Crossing the line

So, the MPAA has started suing people. Now they're going one better - they're offering free software that people can use to rid themselves of copyrighted material on their computer. The software is supposed to identify movies, music, and p2p software, so they can be removed. Further, they claim that the information will not be shared with anyone or reported back to it.

Shenanigans! SHENANIGANS!

A couple of things come to mind. 1) p2p software is legal, and having software that points it out implies otherwise. 2) How easy would it be to modify the program so that things were reported back? 3) There are all kinds of legal reasons (Fair Use, etc) to have copyrighted movies and music on your computer. I have a friend who copies all of his DVD's (all legally obtained) to hard disk, because he uses his computer to play movies, and the DVD drive in a computer slows way, WAY down when it hits a fingerprint or a scratch, but they play silky smooth off the hard drive. 4) (And the really scary one in my mind) If spyware and viruses can be installed on your computer just from browsing the web with Microsoft's IE, then it's possible that this kind of software could be installed too? Software that did not announce itself, and did report back to the MPAA, who could then bring suit. And the evidence they got from your computer would not be blocked by the lack of a warrant, because the MPAA isn't a government actor.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I'm suddenly very glad that I've got my home connection firewalled. Understand - whether you have copyrighted music on your computer isn't the point. The fact that the MPAA has a program that snoops around your harddrive looking for stuff strikes me as being very dangerous, and a potentially HUGE invasion of privacy.

h/t wired.

UPDATE: At lunch today, a friend reminded me that running this program removes the defense that you didn't know it was there. Not a hugh difference in a strict liability setting, but unsetlling, nonetheless.