Jonbouy


What is this pilates and why should I be discouraged from practicing it?

Guitarhacker


I also fail to see the connection between copyright infringement, and homeland security.... just saying..... what is the jurisdictional authority they claim there to seize private property in this manner?

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

ICE headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

The Special Agents of HSI use their broad legal authority to investigate and combat a range of issues that threaten the national security of the United States such as strategic crimes, human rights violations, human smuggling, art theft, human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trafficking and other types of smuggling (including weapons of mass destruction), immigration crimes, gang investigations; financial crimes including money laundering, bulk cash smuggling and financial fraud; terrorism, computer crimes, Intellectual Property Rights crimes (trafficking of counterfeit trademark protected merchandise), Cultural Property crimes (theft and smuggling of antiquities and art), and import/export enforcement issues. HSI special agents also conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation.[13]

HSI was formerly known as the Office of Investigations (OI). HSI Special Agents have legal authority to enforce immigration, customs, along with Title 18, 22, 31, and 21 statutes; giving them very broad federal jurisdiction. HSI has more than 7,000 Special Agents, making it the second largest federal investigative agency within the United States government next to the FBI.

....................

Cyber Crimes Section

The Cyber Crimes Section (CCS) is responsible for developing and coordinating investigations of Immigration and Customs violations where the Internet is used to facilitate the criminal act. The CCS investigative responsibilities include fraud, theft of intellectual property rights, money laundering, identity and benefit fraud, the sale and distribution of narcotics and other controlled substances, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities and the smuggling and sale of other prohibited items such as art and cultural property.



Guitarhacker

And I do not believe (I might be wrong) but my understanding is this has not yet been passed into law....and to my understanding, they have to have a law that allows this sort of police state action, to be  properly passed and signed BEFORE they can seize something..... and due process, you know the innocent until proven guilty thing kinda comes into play as well, they have to prove you guilty in a court of law, or convince a judge to sign a search/seizure warrant......... so they are overstepping their authority by law.... then again, this might have had some sort of national eminent security threat that clearly supersedes the constitutional bounds, but I always thought the constitution was specifically written to prevent government abuses like this......  I don't know..... just saying.

There might be some unknown national security threat that we are not aware of that selling a fake handbag or allowing an illegal music download will cause.

Jonbouy


What is this pilates and why should I be discouraged from practicing it?

Guitarhacker

on another topic.... hey, it's my thread and I can hijack it if I wants to..... 

And these folks do not have the artists' interest in mind

Jonbouy


<slurp> hmmm damn fine coffee this.