DMCA up for review: Make your case

Evan · 10-29-2005, 01:07 AM

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) is up for review by the US Copyright Office starting November 2. For those not in the know, the DMCA renders the removal or tampering with of Digital Rights Managed materials (e.g., music, movies, e-books, etc.) illegal. As Ars Technica mentions, while it's not likely that the Copyright office will make major revisions, if you can argue a strong enough case, it's possible that the office will provide additional exemptions from the law under Fair Use. Put your $0.02 in here.

Thanks to Ars Technica for the news.

doctorow · 10-29-2005, 06:30 AM

As if they listened to anyone of us ;(

It's all about lobbying. RIAA & Co are "urging" the US government with the usual palm-greasing payoffs to restrict our rights while securing their own maximum profits.

Do I sound pessimistic?

Evan · 10-29-2005, 09:36 AM

"I feel your pain", D.

Seriously, though, that's the reason that we have the EFF. Businesses rally together because they have a shared goal (i.e., make as much money from the consumer as possible) and a great many shared resources. Individuals could do the same but it would require significantly more buy-in on a far larger scale to attain the mass of organizations like the RIAA, MPAA, etc.

Don't give up.

Chaos · 10-29-2005, 07:39 PM

There is a simple solution to the problem of the RIAA, MPAA, etc...

Stop supporting them. If Americans could be educated on exactly how greedy these organizations are, and decide to boycott all their products, then the problem would be solved.

The DMCA is another problem, however. It's not an organization that one can boycott... The only way to show the government that the American population doesn't like it is to stop supporting anyone who supports it, meaning the RIAA, MPAA and other similar organizations. And you'd have to do that for every organization that supports it...

It's time like these I'm glad I'm Canadian. No DMCA up here. Well, not yet. :/

Evan · 10-30-2005, 12:25 AM

Boycott the RIAA and MPAA? Hypothetically, that's a good idea but it will fail in practice. Boycotting the RIAA means never again purchasing music from a major label, setting foot in most major movie theatres, or purchasing/renting most DVDs. That limits most people to independent music labels, theatres, and movies. While one could argue (and, to an extent, I would agree) that there is plenty of good independent films out there, you're not going to see a Spiderman, Superman Returns, or other similar special effects/blockbuster films. This, to me, is a terrible loss.

No, the problem is not that the RIAA and MPAA constituents are allowed market their product but instead that the RIAA and MPAA have a strangehold, once could even say monopoly, on political influence regarding their products. Here, in the States, I don't believe that our Sherman anti-trust act has anything to do with political influence but instead is leveled against market monopolies. Of course, it's highly unlikely, in this day and age, that politicians would ever admit the degree that these lobbies influence their decisions and consequently pass a law to further reign them in. That would be result in the campagin finance reform that we've needed in the States for years and may never see.

10-29-2005, 01:07 AM	#1
Evan ... loves his toys! Posts: 47 Karma: 2419 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Viena, VA Device: Treo 650	DMCA up for review: Make your case The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) is up for review by the US Copyright Office starting November 2. For those not in the know, the DMCA renders the removal or tampering with of Digital Rights Managed materials (e.g., music, movies, e-books, etc.) illegal. As Ars Technica mentions, while it's not likely that the Copyright office will make major revisions, if you can argue a strong enough case, it's possible that the office will provide additional exemptions from the law under Fair Use. Put your $0.02 in here. Thanks to Ars Technica for the news.

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10-29-2005, 06:30 AM	#2
doctorow Guru Posts: 914 Karma: 3410461 Join Date: May 2004 Device: Kindle Touch	As if they listened to anyone of us ;( It's all about lobbying. RIAA & Co are "urging" the US government with the usual palm-greasing payoffs to restrict our rights while securing their own maximum profits. Do I sound pessimistic?

10-29-2005, 09:36 AM	#3
Evan ... loves his toys! Posts: 47 Karma: 2419 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Viena, VA Device: Treo 650	"I feel your pain", D. Seriously, though, that's the reason that we have the EFF. Businesses rally together because they have a shared goal (i.e., make as much money from the consumer as possible) and a great many shared resources. Individuals could do the same but it would require significantly more buy-in on a far larger scale to attain the mass of organizations like the RIAA, MPAA, etc. Don't give up.

10-29-2005, 07:39 PM	#4
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	There is a simple solution to the problem of the RIAA, MPAA, etc... Stop supporting them. If Americans could be educated on exactly how greedy these organizations are, and decide to boycott all their products, then the problem would be solved. The DMCA is another problem, however. It's not an organization that one can boycott... The only way to show the government that the American population doesn't like it is to stop supporting anyone who supports it, meaning the RIAA, MPAA and other similar organizations. And you'd have to do that for every organization that supports it... It's time like these I'm glad I'm Canadian. No DMCA up here. Well, not yet. :/

10-30-2005, 12:25 AM	#5
Evan ... loves his toys! Posts: 47 Karma: 2419 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Viena, VA Device: Treo 650	Boycott the RIAA and MPAA? Hypothetically, that's a good idea but it will fail in practice. Boycotting the RIAA means never again purchasing music from a major label, setting foot in most major movie theatres, or purchasing/renting most DVDs. That limits most people to independent music labels, theatres, and movies. While one could argue (and, to an extent, I would agree) that there is plenty of good independent films out there, you're not going to see a Spiderman, Superman Returns, or other similar special effects/blockbuster films. This, to me, is a terrible loss. No, the problem is not that the RIAA and MPAA constituents are allowed market their product but instead that the RIAA and MPAA have a strangehold, once could even say monopoly, on political influence regarding their products. Here, in the States, I don't believe that our Sherman anti-trust act has anything to do with political influence but instead is leveled against market monopolies. Of course, it's highly unlikely, in this day and age, that politicians would ever admit the degree that these lobbies influence their decisions and consequently pass a law to further reign them in. That would be result in the campagin finance reform that we've needed in the States for years and may never see.

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