Since we have been talking about copyright and intellectual property thorughout the semester, and the fact that I have spilled my guts to you guys about disregarding the law as we know it, I thought this was pretty interesting. According to Gizmodo, a technology blog, the MPAA and RIAA have submitted documents to the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement for a plan to put spyware on everybody’s computers to retrieve infringing material.
A submission on Slashdot says, “The joint comment filed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) requests anti-infringement software on all home computers, pervasive copyright filtering, border searches, forced US intellectual property policies on foreign nations and a joint departmental agency to combat infringement during major releases.”
I find this to be very extreme. These businesses are attempting to have Congress compromise our Constitutional Rights. What about free speech? What about right to privacy? I think (and pray) that the government has better things to do than play music/movie cops. Also, shouldn’t the MPAA and RIAA consider repricing their products at a more reasonable rate or rethink their business models because their products are so easily transferrable with digital technologies?
Ethix2.0 
I feel the same way as you and understand your concerns about these stricter rules. It feels a bit like “big Brother is watching you”. Watching us closer and making everyone feel like a criminal is not going to help or solve the situation over night. I do agree that it is wrong for companies to expect people to surrender their constitutional rights just so they can make the big bucks on their goods. I agree that prices on movies and music should go down, but I don’t think this will just end stealing. There will always be people that feel that a cd or movie is just a little too expensive. This issue of watching and surveillance is bigger then you or me and an issue that will not be solved in the near future.
I agree with Lizzy that the protection of copyright material is important and yes, these corporations should address the issue… but yikes, what a creepy way to do it!
This program is good in theory (for its purpose), but I have faith that there would be ways around it in a matter of hours after it hits the market.
So Orwell got that wrong: big brother isn’t actually your neighborhood friendly big government – it’s actually your neighborhood friendly big business! This is taking greed to a different level. This is no longer about property rights or intellectual property – this is about being *******. Plain and simple.
Sometimes I sit and wonder weather Marx was right, that there would be a workers revolution and such.
I definitely see a huge problem with this idea and the different infringements it will play on our rights, however I am sadly not too surprised. I just dont see how they could rationalize going to this extreme just because the business model that is laid out is not working at the moment. I really have a hard time seeing this going through under Obama’s administration, but fear a more conservative president wouldnt think twice about it.. ohhh the fun we have to look forward to