Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 21:01:54 +0200 From: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@online.fr> To: Mike Meyer <mwm-dated-1022007157.577b53@mired.org> Cc: Nils Holland <nils@daemon.tisys.org>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: The road ahead? Message-ID: <20020516210154.L79514@lpt.ens.fr> In-Reply-To: <15587.65524.899611.798267@guru.mired.org>; from mwm-dated-1022007157.577b53@mired.org on Thu, May 16, 2002 at 01:52:36PM -0500 References: <20020516004909.A9808@daemon.tisys.org> <15586.61471.456290.764885@guru.mired.org> <20020515211922.J1282@darkstar.gte.net> <3CE34A8B.7D999E2C@mindspring.com> <20020516091031.A2259@daemon.tisys.org> <15587.56669.382241.766052@guru.mired.org> <20020516192546.B8944@daemon.tisys.org> <20020516193049.G79514@lpt.ens.fr> <15587.65524.899611.798267@guru.mired.org>
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Mike Meyer said on May 16, 2002 at 13:52:36: > In <20020516193049.G79514@lpt.ens.fr>, Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@online.fr> typed: > > Nils Holland said on May 16, 2002 at 19:25:46: > > > I should probably try to get some more in-depth information on that topic, > > > but from the bits and pieces I currently know, this is very insane. Seems > > > that some companies want to make *any* technology illegal that *could* > > > theoretically be used to violate the copyright. That's somhow like > > > outlawing ordinary knives, as these could (illegally) be used to kill > > > people... > > That's exactly what the DMCA is about. > > Half right. The DMCA proper doesn't have the hardware requirement on > the computer industry, nor does it make it illegal to break the > encryption even if you don't violate the copyright. I'm not sure about private use, but it *does* forbid you to tell people how you break encryption, and it *does* outlaw devices which let you break the encryption, regardless of intent. That's exactly what both the DeCSS and the Sklyarov cases were about -- both DeCSS and Elcomsoft's program have legitimate uses but that doesn't matter under the DMCA. It's an exact analogy to the knife example above. > > This week's lwn.net has an interesting comment: recently people have > > reported that copy-protected audio CDs can be played/ripped simply by > > covering their outer tracks with a black marker or a Post-It. If that > > is so, black markers and Post-Its are devices that can be used to > > circumvent digital copy controls, and therefore should be illegal > > under the DMCA... > > lwn.net is in violation of the DMCA. The people using black tape > etc. are not, but would be in violation of the SSSCA if it were > passed. I'm not sure what the legal status is of people who use tape in their homes, but the manufacturers of the tape are already in violation of the DMCA for distributing a device which can be used to violate copy controls. The SSSCA (renamed CBDTPA) went further: it insisted that all computers and similar devices must include copy-control mechanisms. The DMCA forbids bypassing such mechanisms, while the CBDTPA insists on installing such mechanisms everywhere, so that you're thoroughly locked in. - Rahul To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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