IEEE Drops DMCA Reference in Authors Copyright Form

aurelian writes "a follow-up on this story in April: the IEEE has announced that they have re-revised their copyright form and dropped the requirement that authors verify their work does not violate the DMCA. Seems to be as a result of feedback from their authors/members. Of course authors still have to comply with the act - they just don't have to see it mentioned in the new form."

Comments

implied meaning

[Jucius Maximus]

Yes, but the IEEE is implying that they realise the DMCA is silly to begin with and they do not want to deliberately force legitimate projects to comply with a silly law if they can help it.

Of course they can't go out and say "we think it's alright to break the law" so the best they can do is imply it.

To me, this says that the IEEE has brains.

finally

[larry bagina]

good riddance to the stated requirement. IEEE has around 400,000 members in 150+ countries. Since they are one of the largest publishers of electrical engineering/computer science literature, they were effectively extending the DMCA's censorship beyond our borders to places like Autralia and Europe, where software can't even be patented.

Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

[ronfar]

Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

A mindbogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a brush, but very ravenous.

It's obvious that IEEE has gotten its malevolent ravening monsters confused. Certainly, the DMCA is an evil, ravening beast. Unfortunately, simply not being able to see it won't make it blind to you.

Indeed, in this case, changing the paperwork is a disservice to the people who sign it. It served as a "Beware of the Leopard," type sign. You know, as in "there is a horrible ravenous beast out there that may decide to eat you if you draw its attention." Now, of course, the ravening beast is still out there, and will still eat you if you draw its attention.

It would be sort of as if a park had formerly had a sign near a lake saying, "Beware Alligators," and then one day took it down.

When asked, the park director says, "Oh, well, we were getting fewer people coming to the park, it seems that people didn't want to swim in the lake when they knew they might be eaten by and alligator."

"Oh, so you've gotten rid of the alligators, then."

"Well, no, but now people aren't afraid to swim in the lake any more."