Why the Copyright Nazis are Nazis, reason #9,857,892,346,264

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Goodbye free market, hello absolutist monarchy of corporations.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

http://lawgeek.typepad.com/lawgeek/2004/07/dmca_hammer_com.html

This just in: A district court in Boston has used the DMCA to grant a preliminary injunction against a third party service vendor who tried to fix StorageTek tape library backup systems for legitimate purchasers of the system.

How is this a DMCA violation? Well, it turns out that StorageTek allegedly uses some kind of algorithmic "key" to control access to its "Maintenance Code", the module that allows the service tech to debug the storage system. The court found that third party service techs who used the key without StorageTek's permission "circumvented" to gain access to the copyrighted code in violation of the DMCA, even though they had the explicit permission of the purchasers to fix their machines.

What does this ruling mean? If it stands up on appeal, it means StorageTek has a monopoly on service for all of its machines. No independent vendor will be able to compete with them for service contracts because no independent vendor will be authorized to "access" the maintenance code necessary to debug the machine.

The DMCA was meant to stop digital piracy, not inhibit legitimate competition in the computer services market. How many more markets will we allow this law to kill before someone fixes it?

[Tina H]

1. Interested in copyright?

There is a new bill called the INDUCE Act, which I believe is working its way thru Congress now. It has faults similar to the DMCA in that it will block emerging computer and data transfer technologies using copyright law and define anyway freedoms of "fair use" that we have traditionally enjoyed. It is a bad law.

Does anyone know Kerry's position on the INDUCE Act?

I know Orrin Hatch is strongly supporting it, but don't know the opinions of other Congresspeople.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. I reported on that too

Thanks for the reminder:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1814544

[DenverDem]

2. Copyright law's degeneration to corporate monopoly is unConstitutional.

The framers of the Constitution meant for a limited term of copyright and much more free "fair use" for end users/purchasers. Fair use has been shrinking for 200 years so that now there effectively is none. You can buy the products, but only have license to use them in very limited ways.

Under the corporate globalist regime, corporations have all the rights of citizenship without tax support responsibilities or even any civil oversight, and human citizens are losing their rights and freedoms drip by drip.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. I see Civil Disobedience acts with laptops in the near future.

Take them to the park and shout, "See! I used this trick to be able to watch an out-of-region DVD in this computer! I'm now liable to 20 years in federal prison and a $50,000 fine!"