Counter Proposal: we as the technology industry (from Microsoft to FSF) should be thinking just the opposite of UCITA. More than ever we need to be openning data formats rather than clamping down. If we must legislate anything we should push that all data formats be submitted as RFC open standards. Imagine if all word processor, spreadsheet, scheduling, database, network protocols, etc. were avail. as open standards. People would gravitate to the best, most secure format and that format would evolve into a category killer just as open source competitors do. But even if you had an equal spilt, as sometimes happens, anyone could build both competing formats into their client.
The phenomenon that we see here is that applications then become what they really are, clients to the data.
The only "protection" technology needs is to make it so these open standard formats can't be "embraced and extended" by any single entity or client. Indeed, extending an open standard for personal gain should be criminal.
UCITA is like allowing only the Priests access to the Bible even though Gutenberg's press is in full opperation!
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Counter Proposal: we as the technology industry (from Microsoft to FSF) should be thinking just the opposite of UCITA. More than ever we need to be openning data formats rather than clamping down. If we must legislate anything we should push that all data formats be submitted as RFC open standards. Imagine if all word processor, spreadsheet, scheduling, database, network protocols, etc. were avail. as open standards. People would gravitate to the best, most secure format and that format would evolve into a category killer just as open source competitors do. But even if you had an equal spilt, as sometimes happens, anyone could build both competing formats into their client.
The phenomenon that we see here is that applications then become what they really are, clients to the data.
The only "protection" technology needs is to make it so these open standard formats can't be "embraced and extended" by any single entity or client. Indeed, extending an open standard for personal gain should be criminal.
UCITA is like allowing only the Priests access to the Bible even though Gutenberg's press is in full opperation!