Slashdot Mirror
DMCA Forces Cox To Censor Changelog?
Ross Vandegrift writes: "Alan Cox released 2.2.20pre10 today, which includes security fixes. He is refusing to indicate what security holes have been fixed, as Unix-style permissions could be used as an anti-circumvention device. The thread starts here. " It'd be great if people could read the threads here and try to figure out what is going on. I'm a little lost, but it looks like he's being overzealous.
OTOH, the US outlawing something shouldn't mean that all these good things are suddenly no longer available to the rest of the world. We need a place to publish the things which are outlawed in the US, without getting prosecuted for publishing these things to the US.
Such a site has been started (well, not quite, but we're busy getting it up and running) and we hope there will soon be a place to publish crypto research, security information and other useful tools which are not allowed in the US. The only small gotcha is that in order to publish it legally, some kind of access controll will have to be put in place so US citizens cannot get at the archive. Unfortunate, but so be it.
The site? http://thefreeworld.net/
Is Dmitri not a legitimate programmer? I think he is. Dmtitri writes programs which are legal in his country. He has never written a program in the US which violates US law. What other test of legitimate is there?
Alan needs to realize that, although the DMCA does have important and evil implications for the freedom to code and speak in the U.S., it would not be used against a legitimate programmer such as himself. The people who have been targeted by the DMCA have been crackers: people who defeat lame encryption schemes and distribute point-and-click software that allows the masses to pirate. Although I fully support 2600 and Dmitri in their efforts (I have been a security engineer and I appreciate the truly talented invididuals in the field), DeCSS and the PDF utility are simply not in the same class as the Linux kernel and the other software Cox has worked on. He is simply a non-target and he needs to stop pretending that the DMCA affects him.
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Kaa
Kaa's Law: In any sufficiently large group of people most are idiots.
it would not be used against a legitimate programmer such as himself
While it is unlikely that Alan would be arrested for fixing security bugs in the Linux kernel, he is quite right in saying that under the letter of the law, he might be. Even if you merely can be arrested for such an activity, then the DMCA is a bad law and must be repealed, or at least modified very substantially. So Alan should be applauded for taking a stand, even if (or exactly because!) that inconveniences some people temporarily.
As Bill Hicks said, "You are free... to do as we tell you". Right now, it seems that US "freedom" means the freedom to bribe (sorry, to fund...) senators et al to get your pet bills passed.
Imagine a law so stupid that civil obedience becomes an efficient way to fighting it...
The DMCA is only one of the many laws which make the USA into a police state. AC's intentions are good but he's got a lot more battles in front of him before the U.S. can be considered safe from authority abuse.
-CT
Firstly, he's a Brit. They have a sense of humour which is sometimes very subtle and is usually based on 'irony' (as in the saying something different to what you mean, rather than the more American 'Alanis Morissette' use of the word). Some Americans take ironic statements at face value, as is often seen on Slashdot.
Secondly, he's a clever guy. He's being stubborn about this to make a point. If he wasn't stubborn about it, the point wouldn't be made. He is acting correctly according to an unjust law to highlight the danger of it.
He is not being 'dumb' or deliberately annoying, he's highlighting the potential effects of a worrying development in the American legal which could have significant negative impact on all Open Source software developers.
I used to be proud to be a Citizen of US. But it seems everyday that the "land of the Free" becomes a little less free. This is beginning to reach insane proportions. Everyday we seem to pass more and more laws that are seemingly(to me anyway) directly in conflict with Our Constitution. Our politicans don't listen to us anymore. I am disgusted...and angry...so much so i can't even think of words to express my rage at what is being done to this great nation. Our laws were ment to protect our citizens, and ensure the right to "life, liberty and the persuit of happiness" I feel as if I have none of these lately.
--"The refuses to bend, he refuses to fall, he's always at home with his back to the wall" --Bill Joel- Angry Young Man.
Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
And the REST of the world must suffer because some american law (which has no jurisdiction OUTSIDE america) exists?
They harrassed an Norwegian, kidnapped a Russian over this law. A good reason for the rest of the world to take notice...