CATO Institute Releases Paper Criticizing DMCA

flanksteak writes "The CATO institute has published a paper criticizing the DMCA entitled 'The Perverse Consequences of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.' From the article: 'The DMCA is anti-competitive. It gives copyright holders--and the technology companies that distribute their content--the legal power to create closed technology platforms and exclude competitors from interoperating with them. Worst of all, DRM technologies are clumsy and ineffective; they inconvenience legitimate users but do little to stop pirates.'" A report worth taking a look at that puts into words what most of us know already.

Comments

Re:Pirates

[InfiniteWisdom]

I wish people would stop calling people who share software, pirates.
I agree. In fact, while we're busy insisting that words can't take on new meaning or have multiple meanings, I wish they'd stop referring to "executing" software unless they were killing it, or "running" it unless the softwere grew legs and ran away.

Re:CATO?

[hotdiggitydawg]

Cato is very important. He attacks when you least expect it, to keep your defences sharp. Unfortunately he usually winds up being beaten into submission.

In related news, the CEO of Disney started channeling Peter Sellers earlier today, and was heard to say "Cato! You imbecile! Not now!" and "Cato... Cato... Where are you my little yellow friend?"

Re:hehe

[bhirsch]

Actually, I've heard NPR refer to them as a tool for the Republicans on at least two or three occasions. And of course NPR is totally non-partisan, so they must be right.

Re:All aboard.

[AuMatar]

Republicans don't favor less government control by any means. Look who has been controlling Congress and the white house this decade.

Re:Pirates

[MicktheMech]

While we're at it, I hear there are people out there who spell things "colour" and "tyres". And the japanese use funny squiggles to spell those words!

Human language: it's unambiguous and somewhat inefficient. Get over it.

That joke doesn't work when you use the right spelling. Remember, it's called "English", not "American".

Re:Pirates

[Jambon]

I wish people would stop calling people who share software, pirates.

But we YARRRRR pirates! I don't know about yerself, mate, but when I gets me music, I goes into the music store cutlass in hand, killing employees left and right before I make off with the latest Jessica Simpson!! Yarrr, she be a good-lookin' lass...if only I could plunder her.....

Re:All aboard.

[Curunir_wolf]

So you have chosed to follow a facist track then a socialist one.

I see you have chosen to skip English class.