MPAA vs. Net anonymity, AB 1143

Major Variola (ret.) mv at cdc.gov
Tue Jul 15 10:35:39 PDT 2003


Studios Stage Fight Against Internet Bill
                    By Jon Healey, Times Staff Writer

                    The Hollywood studios are fighting a
behind-the-scenes
                    battle in Sacramento to derail a bill they say would

                    promote online piracy  though the bill has little
to do
                    with downloading movies.

                    Actually, the fight may have more to do with who's
                    behind the legislation: the Electronic Frontier
Foundation,
                    a civil liberties and technology advocacy group that

                    frequently opposes the studios' anti-piracy
initiatives.

                    The measure by Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo
Alto)
                    would help Internet users maintain the anonymity
they
                    have in chat rooms and elsewhere on the Internet
when
                    sued in state court for something they said or did
online.

                    Passed by the Assembly on June 2 and scheduled for a

                    Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today, AB 1143
                    would require Internet services to notify customers
of
                    subpoenas seeking their identities and give
customers 30
                    days to challenge the requests in court.

                    Because it would apply to lawsuits in state courts,
the bill
                    wouldn't affect people accused of pirating movies or

                    other copyrighted works online. Copyright cases are
                    heard in federal court.
<snip>
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mpaa15jul15,1,5900411.story?coll=la-home-todays-times





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