The RIAA and MPAA - trade bodies for the USA's major music labels and film studios respectively - have proposed the creation and use of anti-copyright-infringement software, based on the antivirus software installed on most PCs.

In a submission (PDF) to the USA's Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, the two organizations said: "There are several technologies and methods that can be used by network administrators and providers", listing "Consumer tools for managing copyright infringement from the home (based on tools used to protect consumers from viruses and malware)" as one of them.

The proposal also includes plenty of suggestions for filtering networks and even a suggestion that "Points of entry into the United States are underused venues for educating the public about the threat to our economy (and to public safety) posed by counterfeit and pirate products. Customs forms should be amended to require the disclosure of pirate or counterfeit items being brought into the United States".

The Electronic Frontier Foundation isn't happy, saying: "Of course, these comments are just an entertainment industry wishlist, an exercise in asking for the moon. But they reveal a great deal about the entertainment industry's vision of the 21st century: less privacy (with citizens actively participating in their own surveillance), a less-neutral Internet, and federal agents acting as paid muscle to protect profits of summer blockbusters".

Would you allow content companies to install software on your computer that scans for copyright content? Share your thoughts on the proposals in the comments.