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Dolby Tells NetBSD Project: Don't Decode AC3
Mycroft writes: "There's a new entrant into the open source DVD legal battle: Dolby Laboratories. The NetBSD Project received this letter demanding that links to the open source ac3dec package be removed. What's next?" Probably what's next are yet more letters sent to every other project which enables decoding of content on platforms unsupported by the format licensors. Remember, you don't buy anything anymore -- you license it.
In other news, the populace of the world collectively threw up their hands as Corporations began the patenting and licensing of water to the human race.
Russia commented this afternoon, stating that they didnt' give a flying fuck.
Hong Kong stated that they had been pirating that for years, and would continue to whether we liked it or not.
China closed all relations, stating that, "We may be brutal, but you guys are just plain insane."
Canada dropped all pretense and joined the US.
The preceding paragraph was a tongue at cheek poke at the DMCA and attempt to render it as anything but is illegal according to the DMCA. Furthermore to take away any meaning from the paragraph that is not desired by the writer is expressly forbidden by the DMCA.
Furthermore the reading of the above disclaimer constitutes agreement to all rules outlined herein (and any I should make up in the future).
The preceding paragraph is legally binding according to the UCITA bill. Passed in Maryland where this post was written.
We interrupt this post to tell you that those responsible for the UCITA and the DMCA have been sacked.
Terribly sorry, this post is being interrupted again to tell you that we cannot according to the DMCA decode the english that the DMCA and UCITA bills are written in, in order to introduce them as evidence for rightful termination. Those who were to sack the resposible parties have been sacked.
I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
Licenses are modeled on an adaptive basis relative to your business plan
Kinda like Vinny the local loanshark adapts your payment plan based on which body parts he's cracked with a Louisville Slugger in the last week.
"It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom. Keep that in mind at all times." Bill Hicks
Actually, the only actual grammatical mistake in this sentence is the de-genderizing of the unincluded nominative subject (the word that goes before considers). Since "considers" is written in the third-person, singular conjugation, it is inconsistent for the writer to use the word "their" on the second line. The person should have used the word "its." Otherwise, excepting the period at the end of the sentence (that I assume was there from the start), there are not grammatical mistakes. You're probably thinking there should be a comma after "threat," but this is not the case because you're not separating two complete clauses: there's no subject after "threat." Secondly, you do not need to write the definite article preceding the word "extent" (which would read to the extent). If you see anything I've missed, I'd be glad to hear it, but this is really a sound sentence.
To Whom It May Concern:
1 &mode=thread
I'm Writing to inform you that we have recently discovered the presence of unlicensed downloadable content from your website:
slashdot.org
and:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/08/07/20620
Dolby Digital is the licensor for the AC-3 audio coding technology commonly referred to as Dolby Digital. From your website we were able to download software containing unlicensed AC-3 code components which may not be distributed under any terms absent a license agreement. The distribution of this software, whether directly of (or?) indirectly (via link to a remote URL), without such a license is unlawful as it infringes on the intellectual property rights of Dolby Laboratories. Civil liability for intellectual property infringement requires only that the offender reasonably believe that his actions are likely to result in the infringing use of another's property. Linking to a remote URL known to contain downloadable AC-3 material exposes you to the same liability as the offender providing the downloadable AC-3 file. Accordingly, the AC-3 software accessible from your site must be removed from public access immediatly
AC-3 code and its components are the exclusive property of Dolby Laboratories (San Francisco, California) and are registered as such with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Use and distribution of AC-3 technologies whether for commercial distribution, research, component development or other personal interest requires our issuance of a license tailored to your specific use or business model. Without a license, you may not distribute or utilize the AC-3 code or its components and doing so exposes you to civil liability including money damages.
If you are interested in obtaining an AC-3 license, I encourage you to contact Dolby Laboratories at SRF@dolby.com. Licenses are modeled on an adaptive basis relative to your business plan. Our goal is to provide inexpensive licensing arrangements to promote the use and adoption of the AC-3 technology.
Dolby Laboratories considers the unauthorized use and distribution of the AC-3 technologies a direct threat and will persue their legal right to extent permissible by law. Accordingly, and until a license agreement is issued, please remove all AC-3 code and code component material from your website (including all mirror sites, and links to off-site content) as well as all links directing click through traffic to known AC-3 material.
Please confirm your removal of the AC-3 material and all related links providing direct access to AC-3 products. We thank you in anticipation of your cooperation and encourage you to contact us to discuss licensing options.
Sincerely,
Christina L. Bonner
DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
So we offer them the same deal Microsoft gave SpyGlass Technologies for their browser - a cut of the profits from all sales.
And, on top of that, it appears to be hosted on a Japanese site (#147).
Liberty in your lifetime