[NTLUG:Discuss] MI2 boycott

[Gregory A. Edwards]

Jeremy Blosser wrote:
> 
> Gregory A. Edwards [greg at nas-inet.com] wrote:
> [cut]
> > Whether the intent of DeCSS is to copy, play, rerecord, or just to solve
> > an interesting problem does not matter.  An owned piece of property was
> > reverse engineered and therefore stolen from its owners.  No matter what
> > law MPAA hangs the papers on this is really a case of theft of property.
> [cut]
> 
> You're right about one thing here: this is about theft of property.
> 
> But you're wrong about what the law says, and who is stealing what.
> 
> Under the law, if I *purchase* something, I have rights to use it.  These
> rights include the right to take it apart and modify it for my personal use
> the way I want to.  In the software realm, this includes the right to
> reverse-engineer.  In the media realm, it includes the right to make home
> copies of disks/books/etc. and make use of them how I see fit (as long as
> it's *me* using them).  These rights are well established in US Law, both
> written and case law, and are even more directly established in the
> countries where DeCSS was created.
> 


> 
> But don't expect us to join you.
> 
> --
> Jeremy Blosser   |   jblosser at firinn.org   |   http://jblosser.firinn.org/
> -----------------+-------------------------+------------------------------


First off I'm not trying to get into any kind of flame war here.  I'm
also not taking any kind of side that I want to get folks to enlist on.

Like I said I have not followed every detail or legal breif or warrent
issued on this.  The point I was trying to get intelligent people to
remember is that (as I understand it) the decryption process (key and
algorithum) used in DVD playback is not in the public domain and is
owned property.  If I am wrong then I retract my comments on this issue.

I will not get into a long drawn out debate over the law but reverse
engineering is NOT a right in the software world.  There are alot of
bankrupt people who have lost this argument.  There is a reason that you
have to license software and do not get to own it.  I can't remember the
last time I saw a piece of commercial (consumer) software that sold
along with a transfer of ownership.  With a book (and other printed
material) you own the physical copy not the content.  And NO you do not
have the right to do anything you want with the content of the book. 
You can make reference to it, you can quote it with acknowlegement to
the source, you can even copy excerpts from it for conveience of very
limited distribution but that's about it.

Yes if you buy a lawn mower and want to turn it into a drag racer your
completely within your rights.  However if you reverse engineer the
design and then distribute your own product using any portion of that
design or the design itself (free or for $$ doesn't matter) you'll be
bankrupt when you get done in court.

-- 
Greg Edwards
New Age Software, Inc.
http://www.nas-inet.com