This worries me. I’ve abandoned all my illegal music when I got my new laptop in January, so now all the music on my iPod is legal as well. But because we can only watch Lost in the Netherlands a few weeks later than it airs in the US and because I like to stay up to date with quite a few Lost podcasts, I download the episodes the day after they air in the US, and put them on my iPod.
Lost will air in the Netherlands as well and I will be able to watch it for free then, which I will, including the advertisements inbetween. So I’m just downloading something I could record for free on my video or dvd as well.
So now I will need to pay attention to remove these episodes from my iPod before going on holiday, if this treaty comes into being.

By the way, as for TV shows: what’s the difference between recording Lost on video so you can watch it later and purchasing it from iTunes? Same show, and with the right equipment it can both be put on the iPod. Or would recording something on video, which humanity has done for years, also be illegal now? I don’t believe I ever had to think about that question before today.

I might be misinformed about some things (correct me where appropriate) but I do agree that checking and confiscating iPods on entering another country is very questionable.

Crucial part of the article you link to:

“These copyright police would be given the job of checking laptops, iPods, iPhones and other personal devices for content that “infringes” on copyright laws, “including ripped CDs and DVDs”. To make this Stalinist proposition even more annoying, front line security staff will be empowered to decide what content infringes on copyright laws. And also makes any content copied from DVD or a digital video recorder open to scrutiny by officials.”

So how can someone see if I ripped my legal cd or got it from iTunes? And aren’t we allowed to have a personal copy of our music for archiving purposes? CD’s don’t last forever…

Wow. This absolutely blows beyond belief. Agreed with all of Brandon’s and Stefan’s points here.

And honestly, I think there are a lot bigger things in the world for people at the airports to be checking for than EVERY person’s bloody iPod or iPhone or laptop. Can you say waste of time?

This thing won’t catch any people copying things illegally. The pirates will be the ones that are smart enough to send and receive their content through a high speed internet connection. If this law actually went into place, it would flop COMPLETELY! Airlines will go completely out of business due to lack of travelers, and piracy will FLOURISH!

What next, we have to erase movies and songs completely out of our memory because of copyright infringement? I don’t think so.

I was wondering that – how many would actually NOT go on holidays because there’s a chance they’ll get their iPods checked? (Or would people leave their iPods at home due to fear of it getting confiscated?)

@SPM – Recording on DVR and place shifting vs. buying on iTunes are totally different even though the end result is the same. The laws are different in every country so I would check your laws. In the states (to my weak understanding) recording direct from TV and place shifting is legal under fair use. Hence the reason VCRs and TiVo (+Desktop) are legal for sale. HOWEVER – sharing that digital copy with anyone (IE uploading to P2P) is not covered) and is illegal. To my understanding downloading is also illegal because the copy was not gained in a legal broadcast. So … you downloading LOST a few weeks early (by US law) would definitely be illegal. If you recorded it when it legally airs in your country then put it on your iPod – I think that would be legal.

@Ragart – would checking every device be so hard? Here’s what I imagine: Turn device on. See music. Confiscate. Anyone complains gets arrested (as a possible terrorist). Device gets returned after long and costly court process. That’s my (very) jaded opinion and I’m hoping our 75 year old congressmen/women can figure out a better way to do it with there complete lack of understanding in the digital age … but the process I imagined seems to fall in line with the George Bush Policy of Idiocracy.

@ taras – I agree. This isn’t going to stop the actual illegal piracy issues. That’s the problem with the recording industry and the movie industry. They don’t understand this whole internet thing, and still think piracy is a dvd copied onto another dvd type of process. They still think its like drugs and needs to come into or out of a country on a physical device.

Again @ SPM – if this went into effect – you can count on me not leaving my own country. And if I did – I would take a good old fashioned paperback book and leave all things digital in the relative safety of my own home. Be dammed if I’m giving my MacBook to the feds for free.