We've discussed this here before

Post #33,489 by drewk 3/26/02 12:49:27 PM Reply	We've discussed this here before Ben sent around on the mailing list a mostly point-by-point analysis of the original SSSCA (which became the CBDTPA). The article you link to seems focussed on games. Think of typical computing tools, though: Text editor -- It must only copy text in a manner that retains the original copyright controls as the original work. Copy-and-paste goes out the window for all practical purposes. File systems -- cp becomes illegal for all practical purposes. CD/DVD players/recorders -- Must support copyright control from the laser all the way through the magnet on the speaker. (Yes, hardware and software.) Which means it will have to be connected to the manufacturer's or media distributer's system to ask permission for copying. Which will mean the hardare is already in place to be able to enforce per-play controls. (Yay, pay-per-view) Basically, no general purpose computing hardware or software. Locked-down appliances only. Software will all be of the type in your VCR. You sort of know it's there, because it has an interface, but you can't do anything with it except select the menu options. === I can't be a Democrat because I like to spend the money I make. I can't be a Republican because I like to spend the money I make on drugs and whores.
Post #33,542 by ben_tilly 3/26/02 7:15:36 PM Reply	This version is slightly improved The standard must offer comprehensive protection of protected material in any format, but they removed the requirement that all copyrighted material be protected. The way that I read that, it would be OK with the standard if plain text did not have protection. But the protected equivalent would not be allowed to be copied etc by any legal implementation. Technically what makes this a non-starter is that every program that is capable of copying or distributing data over a network must somehow be blocked if it contains a signature of something protected. Likewise it would be illegal to write a program that made protected data look unprotected. (Like, for instance, any standard existing compression protocol.) Remind me to get around to writing a letter about it. My basic feeling is that, "A committee of senators can issue a finding that this bill is economically feasible. They can also pass a law that PI is 3. Both have the same effect." If there was one person who I would want to testify on this, it would be Andrew Odlyzko for his [link\|http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue6_2/odlyzko/\|Content is NOT King] who can lay out in black and white why keeping communication costs to a rock bottom is going to inevitably work out to the best overall economic win. (And his research helps explain why people are - today - willing to spend an order of magnitude more on email than they do on Hollywood.) Cheers, Ben "... I couldn't see how anyone could be educated by this self-propagating system in which people pass exams, teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything." --Richard Feynman
Post #33,597 by drewk 3/27/02 11:31:29 AM Reply	Heh, I'm in the middle of reading that right now === I can't be a Democrat because I like to spend the money I make. I can't be a Republican because I like to spend the money I make on drugs and whores.
Post #33,627 by CRConrad 3/27/02 2:12:39 PM Reply	Dang, here I thought I was first to note that connection... :-( Oh well. Christian R. Conrad Of course, who am I to point fingers? I'm in the "Information Technology" business, prima facia evidence that there's bats in the bell tower. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=27764\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #33,666 by ben_tilly 3/27/02 8:12:01 PM 3/28/02 5:42:59 PM Reply	Not only did I note it... but I managed to get it in the back door to Senator Clinton. Maybe. When I sent her a letter before, I included in it a note about a fix to the website, and using [link\|http://www.plagiarism.com\|plagiarism tools] to build a filter that would take care of the mass mailing campaigns. Her sysadmin wrote me a personal thank you for the fix, and said he was investigating the other. So I wrote him a letter and suggested that he pass the article on to whoever Clinton's point person was for this issue... Cheers, Ben PS Oops, is the link better now? "... I couldn't see how anyone could be educated by this self-propagating system in which people pass exams, teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything." --Richard Feynman Edited by ben_tilly March 28, 2002, 05:42:59 PM EST Expand All History
Post #33,689 by drewk 3/28/02 8:37:51 AM Reply	Link is busted === I can't be a Democrat because I like to spend the money I make. I can't be a Republican because I like to spend the money I make on drugs and whores.

Welcome to IWETHEY!