New Laws Proposed for Attempted Copyright Infringement

Nothing like causing a firestorm when your job is being threatened by everyone other than your patron. Alberto Gonzales is proposing new laws about copyright infringement including one that calls for stiff penalties for "attempted" copyright infringement. So what does that mean exactly? Landing on a pirate site somewhere? Who knows.

Also of note, the new proposal (The Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007) calls for a sentence of life imprisonment for using pirated software if it was used to cause harm or death.

Other penalties are stiffened in the proposal as well as provisions making it easier to seize computers and equipment.

What's interesting is that some of the speculation is that the Democrats (who are in Hollywood's back pocket on these issues) may be easing up on attacking Gonzales with a quid pro quo on this. Ya gotta love politics. Or maybe you don't.

Via CNET

Dave Winer has a post on this as well.