[NTLUG:Discuss] Let Freedom Ring! DeCSS code is speech! ...well, almost.

[Daniel Hauck]

It's close enough to win a cigar.  There are free compilers available for
DOS/Windows and they will compile the source code.

But the source code itself is useful in the sense that it illustrates
exactly what is needed to create DVD playback software... something the
DVDCCA consortium would prefer remained secret.

Finally, the real win here is preservation of free speech over the
encroaching "Corporate Government" that grows with each senator/congressman
bought by big-business interests.

So, yes, there is a cigar and the fact the binary code is unavailable for
legal distribution is quite irrelevant.  There is/are Perl versions of the
same code... it's both source/interpreted code. :)

Anyway... freedom of speech has been tested in the software world and is now
established as precedent in California courts.  Next stop, the fed.

----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Jentink" <jjentink at home.com>
To: <discuss at ntlug.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 11:09 PM
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] Let Freedom Ring! DeCSS code is speech! ...well,
almost.


> Chris Cox said....
> >
> > Wow... what a nice way to end the day!!
> >    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/11/01/1953236
> >
> > Linux is free. Life is good.
> > DeCSS is speech.  If only there were some good DVDs.
> >
>
> I think the article actually said that DeCSS _source_ code is
> considered speech but they considered this very different from
> _compiled_ code. So, close but no cigar.
>
> This is like the law allowing you to write a book about how to make
> drugs but if you try to use the book it is illegal... and especially
> annoying, if you are caught. This would mean that even directly
> interpetting the free speech, source code via an interpretter might
> still be illegal.
>
> j.
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>