In an Australian first, US authorities have demonstrated their ability to enforce US laws protecting US companies against Australians in Australia with the cooperation of the Australian government.
Hew Griffiths, leader of the software cracking group, Drink or Die, was extradited to the US last February on intellectual property charges, and faces up to 10 years in an American jail. Griffiths? group, Drink or Die, was involved in cracking copy-protected software and media products, distributing them free of charge. Griffith?s himself did not profit from the activities, and lived with his father, in a modest house in Berkeley Vale, NSW. In addition to the possible jail term of 10 years, Griffith?s could also be fined $US500,000.
Apparently, any Australian pirating software worth more than $1000 could be subject to this same extradition process. It?s a sobering thought to think that the Australian government will hand over Australians who break US law, to the US, even when they?ve never even stepped foot American soil.
What next? They fly choppers down to SlySoft in Antigua and shoot everyone down?
Maybe they can send Walker Texas Ranger down here on patrol to kick people in the head if they burn the American flag at protests.
USA! World Police!
Maybe we can get our most hardened criminal to watch a pirated copy of Bring It On in the prison and the US will fly down and take them off our hands.
This guy asked for it, leading a cracking group. that being said, i dare say that almost everybody has something pirated, whether it be mp3's or software. You could walk into almost any house and find something pirated. Its just that people are lucky that you have to lead some group ( or be in one ) or what not for it to be policed.
Your are completely missing the point Dele, apparently since our Great Leader, that Man of Steel Little Johnny signed the free (f**ked) trade agreement we don't have out own justice system anymore. Bloody brown-nosing spinless liberals.
Crimes committed in Australia *need* to be dealt with in Australia under Australian law.
Atm it looks like we are just another state of the US.
Well I don't think he should be serving time in an American jail.
Why can't they just sentence him here?
I wonder if the yanks are going to try billing us for his prison time while they're at it.
Holy shit, I didn't realize the free trade agreement recognized people as barter between nations. The idea of being convicted in a country you've never set foot in, dread to think what the guy would've got if he were profiting from the operation. Something should really be done about this...
If we have to adhere to their laws, then we should be able to take part in their voting process such as selecting the senate and congress. It's all part of the democratic process. We fall under your laws, we should have a say in it, otherwise it's just plain tyranny.
Wouldn't it be funny if, say a person (non-US citizen) smoked a joint in Amsterdam and since it broke US law, they were extradited to America to face punishment? Well, it sounds just as absurd as this bloke being dragged all the way to America.
Blame the Howard government for being Bush's lapdog. When he signed that Free Trade Agreement, he opened the pandora's box and we're only starting to see the huge ramifications of it.
what i was getting at, was that the whole piracy deal isn't policed much. you have to be part of a major group ( or the leader in this case ) for something to happen. He should have been tried and sentenced here, not in America.
but then, i guess they can't really police the regular home pirater, that is pirating software and other stuff. If they did, they would probably fill all the jails with uni students alone.
AC 7) Your situation would have to call for the narcotics to have been bought in America in the First Place.
Here's one better: I buy a firearm in the states, I have it transfered legally through all the right channels, only to have it arrive, and I shoot someone... But instead of getting the usual jail cell/ three square meals a day/ etc.... I get the electric chair in the good ol' state of Texas where I bought it.... Why? Because crime associated with the misuse of purchase products will result in the legal codes of purchase origin being implemented.
Understandable that poor Joe that dies because of my aggrevated assualt was Auastralian in the first place.
Change the senario yet again:
The guy I shot was an American touist, he didn't die, but he can't work again because of injuies sustained.
There, I'm done ranting.
Bearing in mind that violent crime often receives a gentle slap on the wrist... make damn sure you shoot somebody before your trial! it will reduce your sentence, I'm serious!