Ipod/laptop seizures at the border

aznsteeze

aznsteeze

Active member
Has anyone heard anything about a new law allowing authorities at the US border to search electronic devices for illegal content such as programs, movies and music?

I am heading to the states for vacation next month, but i am hesitant on bringing my laptop, since i have a cracked photoshop and lots of downloaded music. And even if i dont bring my laptop, i am not leaving my ipod behind.

Apparently they can search your files under suspicion.

Has anyone ever been searched?

or even heard of this?

i found a few articles, but they are vague.
 
I highly doubt they are going to go searching trough your computer for any illegal things.
 
Er, I don't know. I don't see how they could, unless there's some customs law I'm not aware of.
 
ya . and if i remember correctly, it was only a proposal or some shit. they have not yet passed the law and they probably wont.
 
^word dont have it sitting out on the seat just pack it deep and they will never waste the time to search it
 
ahhhh I think I remember now....They aren't going to search individuals ipods or laptops, strictly mass shipments from other countries that may be filled with illegal music. Fly free my friends.
 
At the G8 summit they were discussing the "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement" (ACTA) which would allow "security officials at airports and other international borders to conduct random ex officio searches of laptops, MP3 players, and cellular phones for illegally downloaded or "ripped" music and movies."

Right now it stands only as a proposal, but the US has taken the first step towards making it happen

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/presidentbush/2008/08/feds-now-detain.html

 
haha dang, but really what can they do be like. you owe us 6 billion dollars!!!!

"ugh well ill get back to you when i conqur the world, for now I owe you."

that would be really fawked, i have full albums so i would just tell them i have all the cd's.
 
You really htink that they would search through your computer at an airport? Ya alright they can pay for your missed fleight
 
that better not be true... all my music is downloaded. all of it.
and im hoping to go to nyc in the fall so i hope they dont pass that law or i might be screwed
 
Glad to hear that our tax dollars are going towards something like this.

Complete bullshit.
 
i honestly think they'd find so many people with illegally downloaded software/music that after a while they'd just give up cause it was taking way too much time. and what would the penalty be anyway? pay for each song...jesus.
 
I know right

But why? I mean almost everyone and their grandmother downloads "illegal" music. Is it a problem? Yeah sure. But is this something that should be discussed at the G8 Summit? Give me a fuckin break. We have so many other problems with our security and they're worrying about downloading music and movies. Our priorities suck
 
yeah, what everyone's been saying sounds right.

i dont think they would have the time to check.

and it sounds more like only downloads for commercial use,

like pirating DVDs etc.

so i wouldnt be too worried.

but has anyone ever had their ipod or laptop checked before?

or gone over the border recently?
 
Ya exactly, they can't prove you didn't buy the music or the DVDs. It's perfectly legal to rip music and movies to your computer as long as you purchased the original and you aren't selling or distributing it...but like you said, they can't prove you don't own it while you are in the airport.
 
precisely. and the amount of follow up it would take to ACTUALLY prove any of those claims would be ridiculous, considering the number of ipods and laptops that pass through airports each day.
 
I know that the new copyright law that is being proposed in Canada says that it's illegal to circumvent copy protection. That means that if you own a CD or DVD with any form of copy protection it will be illegal for you to rip it to your computer for your own personal enjoyment. Now that's a shitty law.
 
They're trying to control aspects of normal peoples lives because they can't control murderers and terrorists.
 
You should be ok, i flew into Paris a few weeks ago and then back into boston the other day with both my laptop and ipod and i had no problem. They did search/question me more thoroughly in paris, but that is only because of some flaw in their system that labels me as a person of suspicion for no reason at all. (i didnt ever do anything) They actually got more suspicious when they saw my airliners magazine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top