Re: Bill Gates wants to put you in jail

["Erick Andrews" <eandrews@star.net>]

  On Wed, 17 Dec 1997 12:57:38 -0500 (EST), Jordan Pollack wrote:
  
  >
  >>Penance for Pirates
  >>by Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com)
  >
  >I brought the "No Electronic Theft" bill up on AM-Info the day after
  >it passed congress.  Money can certainly buy laws.  Just like dope
  >possession or tax evasion, if the govt wants you, it can scan your
  >hard disk or your video library.
  >
  >read it at: http://www.tndagc.com/juryinst/39_02.htm
  >
  >The operative phrase is extending "financially benefit" from those
  >selling illegally copied IP to individuals illegally "receiving" IP.
  >(obviously you financially benefit by saving the license fees you would
  >otherwise pay).
  >
  >With this law, and the "no receipt of cellular calls" crisis following
  >Gingrich's embarrassment in florida, a law in tennesee for instance
  >(http://www.tndagc.com/juryinst/39_02.htm), it may be time for ACLU to
  >reassert OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO RECEIVE, AND KEEP PERSONAL USE
  >COPIES, OF ALL BROADCAST INFORMATION. You can't resell it, but you can
  >keep and use it. You can tape off the TV. You can tape off the
  >radio. You can receive police radar speed signals.
  >
  <snip>
  
  I thought that the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) is intended to
  give the FCC legitimacy in enforcing ALL laws related to wire and wireless 
  communications, public and private.  So, within the framework of additional
  laws to put a finer point on content, I wonder what rights I now have if I had 
  a diode in my head?  Yeah, I know I can't tell you what I just heard on my
  police scanner...even verbally...unless you were here listening with me.
  
  One draws the conclusion that the lines between public and private 
  communications are indeed becoming more blurred.
  
  Erick