I'm talking about the Corporate Wet Dream/Legislative Abortion called "Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011" or "Protect IP" (they're so cute when it comes to naming bills, just like a bunch of kindergardeners playing in the sandbox).

Check out the bill yourself -- it is truly a mishmash of draconian crapola.

The bill is targeted at websites that "[have] no significant use other than en-

4 gaging in, enabling, or facilitating [copyright violations]" or "is used, primarily as a means for engaging in, enabling, or facilitating [copyright violations]."

See what they did there? They're trying to keep themselves from being burned, as they would argue that their sites are not "primarily" in the business of copyright violations and they have "significant" use in other areas.

An excellent short story I read once, but unfortunately can't remember title or author, was about a famous composer who killed himself because his Magnus Opus turned out to have violated multiple copyrights. At the time the story took place, every chord progression, melody and harmony runs had finally been copyrighted, so there was no way to create any more music without paying royalties.

This is happening now, in a way, and it is getting worse. Grand Upright Music, Ltd v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. set the precedent that SAMPLING is INFRINGING. Just 7 notes burned Vanilla Ice (Ice, Ice, Baby took the hook from Queen's "Under pressure"). As a result, sampling is dead, but that doesn't mean that we're free of the effects of Grand Upright.

How many of these companies produce product which could be infringing? That's right, all of them. Music, motion pictures, TV, etc. could all be infringing, if they contain those 7 notes.

So, an artist suspects that her work (7 notes!) was used intentionally or inadvertently. What to do? In pre "Protect-IP" days, she could have her lawyer draw up a letter, and if her case was strong enough, TimeWarner (or whomever) would send her a check and call it good. More than likely, she'd hear nothing but crickets until she had enough $$$ to bring a lawsuit in court. Even then, she'd have to spend a lot of cash to see anything.

Not anymore!

"Protect IP" allows an Attorney General to yank a website's DNS records. That means, for all intents and purposes, that site is gone. If our artist can convince an AG that, say, TimeWarner did, in fact, use her 7 notes, the AG can get a judge to issue a takedown notice. BAM No more timewarner.com.

What's to stop a gaggle of artists from accusing the members of RIAA and MPAA of copyright violations? Hmm... all it takes is 7 notes...

"Protect IP" should be on the Senate floor now. Keep your eyes open and your AG's phone number on quickdial.