http://politics.slashdot.org/story/09/10/31/1547221/Lawmakers-Caught-Again-B... """ An anonymous reader writes "A document, apparently a 'confidential House ethics committee report,' was recently leaked through file-sharing software to the Washington Post. According to the article, 'The committee's review of investigations became available on file-sharing networks because of a junior staff member's use of the software while working from home.' Of course, P2P software is entirely at fault for this incident. If you begin seeing more interest in DRM from Congress, you now know why." Reader GranTuring points out that the RIAA took the opportunity to make a ridiculous statement of their own. They said, "the disclosure was evidence of a need for controls on peer-to-peer software to block the improper or illegal exchange of music." """ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/29/AR2009102904... """ Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry AN ACCIDENTAL DISCLOSURE Document was found on file-sharing network House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July. The report appears to have been inadvertently placed on a publicly accessible computer network, and it was provided to The Washington Post by a source not connected to the congressional investigations. The committee said Thursday night that the document was released by a low-level staffer. The ethics committee is one of the most secretive panels in Congress, and its members and staff members sign oaths not to disclose any activities related to its past or present investigations. Watchdog groups have accused the committee of not actively pursuing inquiries; the newly disclosed document indicates the panel is conducting far more investigations than it had revealed. Shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, the committee chairman, Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), interrupted a series of House votes to alert lawmakers about the breach. She cautioned that some of the panel's activities are preliminary and not a conclusive sign of inappropriate behavior. "No inference should be made as to any member," she said. """" http://copyrightsandcampaigns.blogspot.com/2009/10/house-ethics-committee-st... """ The Washington Post just published a great scoop, getting its hands on a confidential internal memo compiled by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (aka the Ethics Committee) that summarizes ongoing investigations into possible wrongdoing by 30 members and several staffers. And how did such a highly sensitive document become public? According to a statement released by the committee's chairwoman and ranking member: "Neither the Standards Committee's nor the House's information systems have been breached in any way. Our initial review suggests that this unlawful access to confidential information involved the use of peer-to-peer file sharing software on the personal computer of a junior staffer, who is no longer employed by the Committee, while working from home." You heard that right: a staffer on the Ethics Committee was using "peer-to-peer file sharing software" at home. Of course, I'm sure this highly ethical staffer was simply "sharing" the King James Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and The Odyssey... """ Note the disparagement of p2p there on all sides. :-( Email is peer-to-peer. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BLKSFO0&show_article=1 """ The Recording Industry Association of America said the disclosure was evidence of a need for controls on peer-to-peer software to block the improper or illegal exchange of music. Some lawmakers have tried for years to bring this about. Mitch Bainwol, the group's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "It's now happening (in) Congress' backyard, and that should be a powerful catalyst to enact real reforms to protect consumers." """ Note how RIAA, whose current business model has been to sue consumers, is saying they are all about "protecting" consumers. To see who else they are "protecting", see: :-) "Courtney Love does the math" http://www.salon.com/technology/feature/2000/06/14/love/print.html "The controversial singer takes on record label profits, Napster and "sucka VCs." ... Today I want to talk about piracy and music. What is piracy? Piracy is the act of stealing an artist's work without any intention of paying for it. I'm not talking about Napster-type software. I'm talking about major label recording contracts. ..." (I think someone else wrote something like that first about the music industry, the Love borrowed much of it from.) --Paul Fernhout http://www.pdfernhout.net/ _______________________________________________ p2presearch mailing list p2presearch@listcultures.org http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/p2presearch_listcultures.org ----- End forwarded message ----- -- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org ______________________________________________________________ ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820 http://www.ativel.com http://postbiota.org 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE