way to move to Canada or something. That's bull sh*t it they would let that pass. I love America, but I wouldn't consider it America anymore if that happend.

I've heard of that bill before and I've heard about a bill that Bush signed about how nothing like that can happen for like at least 2 years or more or something like that.

Anyways...It seems Bush is being shaddy anyways when he's buying his own oil researves and other stuff. It seems like he's really not as honest as I thought he was. I still think he's better than the other's even though Clinton did do a good job at keeping the country at a kind of stand still with no huge problems except for himself. Besides....their all human.

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Grand Master

shockz

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quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by ShOcKz1104

That can't be true. Even if it is it will never pass.

Edit: Ok so it looks real... i don't think it will pass.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's what we said about the DMCA too.

Whats the DMCA??? Sorry I really don't focus on the acts and law aspect of computers.

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jardragon901

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Originally posted by ShOcKz1104

Whats the DMCA??? Sorry I really don't focus on the acts and law aspect of computers.

*sigh*its the Digital Millinium Copyright Act, see this is why s##t like the DMCA gets passed.

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nicedreams

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You can't blame anyone for not knowing. It's not like it's on FOX news or anything or being talked about all the time. I'm so busy that Neowin is like my main source of news besides browsing through the paper when I get a chance.

It seems that most of the people out there using computers are idiot old people that think the CD tray is a coffee cup holder and no one company focuses on the advanced computer people like us. I guess the money isn't made in advanced users. I guess that's why there is Linux.

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Grand Master

shockz

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*sigh*its the Digital Millinium Copyright Act, see this is why s##t like the DMCA gets passed.

Ok.

BTW - why would u think that because I don't know what the DMCA is - is why it was passed???

What I am gonna do to prevent it from being passed... hold a march/protest outside Congress??? God :mad:

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sonicice

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Originally posted by ShOcKz1104

Ok.

BTW - why would u think that because I don't know what the DMCA is - is why it was passed???

What I am gonna do to prevent it from being passed... hold a march/protest outside Congress??? God :mad:

No, but you need to be informed about these things if you care about your rights and privacy at all. You don't have to march outside of Congress, but you do need to write your Congressmen/Senators if you want to preserve any integrity you, as an american citizen, have before the U.S. Government strips it all away.

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Grand Master

neowin_hipster

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I am Canadian, luckily, but Custom building computers with an OS dl from another country, such as a non-spyware version of Linux or Windows, isn't a crime. It's called freedom.

The penalties are far too harsh.

You can kill a man's dog, drive drunk, sell drugs, steal his car, and still get off easier than having or distributing a cracked version of Nero.

Who introduced the Bill anyways???

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Borg77

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Originally posted by Dessimat0r

Assimilate Senator Hollings into our collective and adapt his mind!

I totally agree and you should tell as many people as you can about this disservice to our country and our society. This Bill represents more control by the big companies and their greed for more money.

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Grand Master

divinatum

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mabye im just on crack, but arent there more important things for the US Gov't to worry about.. like umm.. i donno.. terrorists smuggiling biological weapons into the US?? i mean to me that seems a little more important than trying to stop selling parts to build computers.. but hey this is what our US Gov't worrys about.. just my opinion.. =

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Grand Master

DrunkenMaster

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Okay this is not the end for Canadians either people. I heard about this back in the Fall and thought of it as some stupid bluff.

The link below talks about the Canadian equivalent of the DMCA which has provisions for anti-circumvention etc. Basically, its an amendment to the Canadian Copyright Act

Check out the following link. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/rp00838e.html . There's info on town hall meetings which are (unfortunately during the school/work week). There's also PDF's linking to all the pertinent information. Hopefully, petition-online has something on there or a petition against this has already started.

And you know what, even if the signatures/protests do nothing it still sends a strong message. And those who aren't old enough to vote yet - remember who voted for the bill and don't vote for them and their party in the next election. That will send an even stronger message.

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Grappa

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mabye im just on crack, but arent there more important things for the US Gov't to worry about.. like umm.. i donno.. terrorists smuggiling biological weapons into the US?? i mean to me that seems a little more important than trying to stop selling parts to build computers.. but hey this is what our US Gov't worrys about.. just my opinion..

One thing citizens of a country should always be aware of are attempts to lessen their rights through legislation put forth "in the background" while something else big is going on.

Politicians often try to get stuff through using this method. The government has many branches and many employees; contrary to appearances they can handle more than one thing at a time. ;)

G

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