By Brian Lynch

The Recording Industry Association of America is pushing for a new California law to help stop the piracy of CDs and DVDs.  The proposed legislation would grant law enforcement officials authority to conduct warrantless searches of DVD and CD manufacturing plants to ensure the legitimacy of the discs being produced.  The RIAA points out courts have already carved out 4th Amendment exceptions for searches of businesses such as automobile junkyards and repair shops, liquor stores, pawn shops and wholesale fish dealers. 

Will the law fall under an exemption?  Attorneys speaking to the LA Times aren’t quite sure.  Granting an exemption under the law could subject compliant businesses to unannounced inspections without probable cause.  The LA Times also reports the ACLU also questions the law, but has yet to oppose the bill because it has been narrowly drawn.

Photo “Compact Disc” courtesy of Flickr user timbobee, licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0.