Friday, March 15, 2013

DMCA conference: a word from Goodlatte

Video from Rep. Bob Goodlatte of House Judiciary:

Liability risks for ISPs were too great before 512.  Remembers negotiating this provision.  Dialogue, hard work, and consensus should be a pattern for the future. This provision was incredibly important for the online environment today.  Anticircumvention: written to address “digital lock-picking tools” to guard against theft. Every retail business locks the front door.  Businesses online reasonably argued that they needed digital locks to protect their goods. However, it’s easier online to create and circulate lockpicking tools, so Title I was meant to apply digitally what applies in the analog world. Nothing forces companies to use digital locks, and sometimes overemphasized protecting products over satisfying consumer desires for easy-to-use products. Most companies have realized that annoying customers isn’t a way to grow your business. Title I gives businesses a choice, as consumers have a choice, to spend their money. If you think a product is overprotected, don’t buy it.

Cellphone unlocking: not at the heart of the debate over the DMCA. Given constituent interest, legislation has been introduced to reset the process so that the Copyright Office can take a second look.  (Why will it say something different this time? Your guess is as good as mine!)

(Fred von Lohmann points out that VLC, on which this video was played, has an unlicensed DVD decrypter on it.  And also is an excellent video player generally!)

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