US U-TURN ON RAVE ACT

[massplanck]

the US dudes may have posted this already... good news.

http://www.365mag.com/index.php?pg=full&idnews=2349


Club promoters and event organisers alike have welcomed the news that
US authorities have abandoned plans to make nightclub owners legally
responsible for their customers' drug use. Civil liberties
campaigners the Drugs Policy Alliance (DPA) have long since fought
the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act (also known as the RAVE Act).

The RAVE act has caused much controversy in the US since it was first
passed by Congress in 2003, making promoters and venue owners liable
for the drug offences of their customers. It centred around the key
point that would have made it a federal crime to promote "any rave,
dance, music, or other entertainment event, that takes place under
circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to know
that a controlled substance will be used or distributed". This
sparked a grassroots campaign from clubbers and civil liberties
activists, climaxing in a large-scale outdoor rally that included a
DJ performance by Junior Vasquez outside Congress last year. Across
the States, dozens of business owners and thousands of music fans
signed petitions in opposition to both the Clean-Up Act and the
Ecstasy Awareness Act.

Washington, DC based DPA director Bill Piper said "While there was
much in the bill we liked, we opposed a key provision that would have
punished nightclub owners and music promoters for their customers'
drug use. Not only did the Clean-Up Act not pass last year, but
earlier this month a new version of the Act was introduced that
doesn't even contain the controversial provision. This is an enormous
victory for the Alliance and our supporters; live music fans across
the country; musicians, club owners and activists; and the Protect
Live Music campaign," he added.

Austin-based DJ/producer D:Fuse has always made clear his opposition
to the bill, "We're not advocating drug use, but let's get real, it's
everywhere in society. This is draconian legislation that is really
about taking everybody's freedom away."

It seems Congress has had a long-standing suspicion of electronic
music. Aside from drug-issues, many European artists have endured
rigorous homeland security screenings. On application for a work visa
to play in the US recently Laurent Garnier claimed he was asked for
proof that he owned his house, asked for bank statements and even
mobile phone records. Intrusive measures such as these ultimately led
to cancellation of his US tour. This U-turn by Congress, meanwhile,
will be seen as a significant victory for club owners and clubbers
alike all over the US.


(2005-02-04)

[SlavikSvensk]

yeah, the RAVE act was used to shut down a lot of clubs, and also led to some (i.e. Twilo) adopting dangerous tactics, such as shoving everyone who had done too much into a janitorial closet so cops wouldn't see them...

[Tony]

full on reations to full on measures, sheesh!!