eCommerce Times: Proposed Bill Would Criminalize File-Sharing

A congressional panel is scheduled to act this afternoon on a bill that would criminalize some Internet file sharing in the manner that federal drug laws make "dealing" a crime. The eCommerce Times piece implies that the bill outlaws file sharing, but the text makes illegal only file sharing copyrighted materials.

Where copyright violations through file sharing have traditionally been fodder for civil courts - with egregious examples being the exception - some in Congress hope to task the Justice Department with some enforcement responsibilities for keeping music and video copyrights pristine.

An Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney termed the bill a way for the music industry to have the government subsidize its "sue all American music fans" strategy.