The Internet Under Siege

Gorgonzola writes: "Lawrence Lessig has written an accessible article in Foreign Policy on the threats to freedom on the internet, including the threat the DMCA poses to open and free software. Nothing new to Slashdot regulars, but good to see something appear in an influential magazine like Foreign Policy. An article mentioning the Sklyarov case like this one does, is going to draw a lot more attention from policymakers to the problems the DMCA and other legal troubles are posing to online freedom than your average rant on a board like this, how well reasoned it may be."

Comments

What about the Internet Privacy Law?

[AnimeFreak]

The bill that became law in 1995 (signed by Bill Clinton). What role does it play in the DCMA era? Is the law still valid?

I am canadian, I don't follow american law too much. :/

Explains a lot about the MP/RI-AA

[GISboy]

As Niccolò Machiavelli described long before the Internet, "Innovation makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old regime, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new."

Price gouging, foisting inferior products/bands on consumers, ripping off artist, directors, consumers.

Explains so much...when you fear for your life and livelyhood because you can't compete anymore you fight like hell with words and deeds.

(Jafar voice)Hummm, Interesting (/off).

Re:difference between this and prohibition

[MarcQuadra]

"I agree that the real power of the Internet will emerge as peer2peer comes into its own, and flexes its muscles. But at the moment, the entertainment industries are POWERFUL and would just as soon turn the Internet into another broadcast medium, like the Vast Wasteland called TV."

I think it's time people and organizations start connecting to each other more. I worked at a place that was 11 or more hops from another entity inside the same building. Not only will P2P (and the rest of the Internet) benefit immensely from more efficient traffic, but it will be much more resistant to mass-filtering.

I've been thinking about putting really fat pipes between all the schools in Boston (where I'm in school), I think organizations have to start internetworking more so this internet-thing works well.