TorrentFreak has a cute story about how politicians are receiving “a fair amount of money” (aka campaign contributions) from the RIAA and the MPAA to promote stronger copyright protection and fight things like “campus piracy”.
Here’s a favorite quote:
…who can forget Congresswoman Mary Bono (Democrat, California)? Wife of deceased congressman and performer Sonny Bono, she is well know for her extremist views on copyright (unsurprising, since she undoubtedly receives royalties from her late husbands work) even to the point of stating, “Sonny [Bono] wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the Constitution. I invite all of you to work with me to strengthen our copyright laws in all of the ways available to us. As you know, there is also Jack Valenti’s proposal for a term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress.” when commenting upon the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. She received the $4,000 from the RIAA, and the unusual amount of $2,211 from the MPAA, in 2006.