By nate@arstechnica.com (Nate Anderson), Ars Technica – April 01, 2010 at 04:24PM
So, have you heard about this crazy new bill in the Senate, S. 4110 (PDF)? Yeah, we hadn’t either, but apparently it will put an end to the entire Internet in the guise of protecting copyright holders.
Titled “Protecting America’s Greatest Treasure Act of 2010,” the new bill finds “that any uncompensated access to intellectual property undermines the fabric of society and will lead to untold Very Bad Things.” In addition, Congress believes that “we, as a country, have an obligation to Think of the Children.” That’s why all network engineers are classed as “enablers” of online copyright infringement and must monitor their networks and report violations immediately.
The bill also sets up a Cultural Protection Administration that “shall protect the interests of Members, as such Members are the true standard bearers of everything that is great and good about America.” One of its jobs shall be to screen films for Congressional staff, and the screenings “should take place, to the extent possible, in luxurious yet intimate theaters.”
Yes, it’s a joke. Copyright law might seem an unlikely subject for an April Fools’ Day joke, but Public Knowledge has found a way. The prank’s comedic value is limited—but you try writing a hilarious fake bill.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation also got into the fun today, taking aim at “three strikes” Internet disconnection laws. According to the EFF, “EU negotiators reportedly prefer a ‘carding’ system. ISPs that receive complaints would issue ‘yellow cards’ and ‘red cards,’ tracking the official penalty system of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).”
“These sports analogies are antithetical to the spirit of the open Internet,” said EFF International Director Gwen
Hinze. “The Internet is much more like the Force, which as Obi-Wan taught us all, ‘surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.’ Evil Sith-Imperial complaints should not result in an individual being severed from the Force. That’s clearly preposterous.”
What’s your take? Funny—or should these groups stick to the lawyering and leave the comedy to others?
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