Can an airport search your iPod?

Author: Snubsie

21 Jul

I just read this interesting short article over at Geek Sugar about airport security being able to possibly search your electronic devices for illegally downloaded media. You can read the entire article at a site called Telegraph.

Basically, an act may be ratified later this month allowing airport security to search your ipod, zune, laptop, and even your cell phone! That seems like a lot of music to go through, and seeing that pretty much half of the music on most teens ipods IS illegal… Well, that sounds like a lot of lawsuits!

I think the idea is very wrong. There are hundreds of sites on the internet allowing you to download LEGAL music as an MP3, and some of those are DRM free. Amazon, Itunes, Last.fm, and many other sites have cheap MP3’s that you can buy for less than $1. Also, copying music onto your computer from CD’s that you have bought legally are turned into MP3’s. So how does security know that your music is illegal? When they look at your iPod, how to they know a song is illegal or legal?

What do you think?

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3 Responses for "Can an airport search your iPod?"

Chris July 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm 1
Ive actually heard about this a while ago
And I think its completely idiotic.
How are you able to figure out what is and isnt illegal?
I heard though that its just if your going out of the country or something like that
Nick Tabick July 21st, 2008 at 10:09 pm 2
The problem with determining the legalities of any files you have is something that especially needs to be addressed in a case like this. It’s virtually impossible to determine copyright infringement simply based on looking at the device.

Of concern, for example, would be media captured from a broadcast, which usually amounts to fair use provided it is kept personal, at least according to the Wikipedia article on the AHRA. How do you determine if this is a private recording, or some publicly-pirated acquisition?

It’s a scary thought, the future. Orwell is starting to look more and more accurate every day.
blue donkey July 27th, 2008 at 3:38 am 3
“Please make sure you check-in for your flight 48hrs before departure & expect a 48hr delay on disembarkation”… Just one reason it would be unworkabe. Airport customs staff being able to assertain if you have illegally coded files on you iPod or other is laughable. It’s a feeble attempt to discourage rather than acutally prosecute anyone. The music industry in particular are themselves just crying fowl as they have for years over priced their products… boo hoo, my heart bleeds!
Note: “However, a source representing record labels said the practice of checking iPods and phones was unworkable”.
Every so often they come up with stupid ideas such as this but not one has ever come to fruishion. The music industry knows it has not only lost the battle but lost the war, as the internet is all powerful & unstopable. All code is written code & if it has been written it can be altered, the powers that be know this. Stopping the sites that proliferate in hosting illegal code could be shut down only for someone else to take their place. Imagine if you will the amount of people who use the internet on a daily basis; & then think of policeing it.
I for one am not about to fill my pants just yet.
But… if they use this in connection with: “this will also help us in detecting any terrorist threat”, then you know the real agenda!
Conspiracy theorists unite!… lol