[Infowarrior] - S.3325 opposition lines are open...

[Richard Forno]

Help keep the USG from becoming a fully-owned enforcer of Hollywood's  
cartels!!  -rf


http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1743

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee gave the green light to S.  
3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Act of 2008. We need  
you to show them the red light, NOW! This intellectual property  
enforcement bill lets the DOJ enforce civil copyright claims and lets  
the government do the MPAA and RIAA’s intellectual property rights  
enforcement work for them—at tax payers’ expense.

CLICK HERE TO CALL THE SENATE JUDICIARY MEMBERS NOW

(We’re using the awesome Cause Caller for this alert, so be ready to  
speak to a number of different Senate offices, rapid-fire style! We’ve  
picked Senators who may be like-minded in opposing this bill. Of  
course, feel free to call your own Senators.)

CLICK HERE TO SEND A FAX TO YOUR SENATORS

By allowing the federal government to sue infringers in civil court,  
the DOJ would be asking a court for monetary damages on behalf of  
content owners. In a civil suit brought by the government, the  
defendant loses many of the protections he possesses in a criminal  
action—including his right to free legal representation. What’s more,  
the government’s legal burden of proof is lower: the government only  
needs to prove infringement with a “preponderance of the evidence,”  
meaning that it’s more likely than not that infringement occurred, as  
opposed to the usual criminal standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt.”  
Does the content industry need this help from the Department of  
Justice? Absolutely not! In the last five years, the RIAA filed or  
threatened more than 30,000 suits against alleged infringers. If the  
Enforcement bill passes, not only will the number of such suits  
increase—they’ll also be paid for with your tax dollars.

Now, the bill’s backers are pushing to have it pass the Senate as  
early as today via a streamlined procedure, without the full Senate  
voting on the measure. Tell members of the Senate Judiciary Committee  
that you don’t want your tax dollars spent on DOJ’s civil enforcement  
of copyright, and to put a hold on the bill.