Stop government-regulated digital copy protection

[dafury]

http://www.eff.org/alerts/20010921_eff_sssca_alert.html
Stop the madness

There is a proposal for digital copy protection on every device. Here's a snippit ripped shamelessly from www.iamnotageek.com
(apologies if a repost, but it's REALLY important).

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"With the help of Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.), the powerful chairman of the Senate Commerce committee, they hope to embed copy-protection controls in nearly all consumer electronic devices and PCs. All types of digital content, including music, video and e-books, are covered.
The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA), scheduled to be introduced by Hollings, backs up this requirement with teeth: It would be a civil offense to create or sell any kind of computer equipment that "does not include and utilize certified security technologies" approved by the federal government.
It also creates new federal felonies, punishable by five years in prison and fines of up to $500,000. Anyone who distributes copyrighted material with "security measures" disabled or has a network-attached computer that disables copy protection is covered." Wired

So the bottom line is...
Want to burn a mix of your favorite music using CDs you already own? The SSSCA would certainly end that.
You got an older MP3 player (Rio500 in my case), its a civil offense.
I believe in the rights of the creators to protect their work but this goes to far
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[Angrymarshmello]

Using illegal copies of software and music are federal felonies also but that hasn't stopped anyone. And I hardly doubt anything that would invade privacy to this degree would pass.

 

[Lucky]

<< Using illegal copies of software and music are federal felonies also but that hasn't stopped anyone. And I hardly doubt anything that would invade privacy to this degree would pass. >>



Yes, but the creation of new federal laws, presumably to be enforced, has a far greater impression on the public, IMHO, than try to rely on ignored and not-known "archaeic" laws.

As as far as anything invading privacy not being possible to pass? Thats laughable. Online gambling, done in the privacy of your own home, came within 1 day of being, for all practical purposes, a multibillion dollar dead industry immediately. You think gov't outlawing you how you can spend your money for entertainment purposes in your own home ISNT a privacy invasion? It took tens of thousands of online gamblers, each calling and writing our representatives, to have this crap taken out of the recently passed federal anti-terrorist acts. But still, it was not stricken until the day before the vote. Very, very close call.

You may say that online gambling isnt on par with the law in question, but I dont see much of a difference. As I see it, its probably worse than the copy-protection law proposed, as the copy-protection laws are only (officially) attempting to stop (illegal) copies rather than stopping you from an unqustionable right to spend your money as you see fit.