Comments on: Seeking changes to the DMCA

Controversial law hinders warnings to consumers on matters like Sony rootkits, security researchers say.

[Yet Another Mark Johnson]

DMCA Kills Fair Use

The provisions of the DMCA that need to be repealed are the ones that undermine the consumer's fair use rights. The right to "format shifting" (as one example) should be unambiguously restored.

Imagine that you have purchased several DVD's and want to watch them on your notebook on a long flight you are about to take. If you choose to use a utility to copy those files onto your hard drive, that is arguably a violation of the "anti-circumvention" provisions of the DMCA, even though it is completely consistent with your fair-use rights.

The DMCA was an incredibly far-reaching power grab by the studios against the interest of the consumer. Congress should be embarrassed that they passed this horribly one-sided piece of legislation.

[Yet Another Mark Johnson]

DMCA Kills Fair Use

The provisions of the DMCA that need to be repealed are the ones that undermine the consumer's fair use rights. The right to "format shifting" (as one example) should be unambiguously restored.

Imagine that you have purchased several DVD's and want to watch them on your notebook on a long flight you are about to take. If you choose to use a utility to copy those files onto your hard drive, that is arguably a violation of the "anti-circumvention" provisions of the DMCA, even though it is completely consistent with your fair-use rights.

The DMCA was an incredibly far-reaching power grab by the studios against the interest of the consumer. Congress should be embarrassed that they passed this horribly one-sided piece of legislation.

[bobby_brady]

That's why the entertainment industry loves DMCA

it slowly gets rid of fair use for consumers.

[oceanview_1]

Ain't going to happen....

there are too many politicians in the pockets of the entertainment industry....
besides..I'm sure is a politicians DVD went bad..they would get a free replacement...however, we the poor public will have to pay...

I'll continue to use whatever resources are available to protect "MY FAIR & HONEST USE".

all we can do is keep figting...

Your first sentence implies...

that there might be some politicians who haven't been bought off. Look it up, every one of them voted yea on the DMCA. Vote "NAY INCUMBENT" this fall and in 2008.

[yrrahxob]

DNCA should be repealed.

If I buy a DVD and I want to watch it on my desktop, my laptop or my DVD player that is connected to my TV, I will find a way to do it and if the MPAA doesn't like it, let them come and try to get me. I'll be sitting on my front steps with a loaded shotgun. Enough is enough.

[yrrahxob]

DNCA should be repealed.

If I buy a DVD and I want to watch it on my desktop, my laptop or my DVD player that is connected to my TV, I will find a way to do it and if the MPAA doesn't like it, let them come and try to get me. I'll be sitting on my front steps with a loaded shotgun. Enough is enough.

[yrrahxob]

DMCA should be repealed.

If I buy a DVD and I want to watch it on my desktop, my laptop or my DVD player that is connected to my TV, I will find a way to do it and if the MPAA doesn't like it, let them come and try to get me. I'll be sitting on my front steps with a loaded shotgun. Enough is enough.

[yrrahxob]

DMCA should be repealed.

If I buy a DVD and I want to watch it on my desktop, my laptop or my DVD player that is connected to my TV, I will find a way to do it and if the MPAA doesn't like it, let them come and try to get me. I'll be sitting on my front steps with a loaded shotgun. Enough is enough.

[GrandpaN1947]

Don't care, it's only music

They have made the prices so high I don't buy music anymore. So the DMCA doesn't affect me at all, EXCEPT when they install programs on my PC that TRASH my PC like the rootkit. Then I get really really pissed off and never buy a Sony product ever again.

How can the Congress and Senate and Supreme Court allow these people to trasspass into my computer without my permission and destroy my PC? This is NOT a free country people, this is government out of control. We need to smack them down hard.

[GrandpaN1947]

Don't care, it's only music

They have made the prices so high I don't buy music anymore. So the DMCA doesn't affect me at all, EXCEPT when they install programs on my PC that TRASH my PC like the rootkit. Then I get really really pissed off and never buy a Sony product ever again.

How can the Congress and Senate and Supreme Court allow these people to trasspass into my computer without my permission and destroy my PC? This is NOT a free country people, this is government out of control. We need to smack them down hard.

[roger.d.miller]

"Security researchers"

Nothing hinders "security researchers". They suffer from chronic diarrhea.

[roger.d.miller]

"Security researchers"

Nothing hinders "security researchers". They suffer from chronic diarrhea.

[Heebee Jeebies]

Sony's Rootkits Prove...

That the entertainment, music and all other industries should loose the DMCA. They just proved that they can't be trusted not to abuse it and shaft their customers.

Robert

[GrandpaN1947]

Of course

Just about everyone would agree with you on this. The problem is the other very small percentage who want the DMCA have the money for the political corruption it takes to keep the DMCA. It will never go away now that it is there. We can whine and rant all we want but rootkit like behavior is here to stay. How many rootkit like programs are there in use that we don't know about? It's like the court has determined that if you voluntarily hook your PC up to the Internet, you are volunteering to allow anyone with political influence in to your PC to inspect it, change it, and possibly even destroy it.

