ArsTechnica reports that the California legislature is currently considering an anti-piracy bill that threatens to undermine privacy in a big way. Proposed by Senator Padilla, SB 550 would prohibit a person who manufactures optical discs for commercial purposes from making, possessing, or adapting any optical disc mold for the purpose of applying a forged, false, or deceptive identification mark or identifying code (under existing California law, every person who manufactures an optical disc for commercial purposes to permanently mark the manufactured optical disc with an identification mark or a unique identifying code). See Legislative Digest. In an attempt to bolster the ability of law enforcement to catch violators, SB 550 also provides for warrantless searches of commercial disc manufacturing facilities and warrantless seizures of violating discs. Wow.
According to ยง7 of the bill, officers “whose primary responsibilities include investigation of high-technology crime or intellectual property piracy” are authorized to perform inspections at commercial optical disc manufacturing facilities to verify compliance with the bill. This search can be executed without prior notice. Officers performing inspections have the authority under the bill to, among other things:
(1) Take an inventory of all manufacturing equipment, including the identification mark or unique identifying code that any piece of equipment has been modified to apply.
(2) Review any optical disc, manufacturing equipment, optical disc mold, or production part.
(3) Seize any optical disc or production part manufactured in violation of the law.
(4) Obtain and remove four samples each of the optical discs molded by each mold that has been used or could be used to manufacture optical discs.
Again, wow.