mydigitallife

I saw an article online that Heathrow airport were installing the "spy"-type X-ray machines that could show what a person has under their clothes, supposedly it goes right thru clothing and shows you naked...

So a few dont-ask-where MP3s are the least of one's worries. "they" might just start selling customs-entry scans of naked people on the 'net

Perhaps just avoid downloading illegal files.

How can they prove those MP3's, movies or anything on the laptop is illegal/stolen? IS the laptop yours, or stolen? Do you carry the receipts and proof of ownership with you? Are your clothes yours or stolen?

The point of the above is that unless they have 100% proof it's illegal they can't legally do anything about it. Without proof them snooping is invasion of privacy, which as far as I know is a human right, which may not be abused

Snooping is an invasion of privacy which cannot be abused? Come on, what planet are you living on?

What is the difference between going through your laptop, and rummaging through your suitcase? None.

They are even allowed to strip search you if they feel they have reason to.

And, quite frankly, after 9/11 and the attempted attacks on airlines in London, quite right too. I fully agree, and am willing to have my privacy invaded to ensure my safety.

Snooping may still be OK but checking a laptop to see it's a real laptop and not an undercover bomb only requires switching it on really. Playing your music, watching your movies, how about deleting your business reports that you're going to present at wherever you're flying to? The point is still, what proof do they have that the files are illegal? No-one carries receipts for things so they could theoretically then strip you naked and lock your up because you don't have proof you own your clothes so you must have stolen them?

last comment Re:snooping Ok is mine

To me that's not the point at all. The point is they ARE allowed to snoop, as much as they like. And yes there is no way to check if files are pirated or not, but they are still allowed to look. Personally I have no problem with airport security wanting to browse my files, but then again, I have nothing to hide.

I'm not getting your point about deleting your business files? Has this actually happened? Do you see this happening? Or were you just trying to make a point of sorts?

@ Abort; Customs & Excise have greater powers than the police. They are allowed to stop, detain, strip & cavity search anyone they want without due cause or reason. You have no rights to call a lawyer through this.

@ Organ Harvester; there is a simple solution - don't pirate MP3's!! If you are doing something illegal and get caught, how much sympathy do you expect?

As far as I know one still needs proof something's illegal before one can be arrested for possessing it. Yes, if they search and find dope or a weapon etc by all means arrest them but locking someone up for an MP3? If one sticks a music CD into a PC and play it, sometimes Windows Mediaplayer or even Winamp copies it locally to the PC, depending on program settings. One can download movies and MP3's LEGALLY from some sources online, but who carries receipts for purchased items of any sort, unless it was bought in the last day or so? I file all my receipts at home, not with the items purchased so that if the item gets stolen I still have the receipt for insurance claims etc

If you own the original of something you can in most cases use a copy for personal use, it's protecting the original and not illegal unless one sells or distributes said copy.

As for deleting files, if some non-tech security guard accidentally deletes a legitimate file, "oops!!" or "WTF are you gonna do about THAT?" is no excuse. A security guard is probably not the best person to give the power to decide what's legal or not IT-wise as they would not necessarily know what/how to check.

@ Abort; but that is the point! Customs do have the power to detail and search you without proof. I doubt that they would lock anyone up for illegal MP3's, but they may ask you to produce proof of legitimacy within a certain period of time. If you couldn't, then they may well issue a warrant to the police for arrest. They may impound the evidence until you can prove legitimacy.

They have a lot of power and there is little come back; I was once detained at Schipol airport and searched. They found nothing but I did miss my connecting fight to Hamburg, and so missed out on a vital meeting. It cost me a lot, & I has furious, but there was nothing I could do.

I have had containers of Rooibos tea detained for weeks at the docks as the Customs people checked through all 33 tonnes of it. I missed deadlines and had penalty clauses used against me by the client (which was covered by the insurance), but such is their power.

I often hear of people a*suming that there things cannot happen; they can and they do!

As for deleting files, if some non-tech security guard accidentally deletes a legitimate file, "oops!!" or "WTF are you gonna do about THAT?" is no excuse. A security guard is probably not the best person to give the power to decide what's legal or not IT-wise as they would not necessarily know what/how to check.

That is the most absurd hypothesis Abort, you are making absolutely no sense.

That last "Dissol" below this "Dissol" is not the real "Dissol" Only accept the original and best! Be aware of inferior copies!
:zzz

You guys make no sense at all :zzz Don't do anything illigal and you will be okay. Don't store your presentation on your laptop rather use disc.

I think we're living dangerously close to a Big Brother society. I think paranoia might make some people believe the government is justified in taking those liberties in destroying yours under the guise of the "the rule of law" but history has taught us, the rule of law is sometimes bulls**t.

I think we should be weary of the rights we're willing to have served up on the alter of security. Because its not the law that is worrying but the potential for abuse. And if anything, Governments are fond of political abuse through state machinery.

For example, GP will soon have microchip numberplates. by june next year. A national database will collect information on the every vehicle that pa*ses a "randomly" placed scanner. On the one hand its good in that it will make finding vehicles easier. On the hand do we want to be found that easily? Who accesses it and why?

All my music on my PC is in MP3 format and with the originals safely tucked away at the back of my cupboard. But how do you prove that it is yours?

I'm still keen on the Shane Ward activated "bomb" its my failsafe.

Storing files on removable media and therefore not on the laptop is not going to change the process. If they have the right and power to fiddle on your laptop what prevents them from taking your removable media and peeking on there too?

They have had these powers for ages, not just recently. You may be required to prove that you have a licence for all your software too. Bottom line; don't break the law, and the worst you can face is a delay and some frustration.

of course if nobody pirated MP3's or software none of us would be faced with this problem. So, to the pirates amongst us, thanks for holding us all up. :sigh

:zzz

i have my own opinion about proprietary software and copyright infringement. And before go off fully loaded saying I'm just defending the pirates, let me say I am not defending piracy and that I have a book whose movie rights have been sold and I full expect my friends and people I know to have copies of the movie.