Slashdot Mirror
Finland Drops EUCD For Now
replicant_deckard writes "Electronic Frontier Finland just got a huge legal victory. They report the local DMCA-copy (based on EU copyright directive) was dropped today at the parliament after heavy criticism. So far just two EU nations have accepted the innovation threatening law. Campaigns go on in different European states. They need your support!" cabra771 writes "The European Commission has put up a new proposal dealing with online music piracy that appears to have slightly upset a few people."
If copy-protection schemes are to succeed, they must be as undetectable as possible by the end user. I don't mean that he won't realize he's using a copy-protected format, but that his ears won't be able to tell the difference between a copy-protected one and a non-protected one.
VHS macrovision is popular precisely because it's undetectable in how it alters visual quality. You'll hear lots of complaints by people who are unable to copy videos correctly, but you'll never hear a complaint by anyone about how macrovision has degraded their signal -- it hasn't.
We're almost at the stage where digital watermarks are completely seamless. Ten years ago, inititives like this would've been scoffed at. Now, they're becoming reality.
You're lucky, this time!
Denmark - nearing the end of it's EU Presidency - was too preoccupied with other EU affairs, mainly integrating new member countries. It was apparently so important that this law be passed before 2002-12-22, that suddenly a massive vote against the law at the second hearing, turned to a massive vote for the law at the third hearing. One party actually "pushed the wrong voting button" - literally, and two (I believe it was two, one being the second largest) other parties had suddenly changed their minds? WTF?!
zWhat would an EWOULDBLOCK block, if an EWOULDBLOCK could block would? -- me
And this is the negative point of the European Union. If their is one authority, their is only 1 bribe. But with multiple authorities, it becomes prohibitively expensive to get your laws passed.
If the EU ever gets too much power, Europe will suffer heavily. As we know
"absolute power corrupts absolutely."
I thought that was exactly the thing which the recording industry was so miffed about - and this legislation is nailing that one straight on.
I still wonder about how hard they are going to hit onto what I consider "fair use". I consider placing of impediments to fair use applications to be a severe infringement of MY rights.
This stuff telling me I can not make backup and make proper use of what it is I am purchasing.. well looks like the European Commission didn't like it much either. I wonder how the European Union recognizes it. I hope they recognize a noose when they see it.
Don't get me wrong, I am not an unreasonable man...I am willing to compromise my position.
If you want me to give up my right to make backups, you *must* be willing to provide me with one at any time in the future I may need one - and be willing to compensate me for my time and other losses that was incurred because I put said product in a critical position, when having backups in place would have eliminated that loss. Remember, the vendor will have to issue me the exact software I had running with whatever patches I had applied... or come in and make whatever he has work in a way that is acceptable to *me*.
I can bend too in my belief that I am not supposed to "reverse engineer" the product to try to make it work, if the vendor is also willing to take unlimited liability in assuring me the software does what it says it does, nothing more, and nothing less. So if I get some software that sent stuff out on the net, I would have recourse to recover from the vendor whatever I valued the data it sent at. Basically the same law they had the US Congress pass for them, but directed back at them as the target of the Liability.
I do not think I am asking anything unreasonable, its just if you want to take away my rights to try to make the thing work, you will take on that responsibility of making it work. If you want to do something behind my back and don't want me to see - you will take full responsibility for what it does.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
From what I can figure, the European Court can't *make* law. Granted, they can rule that the countries haven't followed the directive, but the court still can not *implement* the directive over the head of the individual countries. And until it's incorporated into law, it's not legally binding for the citizens. I answer to norwegian law, not EU directives. Not quite sure what sanctions they do have though, probably some strong ones anyway.
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Reason for dropping the draft is really that the Finnish parliament decided that it doesn't have enough time to finalise the legislation before the elections in march... Not exactly a "huge legal win for EFFI" as it is hyped.
Unfortunately the EuroDMCA directive is in effect despite that not all member states have implemented the local legislation.