http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/750

MPAA Demands "License To Lie," But Wants To Make You 'Fess Up On WHOIS

Submitted by Harold Feld on December 4, 2006 - 12:35pm.

I say this for the Intellectual Property Mafia; they do not allow either
consistency or scrupples to get in the way of what they want. Like
characters out of too many mob movies, “it’s just business” whether you
need to disclose your real identity or not. Unsurprisingly, the IP Mafia
reserve the right to lie to themselves, while wanting big time penalties
for everyone else who tries to mainatin anonymity.

According to this article, the MPAA lobbied hard to kill an
anti-pretexting bill proposed in the California Legislature.
“Pretexting,” as folks who followed the recent scandal over at HP know,
is pretending you are someone else in order to gain access to that other
person’s personal information.

Why would the MPAA fight hard to kill a pro-privacy, pro-consumer
protection bill? Because they assert they need to use pretexting to
investigate allegations of piracy. And if investigating into possible
piracy means puting consumers everywhere at greater risk for identity
theft or other violations of privacy? “Sorry, it’s just business. Ya know?”

On the , consider the never ending flap over WHOIS data at ICANN. The IP
Mafia have continued to press for requiring all registrants of domain
names to provide completely honest information about the identity of the
registrant and contact info. No use of third parties to shield privacy
interests, despite very real concerns from individuals and free speech
organizations in countries that routinely imprison and execute critics
(or, in light of recent events involving the apparent poisoning of Putin
critic Litvinenko, concerns about their personal safety abroad).

Back in July, the Software Information Industry Alliance told a
Congressional Committee that organizations concerned about their privacy
just shouldn’t bother to register domain names. In other words “We’re
sorry our policy gives you a choice between exercisin’ your Free Speech
rights or putting your personal safety at risk. But hey, it’s just
business. Ya know?”

I hope the folks attending the ICANN meeting in Sampa, Brazil this week
will ask the defenders of a wide open WHOIS why the MPAA and the rest of
the intellectual property mafia fights so hard for a license to lie for
themselves, while demanding that everyone else espose themselves to
identity theft and personal risk.