Re: tlug: alert-WIPO bill

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Nivad" == Nivad  <nivad@example.com> writes:

    Nivad> Yes, open source should be immune from this bill as far as
    Nivad> I can tell (I could be wrong, I'm not a lawyer).  Promoting
    Nivad> open source is good, but not when effecting privacy
    Nivad> (personal) and security (hidden bugs) of computing as a
    Nivad> whole.

"Effecting privacy" is a GoodThang [tm].  See your local dictionary
for the use of "effect" and "affect".
 
    Nivad> Maybe after this message the thread will end. I didn't
    Nivad> really expect it to go this far. Although it was after the
    Nivad> 19 June deadline, the idea was to alert any TLUG members of
    Nivad> this bill who might have had time to make their opinions
    Nivad> known to the legislators. Hopefully, some understood the
    Nivad> implications and were able to act. If not, shouganai, I am
    Nivad> finished with this subject.

Well, that was crystal clear from your original post.  Not.

Had you written _this_ post the first time I would have visited the
site.

    Nivad> 	Section 1201: Makes the use, manufacture or sale of
    Nivad> ANY technology that can be used to circumvent copyright
    Nivad> protections illegal.

This section will clearly get struck down in court; it's far too
broad.  Shell scripts and maybe even DOS .bat files would have to go,
if password-based protection continues to be used.

    Nivad>     -allow content owners to collect
    Nivad> personally-identifiable information about users who access
    Nivad> their copyrighted works. This will eliminate anonymous
    Nivad> reading and allow content owners to track not only which
    Nivad> online magazines you buy but also which articles you read
    Nivad> and which pictures you look at.  { who needs privacy }

Privacy is violated only when the content provider reveals that
information to someone else.  Collecting this information is arguably
a GoodThang[tm].  It allows said content providers to provide
transparent and intelligent assistance to those users who think that a
two-button remote control should be enough to control ANY complex system.

It also allows said content providers to (1) charge you only for what
you read and (2) reward authors in proportion to their popularity.
Both are good things.

That said, some way to opt out of the system (eg, content providers
who promise not to look, etc) should be provided.  I don't know that
it will pass the market test though.

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