Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Lofgren's Anti-DRM Bill

Posted by michael on from the trial-balloon dept.

blastedtokyo writes "House representative Zoe Lofgren introduced the Digital Choice and Freedom Act. Perhaps the most interesting section is the part that invalidates 'non-negotiable shrink wrap licenses' (EULAs) that limit rights. On top of this, it states that both digital and analog media need to be subject to fair use rules for backing up. The full text of the bill is also available." News.com.com.com.com and Infoworld have stories as well, which both note that there is no chance of these bills being passed this year.

8 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. Don't cross the beams... by Louis-Nap · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not a US citizen (I'm from the forgotten US state, Australia :0), so I'm not sure how the whole lawmaking process works - but doesn't this law say the exact opposite of quite a few laws either previously passed or currently being debated? What happens in this case - do the laws nullify each other? Do they both apply and it gets left up to the courts to decide which has priority? Perhaps we need some kind of legislation lottery, where the first law that gets drawn out of a barrel is passed, and the rest aren't...I can just imagine a group of senators, fingers crossed, chanting "come in DMCA!"

    --

    ===
    You know that guy who stole your girlfriend away from you in the summer of '95? He's going to die.
    1. Re:Don't cross the beams... by Louis-Nap · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ooh! I know the answer to this one. Nothing prevents the corrupt administration from repealing the initial legislation, but Democracy, and the Will Of The People (TM) prevents the corrupt administration from coming to power! Unless the corrupt administration owns an oil company, but that should be left for another post :0)

      --

      ===
      You know that guy who stole your girlfriend away from you in the summer of '95? He's going to die.
    2. Re:Don't cross the beams... by JWW · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm just a bill yes I'm only a bill and I'm sittin ' here on capitol hill.....

      Ok, everyone go out and buy the "Schoolhouse Rock DVD"... Wait that's being sold by Disney, aaaarrrrggghhhh, what a dillema.

    3. Re:Don't cross the beams... by Alranor · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm an amendment to be,
      Yes an amendment to be
      And i'm hoping that they'll ratify me

      There's a lot of flag burners who have too many freedoms,
      I'd like to make it legal for policemen to beat 'em

    4. Re:Don't cross the beams... by MarkusQ · · Score: 4, Funny

      So what prevents a more corrupt administration from...

      In theory, something called "checks and ballances." It's a key part of our system; it also prevents things like a rogue president declaring war at random, congressmen passing laws which only help their financial backers, or judges ignoring laws to protect their cronies. Since it's so important, we periodically do a live full system test to make sure it's still working.

      In fact, it looks like we're starting one now.

      -- MarkusQ

    5. Re:Don't cross the beams... by BasharTeg · · Score: 3, Funny

      Boy: Whew! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington. But I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is?

      I'm just a bill.
      Yes, I'm only a bill.
      And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
      Well, it's a long, long journey
      To the capital city.
      It's a long, long wait
      While I'm sitting in committee,
      But I know I'll be a law some day
      At least I hope and pray that I will
      But today I am still just a bill.

      Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.

      BILL: Well, I got this far. When I started I wasn't even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman, and he said, "You're right, there oughta be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress. And I became a bill, and I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.

      I'm just a bill
      Yes I'm only a bill,
      And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
      Well, now I'm stuck in committee
      And I'll sit here and wait
      While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
      Whether they should let me be a law.
      How I hope and pray that they will,
      But today I am still just a bill.

      Boy: Listen to those Congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you.
      BILL: Yeah, I'm one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide toreport on me favorably, otherwise I may die.

      Boy: Die?

      BILL: Yeah, die in committee. Ooh, but it looks like I'm gonna live! NOW I go to the House of Representatives, and they vote on me.

      Boy: if they vote yes, what happens?

      BILL: Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.

      Boy: Oh no!

      BILL: Oh yes!

      I'm just a bill
      Yes, I'm only a bill
      And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
      Well, then I'm off to the White House
      Where I'll wait in a line
      With a lot of other bills
      For the president to sign
      And if he signs me, then I'll be a law.
      HOW I hope and pray that he will,
      But today I am still just a bill.

      Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?

      BILL: Yes, that's called a veto. If the president vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again, and by that time you're so old ...

      Boy: By that time it's very unlikely that you'll become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?

      BILL: No!

      But how I hope and pray that I will, But today I am still just a bill.

      MAN: He signed you, Bill Now you're a law!

      BILL: Oh yes!!!

  2. I wonder if... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    this new law will protect ./'s right to copy old articles from the day before?

  3. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    What needs to happen is some small (1 person?) company neds to release a great product, but include a few... unusual... conditions in it's EULA. (Like, say, each user must send the programmer $100 a month for the rest of their lives, etc.) Then, take all their users to court. Either the court wil uphold the EULA, and the programmer gets rich (woo-hoo!), or the court declares EULAs invalid (take that MS!!)

    It's a win-win situation, really.