Airport Security Gets Involved In Neverending Saga

Posted July 15th, 2008 by Joshua Khan

If you thought Metallica and Gene Simmons were harsh when it came to the topic of illegally downloading music, then think again.

Checking mobile devices such as laptops and MP3 players at airports for illegal downloads is being considered by G8 governments. The proposed plan is part of an international agreement that hopes to stop piracy.

Even though it isn’t known how airport customs officials will identify media files that are illegal, the action is bigger than a collection of Rolling Stones box sets. Almost everyone downloads “illegal” music nowadays and a lot of people go in and out of airports. But where there’s a plan, there’s a way to get around it. Some electronic genius is bound to come up with a way to help people beat the system (aside from taking a car than traveling by plane).

But how will airport officials be able to determine the difference between an illegal MP3 and a music file that was downloaded from a reliable source? Music journalists will have to watch their backs as the plan could affect them. Some CDs music critics receive are online and through file hosting sites.

Using airport security is an effective strategy, but it’s not going to stop the major file sharing programs out there. It will however make a grown individual cry hysterically as their iPod is taken away by a customs official.

Joshua Khan
Sports and Lifestyle Tech Writer
InventorSpot.com

If you like this article and want to see more like it, please subscribe to our feed.

RSS feed

Here's some good reads:

READ: Halloween in Japan : 8 Crazy Frights
READ: Private Cloud: Is it Functional Design for a Bed
READ: New Use for Old Buttons

And for October:

READ: 9 Awesome Halloween Costumes To Make From Junk
READ: Funniest Adult Costumes of 2008
READ: Best Pet Costumes of 2008

Want to be nice? Please add us to your blogroll?

Bookmark/Search this post with:

Email this blog_2

Comments

why would you keep your

Submitted on July 15th, 2008 by Anonymous

why would you keep your illegal files in your laptop when you can either sotre them online or keep them at home and access them with simple solutions as provide by orb.com or ultraVNC remote PC client/server software? that's the easiest solution i see to bypass this problem.

effective?

Submitted on July 17th, 2008 by Anonymous

I'm surprised you said, "Using airport security is an effective strategy". How would it be effective? There is no way even "well trained" airport security personnel could tell the difference between legal and illegal files. How much more time would this waste, especially for people who aren't carrying laptops/mp3 players? Would they have the authority to delete files? Do your possessions just get confiscated automatically to be dealt with later? How does this stop file sharing? If you already have illegal files on your computer and they were deleted/confiscated, what is to stop you from downloading them again (and probably more)? I can't think of a more futile waste of time/money/resources than this terrible idea.

Its a waste

Submitted on September 1st, 2008 by Anonymous

There is no way to tell if a program/music is illegally downloaded.

Besides most people download music because either the local stores usually don't sell much other than good sellers/well known artists and buying them online can cost a fortune(I just spend 200$ to import 7 cds from japan) or there is only one song the person wants from an artist.

Most people download games because of their high ass prices I mean who the hell can afford to pay 15$+ a month for an MMO or 60$ for a new console game? I sure as hell cant...