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Perens Backs Down from DMCA Violation
liquidsin writes "According to this article by Dan Gillmor, Bruce Perens has backed out of his plan to demonstrate how to modify a DVD player to break region coding (and openly violate the DMCA as well) due to pressure from his employer, Hewlett Packard. I wish HP had given him their blessing on this, but I guess they have to worry about shareholders first..." See our previous story for Perens' plans.
"I wish HP had given him their blessing on this, but I guess they have to worry about shareholders first..."
Written by someone who does not seem to be employed in the corporate world. How can you possibly expect any company to openly endorse a law-breaking event? Sheesh!
Cat, the other, tastier white meat.
This is an excellent example of how the DMCA can have a chilling effect on free speech without even having to be tested in court. People often focus on the law itself as the threat, but as much of a threat can be how companies and individuals behave in response to the law - self-policing can sometimes be the worst kind.
Your snide insinuation also says a lot about your convictions
Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est
I thought a copyright act should only protect copyright, or in the case of DMCA, methods to protect copyright!!
Region coding has nothing to do with "copyright" at all, just a lame money grabbing scheme!! Why should the DMCA protect it?
The word in the law is "protect access to copyrighted works".
What "Access"? So if a publisher put glues on the CD cover so it sticks to your hand, is washing the glue off and throwing it away a circumvention and thus breaks the law?
This "Access" thing has to be more unambigously defined! It should REALLY be changed to "protect reproduction access to copyrighted works"!! What's so hard to understand? Let's make a case to change the word in the law!
Which is a perfectly respectable position. Fighting law on moral grounds needs to be done two ways - the disobediants and the inside the system. Otherwise, you have either no visibility or no hope of change no matter how outrageous your acts are. One of the best dual systems in tech is 2600 and the EFF. Outside tech, you have multiple examples of activists and the ACLU.
As important as the activists might be, every Hoffman needs his Lefcourt. The media makes up the third end of the tripod of change, whether it be big media, or just plain word of mouth.
If you think the less of Bruce for this, I'm sure he would let you get up on stage and do it yourself. Are you willing to go to jail and spend the next year in court for your convictions?
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
Well, it wasn't a government authority, it was a capitalist one. Which I suppose says more about his convictions than we'd like to know.
Oh bullshit. That's easy for you to say while you sit around on an obscure web forum and anonymously denounce "the Man". Let's see you risk your personal freedom and familiy's well-being so that geeks everywhere can download free music.
I think the DMCA is a dangerous law too, but I don't have the balls to publicly (and illegally) flout it. And since you don't either, you should probably keep the snide comments to yourself.