Slashdot is carrying discussion of a news.com article about a bill, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. This bill, according to the C|Net article, "dictates universities that participate in federal financial aid programs 'shall' devise plans for 'alternative' offerings to unlawful downloading, such as subscription-based services, or 'technology-based deterrents to prevent such illegal activity.'"
Know what that sounds like to me?
It sounds suspiciously like a law that not only links a non-educational activity to educational funding, but tries to make colleges use some of their funding to promote the "alternative" service ... which, of course, means the "alternative" services' owners - the music industry - get a free promotional ride paid for by your tax dollars.
Privacy advocates are up in arms, of course, and the requisite set of talking points are now being distributed by the committee trying to defuse criticism of the provision.
The question I really have is at a different level than the whole piracy-vs-sharing discussion: Who is Congress serving by adding any language at all about this sort of thing?