2600 Drops DeCSS Appeal

Slashdot Chaplain writes "At the 2600 site, you can see today's details about why 2600 is withdrawing from taking their suit to the Supreme Court." So let's recap the case: 2600 published the DeCSS utility on their website. The movie studios filed suit, and the EFF agreed to assist 2600 with their case. 2600 lost the case in District Court, receiving a tongue-lashing from Judge Kaplan, which ordered them not to post or even link to DeCSS. 2600 appealed. They lost. They attempted to have their case heard again, by the full Appeals court rather than a three-judge panel, and were rejected. And although they have the option of appealing to the Supreme Court, they are saying today that they will not: so Judge Kaplan's decision stands. The case in California is still ongoing. No doubt this will be discussed at H2K2 next week.

Comments

my favorite factoid

[Patrick13]

When CNN was covering this case on their site, a year or so ago, they actually published links to DeCSS software...

I still have a screenshot of it in my HD...

The perl source

[-stax]

Nested slashdot comments are cool.

Re:What is it that we are buying?

[Dr. Awktagon]

You are buying a lovely, crunchy Cellophane wrapper. It's yours, to do with as you please. You can even share(tm) with a friend! How's that for freedom?

As a bonus, when you buy this Cellophane, you also get a limited right to do certain things with the Box and shiny Plastic Disc inside. You may open the Box with your right hand, remove the Disc with your left, and insert it into an approved Device to view or listen to some Content. There are several Devices you may use for this purpose. After you view or listen to the Content (please do not fast-forward, although there are no commercials [yet], we don't want you getting into the habit), please return it to the box, and lock it away so no one else can use it. In fact if you want to just throw the whole thing away, and buy it again next time you want to view the Content, that's just fine with us. You'll even get another piece of Cellophane!!

Re:Why you don't always go to the Supreme Court

[Bingo Foo]

in a differen[t] Circuit, one whose judges are more favorable to First Amendment issues. (Possibly the Ninth?)

Oh, yes, except that DeCSS might be used to unencrypt the word "God," and so the Ninth Circuit will find it prima facie unconstitutional.

serves them right

[Anonymous Coward]

That utility has no other specific reason for being than to rip off DVDs. Piracy is wrong. If you don't agree with the system, take part in it to bring about positive change.

2600 is blocked by my part of EDS - inappropriate?

[Anonymous Coward]

Double freedom irony? My part of EDS' inappropriate use policy blocks thism courtery of WebSense. Nice to know I'm bring protected by the thought police.

Re:Happy Fourth of July everyone!

[squiggleslash]

Cheer up. It's the day you celebrate removing from the states the rule of someone called George, who was appointed ruler despite never having a plebicite with a majority vote for him as a mandate, who was mentally one teabag short of a pot of tea, and whose only qualification for the job was that his dad, also called George, once did it too.

Who knows, it might happen again.