Bush signs PRO-IP Act into law

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 13th 2008 at 8:00PM }

In a bid to avoid the lowest presidential approval rating in 70 years*, President Bush signed the PRO-IP Act into law today. While not quite on par with, say, an ultimate solution to the world economic crisis, the law will create ~~new jobs~~, er, one new job: The Intellectual Property Czar.

Backed by the RIAA and MPAA, the PRO-IP Act has drawn criticism for its potential for extreme punishment. In its proposed state, the act could grant the government permission to seize all computers and compatible devices from a home if a single, pirated MP3 was discovered on one of the machines. So, about that approval rating ...

For a complete analysis of the PRO-IP Act as it applies to gaming, check out the latest LGJ column!

*Bush has sunk below Nixon, but Truman holds the record: 22.

Tags: approval-rating, piracy, pro-ip-act

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)

darthbob @ Oct 13th 2008 8:05PM

Needless to say, this is bullshit.

Ridgecity @ Oct 13th 2008 8:28PM

too bad Vista is probably ridden with spyware backdoors, since the goverment talked to Microsoft about stuff like this getting included...

One more reason to avoid upgrading.

LaughingTarget @ Oct 13th 2008 8:36PM

Don't get me started on Vista. I can't even watch Netflix anymore because I had to replace a broken video card. It assumes I have a whole new computer now and the draconian DRM thinks I'm not using the original system. Microsoft's answer? Put the old (broken) card back into the system.

Monkeys Suck @ Oct 13th 2008 8:40PM

@LaughingTarget

I'm actually surprised they gave you so much of a hassle...when I had that problem, it was a quick 5 minute call and I was back.

Back on topic, this is total bullshit. Glad to know I get my stuff legit and just rip the DRM off...OOPS OMG HERE THEY ARE DON'T HURT ME RIAA!

Anticrawl @ Oct 13th 2008 9:25PM

Alrighty, I'm here to plug a site because it is appropriate.

If we want to stop this bullshit then this is one of the few ways possible, getting the politicians out of the House of Representatives, defeats the purpose of the House to have politicians anyway.

http://www.goooh.com/

theturtle363 @ Oct 13th 2008 9:27PM

laughing target i sorely miss your Rorschach avatar

Wes @ Oct 13th 2008 11:20PM

Its not bullshit, its bushshit. I think we need to coin a new word so president bushshit can be remembered for all the greatness he's bestowed on this country in just a few short years.

Ahh Bushshit. No more uttering of the word previously representing bushshit. Remember folks to always use Bushshit from now on.

The Purveyor of Justice @ Oct 13th 2008 11:34PM

I think we can all pretty much agree what needs to done to all politicians, whether they're Repooplicans or Demacraps......I'll let you fill in the blanks.

BananaBoat @ Oct 13th 2008 11:38PM

Vista is working out ok for me. Not that XP wasn't just as good though; hadn't had a BSOD in years.

As for this law? What else can be said. I fear what might happen with four more years of this. (Not to imply my endorsement of either candidate. Secret ballots are secret for a reason)

Wulile @ Oct 14th 2008 1:51AM

I think President Bush is hot.

Haggard @ Oct 14th 2008 2:51AM

Why did laughing get voted down? Do we have vista fanboys now too?

Rocketboy @ Oct 14th 2008 8:10AM

"Needless to say, this is bullshit."

So why did you bother to say?

Shagittarius @ Oct 14th 2008 11:46AM

Laughing got voted down because hes lying.

Netflix allows you to have 3 different configurations and then on the 4th one it stops you. Also like the other poster said you can have that security reset and all it takes is a 5 minute phone call.

Additionally this has nothing to do with Vista, its Netflix own security.

Vcize @ Oct 13th 2008 8:05PM

Didn't we see this months ago and everyone said "obviously this will never happen, no one is dumb enough to sign that".

Gentlemen, meet George Bush.

nz @ Oct 13th 2008 8:25PM

While I am no Bush apologist, A Democratic Congress had to write and pass this law for him to be able to sign it. The problem here isn't one guy (although feel free to blame him for the Iraq mess, etc), it is an entire system that values mega-corporations over the citizenry.

Back in the "good ole days" if a company couldn't face the threats against them, they faltered, and a new, more agile company stepped in take its place. In the "slightly worse now-a-days" companies have figured out that they can sue and strong arm those threats out of existence. They don't actually have to face them, or understand why they exist. They can simply regulate them away (ironically the only time these corporations want regulation).

