U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch is so put out with teenagers who download illegal music on the Internet that he's contemplating a form of cyber death penalty. Download music the third time and he'll poison your computer.
"If we can find some way to do this without destroying their machines, we'd be interested in hearing about that," Hatch told technology experts at a hearing on copyright abuse. "If that's the only way, then I'm all for destroying their machines."
Hatch, not so coincidentally, is a composer on the side. He earned $18,000 last year in songwriting royalties, and fans can visit www.hatchmusic.com to choose from a variety of his CDs, including America United and Heal Our Land $15.98 per CD, plus $2.50 shipping.
Though Hatch's motivational songs may motivate his senatorial anger, Wired.com has discovered one apparent copyright infringement that might help him sublimate. His official Senate Web site uses a Javascript menu system developed by a software company, Milonic Solutions, that says Hatch never received a license for its use.
"It's an unlicensed copy," Milonic owner Andy Woolley told Wired.com. "It's very unfortunate for him because of those comments he made."
"Unfortunate" is certainly one word for it. Piracy would be another.
