I realize Drakino mentioned this the other day but I don't think there were any details mentioned. For the uninformed:

Spotted this as a guy's signature on another BBS:

*IMPORTANT*
The United States Senate is currently considering a bill.
This bill, the CBDTPA, will make the following illegal:
* Assembling a home-built PC.
* Mp3 file trading
* Using a non-secure computer (built before the CBDTPA) on a network.
* Widespread development of open-sourced software.
* Use of open-sourced software
OPPOSE THIS BLATANT DISREGARD OF 1ST ADMENDMENT RIGHTS!
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSSCA/petition.html
http://www.stoppoliceware.org

The StopPoliceWare site has a lot of good info. I'd also suggest that you sign the online petition, although I doubt it's affectiveness.

-Curly-

um ya, i just dont think that will happen

Not that I thought that this was a hoax, but just to check, I made sure it was a legitimate bill in Congress. It is Senate bill 2048 and can be found at the U.S. Senate's web site by typing ``S.2048'' in the by-number search box.

I would urge that all of you (who are U.S. citizens) write your Senators and request that they oppose this bill. [bias]Keep in mind that, since this bill would effectively outlaw Linux, *BSD, and any other non-corporate sponsored operating system, that this would actually encourage Microsoft's monopoly.[/bias]

Hey Justin, you may not think it will happen, but some elected and paid for official sponsored and managed to get the DMCA passed into law because they kept it quiet and low key.
The balloon who sponsored this monstrosity actually thinks it is a good idea.

Personally, I prefer land of the free to land of the complacent.

I am left wondering when they will actually pass a bill that is NOT paid for by corporations.

Thanks 4 letting us know CurlyKicker.

I signed it. And so should all of U (IMHO).

Fight censorship in all its forms!

As Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine put it:
'It has to start somewhere
It has to start sometime
What better place than here
What better time than now'

Although I agree that most or MAYBE all of this bill is a bad thing. Much of what the initial poster claims are covered by the bill are not (based on a reasonably thorough reading of the text of the bill itself). It makes no mention of building your own PC and I couldn't find any way of inferring from it that this was the case. It also does not seem to directly affect writing software (unless you are doing so to thwart their proposed security measures).

So, I agree that it's a bad thing but I don't think that spreading misinformation is likely to help win people to your side and keep them there.

Eric

IN GENERAL- A manufacturer, importer, or seller of digital media devices may not--

(1) sell, or offer for sale, in interstate commerce, or

(2) cause to be transported in, or in a manner affecting, interstate commerce,

a digital media device unless the device includes and utilizes standard security technologies that adhere to the security system standards adopted under section 3.

Section 3 states, pretty much, that a system must be able to prevent music from being copied. Since there is no way to implement this in hardware (try to differentiate between music data and other sorts of data -- it's impossible), it would have to be implemented in software. Since motherboard manufacturers, for example, cannot include software, they would be prohibited from shipping them.

This bill is the sort of bullshit that really pisses me off. Why can we not simply prosecute people who infringe on copyrights, something that is already illegal, rather than trying to legislate against things that have other legitimate uses?

everybody should send this to slashdot. that community has got some pull in terms of sheer numbers.

eli

slashdot would have a field day on that first point you listed. Not being able to sell computer parts individually or only being able to sell prebuilt computers is a hit the big corporations wouldn't take. Think of the lost revenue there alone.

And what about the computer stores? Places like CompUSA, Best Buy, and the like wouldn't like not being able to sell individual parts. Wouldn't that include stuff like simple video or ethernet cards?

I really don't think this bill could pass. I can't see ANYONE that would be for it! It's just too ridiculous.

Here's a good article from MSNBC written on the 8th: http://www.msnbc.com/news/734617.asp?cp1=1

and another one from Wired written on 3/21: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51245,00.html

i just think the volume of computer users it too great to let something like this happen, if it dose pass it will be one of those weird laws that are not enforced becuase there too many people breaking the law, and to really think they would put someone in jail for 5 years becuase you dont have gov't regulated software on your sytem is unreal. Its a comunist law and theres too many loops holes ect. for it to even be highly considered

and its laws liek this that makes me want to priate software, movies and music.

If this passes, I can imagine myself 20 years from now, getting out the trusty Plextor hidden away in the garage, and passing it down to my kid saying, "now it's YOUR turn"

Its a comunist law

You should really understand political ideals before you try to use the terms. This would be the exact opposite of a ``communist law''. Communism would encourage sharing of all property, which this law is obviously contradictory to. If you want to engage in political hyperbole, ``fascist'' would be more accurate here.