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Ipod/laptop seizures at the border

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aznsteeze
Posts: 1319 - Karma: 52
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.
Aug 6 2008 1:18AM
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Jacuse
Posts: 1792 - Karma: 1,549
I highly doubt they are going to go searching trough your computer for any illegal things.
Aug 6 2008 1:28AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
Er, I don't know. I don't see how they could, unless there's some customs law I'm not aware of.
Aug 6 2008 1:46AM
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babujib
Posts: 5039 - Karma: 104
unless you look arab im sure your fine, racial profiling man
Aug 6 2008 1:50AM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
there was a very detailed thread about this...can't remember what it was titled as tho
Aug 6 2008 2:00AM
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TerminatorX
Posts: 3087 - Karma: 169
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.
Aug 6 2008 2:03AM
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GGreene
Posts: 993 - Karma: 42
as long as you dont give them a reason to search you you will be fine. i think
Aug 6 2008 2:08AM
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Jmanski
Posts: 1152 - Karma: 13
^word dont have it sitting out on the seat just pack it deep and they will never waste the time to search it
Aug 6 2008 2:11AM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
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.
Aug 6 2008 2:28AM
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dave44
Posts: 11052 - Karma: 113
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

Aug 6 2008 5:01AM
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Pwn.Mode
Posts: 1061 - Karma: 10

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.

Aug 6 2008 5:06AM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
You really htink that they would search through your computer at an airport? Ya alright they can pay for your missed fleight
Aug 6 2008 5:34AM
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frenchsteeze
Posts: 259 - Karma: 44
they serach you after you land... all youre missin is yo vacation yo

or that dude cud be driving, he didnt say he wuz flyin
Aug 6 2008 6:30AM
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mellifluous
Posts: 1682 - Karma: 68
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
Aug 6 2008 9:58AM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451

Glad to hear that our tax dollars are going towards something like this.

Complete bullshit.

Aug 6 2008 10:17AM
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ryan.c
Posts: 6592 - Karma: 14
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.
Aug 6 2008 10:42AM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451

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

Aug 6 2008 10:47AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
how would they know how it was obtained?
Aug 6 2008 10:49AM
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aznsteeze
Posts: 1319 - Karma: 52
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?
Aug 6 2008 12:28PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
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.
Aug 6 2008 12:39PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
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.
Aug 6 2008 11:33PM
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BigJew
Posts: 6974 - Karma: 79
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.
Aug 6 2008 11:43PM
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Snowcase
Posts: 11456 - Karma: 634
They're trying to control aspects of normal peoples lives because they can't control murderers and terrorists.
Aug 6 2008 11:47PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
that will never pass. no way
Aug 7 2008 12:05AM
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Pwn.Mode
Posts: 1061 - Karma: 10

lolz!

Aug 7 2008 1:57AM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
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.
Aug 7 2008 8:48AM
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