Re: [OT] DRM OS

Thomas Dodd
2001-12-19T21:50:21Z

Gábor Lénárt wrote:

> Ehh. What if I don't want (let's say) I can't pay money for a DVD player
> software? Is there any legal DVD player sw for Linux? For win it's not

Not the last I checked.

> solution for me since win is not legal unless I buy it :) So I can't watch
> my own DVD disk according the law? Imho it's against the constitution of

Exactly. That's what DMCA says.
It basicly nullifies all reasonable use rights in the U.S.A.

> most countries: if I beleive that Open Source is the RIGHT solution (let'say
> this is my religion, namely: I beleive in freedom so I can only use open
> source softwares :), then I can't watch DVDs. So I'm under detrimental

No one with the money (read millions of dollars) has channanged the
Constitutionality of the DMCA yet. Even when it happens, what are the
chances of the courts understanding the technical side? The politicians
surly didn't. They beleived that it would stop mass copying and
distribution, like in Malaysia with VCD, audio CDs, and software,
When all it stops is individuals using the product they bought.

A few years ago it was law that I could do what I wanted with a
cable/satellite signal broadcast over me. So They encrypted
the signals. I figured out how to decrypt that signal. The courts
called that legal. So the broadcasters changed the keys more often
until it was no longer worth the effort for me to "get it free"
(it takes a few hours to find the new keys, then it takes a
while to enter the new keys. So if the keys change twice a day
I only get 1-2 hours of usefull viewing).
The DMCA makes what had been legal, but dubious, use of
the signal, illegal.

I us gasoline to clean parts whe I work on old cars.
Next they will tell me I cannot use the gasoline I
buy for anything other than running a govt. approved
engine and have top buy a seperate, approved cleaning
agent to clean parts.

-Thomas