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Comment by gruez | Hacker News Reader

1. There's a huge difference between a private entity launching civil lawsuits and the DoJ launching criminal lawsuits

2. I don't know what specific case you're referring to by "MPAA and RIAA [...] go after little old grandmas for their love savings", but the relevant laws likely predated mp3s and filesharing programs, so it's not clear how "we thought might otherwise go unpunished" would apply here. If anything it's the reverse. The laws existed, and people thought they wouldn't apply to them for whatever reason and ignored them.

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I think you are looking too deeply into this.

1. When the comparison I'm trying to draw is "huge powerful entity using its power", what exactly is the difference?

2. I don't think there needs to be a specific case - it was in the news often enough for it to be a common thing. Here is an EFF article reviewing what happened years later:

https://www.eff.org/wp/riaa-v-people-five-years-later

"Five years later, the recording industry has filed, settled, or threatened legal actions against at least 30,000 individuals. These individuals have included children, grandparents, unemployed single mothers, college professors"

You're comparing apples to floor tiles as though the comparison is relevant in the least. I think that's the issue you and the others are having in these discussions.

Yet I have over 25+ karma in this one thread so maybe people agree with me?

Floor tiles and apples can't be compared? They are both are shiny. You can walk on both of them. You can find them both in a kitchen. You can eat one, you can't eat the other. This is besides the point.

I've asked before upthread: Tell me the difference between the RIAA/MPAA and the US DOJ. Everyone keeps telling me they are different but then no one actually explains how.

I am trying to invoke this comparison: "powerful entity" "group of people with power" "The Powers That Be"

I don't care one is private or one is public. My entire point of making the comparison is "big guy fucks the little guy" - if you can't tell me how the RIAA/MPAA&DOJ are different in this regard - then you are completely off topic and don't understand my point.

Can you tell me, how comparing the MPAA/RIAA to the USDoJ does NOT have any relevance?

You can be wrong with everyone supporting you. Bragging about internet points to prove anything isn't exactly the way to go.

You can also be wrong with no one supporting you.

Who said I was bragging? It was a statement.

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