Saturday, March 16, 2002
Battle Intensifies Over Right to Copy
Posted by Jason Dunn in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:01 PM
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,89164,tk,dn031402X,00.asp
There are some nasty copyright battles brewing down in the US, and it's important for all of us to pay attention. Where the US goes legally, many other countries follow (especially Canada) so I can only imagine how bad things will become if these new laws pass. MP3 will effectively be outlawed because there's no built-in DRM security. It's almost unbelievable how far-reaching the repercussions of this would be: taping TV shows would become illegal. I'm absolutely infuriated at the powers that be in the entertainment industry for trying to push this asinine law into being. Mark my words, DRM will be a sore point between consumers and the entertainment industry for at least another decade before a real solution is arrived at.
"Could making an MP3 mix of your favorite songs and recording Sex in the City on your PC or VCR turn you into a criminal? That's exactly what consumer advocates are warning, as Washington and Hollywood gang up on the issue of digital copyright and piracy....
...Adding some urgency to the debate is a bill authored by Senator Fritz Hollings (D-South Carolina), chair of the Commerce Committee, that would make illegal the creation, selling, or distribution of "any interactive digital device that does not include and utilize certified security technologies." The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA) orders that copy protection be built into everything from your PC and handheld to your TiVo recorder and TV set-top box."
There are some nasty copyright battles brewing down in the US, and it's important for all of us to pay attention. Where the US goes legally, many other countries follow (especially Canada) so I can only imagine how bad things will become if these new laws pass. MP3 will effectively be outlawed because there's no built-in DRM security. It's almost unbelievable how far-reaching the repercussions of this would be: taping TV shows would become illegal. I'm absolutely infuriated at the powers that be in the entertainment industry for trying to push this asinine law into being. Mark my words, DRM will be a sore point between consumers and the entertainment industry for at least another decade before a real solution is arrived at.
"Could making an MP3 mix of your favorite songs and recording Sex in the City on your PC or VCR turn you into a criminal? That's exactly what consumer advocates are warning, as Washington and Hollywood gang up on the issue of digital copyright and piracy....
...Adding some urgency to the debate is a bill authored by Senator Fritz Hollings (D-South Carolina), chair of the Commerce Committee, that would make illegal the creation, selling, or distribution of "any interactive digital device that does not include and utilize certified security technologies." The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA) orders that copy protection be built into everything from your PC and handheld to your TiVo recorder and TV set-top box."
