Slashdot Mirror
Tech Heavyweights and the SSSCA
Keith Russell writes: "Looks like Sen. Hollings' uphill climb just got a little bit steeper. The Computer Systems Policy Project, a trade group which includes IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Compaq, Dell, and Motorola, has officially stated their opposition to the SSSCA, calling it "an unwarranted intrusion by the government." The ZDNet article also indicates that Big Media isn't quite behind it themselves. Disney's support is well-documented, and Fox seems to like it, but AOL Time Warner and the MPAA, while keen to the idea, don't like this bill in particular." Read the entire article - not supporting this proposal "in its current form" is not very strong opposition.
Wow, Slashdot opposes it, And now Microsoft does too?
The two Probably oppose it for entirely different reasons, but Politics sure do make for strange bedfellows....
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
This is definately an important issue for all slashdotters. If the federal government can step in an enforce this kind of ruling, the domino's will fall my friends. These types of steps are simply Uncle Sam dangling his feet in the waters of intrusive actions, and if allowed to go forth, he will dive right in.
From the article:
This legislation would be an unwarranted intrusion by the government into the commercial marketplace," said Ken Kay, executive director of the Computer Systems Policy Project, a trade group that includes IBM, Intel, Dell Computer, Motorola and others as members. "This would freeze technology...(and) force government to pick winners and losers".
As much as big corporations like to protect their IP, corporations also resent the government telling them what to do. So this puts up an interesting question: What do big corporatons want more, IP protection, or free market enterprise and development?
Whether this bill passes or not will likely show which is the winner.
If I weren't nailed to the penis, I'd be pushing up the daisies!
Intel, IBM, Microsoft and Compaq Computer held a coming-out press conference Monday to oppose
a broad copyright protection proposal being backed by Walt Disney and Sen. Ernest Hollings Wow, maybe they realize this'll be bad for business? I mean to the average consumer, nobody will really care, they'll see it as being just another development or something. But most
The bill would bar the sale of any "interactive digital device" that did not have the anti-piracy
technology built in I don't think most people realize what that means, and i think that's what these companies need to do. They have the money, now start advertising. Make sure people know how restrictive this is. I know somebody said this in a discussion yesterday, but oh well. Show a cartoon of a kid trying to print a picture for school and being taken to prison and being abused there. Finally, there's some compainies opposing this, at least a little bit!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&o
If shit like this is put in computers, will the computer still feel like a universal tool? There is of course a limit when a computer is to restricted to feel like a computer. Most geeks here appreciate computers because they are so flexible.
Hopefully, there will always be a quite large demand for computers like they are today. And even though most people might buy "computers" that are more like a Nintendo with WWW/email/DVD/office, for scientific uses and in the industry, truly flexible and programmable computers will be needed.
Given the current threat of recession, I can imagine how Congress would feel about adopting something like SSSCA if there was a credible threat to boycott SSSCA-compatible products. Many in Congress remember the "Luxury Tax", and how it nearly bankrupted the recreational boating and civil aviation manufacturers. That was not a boycott per se, but the effect was the same.
In this case, a boycott would surely impact the hardware manufacturers and Microsoft. Even without SSSCA, Q4 2001 is not going to be all that good for these companies.
Businesses will continue to buy computers and software, but the Dells and Gateways of the world will scream loudly if Congress makes a mess of the home market.
Last time I wrote my Senator (Stevens BTW), regarding the SSSCA, I got a nice letter in return thanking me, expressing his concern about the events of September 11th, and that he pledged not to let those events affect our civil liberties too much. Either his staff is just scanning for keywords, or I forgot to include a check.
This isn't such a whacked out idea - Microsoft want to change from EULA (End User License Agreements) to a kind of EUUA (End User Usage Agreements), to prohibit people from using (e.g.) Frontpage to create anti-Microsoft content.
Using that precedent, if you can find an OS license that doesn't prohibit adding this kind of licensing restriction, then feel free to go for it. It should be an interesting experiment.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
During the 18th century, thousands of weavers were put out of business when machines came along that could do their jobs faster, cheaper, more reliably and with better quality.
The weavers were obviously distraught and there were riots with the Luddites as they were known attempting to destroy the machines that put them out of business.
Over the last 200 years, technology has made many people redundant, from riveters to bank clerks. It's the media businesses turn now. It's just progress.
Anybody can replicate information, large media corporations with top heavy management structures and CD/DVD pressing factories are no longer required. They are doomed, redundant, as were the Luddites. All the legislation in the world won't change that.
The survivors will be small fast media companies who can take advantage of the digital media such as MPEGs and MP3s.
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
Long and Short, CD sales rose while Napster was in operation and have now leveled off and even decreased.
I don't really see how this statement can be proven either way. However, the decline of Napster has coincided with the decline of our (US) economy. I think that the state of the economy has more to do with it.
-prator