"Indeed, so rare and precious are the fruits of [the music industry's] labor that it, unique among the world's enterprises, deserves to have the rules of decent civil behavior suspended."

April 16, 2001 3:17 AM

"Indeed, so rare and precious are the fruits of [the music industry's] labor that it, unique among the world's enterprises, deserves to have the rules of decent civil behavior suspended." Illegal (even by Taiwan's laws) search-and-seizure of university students' computers. 14 students will be made an example of and 'prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'... for mp3s. In East Asia, where apparently the record companies have no one better to pick on than college students. *cough*
posted by darukaru (8 comments total)

This is similar to US law enforcement's actions against suspected hackers. Don't think this type of thing couldn't happen here, the only thing to prevent it is the threat of bad publicity from doing it in the US. What constitutes "probable cause" for a search these days is pretty slim stuff.
posted by Outlawyr at 8:47 AM on April 16, 2001

Most disconcerting is the potential effect on international travelers. Will we now be required to provide some proof that we have no contraband MP3s on our laptops when traveling overseas? Likely not, but I expect that there will be giant scrolling signs like those proclaiming "PORNOGRAPHY IS CONTRABAND IN JAPAN" at Tokyo's Narita airport.
posted by shagoth at 9:48 AM on April 16, 2001

Napster took it far in one direction. The recording industry is taking it far the other way. An equilibrium will be reached eventually. Let's just hope it's soon...
posted by fooljay at 11:03 AM on April 16, 2001

Wait, you mean extreme positions result in moderate positions? Like in the abortion debate? Israel?
posted by Outlawyr at 11:26 AM on April 16, 2001

Most people don't feel as strongly about mp3s as they do about abortion & religion.
posted by gleemax at 11:48 AM on April 16, 2001

But some people do! :-)

Seriously, there is no in between for abortion. The fetus is either aborted or not. End of story. Not much gray area there.

Israel? Again, at least right now, there is no middle ground. It's either Palestine or it's Israel.

However, even these will enventually come to some equilibrium. It just may take a hell of a lot longer to do so than the music debate.

Oh also, some things never get to equilibrium before becoming irrelevant. That may happen in the two cases you cited... Who knows.
posted by fooljay at 1:48 PM on April 16, 2001

I vote for irrelevance.
Where is that giant space ship, dammit!
posted by Outlawyr at 3:57 AM on April 17, 2001

hehe
posted by fooljay at 11:38 AM on April 17, 2001