The US Government is the greatest anti-competitive agent in the world.

LaughingTarget @ Oct 13th 2008 8:34PM

Iraq is all on Congress as well. Without all the emergency Iraq funding, no war could have gone on. For the last two years, a Democratically controlled Congress voted yea on those special Iraq provisions. They aren't part of the usual budget, so you can't claim Bush will veto them. A President can only say no to what Congress says yes to. If the Congress says no, then there isn't any way for a President to make it happen.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 13th 2008 8:50PM

Peoples' willful stupidity re: the Democratic party amazes me. Two years of Dems running the lawmaking part of our government and they have the lowest approval rating in HISTORY. Lower than Bush's. Lower than gonorrhea, for Christ's sake.

And so let's by all means put an unqualified Democratic demagogue into office. That'll fix everything.

This country embarrasses me.

Markez @ Oct 13th 2008 9:02PM

John McCain embarasses me. How he turned into the spineless 'demagogue' he is today as opposed to the respectable politician he was back in 2000 is beyond me.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 13th 2008 9:04PM

Mindless gainsaying of someone else's thoughtful comment - about the level of "intelligence" I'd expect from an Obamaniac.

You never supported McCain. Stop pretending you did. And you'd never know if you would, because the liberal media has been stroking Obama since day 1, misrepresenting every stance McCain has suggested.

McCain has logical ideas and the experience to fix our country. Obama has socialist nonsense and demagoguery.

Monkey Thing?!!? @ Oct 13th 2008 9:08PM

Problem is, to run for President under the Republican ticket you have to, you know, appeal to Republicans.

Not just the rational ones (personal experience tells me many are), the angry, gun-toting, gay-bashing ones too. The kind that (no joke) booed John McCain himself when he tried to assure them that Obama isn't a terrorist.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 13th 2008 9:16PM

Gee, you mean like the liberals wearing "Abort Sarah Palin" t-shirts, or other phrases that are too offensive to repeat here?

You think it's a coincidence that you hear all about every racist comment muttered by some fringe right-winger, but nothing about the constant hatred spewed by the not-so-fringe left?

Michelle Malkin did a brief summary of the hatred spewed EVERY DAY by the left on every network and in every forum. Yet the MSM is still talking about some morons who made off-color comments at McCain's rally. How ... even-handed.

And the end result? McCain stood up to those people and told them to shut up. What has Obama done? Foment fear and class-based hatred just to get elected.

Markez @ Oct 13th 2008 9:22PM

You're an snob and a tool in most every single one of your posts. About the level of "intelligence" I expect from someone who puts that in quotation marks. Stop pretending I supported McCain? Too bad he turned tail, and so unfortunately I didn't even have the chance to vote for him in a national election.

Wouldn't even know if I would? Gotta love the "intelligence" of people so weak minded as to suggest that the liberal media (ooooh, scary) has the power to turn people into mindless zombies with no ability to form their own opinions.

But whatever, hakuna matata, I'm sure your a last word wins type of guy, so I'm sure there will be a thrilling response.

I got such a great, great, chuckle out of your opinions in one of those last article that had a feminist angle to it. Must be hard being an angry little woman hater.

kthxbai

Obie @ Oct 13th 2008 9:27PM

Nice to see Bass is stealing wifi again at the trailer park again.

"This country embarrasses me."

Then move to "Dumbfuckinstan" ya knob.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 13th 2008 9:39PM

Ah, yes, I disagree with you for factual reasons and that makes me stupid. Really all it does is allow you to show your continued hatred for your ignorant stereotypes of 'working class' people.

Democrats keep lying to us about how they want someone who speaks to the 'average American', assuages their fears and looks out for them. Funny, then, that Democrats hate the average American.

The average American:
- Is religious and actively worships
- Probably owns a gun
- Probably either fishes or hunts
- Probably doesn't own a gigantic house in a posh, all-white neighborhood (the 'trailer park' you mock)

So, please, by all means, keep showing what an ass you are and how you revile the people who make up this country. Your Dumbfuckistan is a work in progress, with Hussein Obama running the show.

paradox @ Oct 13th 2008 10:23PM

Bass Masterson, you just lost all credibility you might have had with the Hussein Obama comment
that kind of ad hominem attack does not further your argument and only serves to make you look like a fear monger

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 13th 2008 11:21PM

He's just being an average republican. Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reily would be proud of him.

samfish @ Oct 13th 2008 11:41PM

Bass, you're such a fucking moron. If Obama gets assassinated, it'll be because of brain dead half-wits like you who are DUMB enough to believe in some big, evil liberal conspiracy to hurt you poor, downtrodden and oppressed white conservatives.

