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> Our bad @bengrubb was arrested ... its absolutely infuriating that cops can be so drunk with power that they can be so publicly blasé with the fact that they

by fungi 15y ago

> Our bad @bengrubb was arrested ... its absolutely infuriating that cops can be so drunk with power that they can be so publicly blasé with the fact that they are fucking with someone's life and liberty.

Joakal 15y ago
If you think that's bad then there's this: Detective Superintendent Brian Hay today likened the issue to receiving stolen goods, but refused to go into details of Fairfax journalist Ben Grubb's case. "Let me give you an analogy. Someone breaks into a house and they steal a TV and they give that TV to you, and you know that TV is stolen, and you apply it to your own use ... that's receiving stolen property," he said. [0] [0] http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3220071.htm http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3220071.htm
- alexqgb 15y ago
  And that's EXACTLY why talking to the police about IP cases in particular is such a catastrophically bad idea. Most of these guys have absolutely no understanding of the law, which is hardly their fault. After all, IP law was established decades ago, in the pre-digital world. For most of its evolution, it functioned as a highly obscure branch of industrial law, used almost exclusively to govern relations between corporate publishers with large legal and clearance departments. It was manifestly NOT designed to govern the conduct of private individuals. In other words, police are as well-equipped to deal with this as they are to handle international trade disputes, which is why 'additional training' isn't the solution, since no amount of training can turn a blue collar union guy into the kind of highly educated corporate lawyer whose domain this really is. I agree with every other poster here - if you really want to balance your desire to be a good citizen with a measure of intelligent self-preservation, say you're happy to help with their investigation. Ask them to leave a number where they can reach you, and let them know that your legal representative will be contacting them there. Your lawyer can start by insisting that your cooperation is contingent upon a grant of total immunity. If there's any hesitation here, you'll know that actually, their request wasn't so friendly after all, and that they were, in fact, viewing you as a possible suspect the whole time.

by fungi 15y ago

Joakal 15y ago

If you think that's bad then there's this: Detective Superintendent Brian Hay today likened the issue to receiving stolen goods, but refused to go into details of Fairfax journalist Ben Grubb's case. "Let me give you an analogy. Someone breaks into a house and they steal a TV and they give that TV to you, and you know that TV is stolen, and you apply it to your own use ... that's receiving stolen property," he said. [0] [0] http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3220071.htm http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3220071.htm

alexqgb 15y ago
And that's EXACTLY why talking to the police about IP cases in particular is such a catastrophically bad idea. Most of these guys have absolutely no understanding of the law, which is hardly their fault. After all, IP law was established decades ago, in the pre-digital world. For most of its evolution, it functioned as a highly obscure branch of industrial law, used almost exclusively to govern relations between corporate publishers with large legal and clearance departments. It was manifestly NOT designed to govern the conduct of private individuals. In other words, police are as well-equipped to deal with this as they are to handle international trade disputes, which is why 'additional training' isn't the solution, since no amount of training can turn a blue collar union guy into the kind of highly educated corporate lawyer whose domain this really is. I agree with every other poster here - if you really want to balance your desire to be a good citizen with a measure of intelligent self-preservation, say you're happy to help with their investigation. Ask them to leave a number where they can reach you, and let them know that your legal representative will be contacting them there. Your lawyer can start by insisting that your cooperation is contingent upon a grant of total immunity. If there's any hesitation here, you'll know that actually, their request wasn't so friendly after all, and that they were, in fact, viewing you as a possible suspect the whole time.