Recording industry association wants to inhibit MP3 transmission

I would like to bring to your attention the latest onslaught that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has brought upon the general public. Recently the association has tried to attach a rider to the USA Act, the anti-terrorist act that is intended to ease restrictions on wire-taps (among other things). The association wants to make it legal for the artists, or anyone they authorize to hack into a computer and delete any copyrighted MP3 files on that system to prevent the further infringement or transmission. They also want to be immune to damage done to other files and resources on the system due to their efforts. I find that this is completely outrageous. They basically want the license to hack into private computer systems and perform a form of vigilante justice, taking the law into their own hands. As of Monday afternoon, the rider was not in the passed House or Senate version of the bill, but the bill is now in the Revision Committee. It is unlikely that the rider will be included, but this should serve as a wake-up call to the general public. If this sort of legislation is ever passed, it would open the floodgates to anyone who produces any kind of copyrighted software to attack people at will. It is important that we all keep abreast of such legislation which is introduced into Congress and respond to our legislators with fierce opposition to these advances. We should watch the Recording Industry Association of America especially closely, because they attempted to pass this legislation on a bill that was absolutely guaranteed to pass. It is true that we are in a time of "war", but we should not give up our most closely held ideals such as justice and due process.

Seth Foote

Sophomore, Schools of Engineering

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