EFF Reviews 5 Years Under The DMCA

briaydemir writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has a new report, Unintended Consequences: Five Years under the DMCA, detailing how the DMCA has stiffled competition, innovation, scientific research, and fair use. The original news release is here, and the report is also available as a PDF. Check it out if you want a good summary of all the DMCA cases over the past five years."

Comments

And this is surprising!

[norgTorg]

Wow something that is in line with slashdot thinking is posted here! I better get right on it.

I wanted to read the pdf...

[chjones]

but when the first few lines looked like this:

%PDF-1.3
%Aaoae§o DAAE
2 0 obj
<< /Length 1 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >>
stream
DoAE2UC7;+/-1/4&#168;lU&#149;A-OElwNuu ='a&#155;&#164;c[Es!&#134;&&#168;aSeeUougo&#175;iI LoLooe{.2alae"E&#131;IU2uwVgB~(UE&#185;Ui&#139;UOV dU'&#187;\EOEA_Oa^3'3'e.l&#182;XgB3/4_&#139;ifp&#1 91;}&#183;Ub'gUEoi/a&#170;OUYEwI&#170;i&#171;u&#18 5;k&#171;EAd<--:&#254;U7nYa@Ii&#132;u&#254;S|E/oSJ "Eto o"Ey&&#178;OOUA&#175;uUiEzY.&#179;wM1/2-yU--o& #16 2;U&#254;#u z-y_Y&#180;UiWoq&#155;i^EifYB}/uo{oa&#167;ouS.OE&# 222;as(R)&#178;B>1/2Eo#oeWe&#175;&#129;a\yoOof&#17 6;kAEfo"!1/2zs6&#131;OQnwUc&#178;YVMyuo&#185;UV&#1 87;ioo5/Yzo|}>"e.&#143;ei&#144;I|os/UB}i>;uonL&#12 8;AyxZqyf&#172;',f^e&#187;'&#179;UU9d&#178;+_&#128 ;uA+/-&#182;u ue&#172;E&#180;cia]VBo&#179;&nbs p; BOoi'd&#167;WN|`ux{&#184;aE}Y''&#179;&#187;d1/ 2pC !uXA'&#187;qnL`e OE'=y&#172;y*{TUCyz]&#180;_ID...&#172;TPUgY(R)~Ca9 d

I was afraid that using a piece of software designed to circumvent the "encryption" of the file would find me breaking the law under the DMCA....

Sad news ... Stephen King dead at 56

[Anonymous Coward]

I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Horror/Sci Fi writer Stephen King was found dead in his Maine home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.

I disagree with the EFF.

[Anonymous Coward]

The DMCA is a good law that needs to stay on the books and be enforced. I know that may not sit well with some folks on this site, but so be it. Those who disagree with the DMCA probably listen to kooks like Michael Ruppert and Alex Jones. Time to grow up and realize that the DMCA, PATRIOT Act, gun control and gun bans, the War on Drugs, asset forfeiture laws, and social programs are good and anyone against them is an extremist.

Re:Time to go.

[CausticWindow]

I'm sure that if we all just wish very hard, the DMCA will just go away.

Let's join in prayes brothers and sisters of Slashdot. Jesus will save our great country, once again.

Re:Lets look at the positive side of DMCA

[CausticWindow]

Funny that you're saying this (not that anything you say are actually funny).

Just wanted to point out that music like the music produced by Run DMC, is one of the VERY few positive things about the US, the last fiften years or so.

Like so many positive cultural things from the US, it's produced by "niggers", as you call them. I think it's time those "niggers" took the power back,

Re:Time for all of you to

[Anonymous Coward]

MAXINTOSH HAS THIS OPERITING SYSTOM CALLED OH SEX IT ROXORS BUT CUZ ITS NAMED AFTER BUMPIN UGLEIS ONLY ADUTL SHUD USE OR YUO MITE GET PREVERTED BY IT WEN YUO GO TO HAXOR A DOOD

Brilliant. I am intrigued by your views and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

I'm in ur base killin ur doods.

Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.

Re:You'd think better of the EFF

[QuantumG]

I never implied that the mudslinging campaign was modern, and yes, copying other people's work has always been socially acceptable, and no, the term was not coined by the ones doing the copying and rather than just saying "was not" to my "was so" why don't you reveal your sources on this one?