I'm afraid what rootkits prove is that our government can't be trusted not to abuse it's own people.

[Heebee Jeebies]

Sony's Rootkits Prove...

That the entertainment, music and all other industries should loose the DMCA. They just proved that they can't be trusted not to abuse it and shaft their customers.

Robert

[GrandpaN1947]

Of course

Just about everyone would agree with you on this. The problem is the other very small percentage who want the DMCA have the money for the political corruption it takes to keep the DMCA. It will never go away now that it is there. We can whine and rant all we want but rootkit like behavior is here to stay. How many rootkit like programs are there in use that we don't know about? It's like the court has determined that if you voluntarily hook your PC up to the Internet, you are volunteering to allow anyone with political influence in to your PC to inspect it, change it, and possibly even destroy it.

I'm afraid what rootkits prove is that our government can't be trusted not to abuse it's own people.

[jimjv2005]

DMC downloads and audio books.

Current copyright restrictions creats costs bariers for library patrons and people who are blind who wish to download audio books from the web.

[jimjv2005]

DMC downloads and audio books.

Current copyright restrictions creats costs bariers for library patrons and people who are blind who wish to download audio books from the web.

[jimjv2005]

DMC copyright law.

In six months to a year you will be able to download music, audio books to virtual memory moastlikely, so what difference or impact, would a copyright law have?

DMCA and the lack of software Quality Control

While DMCA, as written, clearly addresses the rights of the software and copyrighted products industry, this law does not protect the rights of the consumer. We have seen--very consistently--that many of the top operating system and software players have no problem with "beta testing" their products on unsuspecting consumers.
All too frequently many of these copyrighted products arrive on our systems rife with defects and security holes. We have already seen that the consumer cannot rely on the copyright holders to locate and correct those defects--there is simply no profit in this post-production quality control.
As long as DMCA mindlessly targets anyone who might bypass security to research defects in code, the consumer has absolutely no right to quality copyrighted products. Nor will we have any right to timely modifications should defects turn up. (I won't even mention the millions of dollars in costs consumers bear in correcting defective products.)
Bottom line: as long as the copyright holders themselves are the only ones legally entitled to protect the consumer from defects, the consumer will NOT be protected in any credible manner.
One of the key recommendations I suggest on my biztechnet.org blog is that you should closely track and document every penny in costs related to finding and correcting defects and security holes in copyrighted products. Then, when it comes time to negotiate any license and support agreements with that the copyright holder you should begin demanding that they compensate you for those costs with price reductions. There is much more to this process but this is not the proper forum for me to explain.

DMCA and the lack of software Quality Control

While DMCA, as written, clearly addresses the rights of the software and copyrighted products industry, this law does not protect the rights of the consumer. We have seen--very consistently--that many of the top operating system and software players have no problem with "beta testing" their products on unsuspecting consumers.
All too frequently many of these copyrighted products arrive on our systems rife with defects and security holes. We have already seen that the consumer cannot rely on the copyright holders to locate and correct those defects--there is simply no profit in this post-production quality control.
As long as DMCA mindlessly targets anyone who might bypass security to research defects in code, the consumer has absolutely no right to quality copyrighted products. Nor will we have any right to timely modifications should defects turn up. (I won't even mention the millions of dollars in costs consumers bear in correcting defective products.)
Bottom line: as long as the copyright holders themselves are the only ones legally entitled to protect the consumer from defects, the consumer will NOT be protected in any credible manner.
One of the key recommendations I suggest on my biztechnet.org blog is that you should closely track and document every penny in costs related to finding and correcting defects and security holes in copyrighted products. Then, when it comes time to negotiate any license and support agreements with that the copyright holder you should begin demanding that they compensate you for those costs with price reductions. There is much more to this process but this is not the proper forum for me to explain.

DMCA and the lack of software Quality Control

While DMCA, as written, clearly addresses the rights of the software and copyrighted products industry, this law does not protect the rights of the consumer. We have seen--very consistently--that many of the top operating system and software players have no problem with "beta testing" their products on unsuspecting consumers.
All too frequently many of these copyrighted products arrive on our systems rife with defects and security holes. We have already seen that the consumer cannot rely on the copyright holders to locate and correct those defects--there is simply no profit in this post-production quality control.
As long as DMCA mindlessly targets anyone who might bypass security to research defects in code, the consumer has absolutely no right to quality copyrighted products. Nor will we have any right to timely modifications should defects turn up. (I won't even mention the millions of dollars in costs consumers bear in correcting defective products.)
Bottom line: as long as the copyright holders themselves are the only ones legally entitled to protect the consumer from defects, the consumer will NOT be protected in any credible manner.
One of the key recommendations I suggest on my biztechnet.org blog is that you should closely track and document every penny in costs related to finding and correcting defects and security holes in copyrighted products. Then, when it comes time to negotiate any license and support agreements with that the copyright holder you should begin demanding that they compensate you for those costs with price reductions. There is much more to this process but this is not the proper forum for me to explain.