Farseer (GDI) @ Oct 13th 2008 11:41PM

@ Bass Masterson

" The average American:
- Is religious and actively worships
- Probably owns a gun
- Probably either fishes or hunts
- Probably doesn't own a gigantic house in a posh, all-white neighborhood (the 'trailer park' you mock)"

In your little world Bass, maybe. But honestly, I think that you're scared to step outside of your world, aren't you?

For your own good, sir, I would seriously recommend it. The party you support loves the fact that you currently think this way of the average American. It's easier for them to take your money that way.

ill trooper @ Oct 14th 2008 12:07AM

"This country embarrasses me."

Cringing while reading your comments, BassMaster, I thought the same exact thing.

What an ugly string of hate you trail behind you. I don't know who said all that stuff you allege (you don't actually provide any links for corroboration) and furthermore you use these phantom allegations to justify your own vitriolic name-calling and generalizations ("...with Hussein Obama running the show."), all while feigning an innocent air (quoting you: "Ah, yes, I disagree with you for factual reasons and that makes me stupid."). "Factual reasons"? Like this gem in a gem-covered Paris Hilton Sidekick of a quotes?

"Two years of Dems running the lawmaking part of our government and they have the lowest approval rating in HISTORY." - Bass

...This is oversiplified, and glossing over a situation and confusing "cause and effect." It's called "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" ("It happened after, therefore it was caused by it") and here you're claiming the low opinion of congress is because it's a Democrat majority - but you have no proof of that, you're only looking to the timeline and waving it around like "fact" when that's not the only correlation there, but I know that you know that - you seem alert and smart, but you just want to gloss it over and hope no one really looks into what you type. Give us some proof, hit the Google and come back with some links to facts to back up these beleaguered points.

You are acting no better than those you insult. You are the same in my eyes. Why are you launching these daily attacks on a videogame blog? This is like the little league, you ain't even in the minors. I'd tell you to match your ideas on this topic with those that really write and debate about it, but you'd get spanked talking the way you do here - too much O'Reilly, not enough facts. You couldn't hang in a real debate on these topics, and I know this after seeing your political comments for the last week. Be a man and rise above the bullshit name-calling and generalization you claim to be so offended by when "liberals" levy it at your man McCain.

Post facts and then maybe you'll get more respect.

Joeshie @ Oct 14th 2008 12:14AM

"The average American:
- Is religious and actively worships
- Probably owns a gun
- Probably either fishes or hunts
- Probably doesn't own a gigantic house in a posh, all-white neighborhood (the 'trailer park' you mock)"

Hate to burst your bubble, but that is hardly the picture of the average American. Perhaps that is the perception of America from whatever backwards, redneck-filled cultural void you come from, but it really isn't accurate save for maybe the last point.

If only a majority of the Republicans core base wasn't filled with a bunch of poorly educated dimwits...

Cheezeman3000 @ Oct 14th 2008 2:37AM

"The average American:
- Blah blah blah blah....
- Probably doesn't own a gigantic house in a posh, all-white neighborhood (the 'trailer park' you mock)"

You guys really think he's wrong about this one? How many of you DO live in a posh all-white neighborhood? I'd wager to say quite a few of you (if you're still living with your parents, that is). Do you realize that most of the world doesn't live like that? I really, really hope you do.
By the way, if you REALLY want to experience some intelligent political discussion...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5p3OB6roAg

Antagonist @ Oct 14th 2008 7:26AM

"Two years of Dems running the lawmaking part of our government and they have the lowest approval rating in HISTORY."

Here we go again.

You seem to be overlooking the gross obstruction on the part of the Republicans in Congress. More legislation has been filibustered so far in the first year of this Congress than that of the entire term of any Congress in recent history. This creates the stagnant Congress that we've been seeing. I don't approve of it either, but that doesn't necessarily make it the fault of the Democrats.

http://www.ourfuture.org/files/images/Cloture-vote-chart-full-0528.gif

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/cloture_motions/110.htm