Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 14:26:08 -0400
From: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor)
Subject: Congress Covets Copyright Cops
To: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor)


[Note from Matthew Gaylor: Freematt's Alerts is read by several 
alphabet agencies, the US Justice Department and the computer crimes 
head of my local police department, The Columbus [OH] Police 
Department.  Several agencies, including the FBI had a meeting this 
past Monday in Columbus on the topic of establishing a new task frce 
that will concentrate on "child porn, intrusions and other relevant 
subjects" to happen by 2002.  The Detective mentioned that there was 
no talk of enforcing the DMCA.  Which will presumably be coordinated 
via the new congressional allocation detailed below.]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,45608,00.html?tw=wn20010728

Congress Covets Copyright Cops
By Declan McCullagh

2:00 a.m. July 28, 2001 PDT

WASHINGTON -- If you've ever contemplated violating the Digital 
Millennium Copyright Act, be warned: Congress is set to more than 
double the number of federal copyright cops.

A draft of next year's budget includes plans to hire far more Justice 
Department attorneys and FBI agents who are charged with placing more 
pirates in prison.

This comes one week after Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke in 
Mountain View, California, about the threat of online piracy. In the 
same week, geek protesters demanded the release of Dmitry Sklyarov, a 
Russian programmer arrested on felony copyright charges.

That's exactly what should be happening, according to a Senate 
committee report. In an apparent reference to the prosecution, it 
says: "The committee is aware that the FBI has launched an initiative 
to investigate violations of federal copyright laws protecting 
certain marketed software applications. The committee supports FBI 
efforts..."

The Senate has earmarked $10 million for copyright prosecutions, 
enough money for 155 agents and attorneys in the fiscal year starting 
in October. That's up from a current $4 million allocated for 75 
positions.

Copyright holders, who applauded the prosecution of Sklyarov on 
charges of violating the controversial DMCA, said they hoped the 
additional cash will put more DMCA pirates and copyright thieves 
behind bars.

[...]



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