In feudal times, you could be put to death if you didn't kneel when the carriages of the nobility passed by.  This is a step in that direction (although very few people care).

This new bill, about to be signed by the President, is called the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011 (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-347).  It is not as innocent as its name.  

Essentially, it makes it a federal offense to be anywhere near, from being in the area or in the same building, somebody protected by the secret service.  That's from the President to candidates for political office (Romney or Santorum) to senior government officials to foreign dignitaries (G20).  In other words, lots and lots of people.  

While being sold as a way to close a loophole in the current law regarding White House security, it is actually much more than that.  It changed one word that made a world of difference.  What's the difference?

To be arrested and imprisoned, all you need to do is be the same building or area around a person that has secret service protection.  You don't even need to know they are there to be arrested and imprisoned.  If you are merely walking by the area, you can be legally jailed for one year.  If you are carrying something that can be seen as a weapon (legally or not), that imprisonment can be extended to ten years.

(c) John Robb

Под шумок от SOPA/PIPA появилось прецедентное постановление Верховного Суда (5 за, 2 против, 1 воздержался) о "натуральной" ретроактивности увеличения сроков копирайта после смерти автора - по сути, об изъятии произведений из Public Domain (то есть потом принимается очередной закон о том, что копирайт действует не 70, а 9999 лет, и ВСЕ книги, песни, музыка, рисунки плааавно переходят в загребущие руки понятно кого. -- http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/scotus-re-copyright-decision/)

"Возьмем, к примеру, Платона. Очевидно, что копирайт на его работы, за отсутствием наследников, принадлежит государству Греция!"

Тут грекам карта и пошла: вернули долги, зажили счастливо. Но недолго: Италия вкатила иск всем юристам мира за многолетнее умышленное использование римского права и нелегитимных производных работ от него.