[LUNI] Copyright office is accepting public comments on the DMCA

[Larry Garfield]

Yes, but if we say "it violates fair use!", they can respond with "but 
there's an exception for X, what do you want?", and the Court replies 
"ok, it's fair, go away."  Then the law stands.

Do we need to specifically argue for every exception to an unfair law? 
That only reinforces the legitimacy of the law.

Mike Crawford wrote:
> I would tend to disagree with that viewpoint.  Change usually happens in
> small chunks, not one big swoop.  This I view as our beginning.  We can
> in effect bypass this law with a "personal use" clause, allowing
> programs to bypass copy protection to be distributed granted they are
> only used for personal use.  I would agree that this law is a violation
> of Fair Use, and of freedom of speech, but that's up to the Supreme
> Court to decide.  We just need to find a way to get it there, and have
> them realize this is just to support the money grubbing tactics of a
> scared industry.
> 
> mike
> 
> On Mon, 2002-11-11 at 12:04, Larry Garfield wrote:
> 
>>I recall this discussion on Slashdot, or the DMCA-Activists list, or 
>>something.  The general concenus seemed to be "don't suggest exemptions, 
>>that makes it that much harder to strike down the entire law."  People 
>>should suggest to the copyright office that ALL technology be exempt, 
>>and that everything the DMCA does cover is a violation of Fair Use 
>>doctrine and freedom of speech.
>>
>>Mike Crawford wrote:
>>
>>>Beginning November 19 the US Copyright Office is accepting public
>>>comments on the DMCA to find out which works the public sees that should
>>>be exempt from this law.  I encourage everyone to speak their mind to
>>>the USCO on this.  
>>>
>>>http://www.copyright.gov/1201/comment_forms/index.html
>>>
>>>mike

-- 
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
lgarfiel at students.depaul.edu	ICQ: 6817012

-- "If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you." :-)