Concerns Grow over the "new" Copywrite Debates
I came across these these articles recently that concern the growing debate about the use of technology to enhance the way we live, work and play. The new "Induce Act" would virtually outlaw all forms of private P2P networks and would significantly dampen innovation for new consumer electronics like Apple's iPod, the Tivo, DVD writers, video on demand, and even "old school" products like the VCR.
TiVo Battles Hollywood Over Copyrights
Antipiracy Bill Gains New Ally (US Patent Office)
Microsoft Research DRM Talk (Electronic Frountier Foundation on Digital Rights Management)
Imagine life without the benefits brought about by the VCR over the past 20 years: home video rentals, home theater systems, big sreen/plasma TVs, Dolby Surround Sound, multimedia PCs, camcorders, MPEG, DIVx, etc., etc.
The technology may be new but the debate isn't. What happened to "fair use" and the "right of first sale?" Can I cut objectional scenes from an otherwise decent movie or remove the advertising inserts from books or magazines I've purchased without infringing on someone's copywrite?
Now imagine how novel an ordinary book would seem had it been invented AFTER computers and the internet: the content would never be "stranded" on obsolete media. It would not require batteries. Nothing to setup or configure. You could read it anywhere, anyhow and as many times as you wanted. You could fast forward past the boring parts. You could read the ending first! You could loan it to your friends. You could borrow it and trade it in later for a new book at a place called "The Library." You could store it on your shelf and collect as many copies as you wished in any format you wished (hardback, trade paper back, illustrated, annotated, etc) . You could buy out-of-print books at a place called "Half Price"....
I came across these these articles recently that concern the growing debate about the use of technology to enhance the way we live, work and play. The new "Induce Act" would virtually outlaw all forms of private P2P networks and would significantly dampen innovation for new consumer electronics like Apple's iPod, the Tivo, DVD writers, video on demand, and even "old school" products like the VCR.
TiVo Battles Hollywood Over Copyrights
Antipiracy Bill Gains New Ally (US Patent Office)
Microsoft Research DRM Talk (Electronic Frountier Foundation on Digital Rights Management)
Imagine life without the benefits brought about by the VCR over the past 20 years: home video rentals, home theater systems, big sreen/plasma TVs, Dolby Surround Sound, multimedia PCs, camcorders, MPEG, DIVx, etc., etc.
The technology may be new but the debate isn't. What happened to "fair use" and the "right of first sale?" Can I cut objectional scenes from an otherwise decent movie or remove the advertising inserts from books or magazines I've purchased without infringing on someone's copywrite?
Now imagine how novel an ordinary book would seem had it been invented AFTER computers and the internet: the content would never be "stranded" on obsolete media. It would not require batteries. Nothing to setup or configure. You could read it anywhere, anyhow and as many times as you wanted. You could fast forward past the boring parts. You could read the ending first! You could loan it to your friends. You could borrow it and trade it in later for a new book at a place called "The Library." You could store it on your shelf and collect as many copies as you wished in any format you wished (hardback, trade paper back, illustrated, annotated, etc) . You could buy out-of-print books at a place called "Half Price"....
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