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.

Comments

Maybe I'm reading it werid but...

[aronc]

It came across to me more like this:

Perens: "The DMCA is bad law. I'm going to show why by breaking it. Let them come after me."
HP: "Umm... they could sue the shit out of us if you do that. Probably will. We have money, and you know how much they love money."
Perens: "Shit. I don't want HP to take the fall for my demonstration. Lets think about this some more."

Nieve? Maybe. But with HP saying they are the "bigger fish" that seems to be the case to me.

This is what's wrong with the Open Source ideology

[MrBrklyn]

This is the essential problem with the Open Source ideology and all too many of the developers who view themselves as Open Source advocates. The issue of the DMCA pales in comparision of anything HP can be funding for OSI, and yet, Bruce Perens is refusing to demonstrate effectively against the DMCA because of the economic interests of HP.

When NYLXS had it's Business Demonstration at the Graduate Center of CUNY in Manhattan, one young man challenged us when he asked if we should be doing more with IBM on the front of Free Software advocacy. We replied to him that IBM can not be trusted to protect the interests of Free Software, and digital property rights, because IBM is mandated by it's charter as a corperation to protect the interests of it's share holders.

So while it is true that businesses need freedom to compete in a fair and open market, businesses can not be depended upon to protect that freedom, nor should we expect them to. This is not their function.

Only through Free Software and political action to protect individual property rights to their computers and media, can we assure a future with Free Digital communications, which will be the foundation of political discourse, education, and social interaction in the future.

We must have a Free Digital infrastructure if our people and government will remain as free. This can not be trusted to IBM, HP or MS, but is in the hands of the people.

Join NY Fair Use to pass the Fair Use bill, and turn the DMCA on it's ears.

I respect HP's decision.

[tshak]

I respect HP's decision. However, I think this shows yet again how much power a corporation has over an individual. Welcome to the United Corporations of America.