Fast forward to jail
Here's another example of copyright madness. The US Congress is considering a law that is so loosely worded it might make it illegal for consumers to fast-forward through commercials.
The proposal started with the Hollywood lobby trying to prevent DVD makers from including technology that would allow people to skip through the promotional material that comes with movies at the beginning and end of DVD films.
But now lawmakers are realizing that the bill is written so loosely that it could make criminals out of viewers sitting at home who use a remote control to fast-forward past commercials. (The bill specifically allows people to fast-forward through parts of a movie if it is too gory or sexually explicit — a right people already have, of course.)
"We are extremely concerned about the chilling effect that certain segments of this bill could have on future as well existing technology — such as DVRs," said Jeff Joseph, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association, which represents hardware manufacturers.
It's still probably going to pass, like all other copyright insanity.
Ironically, one of the reasons Norway is less likely than the US to pass extreme infringements of consumer's electronic rights is that those opposing them can use potent anti-American and anti-business sentiments.
10:21:10 PM 
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