Condemning file sharers

We've all done it. \nWe're all potential felons.\nFor most of us, the wonder of the T-1 Ethernet connection was introduced to us our freshman year. What with high speed Internet access and rapidly expanding hard drives, downloading shared music, video and software files has become easier than ever. And if you've downloaded a substantial amount of copyrighted work, you can already face hefty fines ranging from $750 to $150,000 for each file shared.\nSeeing as though poor, poor college students make up a significant number of file sharers, the monetary fine seems severe enough. If you don't have the money to buy a $18 cd, you're certainly going to FEEL THE PAIN when faced with a multi-thousand dollar fine. But of course some legislators don't think fining people the monetary equivalent of a good sized suburban home is enough punishment for sharing one song on the Internet.\nNope -- we should send those crazy file pirates straight to the Big House where they belong. Finally our streets will be safe. \nEariler in August U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D - Michigan) proposed H.R. 2752, also known as the Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003. Under the proposed legislation, a single act of online file sharing could earn you 5 years in jail, a fine of up to $250,000 and cost you your right to vote. That's right folks -- you'll be file sharing felons. \nThank God we have so much room in our nation's prison system that accommodating millions of dangerous, keyboard-wielding ruffians won't be a strain on our resources. \n"Even though artists, authors, actors, movie companies, software developers, publishers and record studios create this country's No. 1 export, they are suffering because people are taking advantage of technology to share and obtain their valuable content for free," Conyers said in a prepared statement.\nWhile we recognize that recording industry revenues have fallen and some form of punishment is valid for those who continue to unlawfully swap copyrighted files, the punishment just doesn't fit the crime. \nFor the same offense, The Recording Industry Association of America has created an amnesty program that will protect file sharers from litigation and punishment if they simply sign their name to a list and promise never to upload again. If the crime is as serious as to warrant time in prison, why is it that admitting to past so-called criminal behavior and promising never to repeat that behavior gets you a clean slate? \nDoes this mean that this system should work for other crimes that require jail time? Imagine Attorney General John Ashcroft saying, "Let's just start a list, and if you've ever sold drugs or murdered someone in the past add your name and if you promise never to do it again we'll just call it even."\nUmm ... maybe not.\nWhile some sort of monetary fine is appropriate for those who continue to break the law and file share, assigning prison time and a felony rating is ludicrous. The government and the Recording Industry are going to have to face the music.